Patents by Inventor Takehiro Murao

Takehiro Murao 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).

  • Publication number: 20240008344
    Abstract: A foldable display device includes a plurality of layers bonded to each other. The plurality of layers includes a light emitting diode substrate layer, a cover window layer including a window film through which light from a first surface of the light emitting diode substrate layer is emitted, a shock-absorber layer located on a second surface of the light emitting diode substrate layer. The second surface is a surface opposite to the first surface. A dimension of the light emitting diode substrate layer measured along a folding axis is larger than a dimension of at least one layer in the plurality of layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Edward Andrew BOARDMAN, Takehiro MURAO
  • Publication number: 20230018259
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes: a first layer; a second layer; a light-emitting element layer positioned between the first layer and the second layer and including a light-emitting element; a first adhesive layer positioned between the first layer and the light-emitting element layer, and having a thickness of 10 ?m or greater and less than 25 ?m and a shear modulus at 23 degrees Celsius of 4.0E+04 Pa or greater and less than 1.0E+05 Pa; and a second adhesive layer positioned between the light-emitting element layer and the second layer, and having a thickness of greater than 0 ?m and no greater than 15 ?m and a shear modulus at 23 degrees Celsius of 1.0E+05 Pa or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: RYOH KIKUCHI, TAKEHIRO MURAO, KENICHIROH TSUCHIDA, YASUYUKI TOGASHI
  • Patent number: 11061247
    Abstract: A liquid crystal (LC) device includes an optical stack arrangement including from the viewing side: a first electrode component; a first LC alignment layer; an LC layer; a second LC alignment layer; and a second electrode component. A voltage is applied to the LC device to create a potential difference between the first and second electrode components to switch an alignment of liquid crystals of selected portions of the LC layer from a first state when no voltage is applied to a second state when the voltage is applied. The first and second LC alignment layers are vertical alignment layers that induce a vertical alignment of the liquid crystals such that the first state when no voltage is applied is a vertical alignment state, and the liquid LC crystals switch to a planar alignment state as the second state when the voltage is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Andrew Acreman, Nathan James Smith, Takehiro Murao, Ryoh Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 10782545
    Abstract: A switchable view angle control device for a privacy view display system includes an electrically switchable view angle control LCD that is operable in a first state and a second state; a front polarizer located on a viewing side of the switchable view angle control LCD; and a polarized light source located on a non-viewing side of the switchable view angle control LCD that emits polarized light. When the switchable view angle control LCD in the first state, the view angle control device operates in a narrow angle view mode in which off-axis polarized light from the polarized light source is changed by the switchable view angle control LCD so that the off-axis light is absorbed by the front polarizer, and on-axis light passes through the switchable view angle control LCD and the front polarizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nathan James Smith, Andrew Acreman, Hywel Hopkin, Takehiro Murao, Jiyun Yu
  • Patent number: 10725319
    Abstract: Provided is a display device capable of high-quality three-dimensional displaying. During three-dimensional displaying for a viewing position ?, in a first term, an entirety of a first predetermined region of a second liquid crystal panel takes on a light-blocking state and a first adjacent region, which is adjacent to the first predetermined region in the first direction, takes on a light-transmitting state. In a second term, at least one of two side regions in the first predetermined region takes on the light-transmitting state, a remaining region of the first predetermined region takes on the light-blocking state, and at least part of the first adjacent region takes on the light-transmitting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Murao, Ryoh Kikuchi, Takayuki Yamada, Nathan James Smith, Andre Filipe Marques Da Silva, Martin Paul Buckthorpe
  • Patent number: 10649296
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of performing high-definition and high-luminance dual view display. A liquid crystal display device of the present invention, includes: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed facing the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a barrier layer formed on a surface side of the first substrate; a TFT element layer formed on the barrier layer; a pixel electrode laminated on the TFT element layer; a color filter disposed on a liquid crystal layer side of the second substrate; and a counter electrode disposed between the color filter and the liquid crystal layer. The barrier layer includes a barrier pattern formed on the first substrate and an intermediate layer with which the barrier pattern is covered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamada, Takehiro Murao
  • Publication number: 20200096796
    Abstract: A liquid crystal (LC) device includes an optical stack arrangement including from the viewing side: a first electrode component; a first LC alignment layer; an LC layer; a second LC alignment layer; and a second electrode component. A voltage is applied to the LC device to create a potential difference between the first and second electrode components to switch an alignment of liquid crystals of selected portions of the LC layer from a first state when no voltage is applied to a second state when the voltage is applied. The first and second LC alignment layers are vertical alignment layers that induce a vertical alignment of the liquid crystals such that the first state when no voltage is applied is a vertical alignment state, and the liquid LC crystals switch to a planar alignment state as the second state when the voltage is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Andrew Acreman, Nathan James Smith, Takehiro Murao, Ryoh Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 10587866
    Abstract: A reconfigurable parallax barrier panel comprising an electro-optic material has a first region, a second region and a first compensation region. First electrodes are addressable to define, in the first region of the panel, a parallax barrier array selected from a plurality of predetermined parallax barrier arrays, and second electrodes are addressable define, in the second region of the panel, independently of the first parallax barrier array, a parallax barrier array selected from the plurality of predetermined parallax barrier arrays. Electrodes of the first compensation region are addressable to define, dependent on the first parallax barrier array and on the second parallax barrier array, at least one slit and/or at least one barrier between the first region and the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nathan James Smith, Hywel Hopkin, Takehiro Murao, Ryoh Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 10587867
    Abstract: A reconfigurable parallax barrier panel comprising an electro-optic material has first and second regions. The parallax barrier panel is configured in a first mode to address the first and second electrodes on the basis of at least one received drive signal such that: the first electrodes define, in the first region of the panel, a first parallax barrier array selected from a plurality of predetermined parallax barrier arrays; and the second electrodes define, in the second region of the panel, independently of the first parallax barrier array, a second parallax barrier array selected from the plurality of predetermined parallax barrier arrays, the second parallax barrier array being different to the first parallax barrier array. To obtain a good autostereoscopic 3-D viewing zone the pitch of a parallax barrier would ideally vary over the width of the parallax barrier panel as a function of viewing distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nathan James Smith, John Patrick Nonweiler, Laura Huang, Hywel Hopkin, Takehiro Murao
  • Publication number: 20190353943
    Abstract: A switchable view angle control device for a privacy view display system includes an electrically switchable view angle control LCD that is operable in a first state and a second state; a front polarizer located on a viewing side of the switchable view angle control LCD; and a polarized light source located on a non-viewing side of the switchable view angle control LCD that emits polarized light. When the switchable view angle control LCD in the first state, the view angle control device operates in a narrow angle view mode in which off-axis polarized light from the polarized light source is changed by the switchable view angle control LCD so that the off-axis light is absorbed by the front polarizer, and on-axis light passes through the switchable view angle control LCD and the front polarizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Nathan James Smith, Andrew Acreman, Hywel Hopkin, Takehiro Murao, Jiyun Yu
  • Publication number: 20190283607
    Abstract: The present invention enhances instant readability by causing a driver to visually recognize, without a feeling of stranger an image obtained by photographing an area around a vehicle. A display section (11, 12, 13) is provided ahead of a driver, and the display section displays an image, obtained by photographing an area around an automobile (1), so that the image is recognized to be located on a deeper side away from the driver, an amount, by which a visible object is recognized to be located on a deeper side than a display screen, corresponding to a distance which causes the driver to recognize the visible object reflected by a mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2017
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: TAKEHIRO MURAO, RYOH KIKUCHI, TAKAYUKI YAMADA, TAKEHIKO NAKAGAWA, YOSHIMITSU INAMORI, NAOKI SHIRAISHI
  • Patent number: 10390008
    Abstract: A reconfigurable parallax barrier panel, for use in a display system with a 3D mode, includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and an electro-optic material positioned between the first and second substrates. The first and second substrates each respectively has a plurality of first and second electrodes, the electrodes being independently addressable from one another and comprising a plurality of electrode portions extending along a first direction and laterally spaced from one another along a second direction different from the first direction. The electrode portions of the first electrodes are arranged in a cyclic arrangement having a first pitch, and the electrode portions of the second electrodes are arranged in a cyclic arrangement having a second pitch that is different to the first pitch. The first and second electrodes are driven to generate different reconfigurable parallax barrier arrays corresponding to different viewing distances in a 3D mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nathan James Smith, André Filipe Marques da Silva, Takehiro Murao, Ryoh Kikuchi, Takayuki Yamada, Andrew Acreman
  • Publication number: 20190182476
    Abstract: First electrodes and second electrodes of a switching liquid crystal panel of a stereoscopic display device are provided on different layers with an insulating film interposed, gaps between the second electrodes are light-transmitting regions, the first electrodes are provided corresponding to gaps between the second electrodes in plan view, and, when an electrode width of the first electrodes, a gap width of the first electrodes, an electrode width of the second electrodes, and a gap width of the second electrodes in the X-axis direction are taken as WL1, GL1, WU1, and GU1 respectively, WU1=GL1<WL1=GU1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: RYOH KIKUCHI, TAKEHIRO MURAO, TAKAYUKI YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20190166358
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a display device that does not hinder driving. An electronic mirror includes: an image display device capable of switching between 2D display and 3D display, the 3D display being carried out by a parallax barrier method; and a distance measuring device for measuring a distance from eyes of a user to a display screen of the image display device. The electronic mirror switches display from the 3D display to the 2D display in a case where the distance measured by the distance measuring device falls outside a predetermined range during the 3D display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Takehiko NAKAGAWA, Yoshimitsu INAMORI, Eri YANAGAWA, Takehiro MURAO, Ryoh KIKUCHI, Takayuki YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20190166357
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a display device that does riot hinder driving. An electronic mirror in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: a depth adjusting section for adjusting a depth of a visible object contained in an image, in a case where 2D display is switched to 3D display or in a case where 3D display is switched to 2D display; and an output image generating section for generating an image which reaches, in a predetermined time period, the depth having been adjusted by the depth adjusting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Takehiko Nakagawa, Yoshimitsu Inamori, Eri Yanagawa, Takehiro Murao, Ryoh Kikuchi, Takayuki Yamada
  • Publication number: 20190137802
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of performing high-definition and high-luminance dual view display. A liquid crystal display device of the present invention, includes: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed facing the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a barrier layer formed on a surface side of the first substrate; a TFT element layer formed on the barrier layer; a pixel electrode laminated on the TFT element layer; a color filter disposed on a liquid crystal layer side of the second substrate; and a counter electrode disposed between the color filter and the liquid crystal layer. The barrier layer includes a barrier pattern formed on the first substrate and an intermediate layer with which the barrier pattern is covered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: TAKAYUKI YAMADA, TAKEHIRO MURAO
  • Patent number: 10241341
    Abstract: Obtained is a configuration of a stereoscopic display device wherein luminance variation and increase of crosstalk can be reduced over a period before and after the switching of the parallax barrier. The stereoscopic display device includes: a display panel for displaying an image with a plurality of pixels; a switch liquid crystal panel that is arranged so as to be stacked on the display panel; a position sensor for acquiring position information of a viewer; and a control unit for moving a parallax barrier in which transmitting regions and non-transmitting regions are formed in periodic fashion in a predetermined alignment direction, in such a manner that the parallax barrier is moved in the predetermined alignment direction in accordance with the position information, with use of a predetermined barrier switching pitch as a minimum unit, and causing the switch liquid crystal panel to display the parallax barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiro Murao, Takuto Yoshino, Hiroshi Fukushima
  • Publication number: 20190089880
    Abstract: To provide an image capturing device including a display which image capturing device has an appearance influenced less by the display and can be produced at a lower cost, an image capturing device includes (i) an image forming layer containing a first and second polarizing plates, (ii) a camera and IR light sources placed on the back-surface side of the image forming layer, and (iii) a facing portion facing the camera and the IR light sources from which facing portion an electronic circuit and color material have been removed as appropriate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventor: TAKEHIRO MURAO
  • Publication number: 20190011717
    Abstract: Provided is a display device capable of high-quality three-dimensional displaying. During three-dimensional displaying for a viewing position ?, in a first term, an entirety of a first predetermined region of a second liquid crystal panel takes on a light-blocking state and a first adjacent region, which is adjacent to the first predetermined region in the first direction, takes on a light-transmitting state. In a second term, at least one of two side regions in the first predetermined region takes on the light-transmitting state, a remaining region of the first predetermined region takes on the light-blocking state, and at least part of the first adjacent region takes on the light-transmitting state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: TAKEHIRO MURAO, RYOH KIKUCHI, TAKAYUKI YAMADA, Nathan James SMITH, Andre Filipe MARQUES DA SILVA, Martin Paul BUCKTHORPE
  • Patent number: 10094108
    Abstract: The invention provides suspended or “dropped” ceiling systems based upon the use of standard inverted T-bar lattices. The ceiling panels are constructed from two pieces which, when assembled in place, capture the T-bar in a manner that prevents the panels from shaking loose. A suspended ceiling assembled with the panels of this invention will withstand the forces of an earthquake without experiencing panel drop-outs, and the ceiling will remain intact so long as the T-bars remain suspended from the structural ceiling above. The panels of the invention can, in preferred embodiments, carry lighting fixtures, and the required wiring can be installed and concealed below the T-bars rather than within the plenum space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Inventor: Takehiro Murao