Patents by Inventor Masao Imai

Masao Imai has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9028071
    Abstract: Light source layer (4) includes substrate (10) and a pair of layers, namely, hole-transport layer (11) and electron-transport layer (13), formed on substrate (10). Directional control layer (5) includes plasmon excitation layer (15) stacked on a side of light source layer (4), which is opposite to the side of substrate (10) of light source layer (4), and which has a plasma frequency higher than a frequency of light output from light source layer (4), and wave vector conversion layer (17) stacked on plasmon excitation layer (15), which converts light incident from plasmon excitation layer (15) into light having a predetermined exit angle to output the light. Plasmon excitation layer (15) is sandwiched between low dielectric constant layer (14) and high dielectric constant layer (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Natsumeda, Shin Tominaga, Goroh Saitoh, Masao Imai
  • Patent number: 9030539
    Abstract: This invention is to provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a display in which both of a secret image and a public image can be efficiently displayed with high picture quality without reducing contrast of the public image. One of output images is a secret image which displays an input secret image as one of input images in a partial area of a screen, all the output images including the secret image have a relationship to become, when a luminance value of each pixel thereof is totaled, an input public image as one of the input images; and during a period in which at least the secret image is being outputted, shutter glasses disposed between a display to which the image signals are inputted and user's eyes are set to a light transmission state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Daigo Miyasaka, Masao Imai, Fujio Okumura
  • Publication number: 20150109587
    Abstract: Provided are an optical element, a lighting device, and an image display device, with which the absorption efficiency and the luminance of the excitation light can be improved. This optical element (40) is equipped with: a light-emitting layer (103) that generates excitation light; a plasmon excitation layer (105) stacked on the light-emitting layer (103) and having a higher plasma frequency than the light-emitting frequency of the light-emitting layer (103); an emission layer (207) that emits light by converting the surface plasmons or the light generated at the upper surface of the plasmon excitation layer (105) to light having a predetermined emission angle; and a metal layer (102) stacked on the underside of the light-emitting layer (103).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Masanao Natsumeda, Masao Imai, Shin Tominaga, Naofumi Suzuki, Mizuho Tomiyama, Yuji Ohno
  • Patent number: 8998420
    Abstract: A hologram layer (13) is irradiated by light from an optical element (10). The hologram layer (13) is provided with a first hologram (14) that diffracts in a predetermined direction, from among incident light from the optical element (10), X-polarized light in which the polarization component is in a specific direction and emits the light as X-polarized light of a first phase state (P1), and a second hologram (15) that both diffracts in the same direction as the X-polarized light of the first phase state (P1) and moreover at an equal radiation angle, from among incident light from the optical element (10), Y-polarized light in which the polarization component is in a direction orthogonal to that of the X-polarized light and converts it to X-polarized light, and emits the light as X-polarized light of a second phase state (P2) that differs from the first phase state (P1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Tominaga, Masao Imai, Goroh Saitoh, Masanao Natsumeda
  • Patent number: 8994055
    Abstract: A light source capable of solving a problem in which the etendue is increased when random polarization is converted into a specific polarization is provided. A relief structure that functions as surface plasmon excitation means for exciting a surface plasmon by a specific polarization component in a polarization direction perpendicular to a first direction in an interface between metal layer 15 and first cover layer 14 in light from emission layer 13 incident on the interface is formed at the interface. The relief structure is periodic in a second direction. Projections 21A of the relief structure are extended along the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Tominaga, Masao Imai, Masanao Natsumeda
  • Patent number: 8960915
    Abstract: Optical element 10 according to the present invention comprises light guide body 11, surface plasmon excitation means 14 that is provided on the interface with light guide body 11 and that allows surface plasmon to be excited by a specific polarization component of light whose polarization direction is orthogonal to the first direction y in the surface of light guide body 11, from among light entering from light guide body 11, and a light generation means that includes metal layer 12 and cover layer 13, and that generates light having the same polarization component as the specific polarization component of light, from surface plasmon produced in the interface between metal layer 12 and cover layer 13 in response to surface plasmon excited by the specific polarization component in surface plasmon excitation means 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Tominaga, Masao Imai, Goroh Saitoh, Masanao Natsumeda
  • Publication number: 20150022784
    Abstract: An optical element of the present invention has a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer and a first metal layer arranged between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, and is characterized that the first dielectric layer has different refractive indices in a first direction, and a second direction intersecting with the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shin Tominaga, Masao Imai, Masanao Natsumeda
  • Publication number: 20150016085
    Abstract: Disclosed are an optical device, an optical element, and an image display device that can achieve an improved absorption efficiency of excitation light. The optical device includes: a light-emitting element; a carrier generation layer on which light from the light-emitting element is incident and in which carriers are generated; a plasmon excitation layer that excites a plasmon, stacked on the upper side of the carrier generation layer and has a plasma frequency higher than a frequency of light generated when the carrier generation layer is excited by the light from the light-emitting element; and an exit layer that converts light or a surface plasmon generated on a surface of the plasmon excitation layer into light having a predetermined exit angle and from which the light having the predetermined exit angle exits. The optical device further includes a polarization conversion layer on the lower side of the carrier generation layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Masanao Natsumeda, Masao Imai, Shin Tominaga, Naofumi Suzuki, Mizuho Tomiyama, Yuji Ohno
  • Patent number: 8933988
    Abstract: A picture transmission system is provided that provides a solution to drops in picture quality. A multiplexing unit (11) multiplexes N pictures in display order to generate a multiplexed picture. A transmission unit (12) transmits the multiplexed picture. A frame memory (23) delays pictures in the multiplexed picture that is received by a reception unit (21) by a one-frame interval of the pictures (one subframe interval) to generate reference pictures. With each reception of a picture in the multiplexed picture by the reception unit (21), an OD arithmetic unit (25) converts the picture element value of the picture (object picture) based on the reference picture to generate an OverDrive picture. A time-division display apparatus (3) displays the OverDrive pictures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Junichirou Ishii, Masao Imai
  • Patent number: 8917267
    Abstract: A display device is provided with a display section; a drive section driving the display section; and a light shutter control section controlling a light shutter. The display section is configured to display first and second images on the display section during a specific period. The drive section is configured to allow perceiving an image only from a direction in a specific viewing angle range at least during the specific period. The light shutter control section controls the light shutter so that the light shutter is placed into a transmitting state allowing transmitting light during a period during which the first image is displayed in the specific period and placed into a shielding state shielding light during a remaining period in the specific period. The first and second images are generated so that an image generated by adding brightnesses of respective pixels of the first and second images has no correlation to the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Daigo Miyasaka, Masao Imai
  • Patent number: 8870384
    Abstract: A light source device includes: a first light source (3a) that emits first polarized light of a plurality of colors including different wavelengths; a second light source (3b) that emits second polarized light whose polarization state differs from that of the first polarized light and that includes light of at least one color from among the plurality of colors; and a first color synthesis optical element (1) that synthesizes the first polarized light emitted from the first light source (3a) and the second polarized light emitted from the second light source (3b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Nec Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Imai, Goroh Saitoh, Fujio Okumura
  • Patent number: 8848044
    Abstract: This invention is to provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a display in which both of a secret image and a public image can be efficiently displayed with high picture quality without reducing contrast of the public image. One of output images is a secret image which displays an input secret image as one of input images in a partial area of a screen, all the output images including the secret image have a relationship to become, when a luminance value of each pixel thereof is totaled, an input public image as one of the input images; and during a period in which at least the secret image is being outputted, shutter glasses disposed between a display to which the image signals are inputted and user's eyes are set to a light transmission state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Nec Corporation
    Inventors: Daigo Miyasaka, Masao Imai, Fujio Okumura
  • Patent number: 8848139
    Abstract: An optical member including: a Fresnel lens sheet for deflecting and emitting deflected light, A louver for restricting a direction of light rays, where the louver restricts the traveling direction of incident light from the deflecting element to a direction that is parallel to the optical path of the incident light, and emits the restricted light. The Fresnel lens sheet is disposed so that a machined surface thereof faces the louver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: NLT Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Niioka, Ken Sumiyoshi, Shin-Ichi Uehara, Masao Imai, Kenichi Takatori, Fujio Okumura
  • Publication number: 20140285510
    Abstract: This invention is to provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a display in which both of a secret image and a public image can be efficiently displayed with high picture quality without reducing contrast of the public image. One of output images is a secret image which displays an input secret image as one of input images in a partial area of a screen, all the output images including the secret image have a relationship to become, when a luminance value of each pixel thereof is totaled, an input public image as one of the input images; and during a period in which at least the secret image is being outputted, shutter glasses disposed between a display to which the image signals are inputted and user's eyes are set to a light transmission state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAIGO MIYASAKA, MASAO IMAI, FUJIO OKUMURA
  • Patent number: 8810493
    Abstract: To provide a display device which can reduce driving frequency of a controller and a driver for inputting a signal to the display device and increase brightness of a screen without increasing the driving frequency. The display device includes: a display screen having a plurality of pixels provided by corresponding to intersection points between scan lines and data lines; a scan line drive circuit which drives the scan lines; a data line drive circuit which drives the data lines; and a display device body having an image display control device which operates the drive circuit so as to sequentially and repeatedly display two or more types of images. The image display control device causes the scan line drive circuit to simultaneously select two or more scan lines for at least one type of image among the two or more types of images sequentially displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Kimura, Masao Imai
  • Publication number: 20140226196
    Abstract: According to the present invention, the etendue of light that exits an optical element can be decreased regardless of the etendue of light that exits a light emitting element. An optical element according to the present invention includes a carrier generation layer that generates carriers with light; a plasmon excitation layer that is located on the carrier generation layer and that has a plasma frequency greater than the frequency of light that occurs in the carrier generation layer when it is excited with light that exits the light emitting element; an exit layer that is located on the plasmon excitation layer and that converts surface plasmons generated in the plasmon excitation layer into light having a predetermined exit angle; and at least one anisotropic dielectric layer that has anisotropy on an incident side in a direction from the plasmon excitation layer to the carrier generation layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanao Natsumeda, Masao Imai, Shin Tominaga
  • Publication number: 20140226197
    Abstract: An optical element is provided with a plasmon excitation layer that facilitates both the control of plasmon resonant conditions and the improvement of conversion efficiency. The plasmon excitation layer that is provided in the optical element generates surface plasmons, and the plasmon excitation layer is made up of metal and a dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanao Natsumeda, Masao Imai, Shin Tominaga, Naofumi Suzuki, Mizuho Tomiyama, Yuji Ohno
  • Patent number: 8803765
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus sequentially provides a display device with a plurality of image output including a first image, a second image set to become at least a part of an image that is not correlated with the first image when luminance values of pixels of the first image are added to it, and a third image set to become an image, which is obtained by adding luminance values of pixels of all pluralities of images, higher spatial-frequency components than those of the first image. The image processing apparatus has an optical shutter control unit for controlling an optical shutter provided between the display device and a viewer to make the shutter be in a light transmission state while a part of or all the first image is displayed, and in a light interception state while other images are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Daigo Miyasaka, Masao Imai
  • Patent number: 8797468
    Abstract: A liquid crystal shutter glasses comprises a liquid crystal shutter placed within the view angle of the observer of a display apparatus wherein the liquid crystal shutter has an effective shutter region in which the transmission or shielding of incident light is controllable and a light attenuation region positioned outside the effective shutter region for attenuating incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Goroh Saitoh, Masao Imai, Fujio Okumura
  • Patent number: 8797389
    Abstract: The invention provides: a code generation and data assignment circuit that sets the order in which a confidential image and a reversed image are displayed, based on an orthogonal code; and a shutter glass control signal generation circuit that controls so that during a period when an image signal of an image including at least part or all of the confidential image is outputted, the shutter glasses disposed between the succeeding display apparatus and the user's eyes are set in a light transmission state and during a period when another image is displayed, the shutter glasses are set in a light shielding state. The image signal of the confidential image and the image signal of the reversed image are in a relationship such that when the brightness values of the images are added together for each pixel, the resultant image has no correlation with the first output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Daigo Miyasaka, Junichirou Ishii, Masao Imai, Fujio Okumura