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).
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Publication number: 20100188322Abstract: A color display unit is provided, which allows color display to be performed with high efficiency in utilizing light as compared with a prior type using all of RGB color filters. The color display unit includes a light source section having plural kinds of color LEDs, and includes a display section controlling transmissivity of light from the light source section in synchronization with light emission control by the light source section, to achieve desired color display. The display section has a full-color transmittable region and a partially transmittable region. The full-color transmittable region allows all color components of the light to be transmitted, while the partially transmittable region inhibits passage of one or more in the color components of the light. The display section controls the transmissivity of the light independently for each of the full-color transmittable region and the partial transmittable region.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2010Publication date: July 29, 2010Inventor: Norimasa FURUKAWA
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Publication number: 20100181921Abstract: The present invention is directed to a drive apparatus for a backlight unit (20) in which plural LED (Light Emitting Diode) elements are cascade-connected every three primary colors, which comprises a signal generating unit (44) for generating a signal having an arbitrary amplitude, an adjustment unit (50) for adjusting light emission quantities of groups of LED elements (30) on the basis of the signal which has been generated by the signal generating unit (44), a voltage applying unit (41) for applying a predetermined voltage every the groups of LED elements (30), light emission quantity detecting units (33) for detecting quantities of rays of light which have been emitted from the groups of LED elements (30), calorific value detecting units (32) for detecting calorific values emitted from the groups of LED elements in accordance with the voltage which has been applied to the voltage applying unit (41), and a control unit (50) for controlling the signal generating unit (44) on the basis of light emission quaType: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2010Publication date: July 22, 2010Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Hiroaki Ichikawa, Kenichi Kikuchi
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Publication number: 20100156926Abstract: An image display device is provided, with less color breaking in the field sequential method. A color component image with a relatively high luminance level is extracted as a fundamental image from an input image. A differential image is obtained by subtracting color component of the fundamental image from an input image, and is decomposed into a plurality of color components. The differential image for each color component is divided into two. The fundamental image is displayed at a middle timing of a frame period. The half-divided differential images are displayed at timings before and after the middle timing for the fundamental image so that the half-divided differential image with higher luminance level with consideration for visibility characteristic is displayed at a timing closer to the middle timing for the fundamental image.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2009Publication date: June 24, 2010Inventors: Norimasa FURUKAWA, Yoshihiko Kuroki, Ichiro Murakami, Mitsuyasu Asano, Tomohiro Nishi
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Patent number: 7675249Abstract: The present invention is directed to a drive apparatus for a backlight unit (20) in which plural LED (Light Emitting Diode) elements are cascade-connected every three primary colors, which comprises a signal generating unit (44) for generating a signal having an arbitrary amplitude, an adjustment unit (50) for adjusting light emission quantities of groups of LED elements (30) on the basis of the signal which has been generated by the signal generating unit (44), a voltage applying unit (41) for applying a predetermined voltage every the groups of LED elements (30), light emission quantity detecting units (33) for detecting quantities of rays of light which have been emitted from the groups of LED elements (30), calorific value detecting units (32) for detecting calorific values emitted from the groups of LED elements in accordance with the voltage which has been applied to the voltage applying unit (41), and a control unit (50) for controlling the signal generating unit (44) on the basis of light emission quaType: GrantFiled: July 8, 2005Date of Patent: March 9, 2010Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Hiroaki Ichikawa, Kenichi Kikuchi
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Publication number: 20090295707Abstract: The present invention provides an illuminating apparatus locally reducing light intensity without depending on the configuration of a light source itself. An illuminating apparatus used as a backlight of a display apparatus having a liquid crystal display panel with a pair of first polarizers, including a light source and a liquid crystal light control panel. The liquid crystal light control panel has a pair of second polarizers and suppresses amount of transmission of light from the light source, thereby allows the light from the light source to have such a light intensity distribution along a plane that light intensity is locally reduced. The polarization degree in the second polarizers is optimized so that transmission light amount ratio of the second polarizers is lower than that of the first polarizers.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2009Publication date: December 3, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Jun Shimizu
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Publication number: 20090295839Abstract: A display device includes: a light source section having multiple light sources to emit light in illumination colors including three primary colors of light; a display section for displaying an image in monochrome color by modulating the light emitted from the light source section; and a display control section for driving the light source section and the display section in a field sequential system. The display control section includes a determining section for determining a degree of white or a degree of complementary color of the light sources on the basis of an amount of lighting of each of the illumination colors of the light sources, a setting section for setting white components or complementary-color components of a color determined by a mixing ratio of the illumination colors, and an allocating section for allocating the set white components or the complementary-color components to the fields.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2009Publication date: December 3, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Mitsuyasu Asano, Tomohiro Nishi
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Patent number: 7586272Abstract: A cold cathode fluorescent lamp apparatus has a cold cathode fluorescent lamp which can be lit readily and in which leak current is minimized. A pair of internal electrodes are disposed on an inner surface of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp, and a pair of external electrodes are provided on an outer surface of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp. The internal electrodes are driven by a dc driving circuit, and the current flow between the internal electrodes is controlled by a constant current circuit. The external electrodes are driven by an ac driving circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2006Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Makio Iida, Norimasa Furukawa
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Publication number: 20090213573Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2009Publication date: August 27, 2009Inventors: Norimasa FURUKAWA, Hiroshi Murayama, Ichiro Murakami
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Publication number: 20090207613Abstract: Light intensity may be locally increased in light intensity distribution without increasing number of light sources or drive current. A light source system includes a light source, and a diffusion unit varying diffusibility in incident light so that light intensity in a light intensity distribution in a plane, resulted from light emitted from the light source, is locally enhanced.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2009Publication date: August 20, 2009Inventors: Norimasa FURUKAWA, Jun Shimizu
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Patent number: 7566143Abstract: Herein disclosed a backlight apparatus for illuminating a color display panel from the back side, which may include a light source section having a composite light source, a light detecting light introducing plate, a plurality of light amount sensors for the individual colors, and control means.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2007Date of Patent: July 28, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Mitsunari Hoshi, Yoshihiro Katsu, Mitsuru Okabe
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Publication number: 20090153464Abstract: The screen is exempt from variation in brightness due to uneven temperature distribution. The color liquid crystal display unit has a color display panel of transmissive type and a backlight unit placed behind the color display panel. The backlight unit has a plurality of LEDs connected in series, the drive unit to drive the LEDs in correspondence with the LEDs, and the temperature sensor to detect the temperature of LEDs. The groups of LEDs are arranged in regions where the display unit has the same temperature. The drive unit controls current to be supplied to LEDs in response to temperature detected by the temperature sensor so that the LEDs retain the constant brightness even when the LEDs fluctuate in temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2009Publication date: June 18, 2009Inventors: Norimasa FURUKAWA, Kenichi Kikuchi, Hiroaki Ichikawa
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Patent number: 7538497Abstract: Disclosed is a constant current driving unit for constant current driving a plural number of series connected light emitting diodes by a pulse-width modulating constant current driving circuit. Bypass circuits (80A) to 80(E), made up by a plural number of thyristors (81A) to (81E), each connected in parallel with each of series-connected light emitting diodes (41A) to (41E), are provided with gate potential setting circuits (83A) to (83E). These gate potential setting circuits afford to the thyristors a gate potential value such that, when the series-connected light emitting diodes (41A) to (41E) are operating as normally, the thyristors (81A) to (81E) are in the off-state. The gate potential setting circuit affords to the thyristors another gate potential value such that, when the light emitting diodes (41A) to (41E) are in the open state, the thyristors connected in parallel with the light emitting diodes (41A) to (41E) in the opened state will be in a turned-on state.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2005Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Norimasa Furukawa
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Patent number: 7532283Abstract: In case polarization plates (10A, 10B) including protective layers whose phase difference is negative are used, a retardation film optimized for the negative phase difference is placed in a position (P1) between a liquid crystal plane (20) and outgoing-side polarization plate (10A), in a position (P2) between the outgoing-side polarization plate (10A) and liquid crystal plate (20) or in both the positions (P1, P2) to reduce the leakage of black-level light directed at an angle 45 deg. Thus, in the in-plane switching (IPS) mode type liquid crystal display device, optical compensation is made to improve the viewing angle in black display.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2004Date of Patent: May 12, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Tomoya Yano, Norimasa Furukawa, Hiroshi Murayama
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Publication number: 20090115720Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes: a light source section including a plurality of lighting sections; a light source driving section for determining a light intensity of each lighting section according to the image signal inputted and driving the light source section so that each lighting section is independently activated with the light intensity determined; a liquid crystal display panel; and a display driving section for driving the liquid crystal display panel based on the image signal. In a case that a display region corresponding to the lighting section includes a high-luminance part and a low-luminance part, the display driving section corrects the image signal in the low-luminance part so that the display luminance of the low-luminance part results in the same level as the display luminance under a maximum light intensity of the corresponding lighting section, and drives the low-luminance part according to the image signal corrected.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2008Publication date: May 7, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Tetsuji Inada, Mitsuyasu Asano, Ichiro Murakami, Norimasa Furukawa, Yoshihiro Katsu, Takeshi Hiramatsu
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Patent number: 7511695Abstract: The screen is exempt from variation in brightness due to uneven temperature distribution. The color liquid crystal display unit has a color display panel of transmissive type and a backlight unit placed behind the color display panel. The backlight unit has a plurality of LEDs connected in series, the drive unit to drive the LEDs in correspondence with the LEDs, and the temperature sensor to detect the temperature of LEDs. The groups of LEDs are arranged in regions where the display unit has the same temperature. The drive unit controls current to be supplied to LEDs in response to temperature detected by the temperature sensor so that the LEDs retain the constant brightness even when the LEDs fluctuate in temperature.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2005Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Kenichi Kikuchi, Hiroaki Ichikawa
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Publication number: 20090021178Abstract: The present invention is directed to a drive apparatus for a backlight unit (20) in which plural LED (Light Emitting Diode) elements are cascade-connected every three primary colors, which comprises a signal generating unit (44) for generating a signal having an arbitrary amplitude, an adjustment unit (50) for adjusting light emission quantities of groups of LED elements (30) on the basis of the signal which has been generated by the signal generating unit (44), a voltage applying unit (41) for applying a predetermined voltage every the groups of LED elements (30), light emission quantity detecting units (33) for detecting quantities of rays of light which have been emitted from the groups of LED elements (30), calorific value detecting units (32) for detecting calorific values emitted from the groups of LED elements in accordance with the voltage which has been applied to the voltage applying unit (41), and a control unit (50) for controlling the signal generating unit (44) on the basis of light emission quaType: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2005Publication date: January 22, 2009Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Hiroaki Ichikawa, Kenichi Kikuchi
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Publication number: 20080266487Abstract: A display device includes: a panel; a light source provided on a surface disposed with facing at an interval of a predetermined distance from the back of the panel of said panel; and at least one optical sheet placed in front of said light source; wherein said optical sheet is placed with predetermined inclination angle to the above back of the panel so that it becomes closer from the top end to the bottom end of the back of the panel of said panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2008Publication date: October 30, 2008Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Norimasa Furukawa
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Patent number: 7425943Abstract: A constant current driving device for constant current driving of a plurality of elements connected in series with each other by a pulse width modulation constant current driving circuit includes: switching elements respectively connected in parallel with the plurality of elements connected in series with each other; a control circuit for performing control to bypass a driving current flowing through the other elements than an arbitrary element to be measured via the respective switching elements and pass a measuring driving current through only the element to be measured; and a detecting circuit for identifying an element at a faulty position by detecting the driving current flowing through the plurality of elements connected in series with each other.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2005Date of Patent: September 16, 2008Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Norimasa Furukawa
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Patent number: 7413330Abstract: A proposed backlight is suitable for a large size liquid crystal display. A backlight 2 for illuminating a liquid crystal panel 3 from the rear, is formed by combining a plurality of backlight units 10, 10, . . . By providing a transparent acrylic board 4 between the backlight 2 and the liquid crystal panel 3, it becomes possible to prevent brightness unevenness from occurring at a junction section of the backlight units 10, 10, . . . , even when the backlight is formed by combining the plurality of the backlight units 10, 10, . . . .Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2004Date of Patent: August 19, 2008Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Norimasa Furukawa
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Patent number: 7315138Abstract: A discharge lamp operating device includes a voltage application unit that applies to a discharge lamp an alternating-current (AC) voltage for operation of the discharge lamp, and a frequency setting unit that sets a frequency of the AC voltage to a first frequency for ignition of the discharge lamp and sets the frequency of the AC voltage to a second frequency during operation of the discharge lamp after the ignition. In the discharge lamp operating device, the second frequency is lower than the first frequency.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2006Date of Patent: January 1, 2008Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Yoshihiko Usami, Norimasa Furukawa