Patents by Inventor Shigeaki Mizushima
Shigeaki Mizushima 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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Patent number: 7463328Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device in which a liquid crystal layer may form a stable transparent state and, in addition, which provides for a black display with an excellent viewing angle characteristic, as well as a high contrast ratio and a high response speed in liquid crystal display. The present invention is directed to a liquid crystal display device comprising an electrode and a liquid crystal layer between substrates, said liquid crystal layer consists of a liquid crystalline material containing liquid crystal molecules and fine particles, and is optically isotropic when the voltage applied to the electrode is lower than a threshold value and undergoes optical transition due to change in the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules when the applied voltage is not lower than the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2004Date of Patent: December 9, 2008Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masako Nakamura, Yoshito Hashimoto, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Publication number: 20060244873Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device in which a liquid crystal layer may form a stable transparent state and, in addition, which provides for a black display with an excellent viewing angle characteristic, as well as a high contrast ratio and a high response speed in liquid crystal display. The present invention is directed to a liquid crystal display device comprising an electrode and a liquid crystal layer between substrates, said liquid crystal layer consists of a liquid crystalline material containing liquid crystal molecules and fine particles, and is optically isotropic when the voltage applied to the electrode is lower than a threshold value and undergoes optical transition due to change in the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules when the applied voltage is not lower than the threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2006Publication date: November 2, 2006Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masako Nakamura, Yoshito Hashimoto, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Patent number: 7088410Abstract: A liquid crystal display device incorporates two phase difference plates stacked together and disposed between a liquid crystal display element and a pair of polarizers, the liquid crystal display element being formed by sandwiching a liquid crystal layer between a pair of electrode substrates, and the polarizers being disposed on one side of the liquid crystal display element. Since the principal refractive indices na, nb, and nc of the phase difference plates are such that na<nb<nc, the phase difference plates exhibit positive refractive index anisotropies. The principal refractive index nb inclines to the normal to the surfaces of the phase difference plates about one of the principal refractive indices na or nc that is parallel to the surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2004Date of Patent: August 8, 2006Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Motohiro Yamahara, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Patent number: 7002653Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus comprises a pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer having negative dielectric anisotropy sandwiched by the pair of substrates. Electrodes are provided on each of the pair of substrates, each pixel being defined by an electrode on one of the pair of substrate and a corresponding electrode on the other of the pair of substrates. Each of the electrodes provided on at least one of the pair of substrates has at least first and second tilted surfaces facing directions different from a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface and being adjacent to each other. An insulating film is provided on a liquid crystal molecule side of the electrodes provided on the at least one of the pair of substrates to bury the tilted surfaces of the electrodes to produce a flat surface of the at least one of the pair of substrates.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2001Date of Patent: February 21, 2006Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koji Taniguchi, Noriko Watanabe, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Publication number: 20050062927Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device in which a liquid crystal layer may form a stable transparent state and, in addition, which provides for a black display with an excellent viewing angle characteristic, as well as a high contrast ratio and a high response speed in liquid crystal display. The present invention is directed to a liquid crystal display device comprising an electrode and a liquid crystal layer between substrates, said liquid crystal layer consists of a liquid crystalline material containing liquid crystal molecules and fine particles, and is optically isotropic when the voltage applied to the electrode is lower than a threshold value and undergoes optical transition due to change in the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules when the applied voltage is not lower than the threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2004Publication date: March 24, 2005Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masako Nakamura, Yoshito Hashimoto, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Patent number: 6839110Abstract: A liquid crystal display device incorporates two phase difference plates stacked together and disposed between a liquid crystal display element and a pair of polarizers, the liquid crystal display element being formed by sandwiching a liquid crystal layer between a pair of electrode substrates, and the polarizers being disposed on one side of the liquid crystal display element. Since the principal refractive indices na, nb, and nc of the phase difference plates are such that na<nb<nc, the phase difference plates exhibit positive refractive index anisotropies. The principal refractive index nb inclines to the normal to the surfaces of the phase difference plates about one of the principal refractive indices na or nc that is parallel to the surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1997Date of Patent: January 4, 2005Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Motohiro Yamahara, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Publication number: 20040233364Abstract: A liquid crystal display device incorporates two phase difference plates stacked together and disposed between a liquid crystal display element and a pair of polarizers, the liquid crystal display element being formed by sandwiching a liquid crystal layer between a pair of electrode substrates, and the polarizers being disposed on one side of the liquid crystal display element. Since the principal refractive indices na, nb, and nc of the phase difference plates are such that na<nb<nc, the phase difference plates exhibit positive refractive index anisotropies. The principal refractive index nb inclines to the normal to the surfaces of the phase difference plates about one of the principal refractive indices na or nc that is parallel to the surfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2004Publication date: November 25, 2004Inventors: Motohiro Yamahara, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Patent number: 6678019Abstract: A transmission type liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal display element including a pair of transparent insulating substrates placed to face each other with a gap therebetween, transparent electrodes being formed on inner surfaces of the substrates, and a liquid crystal material injected in the gap; a light source placed on a back side of the liquid crystal display element; and a light diverging element placed on a front side of the liquid crystal display element, wherein the liquid crystal display device satisfies an expression 0.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2001Date of Patent: January 13, 2004Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Sato, Noriko Watanabe, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Patent number: 6600538Abstract: A liquid crystal display having in the display portion a transmission-type liquid crystal panel 1 comprising a nematic liquid crystal layer 2 having horizontal orientation and positive anisotropy of dielectric constant, a pair of transparent substrates 31, 32 having said liquid crystal layer 2 sandwiched therebetween and equipped with transparent electrodes, and a pair of polarizing plates 41, 42 arranged in cross-Nicol and having absorption axes each oriented differently from the direction of liquid crystal orientation, wherein said liquid crystal layer 2 includes two kinds of orientation regions each having a liquid crystal orientation direction that differ by approximately 180 degrees from the liquid crystal orientation direction of the other region, and further mounting a lens sheet 7 to the viewing surface side of said liquid crystal panel 1 for either scattering or refracting wider than its incident angle light ray stretched in the direction substantially parallel to the direction of liquid crystal orieType: GrantFiled: May 24, 2000Date of Patent: July 29, 2003Inventors: Makoto Shiomi, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Publication number: 20030053009Abstract: A transmission type liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal display element including a pair of transparent insulating substrates placed to face each other with a gap therebetween, transparent electrodes being formed on inner surfaces of the substrates, and a liquid crystal material injected in the gap; a light source placed on a back side of the liquid crystal display element; and a light diverging element placed on a front side of the liquid crystal display element, wherein the liquid crystal display device satisfies an expression 1 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2001Publication date: March 20, 2003Inventors: Takashi Sato, Noriko Watanabe, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Publication number: 20020159003Abstract: A transmission type display device includes: a backlight source; a display element, which is disposed in front of the backlight source and includes at least one polarizer; a light diffusing element, which is disposed in front of the display element; and a polarizing element, which is disposed in front of the light diffusing element. In this display device, the polarizer included in the display element faces the light diffusing element, and an absorption axis of the polarizing element is substantially aligned with that of the polarizer.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2002Publication date: October 31, 2002Inventors: Takashi Sato, Noriko Watanabe, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Patent number: 6424393Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a high-contrast liquid crystal display apparatus which is excellent in display quality, with its substrates equally spaced with high accuracy. On a first and a second substrate are formed a color filter of three colors: red, green, and blue, electrodes for applying a voltage to a liquid crystal layer, orientation film layers for orienting liquid crystal, a pair of polarizing plates arranged in a crossed Nicol state, a TFT element, and a wire (not shown). The substrates are bonded together with spherical spacers interposed therebetween, thereby constituting the liquid crystal layer. Then, the spherical spacers are selectively placed in the color filter regions of red- and blue-color.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2001Date of Patent: July 23, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Mitsuaki Hirata, Fumikazu Shimoshikiryoh, Shigeaki Mizushima, Mitsuaki Morimoto, Tazo Ikeguchi
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Publication number: 20020071080Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus comprises a pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer having negative dielectric anisotropy sandwiched by the pair of substrates. Electrodes are provided on each of the pair of substrates, each pixel being defined by an electrode on one of the pair of substrate and a corresponding electrode on the other of the pair of substrates. Each of the electrodes provided on at least one of the pair of substrates has at least first and second tilted surfaces facing directions different from a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface and being adjacent to each other. An insulating film is provided on a liquid crystal molecule side of the electrodes provided on the at least one of the pair of substrates to bury the tilted surfaces of the electrodes to produce a flat surface of the at least one of the pair of substrates.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2001Publication date: June 13, 2002Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koji Taniguchi, Noriko Watanabe, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Publication number: 20020047958Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a high-contrast liquid crystal display apparatus which is excellent in display quality, with its substrates equally spaced with high accuracy. On a first and a second substrate are formed a color filter of three colors: red, green, and blue, electrodes for applying a voltage to a liquid crystal layer, orientation film layers for orienting liquid crystal, a pair of polarizing plates arranged in a crossed Nicol state, a TFT element, and a wire (not shown) The substrates are bonded together with spherical spacers interposed therebetween, thereby constituting the liquid crystal layer. Then, the spherical spacers are selectively placed in the color filter regions of red- and blue-color.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2001Publication date: April 25, 2002Inventors: Mitsuaki Hirata, Fumikazu Shimoshikiryoh, Shigeaki Mizushima, Mitsuaki Morimoto, Tazo Ikeguchi
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Patent number: 6376271Abstract: A dry film resist is used to form an interlayer insulating film in a process for fabricating a liquid crystal display device of the POP structure. The dry film resist is formed by applying a photosensitive resin on a base film to a uniform thickness, and a protective film layer is formed on a surface of the photosensitive resin film thus formed. From the dry film resist guided to the vicinity of a glass substrate, the protective film is removed immediately before transfer. Then, the photosensitive resin is heated and pressed against the foregoing glass substrate by a transfer roller, whereby the interlayer insulating film is formed.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2000Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yutaka Sawayama, Kazuhiko Tsuda, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Patent number: 6373542Abstract: A liquid crystal display device is provided with a liquid crystal display element, made up of a pair of electrode substrates and a liquid crystal layer filling a space therebetween; a pair of polarizing plates, one provided on each side of the liquid crystal display element; and at least one optical retardation plate, provided between the liquid crystal display element and one of the polarizing plates. Each optical retardation plate has negative anisotropy of the refractive index, and has an inclined index ellipsoid.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 1998Date of Patent: April 16, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Motohiro Yamahara, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Patent number: 6342939Abstract: A liquid crystal display is described which includes a pair of transparent substrates disposed opposite each other sandwiching a liquid crystal layer therebetween, with a transparent electrode and an alignment film formed on the liquid crystal layer side of each of the substrates. The transparent electrodes disposed opposite each other in pairs are at two or more different spacings at least within one display area of a pixel.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2000Date of Patent: January 29, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Mitsuaki Hirata, Shigeaki Mizushima, Noriko Watanabe
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Patent number: 6323926Abstract: At least one of alignment films in the liquid crystal display device has a first alignment regulation region provided within each of a plurality of picture-element regions for aligning liquid crystal molecules of a liquid crystal layer approximately vertically, and a second alignment regulation region provided outside the plurality of picture-element regions for aligning the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer in a single azimuth direction. When a voltage is applied to the first alignment regulation region having vertically aligned liquid crystal molecules, these vertically aligned liquid crystal molecules are tilted in the same direction as that of the liquid crystal molecules regulated by the alignment film of the second alignment regulation region. Thus, even in a turned-on state of the vertical alignment liquid crystal display device, uniform alignment is obtained across the entire display plane, so that high-quality display is realized.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2001Date of Patent: November 27, 2001Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Noriko Watanabe, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Publication number: 20010020993Abstract: At least one of alignment films in the liquid crystal display device has a first alignment regulation region provided within each of a plurality of picture-element regions for aligning liquid crystal molecules of a liquid crystal layer approximately vertically, and a second alignment regulation region provided outside the plurality of picture-element regions for aligning the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer in a single azimuth direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2001Publication date: September 13, 2001Inventors: Noriko Watanabe, Shigeaki Mizushima
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Patent number: 6233032Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus of the present invention, which has a plurality of display pixels arranged in a matrix, includes: a pair of substrates opposing each other; a liquid crystal layer placed between the pair of substrates; an alignment film formed on a surface of at least one of the pair of substrates opposing the liquid crystal layer and subjected to a treatment for aligning liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer; and a pair of polarizing plates placed so as to interpose the pair of substrates, wherein the liquid crystal layer is divided into at least two regions in each of the display pixels, alignment states of the liquid crystal molecules are different in the at least two regions, and one absorption axis of one of the pair of polarizing plates is substantially parallel to a 6-12 o'clock direction or a 3-9 o'clock direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1997Date of Patent: May 15, 2001Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Motohiro Yamahara, Iichiro Inoue, Shigeaki Mizushima