Patents by Inventor Noboru Kunimatsu

Noboru Kunimatsu 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: 20140009711
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device in a lateral electric field mode includes: a metal wiring formed on a transparent substrate; an inorganic insulating film and an organic insulating film formed on the metal wiring; and a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode formed on the inorganic insulating film and the organic insulating film so that the first and the second transparent electrodes are opposite to each other through an interlayer insulating film. The film thickness of the organic insulating film on the metal wiring is made thicker than the film thickness of the organic insulating film inside a pixel display region including the contact hole, and a projecting portion of the organic insulating film is formed on the metal wiring. A pixel electrode formed of the first electrode or the second electrode is formed on an image display region including a slope portion of the projecting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Yasushi TOMIOKA, Chikae MATSUI, Noboru KUNIMATSU, Hidehiro SONODA
  • Patent number: 8619221
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel including pixels each having an active device, a pixel electrode, a common electrode and a liquid crystal layer arranged in a dot matrix array. The liquid crystal display panel has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate has the active device, the pixel electrode, the common electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate has a second alignment film. The first alignment film and the second alignment film are respectively a photo alignment film formed by irradiating a photo decomposition type insulating film with light. The second alignment film has a thickness of at least 10 nm and no greater 50 nm and is thinner than the first alignment film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignees: Japan Display Inc., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Sonoda, Chikae Matsui, Noboru Kunimatsu, Yuko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8592009
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device superior in mass productivity and improved image quality with a higher contrast ratio by decreasing the occurrence of defective display due to the disorder of the initial liquid crystal alignment and realizing stable alignment of liquid crystals, comprising: a pair of substrates 101 and 102, at least one of which is transparent; a liquid crystal layer 110? disposed between the pair of substrates; a group of electrodes formed on at least one of the pair of substrates to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer; plural active elements 115 connected to the group of electrodes; and an orientation control film 109 disposed on at least one of the pair of substrates, wherein said orientation control film made of a photosensitive polyimide, a polyamide acid ester and a polyamide acid is given orientation control ability by being irradiated with substantially linearly polarized light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi Display, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Matsumori, Yasushi Tomioka, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Patent number: 8593596
    Abstract: In the step of curing a resin for bonding a TFT substrate and a counter substrate each having an alignment film that has been optically aligned by using UV-light, damage to the alignment film due to the UV-light can be prevented without using a light shielding mask. A UV-light absorption layer is formed between each black matrix on the counter substrate. The TFT and the counter substrates are sealed at their periphery by a resin that is cured by UV-light radiated from the counter substrate side. Since the absorption layer has a high absorbability to UV-light at a wavelength of 300 nm or less that degrades the alignment film, damage to the alignment film due to the UV-light for curing the resin can be prevented. Thus, provision of a light shielding mask for shielding the UV-light for the display region can be saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Kunimatsu, Yuko Matsumoto, Yasushi Tomioka, Masateru Morimoto, Atsuhiro Katayama
  • Publication number: 20130300967
    Abstract: An alignment film is given a 2-layer structure comprising a photoalignment film that is photoalignable and a low-resistivity alignment film whose resistivity is smaller than that of the photoalignment film. The photoalignment film is formed by a polyimide whose precursor is polyamide acid alkyl ester, the number molecular weight of the photoalignment film is large, and the stability of alignment of the photoalignment film by photoalignment is excellent. The low-resistivity alignment film is formed by a polyimide whose precursor is polyamide acid, the number molecular weight of the low-resistivity alignment film is small, and the resistivity of the low-resistivity alignment film is small. The 2-layer structure alignment film can be maintaining an excellent photoalignment characteristic, so DC afterimages can be controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicants: PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD., HITACHI DISPLAYS, LTD.
    Inventors: Chikae Matsui, Noboru Kunimatsu, Hidehiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20130286333
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel including pixels each having an active device, a pixel electrode, a common electrode and a liquid crystal layer arranged in a dot matrix array. The liquid crystal display panel has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate has the active device, the pixel electrode, the common electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate has a second alignment film. The first alignment film and the second alignment film are respectively a photo alignment film formed by irradiating a photo decomposition type insulating film with light. The second alignment film has a thickness of at least 10 nm and no greater 50 nm and is thinner than the first alignment film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Hidehiro SONODA, Chikae MATSUI, Noboru KUNIMATSU, Yuko MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20130242246
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a first alignment film formed over the first substrate, a second substrate, a second alignment film formed over the second substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first alignment film and the second alignment film, and a projecting portion formed over the second substrate. The first and second alignment films are both made of a photo-decomposition-type material. A film thickness “d2” of the second alignment film over the projecting portion and a film thickness “d1” of a portion of the first alignment film facing the projecting portion satisfy a formula (1) and a formula (2): 0 nm<d2<30 nm??(1) d2<d1??(2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicants: Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd., Japan Display East, Inc.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Sonoda, Chikae Matsui, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Publication number: 20130215353
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, a light shielding film, a color filter, an overcoat film, and an alignment film are formed in this order on a counter substrate. However, the alignment film is not formed in a seal portion. When the alignment film is subjected to photo-alignment with ultraviolet radiation, a portion of the overcoat film not covered with the alignment film is degraded by ultraviolet radiation. In order to prevent moisture penetrating from the degraded overcoat film from reaching the light shielding film to thereby alter the light shielding film and from causing the peeling of the light shielding film, the color filter is disposed below the overcoat film to block the moisture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicants: PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD., HITACHI DISPLAYS, INC.
    Inventors: Chikae MATSUI, Hidehiro SONODA, Noboru KUNIMATSU
  • Patent number: 8497002
    Abstract: An alignment film is given a 2-layer structure comprising a photoalignment film that is photoalignable and a low-resistivity alignment film whose resistivity is smaller than that of the photoalignment film. The photoalignment film is formed by a polyimide whose precursor is polyamide acid alkyl ester, the number molecular weight of the photoalignment film is large, and the stability of alignment of the photoalignment film by photoalignment is excellent. The low-resistivity alignment film is formed by a polyimide whose precursor is polyamide acid, the number molecular weight of the low-resistivity alignment film is small, and the resistivity of the low-resistivity alignment film is small. The 2-layer structure alignment film can be maintaining an excellent photoalignment characteristic, so DC afterimages can be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikae Matsui, Noboru Kunimatsu, Hidehiro Sonoda
  • Patent number: 8493532
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel including pixels each having an active device, a pixel electrode, a common electrode and a liquid crystal layer arranged in a dot matrix array. The liquid crystal display panel has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate has the active device, the pixel electrode, the common electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate has a second alignment film. The first alignment film and the second alignment film are respectively a photo alignment film formed by irradiating a photo decomposition type insulating film with light. The second alignment film has a thickness of at least 10 nm and no greater 50 nm and is thinner than the first alignment film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Sonoda, Chikae Matsui, Noboru Kunimatsu, Yuko Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20130114031
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel including pixels each having an active device, a pixel electrode, a common electrode and a liquid crystal layer arranged in a dot matrix array. The liquid crystal display panel has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate has the active device, the pixel electrode, the common electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate has a second alignment film. The first alignment film and the second alignment film are respectively a photo alignment film formed by irradiating a photo decomposition type insulating film with light. The second alignment film has a thickness of at least 10 nm and no greater 50 nm and is thinner than the first alignment film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventors: Hidehiro SONODA, Chikae MATSUI, Noboru KUNIMATSU, Yuko MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 8432517
    Abstract: A solution for an alignment film of a liquid crystal display device includes a photo decomposition type polyimide acid which forms the alignment film in response to radiation of a polarized light, wherein a viscosity of the solution is not more than 35 mPa·s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Sonoda, Chikae Matsui, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Patent number: 8427624
    Abstract: In an IPS type liquid crystal display device, a light shielding film, a red color filter, an overcoat film, and an alignment film are formed in this order on a counter substrate. However, the alignment film is not formed in a seal portion. When the alignment film is subjected to photo-alignment with ultraviolet radiation, a portion of the overcoat film not covered with the alignment film is degraded by ultraviolet radiation. In order to prevent moisture penetrating from the degraded overcoat film from reaching the light shielding film to thereby alter the light shielding film and from causing the peeling of the light shielding film, the red color filter is disposed below the overcoat film to block the moisture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikae Matsui, Hidehiro Sonoda, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Publication number: 20130095720
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an organic EL display device that includes an element substrate on which a first organic luminescent material and a second organic luminescent material are formed, includes forming the first organic luminescent material by dripping the first organic luminescent material from an inkjet nozzle on the element substrate while relatively moving the inkjet nozzle and the element substrate in a first direction, and forming the second organic luminescent material by dripping the second organic luminescent material from an inkjet nozzle on the element substrate while relatively moving the inkjet nozzle and the element substrate in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Yuko Matsumoto, Hidehiro Sonoda, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Publication number: 20130057820
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device using a cylindrical spacer to define the gap between a TFT substrate and a counter substrate, the TFT substrate does not include an organic passivation film, in which the cylindrical spacer is formed on an inorganic passivation film. An overcoat film is formed to cover a black matrix and color filters in the counter substrate. A concavo-convex mount is formed in the overcoat film. The top of the cylindrical spacer is brought into contact with the concavo-convex mount. The oriented film is not attached to the top of the cylindrical spacer and the convex portion of the concavo-convex mount. Thus, even if horizontal displacement occurs in the TFT substrate or the counter substrate, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of bright spots due to the scraping of the oriented film caused by the friction between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Yosuke HYODO, Yasushi Tomioka, Masahiko Suzuki, Toshiki Kaneko, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Publication number: 20130039030
    Abstract: By narrowing the length of an irradiation area, a scan distance is shortened and a process time of a light irradiation process is shortened. A light irradiation apparatus irradiating light to a substrate by using a long arc lamp includes: a reflection mirror having a cross-sectional shape which is an oval or parabolic shape and having a shape as if light irradiated is condensed on the surface of the substrate; and a slit limiting an irradiation area of the irradiated light, wherein on a section perpendicular to a long axis of the long arc lamp, a main irradiation area length X and a gap H between the long arc lamp and the substrate satisfy a relationship of X<0.087H.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Inventors: Noboru KUNIMATSU, Yasushi TOMIOKA, Hidehiro SONODA
  • Patent number: 8366504
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device having a TFT substrate and a counter substrate, and prevents brightness unevenness from being caused by orientation film thickness unevenness. Orientation films for the TFT substrate (10) and the counter substrate (20) are formed by offset printing that is performed to transfer an orientation film material from a printing plate to the TFT substrate (10).The direction in which the printing plate for an offset printing machine rotates during offset printing is the long-axis direction of the TFT substrate (10) in the case of the TFT substrate (10) or the short-axis direction of the counter substrate in the case of the counter substrate. This ensures that brightness unevenness caused by orientation film thickness unevenness is inconspicuous even when the orientation film thickness unevenness is produced during offset printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuko Matsumoto, Hidehiro Sonoda, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Publication number: 20130021552
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, a TFT substrate retains a contact hole that is formed in a passivation film, and is for connecting the TFT and the pixel electrode. And an opposite substrate retains a columnar spacer for ensuring a cell gap, and a columnar projection for misalignment prevention formed at a position corresponding to a position of the contact hole. Accordingly, misalignment between the TFT substrate and the opposite substrate is suppressed, occurrence of uneven brightness due to misalignment between pixel regions and a bright spot caused by shaving of an orientation film is prevented, and a favorable image is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Yasushi TOMIOKA, Noboru KUNIMATSU, Hidehiro SONODA, Yasuo IMANISHI, Koichi IGETA
  • Patent number: 8351003
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates with a liquid crystal layer therebetween. A planer electrode and a plurality of overlapping linear electrodes are formed on the first substrate with an insulation film disposed between the planar electrode and the plurality of linear electrodes. A projecting portion is formed on one of the first and second substrates and an alignment film is formed on each of the first and second substrates and on the projection portion. The alignment films are made of a photo-decomposition-type material, and a film thickness of the alignment film on the projecting portion and a film thickness of a portion of the alignment film facing the projecting portion satisfy a predetermined relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Sonoda, Chikae Matsui, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Patent number: 8339549
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel including pixels each having an active device, a pixel electrode, a common electrode and a liquid crystal layer arranged in a dot matrix array. The liquid crystal display panel has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate has the active device, the pixel electrode, the common electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate has a second alignment film. The first alignment film and the second alignment film are respectively a photo alignment film formed by irradiating a photo decomposition type insulating film with light. The second alignment film has a thickness of at least 10 nm and no greater 50 nm and is thinner than the first alignment film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Sonoda, Chikae Matsui, Noboru Kunimatsu, Yuko Matsumoto