Patents by Inventor Tomoko Okamura

Tomoko Okamura 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).

  • Liquid crystal display apparatus and method for processing the same
    Patent number: 6013335
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus of the invention includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates with alignment films formed at interfaces between the liquid crystal layer and the respective substrates. The alignment films regulate aligning conditions of liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer. In the liquid crystal display apparatus, the liquid crystal layer includes two or more liquid crystal layer regions of different aligning conditions, and at least one of the alignment films has surface tensions which are different from each other in surface regions thereof corresponding to the respective liquid crystal layer regions of different aligning conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Hirata, Shigeaki Mizushima, Kazuyuki Aburazaki, Noriko Watanabe, Hiroko Iwagoe, Seiji Makino, Tomoko Okamura
  • Method for producing a liquid crystal display apparatus by irradiating an aligning film with light to reduce pretilt angles of liquid crystal molecules thereof
    Patent number: 5691792
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus having a pair of substrates with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween is disclosed. Also, a method for producing the same and a substrate are disclosed. In the liquid crystal display apparatus, an aligning film is formed on at least one of the pair of substrates, the surface of the aligning film is made rough for controlling pretilt angles of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer which are in contact with the surface of the aligning film, and the degrees of roughness are different among a plurality of prescribed regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeaki Mizushima, Kazuyuki Aburazaki, Noriko Watanabe, Mitsuaki Hirata, Hiroko Iwagoe, Tomoko Okamura
  • Liquid crystal display apparatus having plural regions of different aligning conditions and method for producing the same
    Patent number: 5666178
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus of the invention includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates with alignment films formed at interfaces between the liquid crystal layer and the respective substrates. The alignment films regulate aligning conditions of liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer. In the liquid crystal display apparatus, the liquid crystal layer includes two or more liquid crystal layer regions of different aligning conditions, and at least one of the alignment films has surface tensions which are different from each other in surface regions thereof corresponding to the respective liquid crystal layer regions of different aligning conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Hirata, Shigeaki Mizushima, Kazuyuki Aburazaki, Noriko Watanabe, Hiroko Iwagoe, Seiji Makino, Tomoko Okamura
  • Liquid crystal display apparatus, a method for producing the same, and a substrate having an alignment layer with different degrees of roughness
    Patent number: 5657102
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a pair of substrates with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. In the liquid crystal display apparatus, an aligning film is formed on at least one of the pair of substrates. The surface of the aligning film is made rough for controlling pretilt angles of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer which are in contact with the surface of the aligning film. Further, the degrees of roughness are different among a plurality of prescribed regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeaki Mizushima, Kazuyuki Aburazaki, Noriko Watanabe, Mitsuaki Hirata, Hiroko Iwagoe, Tomoko Okamura
  • Liquid crystal display apparatus, a method for producing the same, and a substrate
    Patent number: 5627667
    Abstract: A method for producing a liquid crystal display apparatus, including a pair of substrates with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, includes forming an aligning film on at least one of the pair of substrates. The surface of the aligning film is made rough to adjust the pretilt angles of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer which are adjacent the aligning film. Further, the degrees of roughness are different among a plurality of prescribed regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeaki Mizushima, Kazuyuki Aburazaki, Noriko Watanabe, Mitsuaki Hirata, Hiroko Iwagoe, Tomoko Okamura