Patents by Inventor Masato Imai

Masato 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: 7800722
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates and has a reflective area and a transmissive area. At least one of the substrates is provided with a retardation film whose phase difference differs between the reflective area and the transmissive area. Alternatively, at least one of the substrates is provided with a retardation film whose slow axis differs between the reflective area and the transmissive area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ohyama, Masato Imai, Kazuyuki Endo
  • Patent number: 7778758
    Abstract: This invention provides a vehicle cruise control system which, during recognition of a shape of a road extending in a frontward direction of host vehicle, can calculate the road shape rapidly and accurately from a positional relationship with respect to the host vehicle. The system includes at least: a position change detector that detects, from information on the road existing in the frontward direction of the vehicle, a horizontal distance from a line segment orthogonal to a traveling direction vector of the vehicle, to a centerline of the road, the detection being conducted at a plurality of measuring points in an extending direction of the traveling direction vector; a road shape recognizer that identifies the shape of the road from data relating to linearity of changes in each of the horizontal distances, the linearity data being obtained by the position change detector; and a cruise controller that controls traveling of the vehicle according to results of the identification by the road shape recognizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Tsuchiya, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Masato Imai, Tatsuya Ochi, Takaomi Nishigaito, Masao Sakata, Masafumi Naito
  • Publication number: 20100194709
    Abstract: A display device includes: a display panel including first and second substrates spaced from and opposite to each other, and has a touch sensor switch. The touch sensor switch includes a first touch electrode provided on a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate, and a second touch electrode provided on a surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate and spaced from and faces the first touch electrode. The first and second touch electrodes contact with each other when the touch panel is deformed by an external pressure. The first touch electrode covers a surface of a concave and convex area where grooves are formed to be spaced from each other, and on the surface on which the first touch electrode is provided, an application film is provided to expose a surface of a top face of a convex part of the concave and convex area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Tamaki, Takeo Koito, Masato Imai
  • Patent number: 7751000
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates and has a reflective area and a transmissive area. At least one of the substrates is provided with a retardation film whose phase difference differs between the reflective area and the transmissive area. Alternatively, at least one of the substrates is provided with a retardation film whose slow axis differs between the reflective area and the transmissive area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ohyama, Masato Imai, Kazuyuki Endo
  • Patent number: 7591203
    Abstract: A vehicular control apparatus for a vehicle has a twin clutch type automatic transmission. The control apparatus comprises an external information acquisition apparatus for acquiring external information required for vehicular transmission control, an input section for taking in the external information from the external information acquisition apparatus; and a pre-shift gear selection section for selecting a predetermined gear train among plural gear trains of the transmission to execute a pre-shift in accordance with the external information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ochi, Takashi Okada, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Masato Imai, Tetsuo Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20090170292
    Abstract: A production method for a semiconductor substrate for producing a high quality SGOI substrate 10 in which the dislocation density in a silicon germanium Si1-yGey layer (SGOI layer) formed on an embedded oxide film is reduced and the occurrence of defects is suppressed, by employing the SIMOX method, or a semiconductor substrate. The SGOI substrate is produced by adjusting the composition ratio (x) of the germanium Ge in the silicon germanium Si1-xGex layer prior to the SIMOX method processing, to a composition ratio of a predetermined ratio or less in which the dislocation density in the silicon germanium Si1-yGey layer after the SIMOX method processing becomes a predetermined level or less. Preferably the composition ratio (x) is adjusted to a composition ratio in which the dislocation density in the silicon germanium Si1-yGey layer (SGOI layer) after the SIMOX method processing becomes 106 cm?2 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: Komatsu Denshi Kinzoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Imai, Yoshiji Miyamura
  • Patent number: 7542114
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, by which a reduction of costs of a color filter is realized and declining of the transmittance or reflectance due to an alignment error is suppressed, comprising a pair of substrates arranged facing to each other over a liquid crystal layer, wherein one substrate is formed pixels PXL arranged in matrix. Each pixel is formed a reflection portion for reflecting an outside light and a transmission portion for transmitting a light. The other substrate is formed a color filter colored to be different colors (red, green and blue) corresponding to respective pixels. One or more color adjusting windows CFW having a coloring concentration of zero or less than that of other portions are provided on reflection regions CFR superposing with reflection portions inside pixel regions corresponding to respective pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Nakamura, Masato Imai, Yoko Fukunaga, Akira Maehara
  • Publication number: 20090088941
    Abstract: A vehicle speed control system includes a road shape recognition unit which recognizes a road shape, a target speed setting unit which sets a target speed according to the road shape, a speed control unit which controls the host vehicle's speed according to the target speed, a parameter detecting unit which detects at least one of parameters representing the driver's steering rotation, a yaw rate of the host vehicle, and a lateral acceleration of the host vehicle, and a first acceleration determining unit which, after the speed control unit has decelerated, determines whether or not to accelerate the host vehicle according to reference parameters based on a road shape and the host vehicle's speed and parameters detected by the parameter detecting unit, wherein if the first acceleration determining unit has determined to accelerate, the target speed setting unit sets a target speed of the host vehicle according to a predetermined acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi TSUCHIYA, Masato Imai, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Takaomi Nishigaito, Mikio Ueyama
  • Patent number: 7468239
    Abstract: A mask for photolithography in which a semi-transmission film is formed so that the phase difference of lights passing through a semi-transmission portion and a transmission portion of the mask for photolithography is between (?¼+2 m) ? and (¼+2 m) ? inclusive, where m is an integer. The invention makes it possible to efficiently and properly form a thin film having a multi-step structure by a single process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Imai, Akira Maehara, Yoko Fukunaga
  • Publication number: 20080091327
    Abstract: This invention provides a vehicle cruise control system which, during recognition of a shape of a road extending in a frontward direction of host vehicle, can calculate the road shape rapidly and accurately from a positional relationship with respect to the host vehicle. The system includes at least: a position change detector that detects, from information on the road existing in the frontward direction of the vehicle, a horizontal distance from a line segment orthogonal to a traveling direction vector of the vehicle, to a centerline of the road, the detection being conducted at a plurality of measuring points in an extending direction of the traveling direction vector; a road shape recognizer that identifies the shape of the road from data relating to linearity of changes in each of the horizontal distances, the linearity data being obtained by the position change detector; and a cruise controller that controls traveling of the vehicle according to results of the identification by the road shape recognizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Tsuchiya, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Masato Imai, Tatsuya Ochi, Takaomi Nishigaito, Masao Sakata, Masafumi Naito
  • Publication number: 20080059036
    Abstract: A vehicle speed control system includes: a unit for computing a first target velocity based on map information; a unit for computing a second target velocity based on a road profile obtained from other information than the map information (such as lane recognition using a camera); a unit for comparing the first target velocity and the second target velocity; a unit for selecting a lower target velocity therefrom; and a unit for controlling a vehicle velocity in accordance with the selected target velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: Xanavi Informatics Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Imai, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Tatsuya Ochi, Takashi Okada, Toshimichi Minowa, Masao Sakata
  • Publication number: 20070199395
    Abstract: A vehicular control apparatus for a vehicle has a twin clutch type automatic transmission. The control apparatus comprises an external information acquisition apparatus for acquiring external information required for vehicular transmission control, an input section for taking in the external information from the external information acquisition apparatus; and a pre-shift gear selection section for selecting a predetermined gear train among plural gear trains of the transmission to execute a pre-shift in accordance with the external information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ochi, Takashi Okada, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Masato Imai, Tetsuo Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20070192013
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle speed control device for controlling a speed of a vehicle. The vehicle speed control device includes a current location error estimation section for extracting area attribute information from the map information, for producing a location error probability distribution, a target speed calculation section for receiving the target speed correction instruction, for accessing preset data that shows an acceleration or a gradient of an acceleration which allows a driver not to feel uncomfortable, and for computing target speed values at nodes over the distance in such a way that the target speed values create a continuous curve, and a speed control section for sensing a speed of a vehicle, and for controlling a driving torque of the vehicle so that the sensed speed traces the continuous curve composed of the target speed values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Bando, Takeshi Inoue, Koichiro Tanikoshi, Masao Sakata, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Masato Imai
  • Patent number: 7218366
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, by which a reduction of costs of a color filter is realized and declining of the transmittance or reflectance due to an alignment error is suppressed, comprising a pair of substrates arranged facing to each other over a liquid crystal layer, wherein one substrate is formed pixels PXL arranged in matrix. Each pixel is formed a reflection portion for reflecting an outside light and a transmission portion for transmitting a light. The other substrate is formed a color filter colored to be different colors (red, green and blue) corresponding to respective pixels. One or more color adjusting windows CFW having a coloring concentration of zero or less than that of other portions are provided on reflection regions CFR superposing with reflection portions inside pixel regions corresponding to respective pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Nakamura, Masato Imai, Yoko Fukunaga, Akira Maehara
  • Patent number: 7153614
    Abstract: A mask for photolithography in which a semi-transmission film is formed so that the phase difference of lights passing through a semi-transmission portion and a transmission portion of the mask for photolithography is between (?¼+2 m).? and (¼+2 m).? inclusive, where m is an integer. The invention makes it possible to efficiently and properly form a thin film having a multi-step structure by a single process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Imai, Akira Maehara, Yoko Fukunaga
  • Patent number: 7148938
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, by which a reduction of costs of a color filter is realized and declining of the transmittance or reflectance due to an alignment error is suppressed, comprising a pair of substrates arranged facing to each other over a liquid crystal layer, wherein one substrate is formed pixels PXL arranged in matrix. Each pixel is formed a reflection portion for reflecting an outside light and a transmission portion for transmitting a light. The other substrate is formed a color filter colored to be different colors (red, green and blue) corresponding to respective pixels. One or more color adjusting windows CFW having a coloring concentration of zero or less than that of other portions are provided on reflection regions CFR superposing with reflection portions inside pixel regions corresponding to respective pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Nakamura, Masato Imai, Yoko Fukunaga, Akira Maehara
  • Patent number: 7136125
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, by which a reduction of costs of a color filter is realized and declining of the transmittance or reflectance due to an alignment error is suppressed, comprising a pair of substrates arranged facing to each other over a liquid crystal layer, wherein one substrate is formed pixels PXL arranged in matrix. Each pixel is formed a reflection portion for reflecting an outside light and a transmission portion for transmitting a light. The other substrate is formed a color filter colored to be different colors (red, green and blue) corresponding to respective pixels. One or more color adjusting windows CFW having a coloring concentration of zero or less than that of other portions are provided on reflection regions CFR superposing with reflection portions inside pixel regions corresponding to respective pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Nakamura, Masato Imai, Yoko Fukunaga, Akira Maehara
  • Publication number: 20060203155
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, by which a reduction of costs of a color filter is realized and declining of the transmittance or reflectance due to an alignment error is suppressed, comprising a pair of substrates arranged facing to each other over a liquid crystal layer, wherein one substrate is formed pixels PXL arranged in matrix. Each pixel is formed a reflection portion for reflecting an outside light and a transmission portion for transmitting a light. The other substrate is formed a color filter colored to be different colors (red, green and blue) corresponding to respective pixels. One or more color adjusting windows CFW having a coloring concentration of zero or less than that of other portions are provided on reflection regions CFR superposing with reflection portions inside pixel regions corresponding to respective pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Shinji Nakamura, Masato Imai, Yoko Fukunaga, Akira Maehara
  • Publication number: 20060203156
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, by which a reduction of costs of a color filter is realized and declining of the transmittance or reflectance due to an alignment error is suppressed, comprising a pair of substrates arranged facing to each other over a liquid crystal layer, wherein one substrate is formed pixels PXL arranged in matrix. Each pixel is formed a reflection portion for reflecting an outside light and a transmission portion for transmitting a light. The other substrate is formed a color filter colored to be different colors (red, green and blue) corresponding to respective pixels. One or more color adjusting windows CFW having a coloring concentration of zero or less than that of other portions are provided on reflection regions CFR superposing with reflection portions inside pixel regions corresponding to respective pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Shinji Nakamura, Masato Imai, Yoko Fukunaga, Akira Maehara
  • Publication number: 20060187387
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates and has a reflective area and a transmissive area. At least one of the substrates is provided with a retardation film whose phase difference differs between the reflective area and the transmissive area. Alternatively, at least one of the substrates is provided with a retardation film whose slow axis differs between the reflective area and the transmissive area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ohyama, Masato Imai, Kazuyuki Endo