Patents by Inventor Shinichi Komura

Shinichi Komura 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: 6115017
    Abstract: An improved liquid crystal display apparatus for low power consumption is provided, within each of the regions surrounded by a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of signal electrodes, with a display data holding circuit connected to the corresponding scanning electrodes and signal electrodes, for fetching and storing a display data from the signal electrode in response to a scanning signal; a switching device connected to the display data holding circuit, its switching operation being controlled by the holding circuit; and a display electrode connected to the switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiro Mikami, Tetsuro Minemura, Makoto Tsumura, Kazuhiro Kuwabara, Shinichi Komura, Tatsuya Ohkubo, Hideo Sato, Shoichi Hirota, Masaya Adachi, Kazuhito Masuda
  • Patent number: 6072552
    Abstract: A liquid crystal layer comprising a liquid crystal display has first and second liquid crystal gel layers orientated so that polymer threads are of fixed directions within a dichroic liquid crystal. The direction of orientation of the polymer threads included in the first liquid crystal gel layer and the direction of orientation of the polymer threads included in the second liquid crystal gel layer are orthogonal with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Komura, Yuji Mori, Junichi Hirakata, Masahiko Ando, Osamu Itou, Ikuo Hiyama
  • Patent number: 6034749
    Abstract: A liquid crystal light valve includes a semiconductor substrate having a region for a plurality of switching elements formed in a matrix form. A first metal layer is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate through an insulating layer and divided into a plurality of parts by first slits. A second metal layer is formed on the first metal layer through another insulating layer and divided into a plurality of parts by second slits. A third metal layer is formed on the second metal layer through still another insulating layer and divided into a plurality of parts by third slits. An opposite substrate has an opposite electrode on a surface thereof, disposed so as to be opposite to said third metal layer through an interval on the opposite electrode side. Liquid crystal fills the interval between said opposite electrode and the third metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Process Computer Engineering
    Inventors: Hideo Sato, Minoru Hoshino, Yuji Mori, Shinichi Komura, Yoshiharu Nagae, Ichirou Katsuyama, Tetsuya Nagata, Akira Arimoto, Akio Hayasaka
  • Patent number: 5784136
    Abstract: A liquid crystal layer composing a liquid crystal display apparatus is formed by being laminated with a plurality of single particle layers of liquid crystal micro-capsules having a uniform size and being arranged in a two-dimensional crystal array, the liquid crystal micro-capsule being formed by cladding a liquid crystal droplet with a medium having a constant thickness. The liquid crystal micro-capsule is formed by being cladded with a medium composed of gelatine and gum arabic. Further, the single particle layer has a filling medium for making the surface flat and filling the gaps among the liquid crystal micro-capsules. The filling medium is composed of gelatine and gum arabic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Ando, Shinichi Komura, Makoto Tsumura, Yoshiharu Nagae
  • Patent number: 5519523
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprising: (a) a liquid crystal layer arranged between substrates each having an electrode; (b) a pair of polarizers arranged so as to sandwich the liquid crystal layer; (c) a birefringent medium arranged between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the polarizers, when a voltage is applied so that liquid crystal molecules at boundary regions facing said substrates have different tilt angles from other molecules, retardation in said birefringent medium being equal or close to remaining retardation due to the liquid crystal molecules at boundary regions, and the slow axis of said birefringent medium being set for an angle to compensate for said remaining retardation; and (d) control means for changing transmission of said liquid crystal layer by applying voltages of two or more values between said electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitomi Madokoro, Ikuo Hiyama, Junichi Hirakata, Hidetoshi Abe, Katsumi Kondo, Masaaki Kitajima, Shinichi Komura, Kenkichi Suzuki, Osamu Itoh, Naoki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 5461501
    Abstract: A liquid crystal light valve includes a semiconductor substrate having a region for a plurality of switching elements formed in a matrix form. A first metal layer is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate through an insulating layer and divided into a plurality of parts by first slits. A second metal layer is formed on the first metal layer through another insulating layer and divided into a plurality of parts by second slits. A third metal layer is formed on the second metal layer through still another insulating layer and divided into a plurality of parts by third slits. An opposite substrate has an opposite electrode on a surface thereof, disposed so as to be opposite to said third metal layer through an interval on the opposite electrode side. Liquid crystal fills the interval between said opposite electrode and the third metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Process Computer Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideo Sato, Minoru Hoshino, Yuji Mori, Shinichi Komura, Yoshiharu Nagae, Ichirou Katsuyama, Tetsuya Nagata, Akira Arimoto, Akio Hayasaka
  • Patent number: 5359441
    Abstract: A reflection type liquid crystal display apparatus is provided which is capable of displaying bright images by decreasing the loss of projected light. The reflection type liquid crystal display apparatus employs a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) panel which assures a display mode (scattering or absorption mode) which does not employ a polarizing film, unlike a conventional liquid crystal panel. It has been found that such polarizing film reduce the efficiency with which the projected light is utilized. Since such a polarizing film is not used, and since the driving circuit portion which blocks the projected light and which serves as the non-opening portion can be utilized effectively for display, brightly displayed images can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Mori, Shinichi Komura
  • Patent number: 5194973
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device characterized in comprising a set of substrates facing each other at least one of which is transparent, transparent electrodes provided respectively to each facing plane of the substrates, a light absorbing layer held between the transparent electrodes, and an electric power source for applying electric field to the light absorbing layer, and that the light absorbing layer is composed of two layers, each of the layers has dichroism, average light absorbing axis of the each layers without electric field is approximately parallel to the substrate plane and crossing each other almost orthogonally, and the average light absorbing axis of the each layers changes the axis direction by applying of electric field. In accordance with the present invention, the liquid crystal display device having eye-tireless bright display, long life time, and electric power saving character is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Isogai, Teruo Kitamura, Katsumi Kondo, Junichi Hirakata, Shinichi Komura