Patents by Inventor Mitsunari Hoshi

Mitsunari Hoshi 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: 9304322
    Abstract: A phase difference element capable of decreasing deterioration of 3D characteristics and a display unit including the phase difference element are provided. The phase difference element includes a phase difference film, and an anti-glare film. The phase difference film has a phase difference layer composed of two or more phase difference regions each having different direction of a slow axis that are regularly arranged in a plane. Retardation of the anti-glare film is 20 nm or less and total haze of the anti-glare film is 30% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Inoue, Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Patent number: 9164322
    Abstract: There is provided a display unit capable of reducing deterioration in the 3D characteristics. A phase difference device is bonded to a surface on a light outgoing side of a liquid crystal display panel. In the phase difference device, two kinds of phase difference regions with slow-axis directions different from each other are arranged in correspondence with each pixel. Each of the phase difference regions is arranged in contact with the phase difference region of a different kind, and a side section, of each of the phase difference region, that is in contact with the phase difference region of the different kind has waviness with an amplitude a that satisfies following expressions: 0<a<amax(?) amax(?)=?0.7/(??1.2)+0.35 ?=arctan(P/(4d)) P: a pixel pitch d: a distance between the pixel and the phase difference device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Shibata, Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Patent number: 9091815
    Abstract: A retardation element allowing a reduction in ghosts caused by optical anisotropy of a base film, and a display including the retardation element are provided. A retardation element includes: a base film having optical anisotropy; and a retardation layer formed on the base film and having optical anisotropy, in which the retardation layer includes retardation regions of two or more kinds of which slow axes are oriented in different directions from one another, the retardation regions of two or more kinds are arranged regularly adjacent to one another in an in-plane direction of the base film, and each of the retardation regions has a slow axis in a direction intersecting with a slow axis of the base film at an angle larger than 45°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20140192303
    Abstract: There is provided a display unit capable of reducing deterioration in the 3D characteristics. A phase difference device is bonded to a surface on a light outgoing side of a liquid crystal display panel. In the phase difference device, two kinds of phase difference regions with slow-axis directions different from each other are arranged in correspondence with each pixel. Each of the phase difference regions is arranged in contact with the phase difference region of a different kind, and a side section, of each of the phase difference region, that is in contact with the phase difference region of the different kind has waviness with an amplitude a that satisfies following expressions: 0<a<amax(?) amax(?)=?0.7/(??1.2)+0.35 ?=arctan(P/(4d)) P: a pixel pitch d: a distance between the pixel and the phase difference device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Shibata, Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Patent number: 8558970
    Abstract: A display unit in which the view angle in the horizontal direction of emitting light is wider than the view angle in the vertical direction thereof, in which the emitting light has a polarization component in the vertical direction viewable with the use of a polarized sunglass, and which is able to improve display luminance is provided. A luminance enhancement film has a plurality of convex sections which extend toward the horizontal direction and are arranged in the direction crossing the extending direction, and in which the refractive index in the extending direction is larger than the refractive index in the arrangement direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Obata, Akihiro Horii, Hiroshi Mizuno, Noriyuki Hirai, Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Patent number: 8449797
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a retardation film includes: a first step of forming, on the same metal master, a main region having several kinds of groove regions having different extending directions of grooves, and a sub region having one kind of groove region having a predetermined extending direction of grooves or several kinds of groove regions having different extending directions of grooves; and a second step of collectively transferring reverse patterns of the main and sub regions on the metal master to a base, and then forming, on a surface of the base, a layer including an alignable material to be aligned in correspondence to irregularity of the surface of the base, thereby forming a patterned retardation region in a site having a reverse pattern of the main region, and forming an alignment mark region in a site having a reverse pattern of the sub region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Suzuki, Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20130089662
    Abstract: Provided are a method of producing an alignment film from which a non-alignment thin film layer can be omitted, a method of producing a master plate that can be used for the production of the alignment film, a method of producing a retardation film using the alignment film, and a method of producing a display device provided with the retardation film using the alignment film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: DEXERIALS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Patent number: 8400578
    Abstract: An optical film capable of improving luminance of a display unit, in which a viewing angle in the horizontal direction of emitted light of the display unit is wider than a viewing angle in the vertical direction and the emitted light of the display unit has a polarization component in the vertical direction viewable by polarized sunglasses, an illumination system including the same, and a display unit including the same are provided. The optical film includes a plurality of three-dimensional structures extending in one direction and arranged sequentially in a direction crossing the one direction. The three-dimensional structures contain a liquid crystalline polymer having orientation, and have refractive index anisotropy in which refractive index in the extending direction of the three-dimensional structures is smaller than refractive index in the direction crossing the extending direction of the three-dimensional structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Obata, Mitsunari Hoshi, Jun Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20130052341
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an alignment film includes directly pressing a master having fine linear concavity-convexity in order of nanometer on a surface thereof to a surface of a base film at a temperature lower than a glass transition temperature of the base film, and thereby transferring a pattern corresponding to the concavity-convexity on the master to the surface of the base film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Odagiri, Mitsunari Hoshi, Shinya Suzuki, Jiro Nozaki, Hitoshi Katakura
  • Patent number: 8334950
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus is disclosed. The illumination apparatus includes a polarization plate, a light source, and a light transmission film. The light transmission film is disposed between the polarization plate and the light source and includes a plurality of prisms formed on a surface thereof, the plurality of prisms each having a ridge line in a first direction and being continuously arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In the illumination apparatus, the light transmission film is disposed such that a ridge line direction of the plurality of prisms is one of a perpendicular direction and an approximately perpendicular direction to a transmission axis of the polarization plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsunari Hoshi, Kei Obata, Akihiro Horii, Noriyuki Hirai, Hiroshi Mizuno, Jun Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8305503
    Abstract: A phase difference element and a display device having the phase difference element are provided. A base film 31 of the phase difference element 30 includes, for example, a thin resin film having optical anisotropy. A slow axis AX3 of the base film 31 points in a vertical or horizontal direction, and points in a direction intersecting with a slow axis AX1 of a right-eye region 32A of the phase difference element 30 and with a slow axis AX2 of a left-eye region 32B thereof. Thus, influence due to optical anisotropy of the base film 31 is exerted on each light being transmitted by the base film 31, so that the influence is not extremely greatly exerted on only one of light corresponding to a right eye and light corresponding to a left eye, the respective light being transmitted by the base film 31.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20120268435
    Abstract: A phase difference element and a display device having the phase difference element are provided. A base film 31 of the phase difference element 30 includes, for example, a thin resin film having optical anisotropy. A slow axis AX3 of the base film 31 points in a vertical or horizontal direction, and points in a direction intersecting with a slow axis AX1 of a right-eye region 32A of the phase difference element 30 and with a slow axis AX2 of a left-eye region 32B thereof. Thus, influence due to optical anisotropy of the base film 31 is exerted on each light being transmitted by the base film 31, so that the influence is not extremely greatly exerted on only one of light corresponding to a right eye and light corresponding to a left eye, the respective light being transmitted by the base film 31.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Patent number: 8237886
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing the optical sheet is provided. The method includes: a first step of heating a composition containing a liquid crystal monomer or liquid crystal prepolymer and a photopolymerization initiator at a temperature equal to or higher than a melting point of the liquid crystal monomer or liquid crystal prepolymer and pressing the composition in a state where the composition is held between a master including a plurality of solid structures disposed continuously in one surface and having shape anisotropy in the one surface and a light transmission film disposed so as to face the solid structures of the master. The method also includes a second step of irradiating the composition with ultraviolet rays at a temperature lower than a phase transmission temperature to an isotropic phase to polymerize the liquid crystal monomer or liquid crystal prepolymer and, after that, separating the light transmission film from the master.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Obata, Jun Shimizu, Kentaro Okuyama, Mitsuo Arima, Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Patent number: 8223280
    Abstract: A phase difference element, in which imbalance hardly occurs between right and left pictures during displaying a three-dimensional image, and a display device having the phase difference element are provided. A base film 31 of the phase difference element 30 includes, for example, a thin resin film having optical anisotropy. A slow axis AX3 of the base film 31 points in a vertical or horizontal direction, and points in a direction intersecting with a slow axis AX1 of a right-eye region 32A of the phase difference element 30 and with a slow axis AX2 of a left-eye region 32B thereof. Thus, influence due to optical anisotropy of the base film 31 is exerted on each light being transmitted by the base film 31, so that the influence is not extremely greatly exerted on only one of light corresponding to a right eye and light corresponding to a left eye, the respective light being transmitted by the base film 31.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Patent number: 8174640
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus is disclosed. The illumination apparatus includes a polarization plate, a light source, and a light transmission film disposed between the polarization plate and the light source and including a plurality of prisms formed on a surface thereof. The plurality of prisms each have a ridge line in a first direction and are continuously arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The light transmission film is disposed such that a ridge line direction of the plurality of prisms is one of a perpendicular direction and an approximately perpendicular direction to a transmission axis of the polarization plate. The plurality of prisms each have refractive indexes in the ridge line direction, an arrangement direction, and a thickness direction, the refractive index in the ridge line direction being larger than the refractive indexes in the arrangement direction and thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20120045625
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a laminate includes: a step of deriving, by the processor, an in-plane positional relationship between the retardation film and the object from an image of each of the retardation film and the object captured by the camera while the retardation film and the object are disposed in this order from a side of the camera within the imaging area of the camera at positions on a side opposite to the camera with respect to the (2n+1)?/4 retardation film; and a step of performing alignment of the retardation film to the object based on the positional relationship derived by the processor, and then attaching the retardation film to the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taro Omura, Mitsunari Hoshi, Michio Sato
  • Patent number: 8107036
    Abstract: According to the present invention, by controlling the angular distribution of the light outputted from a light guide plate to enable the angular brightness distribution of the light emitted from a backlight device to be controlled, the thickness of a liquid crystal display apparatus having the backlight device is reduced as well as the brightness is improved due to the reduction in returned light amount. Furthermore, since light is sufficiently mixed in the light guide plate, light sources with comparative large unevenness are enabled to be used. A backlight device according to the present invention includes a hole or a projection formed on the light outgoing plane of a light guide plate or the back plane opposing the light-outgoing plane, and a side face of the hole or the projection is directed roughly perpendicularly to the light-outgoing plane. Furthermore, specular reflection plates are arranged on the bottom plane and the side faces of the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20120007275
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a retardation film includes: a first step of forming, on the same metal master, a main region having several kinds of groove regions having different extending directions of grooves, and a sub region having one kind of groove region having a predetermined extending direction of grooves or several kinds of groove regions having different extending directions of grooves; and a second step of collectively transferring reverse patterns of the main and sub regions on the metal master to a base, and then forming, on a surface of the base, a layer including an alignable material to be aligned in correspondence to irregularity of the surface of the base, thereby forming a patterned retardation region in a site having a reverse pattern of the main region, and forming an alignment mark region in a site having a reverse pattern of the sub region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya Suzuki, Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20120002281
    Abstract: A phase difference element capable of decreasing deterioration of 3D characteristics and a display unit including the phase difference element are provided. The phase difference element includes a phase difference film, and an anti-glare film. The phase difference film has a phase difference layer composed of two or more phase difference regions each having different direction of a slow axis that are regularly arranged in a plane. Retardation of the anti-glare film is 20 nm or less and total haze of the anti-glare film is 30% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi Inoue, Mitsunari Hoshi
  • Patent number: 8089569
    Abstract: A phase difference element, in which imbalance hardly occurs between right and left pictures during displaying a three-dimensional image, and a display device having the phase difference element are provided. A base film of the phase difference element includes, for example, a thin resin film having optical anisotropy. A slow axis of the base film points in a vertical or horizontal direction, and points in a direction intersecting with a slow axis of a right-eye region of the phase difference element and with a slow axis of a left-eye region thereof. Thus, influence due to optical anisotropy of the base film is exerted on each light being transmitted by the base film, so that the influence is not extremely greatly exerted on only one of light corresponding to a right eye and light corresponding to a left eye, the respective light being transmitted by the base film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsunari Hoshi