Patents by Inventor Seiichi Mitsui
Seiichi Mitsui 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: 7542116Abstract: A liquid crystal display is furnished with: a liquid crystal display element having a pair of substrates, to which alignment members are provided to their respective opposing surfaces, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched by the pair of substrates; an alignment mechanism for providing at least two different director configurations simultaneously on different arbitrary regions used for display in the liquid crystal layer; and a reflection film provided to at least one of the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations; wherein the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations are used for a reflection display section for showing reflection display and a transmission display section for showing transmission display, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2008Date of Patent: June 2, 2009Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Hajime Hiraki, Seiichi Mitsui
-
Patent number: 7394511Abstract: A liquid crystal display is furnished with: a liquid crystal display element having a pair of substrates, to which alignment members are provided to their respective opposing surfaces, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched by the pair of substrates; an alignment mechanism for providing at least two different director configurations simultaneously on different arbitrary regions used for display in the liquid crystal layer; and a reflection film provided to at least one of the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations; wherein the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations are used for a reflection display section for showing reflection display and a transmission display section for showing transmission display, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2006Date of Patent: July 1, 2008Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Hajime Hiraki, Seiichi Mitsui
-
Patent number: 7385654Abstract: A display includes a polarizing member and a reflective display element behind an EL element. The EL element self-emits light to display information and doubles as a display-use light source for the reflective display element. In a sufficiently bright environment, ambient light enters a liquid crystal layer after passing through a frontal substrate of the reflective display element, and is reflected from a metal electrode to produce displays. In addition to the direct light from the EL element, light that enters the liquid crystal layer is simultaneously used. In a dark environment, the EL element emits light, and displayed contents are visible owing to the reflection from the metal electrode as well as directly exiting light.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2006Date of Patent: June 10, 2008Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiichi Mitsui, Masaaki Kabe, Teiyu Sako, Hideki Uchida
-
Patent number: 7176991Abstract: A display includes a polarizing member and a reflective display element behind an EL element. The EL element self-emits light to display information and doubles as a display-use light source for the reflective display element. In a sufficiently bright environment, ambient light enters a liquid crystal layer after passing through a frontal substrate of the reflective display element, and is reflected from a metal electrode to produce displays. In addition to the direct light from the EL element, light that enters the liquid crystal layer is simultaneously used. In a dark environment, the EL element emits light, and displayed contents are visible owing to the reflection from the metal electrode as well as directly exiting light.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2004Date of Patent: February 13, 2007Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiichi Mitsui, Masaaki Kabe, Teiyu Sako, Hideki Uchida
-
Publication number: 20060255706Abstract: A display includes a polarizing member and a reflective display element behind an EL element. The EL element self-emits light to display information and doubles as a display-use light source for the reflective display element. In a sufficiently bright environment, ambient light enters a liquid crystal layer after passing through a frontal substrate of the reflective display element, and is reflected from a metal electrode to produce displays. In addition to the direct light from the EL element, light that enters the liquid crystal layer is simultaneously used. In a dark environment, the EL element emits light, and displayed contents are visible owing to the reflection from the metal electrode as well as directly exiting light.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2006Publication date: November 16, 2006Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiichi Mitsui, Masaaki Kabe, Teiyu Sako, Hideki Uchida
-
Patent number: 7102704Abstract: A display includes a polarizing member and a reflective display element behind an EL element. The EL element self-emits light to display information and doubles as a display-use light source for the reflective display element. In a sufficiently bright environment, ambient light enters a liquid crystal layer after passing through a frontal substrate of the reflective display element, and is reflected from a metal electrode to produce displays. In addition to the direct light from the EL element, light that enters the liquid crystal layer is simultaneously used. In a dark environment, the EL element emits light, and displayed contents are visible owing to the reflection from the metal electrode as well as directly exiting light.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2002Date of Patent: September 5, 2006Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiichi Mitsui, Masaaki Kabe, Teiyu Sako, Hideki Uchida
-
Patent number: 7092052Abstract: A reflective color liquid crystal display device with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate having a light reflectibility and a second substrate having a light transmissibility. The liquid crystal layer being composed of twist-aligned nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy. A circularly polarizing unit, including a single linear polarizer plate, selectively passes either right handed or left handed circularly polarized light out of natural light. The circularly polarizing unit is disposed so that a major surface of the circularly polarizing unit is on a liquid crystal layer side, the circularly polarized light exiting the circularly polarizing unit through the major surface when natural light enters the circularly polarizing unit. Various parameters of the liquid crystal layer are optimized for a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle in the range of 0° to 100°.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2005Date of Patent: August 15, 2006Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui, Takashi Satoh
-
Publication number: 20060119752Abstract: A liquid crystal display is furnished with: a liquid crystal display element having a pair of substrates, to which alignment members are provided to their respective opposing surfaces, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched by the pair of substrates; an alignment mechanism for providing at least two different director configurations simultaneously on different arbitrary regions used for display in the liquid crystal layer; and a reflection film provided to at least one of the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations; wherein the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations are used for a reflection display section for showing reflection display and a transmission display section for showing transmission display, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2006Publication date: June 8, 2006Inventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Hajime Hiraki, Seiichi Mitsui
-
Patent number: 7050132Abstract: A liquid crystal display is furnished with: a liquid crystal display element having a pair of substrates, to which alignment members are provided to their respective opposing surfaces, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched by the pair of substrates; an alignment mechanism for providing at least two different director configurations simultaneously on different arbitrary regions used for display in the liquid crystal layer; and a reflection film provided to at least one of the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations; wherein the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations are used for a reflection display section for showing reflection display and a transmission display section for showing transmission display, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2004Date of Patent: May 23, 2006Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Hajime Hiraki, Seiichi Mitsui
-
Patent number: 7023510Abstract: A reflective color liquid crystal display device with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate having a light reflectibility and a second substrate having a light transmissibility. The liquid crystal layer being composed of twist-aligned nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy. A circularly polarizing unit, including a single linear polarizer plate, selectively passes either right handed or left handed circularly polarized light out of natural light. The circularly polarizing unit is disposed so that a major surface of the circularly polarizing unit is on a liquid crystal layer side, the circularly polarized light exiting the circularly polarizing unit through the major surface when natural light enters the circularly polarizing unit. Various parameters of the liquid crystal layer are optimized for a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle in the range of 0° to 100°.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2004Date of Patent: April 4, 2006Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui, Takashi Satoh
-
Publication number: 20050248698Abstract: A reflective color liquid crystal display device with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate having a light reflectibility and a second substrate having a light transmissibility. The liquid crystal layer being composed of twist-aligned nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy. A circularly polarizing unit, including a single linear polarizer plate, selectively passes either right handed or left handed circularly polarized light out of natural light. The circularly polarizing unit is disposed so that a major surface of the circularly polarizing unit is on a liquid crystal layer side, the circularly polarized light exiting the circularly polarizing unit through the major surface when natural light enters the circularly polarizing unit. Various parameters of the liquid crystal layer are optimized for a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle in the range of 0° to 100°.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2005Publication date: November 10, 2005Inventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui, Takashi Satoh
-
Patent number: 6958794Abstract: A reflective color liquid crystal display device with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate having a light reflectibility and a second substrate having a light transmissibility. The liquid crystal layer being composed of twist-aligned nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy. A circularly polarizing unit, including a single linear polarizer plate, selectively passes either right handed or left handed circularly polarized light out of natural light. The circularly polarizing unit is disposed so that a major surface of the circularly polarizing unit is on a liquid crystal layer side, the circularly polarized light exiting the circularly polarizing unit through the major surface when natural light enters the circularly polarizing unit. Various parameters of the liquid crystal layer are optimized for a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle in the range of 0° to 100°.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2004Date of Patent: October 25, 2005Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui, Takashi Satoh
-
Patent number: 6922220Abstract: A reflective color liquid crystal display device with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate having a light reflectibility and a second substrate having a light transmissibility. The liquid crystal layer being composed of twist-aligned nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy. A circularly polarizing unit, including a single linear polarizer plate, selectively passes either right handed or left handed circularly polarized light out of natural light. The circularly polarizing unit is disposed so that a major surface of the circularly polarizing unit is on a liquid crystal layer side, the circularly polarized light exiting the circularly polarizing unit through the major surface when natural light enters the circularly polarizing unit. Various parameters of the liquid crystal layer are optimized for a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle in the range of 0° to 100°.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2004Date of Patent: July 26, 2005Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui, Takashi Satoh
-
Patent number: 6900863Abstract: A liquid crystal display is furnished with: a liquid crystal display element having a pair of substrates, to which alignment members are provided to their respective opposing surfaces, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched by the pair of substrates; an alignment mechanism for providing at least two different director configurations simultaneously on different arbitrary regions used for display in the liquid crystal layer; and a reflection film provided to at least one of the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations; wherein the different arbitrary regions showing different director configurations are used for a reflection display section for showing reflection display and a transmission display section for showing transmission display, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2002Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Hajime Hiraki, Seiichi Mitsui
-
Publication number: 20050110926Abstract: A reflective color liquid crystal display device with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate having a light reflectibility and a second substrate having a light transmissibility. The liquid crystal layer being composed of twist-aligned nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy. A circularly polarizing unit, including a single linear polarizer plate, selectively passes either right handed or left handed circularly polarized light out of natural light. The circularly polarizing unit is disposed so that a major surface of the circularly polarizing unit is on a liquid crystal layer side, the circularly polarized light exiting the circularly polarizing unit through the major surface when natural light enters the circularly polarizing unit. Various parameters of the liquid crystal layer are optimized for a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle in the range of 0° to 100°.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2004Publication date: May 26, 2005Inventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui, Takashi Satoh
-
Publication number: 20050088594Abstract: A display includes a polarizing member and a reflective display element behind an EL element. The EL element self-emits light to display information and doubles as a display-use light source for the reflective display element. In a sufficiently bright environment, ambient light enters a liquid crystal layer after passing through a frontal substrate of the reflective display element, and is reflected from a metal electrode to produce displays. In addition to the direct light from the EL element, light that enters the liquid crystal layer is simultaneously used. In a dark environment, the EL element emits light, and displayed contents are visible owing to the reflection from the metal electrode as well as directly exiting light.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2004Publication date: April 28, 2005Inventors: Seiichi Mitsui, Masaaki Kabe, Teiyu Sako, Hideki Uchida
-
Publication number: 20050078238Abstract: A reflective color liquid crystal display device with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate having a light reflectibility and a second substrate having a light transmissibility. The liquid crystal layer being composed of twist-aligned nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy. A circularly polarizing unit, including a single linear polarizer plate, selectively passes either right handed or left handed circularly polarized light out of natural light. The circularly polarizing unit is disposed so that a major surface of the circularly polarizing unit is on a liquid crystal layer side, the circularly polarized light exiting the circularly polarizing unit through the major surface when natural light enters the circularly polarizing unit. Various parameters of the liquid crystal layer are optimized for a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle in the range of 0° to 100°.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2004Publication date: April 14, 2005Inventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui, Takashi Satoh
-
Patent number: 6844956Abstract: A reflective display device includes a switching layer, placed between substrates, for switching between a transmissive state for allowing transmission of incident light and a scattering state for scattering the incident light, and a retro-reflector for reflecting an incident ray from the liquid crystal layer so that an outgoing ray of the reflected light is parallel to the incident ray. A pitch of smallest unit structures of the retro-reflector is set to be larger than 0 mm and not more than 5 mm. The retro-reflector is preferably in a form of a corner cube array and has light absorbing surface portions at borders of the smallest unit structures. With this reflective display device, brightness of white state and contrast ratio can be improved.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2003Date of Patent: January 18, 2005Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kiyoshi Minoura, Shun Ueki, Masahiko Tomikawa, Teiyu Sako, Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui
-
Patent number: 6791640Abstract: The present invention offers reflective color liquid crystal display devices with a high contrast ratio and eye-friendly multi-color display capability, and liquid crystal display devices incorporating a touch panel arranged therefrom, of which the display is not adversely affected by the installation of a pressure sensitive input device.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 1999Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui, Takashi Satoh
-
Publication number: 20040174477Abstract: A reflective color liquid crystal display device with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first substrate having a light reflectibility and a second substrate having a light transmissibility. The liquid crystal layer being composed of twist-aligned nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy. A circularly polarizing unit, including a single linear polarizer plate, selectively passes either right handed or left handed circularly polarized light out of natural light. The circularly polarizing unit is disposed so that a major surface of the circularly polarizing unit is on a liquid crystal layer side, the circularly polarized light exiting the circularly polarizing unit through the major surface when natural light enters the circularly polarizing unit. Various parameters of the liquid crystal layer are optimized for a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle in the range of 0° to 100°.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki Okamoto, Seiichi Mitsui, Takashi Satoh