Patents by Inventor Norimasa Furukawa

Norimasa Furukawa 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: 20240053515
    Abstract: A display unit of the disclosure includes a display panel and a light-distribution adjustment sheet. The light-distribution adjustment sheet is provided on the display panel, and includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the display panel. The protrusion includes a first region including a curved surface, and a second region including a flat surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Norimasa FURUKAWA, Mitsuhiko TAKI, Ichiro UTSUMI, Kenichi NAKAKI
  • Patent number: 11900891
    Abstract: A backlight unit of the present disclosure includes: a backlight including a plurality of light-emitting devices that are allowed to emit light at mutually different timings and include a first light-emitting device and a second light-emitting device; and a controller that controls a light emission operation of the backlight to cause the first light-emitting device and the second light-emitting device to emit light with mutually different average light emission intensities in a first sub-frame period of a plurality of sub-frame periods provided corresponding to a frame period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Shingo Kimura, Kazuhiro Horiuchi, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Patent number: 11768318
    Abstract: A display unit of the disclosure includes a display panel and a light-distribution adjustment sheet. The light-distribution adjustment sheet is provided on the display panel, and includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the display panel. The protrusion includes a first region including a curved surface, and a second region including a flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: SATURN LICENSING LLC
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Mitsuhiko Taki, Ichiro Utsumi, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Publication number: 20220148529
    Abstract: A backlight unit of the present disclosure includes: a backlight including a plurality of light-emitting devices that are allowed to emit light at mutually different timings and include a first light-emitting device and a second light-emitting device; and a controller that controls a light emission operation of the backlight to cause the first light-emitting device and the second light-emitting device to emit light with mutually different average light emission intensities in a first sub-frame period of a plurality of sub-frame periods provided corresponding to a frame period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Shingo Kimura, Kazuhiro Horiuchi, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Publication number: 20220113453
    Abstract: A display unit of the disclosure includes a display panel and a light-distribution adjustment sheet. The light-distribution adjustment sheet is provided on the display panel, and includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the display panel. The protrusion includes a first region including a curved surface, and a second region including a flat surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Mitsuhiko Taki, Ichiro Utsumi, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Patent number: 11276356
    Abstract: A backlight unit of the present disclosure includes: a backlight including a plurality of light-emitting devices that are allowed to emit light at mutually different timings and include a first light-emitting device and a second light-emitting device; and a controller that controls a light emission operation of the backlight to cause the first light-emitting device and the second light-emitting device to emit light with mutually different average light emission intensities in a first sub-frame period of a plurality of sub-frame periods provided corresponding to a frame period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Shingo Kimura, Kazuhiro Horiuchi, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Patent number: 11237303
    Abstract: A display unit of the disclosure includes a display panel and a light-distribution adjustment sheet. The light-distribution adjustment sheet is provided on the display panel, and includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the display panel. The protrusion includes a first region including a curved surface, and a second region including a flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Mitsuhiko Taki, Ichiro Utsumi, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Patent number: 11079521
    Abstract: There is provided an optical member that achieves a desired light distribution characteristic while having a simple configuration. The optical member includes a first transparent optical sheet and a second transparent optical sheet that are superimposed on each other in a first axial direction. The first transparent optical sheet includes a structure in which a first region and a second region are alternately disposed in a second axial direction. The second transparent optical sheet includes a structure in which a third region and a fourth region are alternately disposed in a third axial direction. An angle formed by the third axial direction with respect to the second axial direction is equal to or greater than 0° and less than 45°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Hiroki Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20210109260
    Abstract: There is provided an optical member that achieves a desired light distribution characteristic while having a simple configuration. The optical member includes a first transparent optical sheet and a second transparent optical sheet that are superimposed on each other in a first axial direction. The first transparent optical sheet includes a structure in which a first region and a second region are alternately disposed in a second axial direction. The second transparent optical sheet includes a structure in which a third region and a fourth region are alternately disposed in a third axial direction. An angle formed by the third axial direction with respect to the second axial direction is equal to or greater than 0° and less than 45°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Hiroki Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20210041911
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a ball lens and a light source. The ball lens is configured to condense light and to output the condensed light. The light source has a light emitting surface and is configured to output light toward the ball lens. The light emitting surface is located closer to the ball lens than a focal position of the ball lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: NORIMASA FURUKAWA, KENICHI NAKAKI
  • Publication number: 20210033917
    Abstract: An optical member is provided that achieves a desired light distribution characteristic with a simple configuration. The optical member extends along a first plane and has a thickness in a first direction perpendicular to the first plane. The optical member includes n-number of inclined surfaces. The n-number of inclined surfaces include first to n-th inclined surfaces. The first to n-th inclined surfaces are positioned in respective regions other than regions overlapping each other in the first direction. The first to n-th inclined surfaces are each inclined at an angle Am with respect to the first plane and allow entering light to pass therethrough. The angle Am is smaller than 90 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Publication number: 20200217458
    Abstract: A light source unit is used in a multiply combined manner, and includes a light source element having a substrate and one or more light emitting elements disposed on the substrate. The light source unit is configured such that when a plurality of the light source units are arranged in cascade, the light source element in the light source unit comes to in electric connection with another light source element in an adjacent light source unit. Thereby, the plurality of light source units may emit light at the same time. Thus, the structure similar to rod-shaped light source such as CCFL is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicant: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Hiroshi Murayama, Ichiro Murakami
  • Publication number: 20200200948
    Abstract: A display unit of the disclosure includes a display panel and a light-distribution adjustment sheet. The light-distribution adjustment sheet is provided on the display panel, and includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the display panel. The protrusion includes a first region including a curved surface, and a second region including a flat surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Mitsuhiko Taki, Ichiro Utsumi, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Patent number: 10620347
    Abstract: A display unit of the disclosure includes a display panel and a light-distribution adjustment sheet. The light-distribution adjustment sheet is provided on the display panel, and includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the display panel. The protrusion includes a first region including a curved surface, and a second region including a flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Mitsuhiko Taki, Ichiro Utsumi, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Publication number: 20200081164
    Abstract: There is provided an optical member that achieves a desired light distribution characteristic while having a simple configuration. The optical member includes a first transparent optical sheet and a second transparent optical sheet that are superimposed on each other in a first axial direction. The first transparent optical sheet includes a structure in which a first region and a second region are alternately disposed in a second axial direction. The second transparent optical sheet includes a structure in which a third region and a fourth region are alternately disposed in a third axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Hiroki Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20190096338
    Abstract: A backlight unit of the present disclosure includes: a backlight including a plurality of light-emitting devices that are allowed to emit light at mutually different timings and include a first light-emitting device and a second light-emitting device; and a controller that controls a light emission operation of the backlight to cause the first light-emitting device and the second light-emitting device to emit light with mutually different average light emission intensities in a first sub-frame period of a plurality of sub-frame periods provided corresponding to a frame period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Shingo Kimura, Kazuhiro Horiuchi, Kenichi Nakaki
  • Patent number: 10172194
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a light emitting element driving circuit including: a capacitive element; a current limiting section limiting a charging current for the capacitive element; a first constant current source stabilizing a discharging current supplied from the capacitive element to a light emitting element; and a switch controlling ON and OFF in supplying the discharging current to the light emitting element. The capacitive element is charged with electricity from the power source circuit in the preceding stage through the current limiting section. Also, the electric charges in the capacitive element are discharged in the form of a given discharging current for the discharging time period, and the light emitting element emits light in accordance with the given discharging current. In this case, the charging current for the capacitive element is limited by the current limiting section in such a way that the current value thereof becomes small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Norimasa Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10165633
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a light emitting element driving circuit including: a capacitive element; a current limiting section limiting a charging current for the capacitive element; a first constant current source stabilizing a discharging current supplied from the capacitive element to a light emitting element; and a switch controlling ON and OFF in supplying the discharging current to the light emitting element. The capacitive element is charged with electricity from the power source circuit in the preceding stage through the current limiting section. Also, the electric charges in the capacitive element are discharged in the form of a given discharging current for the discharging time period, and the light emitting element emits light in accordance with the given discharging current. In this case, the charging current for the capacitive element is limited by the current limiting section in such a way that the current value thereof becomes small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Norimasa Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20170192135
    Abstract: A display unit of the disclosure includes a display panel and a light-distribution adjustment sheet. The light-distribution adjustment sheet is provided on the display panel, and includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the display panel. The protrusion includes a first region including a curved surface, and a second region including a flat surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: NORIMASA FURUKAWA, MITSUHIKO TAKI, ICHIRO UTSUMI, KENICHI NAKAKI
  • Patent number: 9395578
    Abstract: Provided is an illumination unit capable of utilizing back light. Also provided are a display and an electronic apparatus each including this illumination unit. A display includes a display panel, and an illumination unit configured to illuminate the display panel. The illumination unit includes a light-guiding plate, a diffusion modulation device, and a reflection modulation device in this order, from the display panel side. The light-guiding plate has a light source on a side face thereof. The diffusion modulation device is capable of performing modulation between a first state of diffusing light from the light source, and a second state of allowing incident light from a back face side to pass to a front face side. The reflection modulation device is capable of performing modulation between a third state of reflecting transmitted diffused light of the diffusion modulation device to a front face side, and a fourth state of allowing incident light from a back face side to the front face side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Kentaro Okuyama