Patents by Inventor Masao Murade

Masao Murade 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: 8525960
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a substrate on which a TFT, a data line, a scanning line, a capacitance line, a first intermediate conductive layer, a second intermediate conductive layer, and a pixel electrode are formed. A first contact hole, via which the drain of the TFT and the first intermediate conductive layer are connected to each other, is formed in an area which overlaps, in plan view, with the data line. The above-described structure of this electro-optical device, which includes the intermediate conductive layer disposed between the pixel electrode and the pixel switching TFT, allows an increase in the pixel aperture ratio and also an increase in the storage capacitance. Besides, degradation in the quality of a displayed image due to steps formed, in the vicinity of the pixel electrode, on the surface of an alignment film is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7932885
    Abstract: Signals are respectively output from a first stage and a last stage in a shift register to which a plurality of latch circuits are connected to each other. Based on the signals, data lines are selected. A dummy pixel region comprising pixels corresponding to the selected data lines and data lines adjacent to the selected data lines becomes a non-display region. Therefore, degradation of image quality is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7903186
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes, on a substrate, a plurality of pixel portions arranged in a pixel region; a peripheral circuit which is placed in a peripheral region located at a periphery of the pixel region, and controls the plurality of pixel portions; image signal lines that supply image signals; and ground potential lines that supply ground potentials to the peripheral circuit. The image signal lines are electrically connected to the ground potential lines via discharge resistors made of a film having a higher resistance than a conductive film constituting the image signal lines and the ground potential lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7859603
    Abstract: An electro-optical device of the present invention includes pixel electrodes, TFTs electrically connected to the pixel electrodes, and scanning lines and data lines connected to the TFTs on a TFT array substrate. Each scanning line has a broad width portion as a gate electrode in a portion facing a channel area of the TFT and the narrow width portion. As a result, an electro-optical device capable of easily adjusting an arrangement of the gate electrodes and the scanning lines and at the same time precisely driving the TFTs is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7750876
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a display unit that has a plurality of switching elements provided at intersections of a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines and that drives the plurality of switching elements based on image signals supplied to the plurality of data lines so as to display images, a driving unit that controls driving of the display unit through a phase expansion so as to drive the plurality of switching elements for predetermined blocks, m×n signal wiring lines that transmit image signals, the image signals being divided into m (where m is a natural number of 2 or more) parallel data sequences and each of the data sequences including n (where n is a natural number of m or less) image signals, and that have extended portions such that the m×n signal wiring lines are grouped into a plurality of groups of signal wiring lines, each of the groups including n signal wiring lines for each data sequence on a substrate, and such that the plurality of groups of signal wiring line
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7705839
    Abstract: A driving circuit for an electro-optical device drives an electro-optical device having a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scanning lines extending to cross each other, and a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in an image display region corresponding to intersections of the data lines and the scanning lines. The driving circuit for an electro-optical device includes a shift register that has stages each of which generates transfer signals for defining writing timing and sequentially outputs the transfer signals from the respective stages, a precharge supply line that supplies a precharge timing signal for defining precharge timing ahead of the writing timing, and a data line circuit that receives the timing signal, shapes the timing signal on the basis of at least the transfer signal, and drives the plurality of data lines according to the timing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7671363
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, an electro-optical device includes a peripheral circuit wiring arranged in a peripheral area located peripheral to a pixel area. The peripheral circuit wiring has overlapping portions that overlap vertical conduction terminals in plan view. The overlapping portions are arranged on a lower layer side relative to the vertical conduction terminals. An insulating film electrically insulates the overlapping portions of the peripheral circuit wiring from the vertical conduction terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7667681
    Abstract: An electro-optical device has data lines and scanning lines, TFTs, pixel electrodes, and storage capacitors having capacitor electrodes connected to the TFTs and the pixel electrodes, and the like. In an image display region, a capacitor wire is formed to be connected to or to extend to the capacitor electrodes, and the capacitor wire also extends to exterior circuit connection terminals provided in a peripheral region. By appropriately supplying a predetermined potential to the capacitor electrodes of the storage capacitors, generation of problems, such as a cross-talk on an image or the like, can be suppressed as much as possible, thereby displaying a high quality image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7615810
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes first and second substrates that are bonded to each other, the first substrate having an extended portion extended from the second substrate on a first side thereof in plan view, a plurality of pixel units that are disposed in a pixel region on the first substrate and individually have pixel electrodes, a data line driving circuit that is disposed along the first side in a peripheral region around the pixel region so as to supply an image signal to the pixel units, a plurality of external circuit connecting terminals that are arranged along the first side in a region of the peripheral region on the extended portion, an image signal line that is relayed around the data line driving circuit from the plurality of external circuit connecting terminals and has a first wiring line portion wired in a direction along the first side between the data line driving circuit and the pixel region, and a sealant that bonds the first and second substrates to each other in a sealing region ar
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7570334
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a pair of an opposing substrate and an element substrate, pixel electrodes, a sealing member, an opposing electrode, a vertical-conduction electrode, and a vertical-conduction member. The opposing substrate and element substrate are bonded with the sealing member so as to oppose each other. The pixel electrodes are arrayed on the element substrate in a pixel region. The sealing member is provided in a sealing region located around the pixel region. The opposing electrode is provided on the opposing substrate so as to oppose the pixel electrodes. The vertical-conduction electrode is formed in the sealing region extending along at least one edge of the element substrate. The vertical-conduction member is provided in the sealing region and electrically connected to the vertical-conduction electrode and the opposing electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Publication number: 20090153760
    Abstract: An electro-optical device of the present invention includes pixel electrodes, TFTs electrically connected to the pixel electrodes, and scanning lines and data lines connected to the TFTs on a TFT array substrate. Each scanning line has a broad width portion as a gate electrode in a portion facing a channel area of the TFT and the narrow width portion. As a result, an electro-optical device capable of easily adjusting an arrangement of the gate electrodes and the scanning lines and at the same time precisely driving the TFTs is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7532295
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a substrate, a plurality of pixel portions disposed in a pixel area, a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines disposed in the pixel area, at least one scanning line drive circuit that supplies scanning signals to the plurality of scanning lines, and at least one reverse-direction control signal generating circuit that generates, based on a forward-direction control signal for controlling the scanning line drive circuit to supply the scanning signals to the plurality of scanning lines in a first order, a reverse-direction control signal for controlling the scanning line drive circuit to supply the scanning signals to the plurality of scanning lines in a second order, which is the reverse of the first order, and that supplies the forward-direction control signal and the reverse-direction control signal to the scanning line drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7502079
    Abstract: An electro-optical device of the present invention includes pixel electrodes, TFTs electrically connected to the pixel electrodes, and scanning lines and data lines connected to the TFTs on a TFT array substrate. Each scanning line has a broad width portion as a gate electrode in a portion facing a channel area of the TFT and the narrow width portion. As a result, an electro-optical device capable of easily adjusting an arrangement of the gate electrodes and the scanning lines and at the same time precisely driving the TFTs is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7495650
    Abstract: Output signals of a shift register in which latch circuits are connected in a plurality of stages are branched into two paths, NAND circuits are provided at the respective branched paths, and a sampling switch is turned on based on the output signals to sample an image signal into a data line. However, in response to the NAND circuit arranged at the left-branched path of the two path of a signal output by the first stage and the NAND circuit arranged at the right-branched path of the two path of a signal output by the last stage, neither the sampling switches nor the data lines are provided. With this, degradation of display quality is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7477337
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes: a substrate; a plurality of pixels provided in a pixel region on the substrate; peripheral circuits that are provided in a peripheral region surrounding the pixel region, the peripheral circuits being for controlling the plurality of pixels; a plurality of signal lines that supply signals for controlling the peripheral circuits, that at least partially overlap each other in the peripheral region, and that are formed in a plurality of different conductive layers with interlayer insulating layers interposed therebetween; and a shielding layer that is provided between layers where the plurality of signal lines overlap each other, so as to overlap the plurality of signal lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Publication number: 20080198314
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a display electrode disposed in an image display region of a TFT array substrate, a pattern portion including at least one of wiring and a circuit element connected to the display electrode directly or through a pixel switching element and provided in a frame region, which defines the periphery of the image display region, and a lower shielding film for covering the TFT array substrate side of at least a portion of the pattern portion. Therefore, in the electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device, a light-dark pattern due to the wiring and the circuit element provided in the frame region can be prevented from being projected near the edge of a display image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7362397
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a display electrode disposed in an image display region of a TFT array substrate, a pattern portion including at least one of wiring and a circuit element connected to the display electrode directly or through a pixel switching element and provided in a frame region, which defines the periphery of the image display region, and a lower shielding film for covering the TFT array substrate side of at least a portion of the pattern portion. Therefore, in the electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device, a light-dark pattern due to the wiring and the circuit element provided in the frame region can be prevented from being projected near the edge of a display image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7335913
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a pair of substrates that are disposed to face each other with a predetermined gap therebetween, one substrate of the pair of substrates extending from the other substrate on at least one side in plan view, display electrodes that are provided on one substrate, a circuit unit that is provided on one substrate so as to drive the display electrodes, a plurality of lead wiring lines that are led from one of the sides of wiring lines for driving the circuit unit or the display electrodes to an extending portion extending on the one side of one substrate, and a plurality of external connecting terminals that are correspondingly connected to the plurality of lead wiring lines and are provided on a surface of the extending portion facing the other substrate so as to at least partially overlap the plurality of lead wiring lines in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 7315297
    Abstract: The invention provides an electro-optical apparatus that can include a clock-signal terminal and a phase-difference correction circuit that are connected without branching, and the phase-difference correction circuit and one of scanning-line drive circuits are connected without branching. A clock signal can be supplied to the one of the scanning-line drive circuits through the phase-difference correction circuit. Then the one of the scanning-line drive circuits and the other of the scanning-line drive circuits are connected without branching, and a clock-signal line which supplies the clock signal from the one of the scanning-line drive circuits to the other of the scanning-line drive circuits can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Publication number: 20070296899
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a pair of an opposing substrate and an element substrate, pixel electrodes, a sealing member, an opposing electrode, a vertical-conduction electrode, and a vertical-conduction member. The opposing substrate and element substrate are bonded with the sealing member so as to oppose each other. The pixel electrodes are arrayed on the element substrate in a pixel region. The sealing member is provided in a sealing region located around the pixel region. The opposing electrode is provided on the opposing substrate so as to oppose the pixel electrodes. The vertical-conduction electrode is formed in the sealing region extending along at least one edge of the element substrate. The vertical-conduction member is provided in the sealing region and electrically connected to the vertical-conduction electrode and the opposing electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade