Patents by Inventor Mitsuhiro Murata

Mitsuhiro Murata 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).

  • Publication number: 20180239078
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a light guide plate, a first light source, a second light source, and a case. The light guide plate includes plate surfaces and an outer peripheral surface. One of the plate surfaces is configured as a light exiting surface. Sections of the outer peripheral surface on opposite sides from each other relative to the center of the light exiting surface are configured as a first light entering surface and a second light entering surface, respectively. The first light source is disposed opposite the first light entering surface. The second light source is disposed opposite the second light entering surface. The case includes an annular wall portion surrounding an outer circumference of the light guide plate, the first light source, and the second light source. The annular wall portion includes light source non-disposing areas between the first light entering surface and the second light entering surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Ryuzo YUKI, Katsutoshi KIKUCHI, Hayato NAKAMURA, Makoto YOSHIMURA, Hiromi ENOMOTO, Mitsuhiro MURATA, Hisashi WATANABE, Hirotoshi YASUNAGA
  • Patent number: 10024293
    Abstract: In a system for controlling rotation of torque applied to a rotating shaft of an engine of a vehicle that uses the engine as a drive source thereof, a motor is provided. A main controller controls the engine and the motor. The main controller selectably activates the motor that applies first torque to the rotating shaft of the engine, and deactivates the motor. A rotary electric machine includes a rotor connected to the rotating shaft of the engine. A rotation parameter detector measures a rotation parameter associated with rotation of the rotor of the rotary electric machine. A sequence controller performs, in response to an occurrence of a trigger situation, a control sequence that controls, independently of the main controller, the rotary electric machine based on the rotation parameter measured by the rotation parameter detector, thus applying second torque to the rotating shaft of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Fujita, Ryosuke Utaka, Mitsuhiro Murata
  • Patent number: 10018868
    Abstract: A backlight device includes: optical members with a substantially circular profile, including a light guide plate, optical sheets, and a reflective sheet; a chassis (lamination member) disposed to overlap the light guide plate, the optical sheets, and the reflective sheet (optical members); and positioning structures. The positioning structures are provided on the light guide plate, the optical sheets, and the reflective sheet (optical members) and on the chassis (lamination member). The positioning structures have contact faces that come into contact with each other in the circumferential direction of the light guide plate, the optical sheets, and the reflective sheet (optical members), so as to position the light guide plate, the optical sheets, and the reflective sheet (optical member) relative to the chassis (lamination member) in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Masuda, Ryuzo Yuki, Hisashi Watanabe, Shinya Kadowaki, Mitsuhiro Murata, Takeshi Ishida
  • Publication number: 20180188613
    Abstract: In the present invention, a liquid crystal display device capable of achieving a high contrast ratio and a wide viewing angle, and capable of achieving a high-speed response is provided. The liquid crystal display device in the present invention is configured such that, when viewed in a plan view, at least one contour line of a plurality of linear portions of a first electrode intersects with a branch portion of a second electrode and a branch portion of a third electrode adjacent to each other, a length of a part intersecting with the branch portion of the third electrode is longer than a length of a part intersecting with the branch portion of the second electrode, and a driving operation is performed such that a potential difference between the first electrode and the third electrode is equal to or greater than a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: YOSUKE IWATA, MITSUHIRO MURATA, SATOSHI MATSUMURA
  • Publication number: 20180173058
    Abstract: A backlight device includes LEDs, a light guide plate, a LED board, and a bonding member. The light guide plate has a light entrance edge surface that is a part of peripheral edge surfaces thereof and through which light from the LED enters, a light exiting plate surface that is one of plate surfaces thereof and through which light exits, and another one of the plate surfaces as an opposite plate surface. The LED board has a mounting surface on which the LEDs are mounted, and has a part overlapping a part of the light guide plate on an opposite plate surface side. The bonding member is bonded to the mounting surface of the part of the LED board and to the opposite plate surface of the part of the light guide plate and the bonding member includes a light absorbing bonding layer containing light absorbing material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Ryuzo YUKI, Mitsuhiro MURATA, Hisashi WATANABE, Hirotoshi YASUNAGA
  • Publication number: 20180149130
    Abstract: A starter for an internal combustion engine includes a rotating shaft formed with a helical spline on an outer periphery thereof and which rotates by a rotation of a motor, a pinion gear helically splined to the rotating shaft and movable in an axial direction of the rotating shaft along a tooth surface of the helical spline, a lever receiving member disposed opposing an end surface in an axial direction of the pinion gear, moved by receiving an axial pushing force by a pushing member, and causing the pinion gear to engage with a ring gear of the internal combustion engine by a movement thereof, and a buffer member for restricting a movement of the pinion gear in a rotational direction when the pinion gear moves along the teeth surface of the helical spline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya FUJITA, Takashi HIRABAYASHI, Tasuku YAMADA, Mitsuhiro MURATA
  • Patent number: 9938950
    Abstract: An apparatus for starting an engine, including a motor, an output shaft driven by the motor, a pinion provided along the output shaft, and an electro-magnetic solenoid device. The electro-magnetic solenoid device is configured to push the pinion axially toward a ring gear of the engine to mesh the pinion with the ring gear and transfer a rotational force, which is referred to as a motor torque, generated by energization of the motor from the pinion to the ring gear, thereby starting the engine. The apparatus is configured such that, at starting of the engine in its warmed-up state, the motor torque can continue to be applied from the pinion to the ring gear until at least the second compression stroke even when an engine speed varies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tarou Okada, Mitsuhiro Murata
  • Patent number: 9933563
    Abstract: A backlight unite 12 includes LEDs 17, an optical member 16, a positioning portion 23, and a rotation restricting portion 24. The optical member 16 includes at least a curved end surface 16C having a curved shape in a plan view included in a periphery of the optical member 16. The positioning portion 26 includes a positioning hole 25 that opens through a thickness direction of the optical member 16 and a positioning protrusion 26 that is inserted in the positioning hole 25 and is in contact with an inner wall of the positioning hole 25. The rotation restricting portion 24 includes an optical member recess 27 that is a portion of the periphery of the optical member 16 recessed along a circumferential direction and a contact portion 28 that is in contact with the optical member recess 27.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuzo Yuki, Takeshi Ishida, Mitsuhiro Murata, Hirotoshi Yasunaga
  • Publication number: 20180058410
    Abstract: An engine starting system is provided which is used with a vehicle equipped with a gear driving starter which is energized to bring a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear of an engine mounted in the vehicle and also to rotate the pinion gear to crank the engine. The engine starting system works to terminate energization of the starter after the starter is energized to start the engine. The engine starting system executes combustion control to control combustion of fuel in the engine so as to develop a first firing event where the fuel is first fired in the engine after the energization of the starter is terminated. This minimizes the gear noise when the engine is being cranked and ensures the stability in starting the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya FUJITA, Mitsuhiro MURATA
  • Patent number: 9904126
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of achieving a high response speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yosuke Iwata, Mitsuhiro Murata, Satoshi Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20180046039
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: upper and lower substrates; and a horizontal alignment type liquid crystal layer, the lower substrate including electrodes, the electrodes including a first electrode, a second electrode present in a different layer from the first electrode, and a third electrode present in a different layer from the first electrode, the first electrode including a plurality of linear sections, the second electrode and the third electrode constituting a pair of comb electrodes, each of the comb electrodes including a trunk part and a plurality of branch parts diverging from the trunk part, at least one of the plurality of branch parts of the third electrode including a protruding part that makes the branch part partially wide, between two intersections with a plurality of linear sections of the first electrode in a plan view of the lower substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: SATOSHI MATSUMURA, YOSUKE IWATA, MITSUHIRO MURATA
  • Publication number: 20180045878
    Abstract: A backlight device 12 includes a light guide plate 14, LEDs 17, and wiring portions 18c. The light guide plate 14 has a substantially circular outer shape and has fan-shaped areas SA defined by segment lines SL extending through a center C thereof. All the segment lines SL meet at the center C. The LEDs 17 include sets of LEDs 17 provided for the fan-shaped areas SA. The LEDs 17 are arranged such that middle positions between LEDs 17 each located at an end in the circumferential direction in the respective sets of the LEDs 17 provided for the fan-shaped areas SA adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction coincides with the segment lines SL. The wiring portions 18c are equal or larger in number than the LEDs 17 included in each of the sets of LEDs 17 provided for the fan-shaped areas SA and are configured to supply electric power to the respective LEDs 17 provided for the fan-shaped areas SA.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: MITSUHIRO MURATA, RYUZO YUKI, HISASHI WATANABE, SHINYA KADOWAKI, TAKESHI ISHIDA, TAKESHI MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20180024290
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a light guide plate 14 having a light exit surface 14A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: HISASHI WATANABE, RYUZO YUKI, SHINYA KADOWAKI, MITSUHIRO MURATA, TAKESHI ISHIDA, TAKESHI MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20180011504
    Abstract: A technique is provided that reduces dullness of a potential provided to a line such as gate line on an active-matrix substrate to enable driving the line at high speed and, at the same time, reduces the size of the picture frame region. On an active-matrix substrate (20a) are provided gate lines (13G) and source lines. On the active-matrix substrate (20a) are further provided: gate drivers (11) each including a plurality of switching elements, at least one of which is located in a pixel region, for supplying a scan signal to a gate line (13G); and lines (15L1) each for supplying a control signal to the associated gate driver (11). A control signal is supplied by a display control circuit (4) located outside the display region to the gate drivers (11) via the lines (15L1). In response to a control signal supplied, each gate driver (11) drives the gate line (13G) to which it is connected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Kohei TANAKA, Hidefumi YOSHIDA, Takeshi NOMA, Ryo YONEBAYASHI, Takayuki NISHIYAMA, Mitsuhiro MURATA, Yosuke IWATA
  • Publication number: 20170359867
    Abstract: A lighting device 10 includes light sources 17, a light source board 18, and a casing 13. The light source board 18 includes a board body portion 18a having a substantially circular outer edge where the light sources 17 are arranged at intervals in a substantially annular shape such that each light source 17 emits light toward a center, an extended portion 18b extending inward from the board body portion 18a, and a trace portion 19 electrically connected to each light source 17 and disposed in an area from the board body portion 18a to the extended portion 18b such that an end of the trace portion 19 is arranged at a distal end of the extended portion 18b. The casing 13 includes a tubular-shaped side wall portion 13b surrounding the light sources 17, and a bottom portion 13a disposed opposite the board body portion 18a and having an exit hole 13a1 therethrough through which the extended portion 18b is inserted and the distal end 18b1 of the extended portion 18b is extended outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Ryuzo YUKI, Hisashi WATANABE, Shinya KADOWAKI, Mitsuhiro MURATA, Takeshi ISHIDA, Takeshi MASUDA
  • Patent number: 9841643
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer of a horizontal orientation type that is sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate includes a first electrode pair that applies a first horizontal electric field to the liquid crystal layer, an insulating layer provided on the first electrode pair, and a second electrode pair that is provided on the insulating layer and that applies a second horizontal electric field to the liquid crystal layer. The first electrode pair includes first and second linear electrodes provided with a gap therebetween. The second electrode pair includes third and fourth linear electrodes provided with a gap therebetween. In a plan view of the first substrate, the third and fourth linear electrodes extend in a direction perpendicular with respect to the first and second linear electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Murata, Yosuke Iwata, Hidefumi Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20170351019
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel, a liquid crystal panel flexible circuit board, and a backlight unit. The backlight unit includes LEDs, a light guide plate, a chassis, and an LED board. The light guide plate has an outer shape conforming to an outer shape of the liquid crystal panel. The chassis including a sidewall portion which surrounds the light guide plate and the LEDs. The LED board has an outer shape conforming to the outer shape of the light guide plate. The LEDs are mounted on the LED board at intervals in the circumferential direction. The LED board includes LED mount portions, and LED interval portions. The LED interval portions include a cut-out LED interval portion. Between the cut-out LED interval portion and the sidewall portion, a liquid crystal panel flexible circuit board passing space is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: SHINYA KADOWAKI, TAKESHI ISHIDA, MITSUHIRO MURATA, RYUZO YUKI, HISASHI WATANABE, TAKESHI MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20170351127
    Abstract: A backlight device 12 includes: optical members with a substantially circular profile, including a light guide plate 14, optical sheets 15, and a reflective sheet 16; a chassis 13 (lamination member) disposed to overlap the light guide plate 14, the optical sheets 15, and the reflective sheet 16 (optical members); and positioning structures. The positioning structures are provided on the light guide plate 14, the optical sheets 15, and the reflective sheet 16 (optical members) and on the chassis 13 (lamination member). The positioning structures have contact faces that come into contact with each other in the circumferential direction of the light guide plate 14, the optical sheets 15, and the reflective sheet 16 (optical members), so as to position the light guide plate 14, the optical sheets 15, and the reflective sheet 16 (optical member) relative to the chassis 13 (lamination member) in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: TAKESHI MASUDA, RYUZO YUKI, HISASHI WATANABE, SHINYA KADOWAKI, MITSUHIRO MURATA, TAKESHI ISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20170351143
    Abstract: A backlight device 12 includes at least: a plurality of LEDs 17 arranged in an annular and curved shape; a light guide plate 14 surrounded by the plurality of LEDs 17 having am outer shape along the arrangement of the plurality of LEDs 17, and guiding light from the plurality of LEDs 17; and an LED board (light source board) 18 on which the plurality of LEDs 17 are mounted and wiring portions 18c for feeding power to the plurality of LEDs 17 are formed. The LED board 18 extends along the arrangement of the plurality of LEDs 17, and has a terminated annular shape or an endless annular shape, and includes a no-wiring formed region NWA in a part with respect to the circumferential direction thereof, where the wiring portions 18c are not formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: SHINYA KADOWAKI, RYUZO YUKI, MITSUHIRO MURATA, TAKESHI ISHIDA, TAKESHI MASUDA, HISASHI WATANABE
  • Patent number: 9835911
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device in a new display mode that is based on the horizontal alignment capable of giving a wide viewing angle and that can achieve high speed response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidefumi Yoshida, Mitsuhiro Murata, Yosuke Iwata, Satoshi Matsumura