Patents by Inventor Osamu Okumura
Osamu Okumura 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: 20110181801Abstract: A reflective liquid crystal projector according to the aspect of the invention includes a light source, a reflective liquid crystal panel, and a wire grid polarization beam splitter element. The wire grid polarization beam splitter element is provided with a polarization beam split surface that reflects a first polarized light component and transmits a second polarized light component. The reflective liquid crystal projector also includes a projection optical system that projects the first polarized light component, and an aperture stop that is disposed on an optical path of the light beam emitted from the light source. The aperture stop limits the amount of first light more than that of second light. The first light is divergent from the reflective liquid crystal panel to the polarization beam split surface. The second light is divergent from the reflective liquid crystal panel to the polarization beam split surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2011Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Osamu OKUMURA
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Patent number: 7924376Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide a transflective liquid crystal display device that prevents display failure, such as an afterimage and unevenness like stains, and achieves a bright display with a wide viewing angle in both transmissive display and reflective display. The liquid crystal display device of the invention is a vertically-aligned transflective liquid crystal display device having a multigap structure. Each pixel can include, in a dot region, a plurality of islands, and connecting portions for electrically connecting the adjoining islands. Two islands, of the islands, can be disposed in a transmissive display region, and the remaining island is disposed in a reflective display region. A boundary sloping area in which the thickness of a liquid crystal layer continuously changes is disposed right below the connecting portion in the pixel electrode.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2007Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Osamu Okumura
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Patent number: 7907239Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide a transflective liquid crystal display device that prevents display failure, such as an afterimage and unevenness like stains, and achieves a bright display with a wide viewing angle in both transmissive display and reflective display. The liquid crystal display device of the invention is a vertically-aligned transflective liquid crystal display device having a multigap structure. Each pixel can include, in a dot region, a plurality of islands, and connecting portions for electrically connecting the adjoining islands. Two islands, of the islands, can be disposed in a transmissive display region, and the remaining island is disposed in a reflective display region. A boundary sloping area in which the thickness of a liquid crystal layer continuously changes is disposed right below the connecting portion in the pixel electrode.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2007Date of Patent: March 15, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Osamu Okumura
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Publication number: 20110051029Abstract: A display device includes a display panel, and a prism that is installed on a display face of the display panel and has an inclination face inclined from the display face. An inclination angle of the inclination face of the prism with respect to the display face is set such that an output angle of display light output from the display face and transmitted through the prism is equal to or more than a small angle of an incident angle and a reflection angle of sunlight with respect to the inclination face based on a normal line of the display face.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2010Publication date: March 3, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Osamu OKUMURA
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Publication number: 20110032458Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer between the pair of substrates. In addition, the device includes a plurality of dots capable of independently applying voltage to the liquid crystal layer, each dot having a dot area that includes a first section and a second section. A color filter is arranged in the first section of at least one of the dots. A substantially transparent area is arranged in the at least one of the dots in the second section where the color filter is not arranged.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2010Publication date: February 10, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Okumura, Eiji Okamoto, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Toshiharu Matsushima
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Patent number: 7834958Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer between the pair of substrates. In addition, the device includes a plurality of dots capable of independently applying voltage to the liquid crystal layer, each dot having a dot area that includes a first section and a second section. A color filter is arranged in the first section of at least one of the dots. A substantially transparent area is arranged in the at least one of the dots in the second section where the color filter is not arranged.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2007Date of Patent: November 16, 2010Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Osamu Okumura, Eiji Okamoto, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Toshiharu Matsushima
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Publication number: 20100066952Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes: a liquid crystal layer which is sandwiched between a pair of substrates; a color filter layer has a first coloration layer for transmitting a first light and a second coloration layer for transmitting a second light; first electrodes has a first pixel electrode disposed on a first sub-pixel region corresponding to a planar region of the first coloration layer and a second pixel electrode disposed on a second sub-pixel region corresponding to a planar region of the second coloration layer; and second electrodes each of which faces each first electrode. Any one electrode of each first electrode and each second electrode has a plurality of band-like portions which are arranged at predetermined intervals. A layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer, a width of each band-like portion, and the predetermined intervals within the first sub-pixel region are smaller than they within the second sub-pixel region.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2009Publication date: March 18, 2010Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hitoshi TSUCHIYA, Tomo IKEBE, Osamu OKUMURA
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Patent number: 7616281Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal display device in which generation of display defects, such as afterimages or spot-shaped stains, can be reduced or suppressed, and in addition a bright display having a wide viewing angle can be obtained, in a transflective liquid crystal display device. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a liquid crystal layer interposed between a pair of substrates, and a transmissive display area and a reflective display area provided in one dot area. The liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy representing that an initial alignment state is a vertical alignment, and pixel electrodes to drive the liquid crystal and a common electrode are formed in the liquid crystal layer sides of the pair of substrates, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2007Date of Patent: November 10, 2009Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Osamu Okumura
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Patent number: 7609352Abstract: The invention provides a reflection type liquid crystal device, and a projection type display and electronic equipment in which display defects caused by disclination are reduced, minimized or prevented from being produced for a highly fine liquid crystal display with a space between pixels made to be narrow to make it possible to provide a high-contrast and bright display. A liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate and a second substrate, and a first electrode and a second electrode formed on a face of the above-described second substrate on a side of the above-described liquid crystal layer. The above-described first electrode and the above-described second electrode are formed so that an electric field substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate with respect to the above-described liquid crystal layer can be applied thereto.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2008Date of Patent: October 27, 2009Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Kinya Ozawa, Osamu Okumura, Eiji Okamoto, Hirotaka Kawata, Toshiharu Matsushima, Takumi Seki, Kimitaka Kamijo
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Publication number: 20090219456Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal panel including a pair of substrates that sandwiches a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules exhibiting a parallel alignment in an initial alignment state, and a polarizing plate disposed on either side of the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal molecules are inclined at a pretilt angle and aligned in a predetermined direction in planes of the substrates. The liquid crystal panel emits light entering through one of the polarizing plates toward the other. The liquid crystal panel emits light having the maximum intensity in a direction different from a direction normal to the substrates. The azimuth of the maximum-light-intensity direction projected onto the planes of the substrates is substantially parallel to the predetermined direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2009Publication date: September 3, 2009Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Osamu OKUMURA
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Patent number: 7583338Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display that can provide a display with high contrast in both the transmissive mode display and the reflective mode display as a transflective liquid crystal display, and an electronic appliance provided therewith. The liquid crystal display can include a liquid crystal layer of a nematic liquid crystal with positive anisotropy of dielectric constant held between a pair of substrates in accordance with the present invention is characterized in that areas used for the display in the liquid crystal layer includes individual areas having at least two kinds of different liquid crystal layer thickness, the individual areas of different liquid crystal layer thickness are either a reflective display unit or a transmissive display unit, a reflective means is disposed on the reflective display unit, and a transparent resin layer is formed in a portion except a portion corresponding to the transmissive display unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2007Date of Patent: September 1, 2009Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Osamu Okumura
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Patent number: 7551250Abstract: A liquid crystal display device capable of obtaining a high contrast ratio within a range of entry angles of source light to an optical modulation device of a projection display apparatus has a liquid crystal panel operating in a twisted nematic mode, a first optical compensating plate disposed at the light-entry side of the liquid crystal panel, and a second optical compensating plate disposed at the light-exit side thereof. The respective optical compensating plates hybrid-aligns liquid crystal molecules having a negative birefringence, a phase retardation in the normal direction thereof of 10 nm or more and 30 nm or less, and fast axis directions, as seen in the respective normal directions, intersect each other at an angle other than a right angle.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2004Date of Patent: June 23, 2009Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Osamu Okumura
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Patent number: 7538839Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display that can provide a display with high contrast in both the transmissive mode display and the reflective mode display as a transflective liquid crystal display, and an electronic appliance provided therewith. The liquid crystal display can include a liquid crystal layer of a nematic liquid crystal with positive anisotropy of dielectric constant held between a pair of substrates in accordance with the present invention is characterized in that areas used for the display in the liquid crystal layer includes individual areas having at least two kinds of different liquid crystal layer thickness, the individual areas of different liquid crystal layer thickness are either a reflective display unit or a transmissive display unit, a reflective means is disposed on the reflective display unit, and a transparent resin layer is formed in a portion except a portion corresponding to the transmissive display unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2007Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Osamu Okumura
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Patent number: 7535529Abstract: When a backlight 15 is turned on in a dark environment, white light emerging from the surface of a light guide plate 15b passes through a polarizer 12 and a retardation film 14, enters the interior of the liquid crystal cell, passes through openings of reflective electrodes 7, and is introduced into a liquid crystal layer 3. The light introduced into the liquid crystal layer 3 passes through a color filter 5, emerges from the liquid crystal cell, and passes through the retardation film 13 and the polarizer 11 towards the exterior. In a lighted environment, the light incident on the polarizer 11 passes through the liquid crystal layer 3, is reflected by the reflective electrode 7, and passes through the polarizer 11 again and is emitted towards the exterior.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2007Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Eiji Okamoto, Takumi Seki, Osamu Okumura
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Publication number: 20090051631Abstract: An electro-optic device of a field sequential mode includes an electro-optic panel including a plurality of pixels and forming an image by controlling ON and OFF of the plurality of pixels; and a light source unit radiating a first color light and a second color light to the pixels of the electro-optic panel, wherein one frame time for forming one screen image in the electro-optic panel is divided into a plurality of fields including a first field and a second field, the light source unit radiating the first color light during the first field and radiating the second color light during the second field, wherein in the electro-optic panel, a first image which is related to the first color light is formed in the first field, and a second image which is related to the second color light is formed in the second field, and wherein the plurality of pixels of the electro-optic panel is not turned ON during two or more fields of one arbitrary frame time.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2008Publication date: February 26, 2009Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Okumura, Norio Koma
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Patent number: 7483100Abstract: Ambient light incident upon a polarizer 105 passes through a liquid crystal layer 103 and is then reflected by reflective films 116 via transparent electrodes 115. The reflected light passes again through the liquid crystal layer 103 and the polarizer 105 and is output to the outside thereby displaying an image in a reflective displaying mode. The reflective films 116 are disposed at locations corresponding to the respective transparent electrodes 115 such that they are spaced from each other. In this structure, some ambient light passes through the spaces between adjacent transparent electrodes 115, however, such light is not reflected by the reflective films 116 toward the outside and thus a reduction in contrast due to such reflection is prevented.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2006Date of Patent: January 27, 2009Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Osamu Okumura, Eiji Okamoto, Takumi Seki
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Patent number: 7468770Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a display panel and a viewing angle control panel. The viewing angle control panel includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, and a pair of electrodes for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer is composed from hybrid-aligned liquid crystal molecules. The viewing angle of the display panel is controlled by changing an alignment state of the hybrid-aligned liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer by voltage applied by the electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2005Date of Patent: December 23, 2008Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Osamu Okumura
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Publication number: 20080273155Abstract: The invention provides a reflection type liquid crystal device, and a projection type display and electronic equipment in which display defects caused by disclination are reduced, minimized or prevented from being produced for a highly fine liquid crystal display with a space between pixels made to be narrow to make it possible to provide a high-contrast and bright display. A liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate and a second substrate, and a first electrode and a second electrode formed on a face of the above-described second substrate on a side of the above-described liquid crystal layer. The above-described first electrode and the above-described second electrode are formed so that an electric field substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate with respect to the above-described liquid crystal layer can be applied thereto.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2008Publication date: November 6, 2008Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Kinya Ozawa, Osamu Okumura, Eiji Okamoto, Hirotaka Kawata, Toshiharu Matsushima, Takumi Seki, Kimitaka Kamijo
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Publication number: 20080198307Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display that can provide a display with high contrast in both the transmissive mode display and the reflective mode display as a transflective liquid crystal display, and an electronic appliance provided therewith. The liquid crystal display can include a liquid crystal layer of a nematic liquid crystal with positive anisotropy of dielectric constant held between a pair of substrates in accordance with the present invention is characterized in that areas used for the display in the liquid crystal layer includes individual areas having at least two kinds of different liquid crystal layer thickness, the individual areas of different liquid crystal layer thickness are either a reflective display unit or a transmissive display unit, a reflective means is disposed on the reflective display unit, and a transparent resin layer is formed in a portion except a portion corresponding to the transmissive display unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2007Publication date: August 21, 2008Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Osamu Okumura
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Patent number: 7411646Abstract: The invention provides a reflection type liquid crystal device, and a projection type display and electronic equipment in which display defects caused by disclination are reduced, minimized or prevented from being produced for a highly fine liquid crystal display with a space between pixels made to be narrow to make it possible to provide a high-contrast and bright display. A liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate and a second substrate, and a first electrode and a second electrode formed on a face of the above-described second substrate on a side of the above-described liquid crystal layer. The above-described first electrode and the above-described second electrode are formed so that an electric field substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate with respect to the above-described liquid crystal layer can be applied thereto.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2007Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Kinya Ozawa, Osamu Okumura, Eiji Okamoto, Hirotaka Kawata, Toshiharu Matsushima, Takumi Seki, Kimitaka Kamijo