Patents by Inventor Mutsumi Kimura

Mutsumi Kimura 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: 7180483
    Abstract: An organic EL display device driven by thin-film transistors is disclosed, wherein for suppressing the deterioration with time of thin-film transistors, at least one of the thin-film transistors, or a second thin-film transistor is formed of a p-channel type thin-film transistor. The p-channel type thin-film transistor has been formed in the same step of process as the thin-film transistors in built-in drive circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kimura, Tomoyuki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7173584
    Abstract: A transistor circuit is provided including a driving transistor where conductance between the source and the drain is controlled in response to a supplied voltage, and a compensating transistor where the gate is connected to one of the source and the drain, the compensating transistor being connected so as to supply input signals to the gate of the driving transistor through the source and drain. In a transistor circuit where conductance control in a driving transistor is carried out in response to the voltage of input signals, it is possible to control the conductance by using input signals of a relatively low voltage and a variance in threshold characteristics of driving transistors is compensated. With this transistor circuit, a display panel that can display picture images with reduced uneven brightness is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kimura, Yojiro Matsueda, Tokuroh Ozawa, Michael Quinn
  • Patent number: 7169652
    Abstract: The invention enhances a production yield of a display device (an electro-optical device). The invention provides a method of manufacturing an electro-optical device including a display region in which a plurality of basic pixels are arranged, each basic pixel including a plurality of color pixels. The method includes: forming on a first substrate lines to drive a plurality of electro-optical elements respectively constituting the color pixels, correspondingly to the arrangement of the basic pixels; forming on a second substrate, as a chip to be transferred to each basic pixel, a drive circuit to drive the plurality of electro-optical elements which constitutes the plurality of color pixels of the basic pixels to obtain a plurality of basic-pixel driving chips; and transferring step of transferring the respective basic-pixel driving chips from the second substrate onto the first substrate, and connecting the drive circuits to regions of the lines corresponding to the basic pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mutsumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060293174
    Abstract: The present invention provides a harmful substance decomposer excelling in the capability of decomposing harmful substances. The harmful substance decomposer of the present invention is characterized in that a catalyst is supported on a silk burned product, which is obtained by burning and carbonizing a silk material at temperature of 1,000° C. or below. The harmful substance decomposer excels in the capability of absorbing, decomposing and deodorizing harmful substances, such as foul odor, waste gas, dioxin, VOC and harmful air pollutants. Specifically, since the silk material is burned at the low temperature, flexibility can be maintained so that the silk burned product becomes feasible to cope with various configurations; thus, the harmful substance decomposer can be appropriately used as, for example, filters of fan heaters, air conditioners, automobiles and other equipments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hashizume, Makoto Shimizu, Tonio Yawata, Mutsumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 7151044
    Abstract: The invention reduces the size of an element chip and reduces the manufacturing cost in a thin film transistor type display device in which thin film transistors are formed on a first substrate, wiring lines are formed on a second substrate, and the element chip, including one or more thin film transistors, is peeled off from the first substrate and transferred to the second substrate. In the patterning process of the thin film transistors, holographic lithography or a dynamic auto focus system is used, a design rule of 1.0 ?m or less is used, and only a polycrystalline silicon layer and a first metal layer are used as the wiring lines of the element chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kimura, Chiharu Iriguchi
  • Publication number: 20060279491
    Abstract: A display apparatus, that includes current driving type luminescent elements, has a driving system that takes the conduction types of TFTs to control the emission of the luminescent elements into consideration. In order to reduce driving voltage and improve display quality simultaneously, the arrangement is provided such that if the second TFT which performs the “on-off” function of the current for the luminescent element is of an N channel type, the potential of the common power supply line (“com”) is lowered below the potential of the opposite electrode (“op”) of the luminescent element to obtain a higher gate voltage (“Vgcur”).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tokuroh Ozawa, Mutsumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060273996
    Abstract: A display apparatus, that includes current driving type luminescent elements, has a driving system that takes the conduction types of TFTs to control the emission of the luminescent elements into consideration. In order to reduce driving voltage and improve display quality simultaneously, the arrangement is provided such that if the second TFT which performs the “on-off” function of the current for the luminescent element is of an N channel type, the potential of the common power supply line (“com”) is lowered below the potential of the opposite electrode (“op”) of the luminescent element to obtain a higher gate voltage (“Vgcur”).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tokuroh Ozawa, Mutsumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060273995
    Abstract: A display apparatus, that includes current driving type luminescent elements, has a driving system that takes the conduction types of TFTs to control the emission of the luminescent elements into consideration. In order to reduce driving voltage and improve display quality simultaneously, the arrangement is provided such that if the second TFT which performs the “on-off” function of the current for the luminescent element is of an N channel type, the potential of the common power supply line (“com”) is lowered below the potential of the opposite electrode (“op”) of the luminescent element to obtain a higher gate voltage (“Vgcur”).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tokuroh Ozawa, Mutsumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060256047
    Abstract: A transistor circuit is provided including a driving transistor where conductance between the source and the drain is controlled in response to a supplied voltage, and a compensating transistor where the gate is connected to one of the source and the drain, the compensating transistor being connected so as to supply input signals to the gate of the driving transistor through the source and drain. In a transistor circuit where conductance control in a driving transistor is carried out in response to the voltage of input signals, it is possible to control the conductance by using input signals of a relatively low voltage and a variance in threshold characteristics of driving transistors is compensated. With this transistor circuit, a display panel that can display picture images with reduced uneven brightness is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kimura, Yojiro Matsueda, Tokuroh Ozawa, Michael Quinn
  • Publication number: 20060239995
    Abstract: The present invention provides a novel silk burned product. The silk burned product of the present invention is characterized by the step of burning and carbonizing a silk material at temperature of 1,000° C. or below. By burning at low temperature, nitrogenous components derived from amino acids remain in high proportion. An antibacterial property is exhibited by the remaining of nitrogenous components in high proportion. Accordingly, the silk burned product can be appropriately used as an antibacterial material in a mask, etc..
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hashizume, Tomio Yawata, Mutsumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060220544
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes: a plurality of first electrodes; a plurality of second electrodes; and a plurality of light emitting films. Each of the plurality of light emitting films is disposed between one first electrode among the plurality of first electrodes and one second electrode among the plurality of second electrodes. The one first electrode is electrically connected to the second electrode that is adjacent to the one second electrode among the plurality of second electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Okuyama, Mutsumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 7112818
    Abstract: In accordance with the invention, the width of a gate electrode is smaller than the width of the semiconductor film. A sub gate electrode connected to the gate electrode is disposed, at the gate electrode side of the semiconductor film, away from the semiconductor film more than gate electrode. The width of the sub gate electrodes is larger than the width of the semiconductor film. Ends of the semiconductor film have regions formed of an intrinsic semiconductor which is not doped with dopant. In a semiconductor device, this structure is suitable to reduce degradation over time which is caused by an increase of the electric field strength or the carrier concentration at the ends of the semiconductor film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mutsumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060210704
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to improve patterning accuracy while maintaining low cost, high throughput and a high degree of freedom of an optical material in a matrix type display device and a manufacturing method thereof. In order to achieve the object, surface features, including structural surface features, a desired distribution of water repellency, liquid repellency, hydrophilicity and lyophilicity, or a desired potential distribution are formed by utilizing first bus lines in a passive matrix type display device or utilizing scanning lines, signal lines, common feeder lines, pixel electrodes, an interlayer insulation film, or a light shielding layer in an active matrix type display device. A liquid optical material is selectively coated at predetermined positions by utilizing the surface features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kimura, Hiroshi Kiguchi
  • Patent number: 7101729
    Abstract: The present invention aims to manufacture a large size semiconductor device with the inter-substrate transcription technology of thin film circuits. Enlargement is enabled by disposing a plurality of second substrates (21) in a tile shape. As the second substrate (21), a print substrate or flexible print circuit having double-sided wiring or multilayer wiring is employed. The plurality of second substrates (21) is driven independently, and the plurality of second substrates (21) is made to mutually overlap, and a drive circuit (23) is disposed at such overlapping portion. Moreover, the plurality of second substrates (21) is made to mutually overlap, and the mutual circuits are connected at such overlapping portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kimura, Satoshi Inoue, Sumio Utsunomiya, Hiroyuki Hara, Wakao Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 7074644
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic circuit in which functional elements are formed on a first substrate, wiring lines are formed on a second substrate, element chips including at least one functional element are peeled from the first substrate and transferred onto the second substrate, and the second substrate is curved, a thin film transistor circuit substrate in which a thin film transistor is used as the functional element in the electronic circuit, and an active matrix display device in which the thin film transistor is used as an active matrix device in the thin film transistor circuit substrate. In cases where it is desirable to obtain a flexible electronic circuit substrate, a flexible thin film transistor circuit substrate, or a flexible active matrix display device by forming the second substrate or the wiring lines to be curved, the element chip is not peeled from the second substrate and is not split.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mutsumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 7071488
    Abstract: The invention provides an active matrix display device in which active elements are formed on a first substrate, wiring lines are formed on a second substrate, an element chip having at least one active element is peeled off from the first substrate and is then transferred onto the second substrate, electro-optical elements are formed on a third substrate, and the second substrate adheres to the third substrate. The invention also provides a method of electrically connecting the active elements of the element chip to the wiring lines of the second substrate and of electrically connecting the active elements of the element chip to the electro-optical elements of the third substrate in a thin film transistor display device in which the active elements are thin film transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mutsumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060066263
    Abstract: An electro-optical device which has a program period, a light-emitting period, an erasing period, and a lights-off period in one frame and controls the light-emitting period according to a light emission gray-scale level including a driving transistor that includes a current control terminal, a current input terminal, and a current output terminal, and controls a current amplifying ratio on the basis of a voltage between the current control terminal and the current input terminal, an electro-optical element that is supplied with the driving current from the driving transistor to emit light, a storage capacitor that stores the charge corresponding to the voltage between the current control terminal and the current input terminal of the driving transistor, a constant current source that outputs a constant current that is independent of the light emission gray-scale level, a voltage source that outputs a driving stop signal that turns off the driving transistor, a selection transistor that opens/closes a current
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation, Ryukoku University
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Okuyama, Hiroyuki Hara, Mutsumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 7019763
    Abstract: The invention provides an electro-optical device including pixels disposed in a matrix at intersections of a plurality of signal lines and a plurality of scanning lines. Each of said pixels includes sub-pixels that are each provided with a static random access memory and an electro-optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mutsumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 7012278
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to simultaneously achieve a reduction in the off current of a switching thin-film transistor and an increase in the on current of a current thin-film transistor in a current-drive thin-film transistor display apparatus. To achieve this object, the switching thin-film transistor is formed as a transistor of LDD structure or offset structure while the current thin-film transistor is formed as a transistor of self-alignment structure. Alternatively, each of the switching thin-film transistor and the current thin-film transistor is formed as a transistor of LDD structure or offset structure, and the LDD length or offset length of the switching thin-film transistor is increased relative to that of the current thin-film transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kimura, Hiroshi Kiguchi
  • Publication number: 20060051909
    Abstract: The invention reduces the resistance of a feed line in a display device (electro-optical device), and reduces the loss in the current supply to a light-emitting element, etc. In an electro-optical device including an electro-optical element and a driver circuit to drive the electro-optical element, a wiring board used for the electro-optical device includes a feed line film to supply the driver circuit with current to put the electro-optical element into operation; a signal line film to supply the driver circuit with a level signal to determine intensity of the current to be supplied to the electro-optical element; and an operation line film to supply the driver circuit with an operation instruction signal to instruct whether to put the electro-optical element into operation, and the feed line film constitutes an upper layer among the feed line film, the signal line film, and the operation line film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mutsumi Kimura