Patents by Inventor Toru Kanno

Toru Kanno 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: 9638840
    Abstract: A light diffusion member includes a light transmissive substrate, a plurality of light diffusion sections formed on one surface of the substrate, a light shielding layer formed in a region other than formation regions of the light diffusion sections on the one surface of the substrate, and light scattering bodies. The light diffusion sections have a light emitting end surface on the substrate side and a light incident end surface having an area greater than an area of the light emitting end surface on a side opposite to the substrate side. A height from the light incident end surface to the light emitting end surface of each of the light diffusion sections is greater than a thickness of the light shielding layer. The light scattering bodies are disposed further on a light emitting side than the light diffusion sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Emi Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Toru Kanno
  • Patent number: 9594194
    Abstract: A light diffusion member includes a substrate having light transmissivity, a plurality of light shielding layers, and light diffusion portions. The light diffusion portions have a light-emitting end surface, a light incident end surface which has a larger area than the area of the light-emitting end surface, and a reflecting face. Light which enters from the light incident end surface is anisotropically diffused in an azimuth direction seen from a normal direction of the substrate, and the height from the light incident end surface to the light-emitting end surface of the light diffusion portion is greater than the thickness of the light shielding layers. A hollow portion of the light diffusion portion is formed in the formation region of the light shielding layers, and air is present in the hollow portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Asaoka, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Emi Yamamoto, Toru Kanno, Shohei Katsuta
  • Patent number: 9557597
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device including a light control film utilizing total reflection, a liquid crystal panel, and a directional backlight, the light control film includes a transparent base material, a light blocking layer, and a light diffusing portion. The light diffusing portion has a light output end surface on side closer to the transparent base material and a light input end surface on side opposite to the transparent base material, the light input end surface having a larger area than the light output end surface. A film thickness of the light diffusing portion is larger than a thickness of the light blocking layer. A material having a smaller refractive index than the light diffusing portion is present in a cavity defined by the light diffusing portion, and the film anisotropically diffuses light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Kanno, Emi Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 9494724
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel, a pair of polarizing layers, a lighting device, and an output angle control member. The liquid crystal panel includes a pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer is interposed between the pair of substrates. The pair of polarizing layers is arranged on a light input side and a light output side of the liquid crystal layer. The lighting device is arranged on the light input side of the liquid crystal panel and radiates light toward the liquid crystal panel. The output angle control member is arranged on the light output side of the liquid crystal panel and controls an output angle of light which is output from the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Emi Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Toru Kanno, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Shohei Katsuta
  • Patent number: 9465146
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes at least a light source, a display element, and an isotropic diffusion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toru Kanno, Emi Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 9453946
    Abstract: Provided is a display device including a light-diffusing member that includes a substrate, a plurality of light-shielding layers, and a light-diffusing section, and a polarizing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Asaoka, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Emi Yamamoto, Toru Kanno, Shohei Katsuta, Hideomi Yui
  • Publication number: 20160259097
    Abstract: A light-diffusing-member manufacturing method includes a step of forming a light diffusion portion on one surface side of a base, by developing an exposed negative photosensitive resin layer with an alkali developing solution, and a step of performing an acid treatment on the light diffusion portion with an acid solution, after removing the alkali developing solution which is adhered to the light diffusion portion and suspended matter in the alkali developing solution in the negative photosensitive resin layer, so as to lower an ionization degree of the negative photosensitive resin layer which is in an ionized state due to the alkali developing solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Sho OCHI, Yasushi ASAOKA, Tsuyoshi MAEDA, Toru KANNO
  • Publication number: 20160238751
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a light-diffusing member includes a process of forming a light shielding layer on one surface of a substrate (30); a process of forming a negative photosensitive resin layer on the one surface of the substrate (30) so as to cover the light shielding layer; a process of exposing the negative photosensitive resin layer by irradiating the negative photosensitive resin layer with parallel light of ultraviolet light diagonally with respect to a normal direction of the one surface of the substrate (30) from a surface opposite to the one surface of the substrate (30) on which the light shielding layer and the negative photosensitive resin layer are formed in at least one direction through a region of the substrate (30) other than a region where the light shielding layer is formed; and a process of forming a light-diffusing section, which includes a light emission end surface on a side close to the substrate (30) and a light incident end surface having an area greater than an area of the li
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2014
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Toru KANNO, Hideomi YUI, Tsuyoshi KAMADA, Tsuyoshi MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20160231469
    Abstract: A light dispersion member includes a substrate having optical transparency, a light diffusion portion formed with a predetermined height on one surface of the substrate, light shielding layers formed with a thickness smaller than the height of the light diffusion portion in regions other than the light diffusion portion within the one surface of the substrate, and a buffer layer formed on the surface on the opposite side of the light diffusion portion to the surface thereof facing the substrate, the light diffusion portion has a light emitting end surface contacting the substrate and a light incident end surface opposing the light emitting end surface and having a larger area than the area of the light emitting end surface a, and the buffer layer, by elastically deforming when pressure is applied from the substrate side, relaxes pressure applied to the light diffusion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Yasushi ASAOKA, Shohei KATSUTA, Hideomi YUI, Toru KANNO, Sho OCHI, Tsuyoshi MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20160139454
    Abstract: A light diffusion member includes a substrate that has optical transparency, a light diffusion portion that is formed with a prescribed height on one surface of the substrate, a light shielding layer that is formed with a thickness less than the height of the light diffusion portion in another region of the one surface of the substrate than the light diffusion portion, and an antiglare layer that is formed on the other surface of the substrate. The light diffusion portion includes a light emission end surface that contacts with the substrate, a light incident end surface that faces the light emission end surface and has a larger area than an area of the light emission end surface, and a side surface that is formed between the light emission end surface and the light incident end surface, and the antiglare layer includes a binder layer and plural light diffusion particles that are dispersedly arranged in the binder layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shohei KATSUTA, Yasushi ASAOKA, Toru KANNO, Hideomi YUI, Emi YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9341345
    Abstract: A light diffusion member includes a light-transmissive base, a plurality of light diffusion portions, a connecting portion, and a light absorbing layer. The light diffusion portions are arranged on one surface of the base and have light-incident end surfaces each positioned on the side away from the base and having a larger area than a light-emergent end surface thereof. The connecting portion connects at least two adjacent ones of the plural light diffusion portions to each other, and is positioned near the light-incident end surfaces of the adjacent light diffusion portions. The light absorbing layer is formed on the one surface of the base in a region different from a region where the light diffusion portions are formed. A size from the light-incident end surface to the light-emergent end surface of the light diffusion portion is larger than a thickness of the light absorbing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Emi Yamamoto, Toru Kanno, Tsuyoshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 9279919
    Abstract: A viewing angle extending film (a light diffusing member) includes a base material with optical transparency, a plurality of light-shielding layers dotted on one surface of the base material, and a transparent resin layer (optically transparent material layer) provided on the one surface of the base material. At least a light-shielding layer, which is part of the plurality of light-shielding layers, has a planar shape surrounded by a first figure and a second figure contained in the first figure or a planar shape surrounded by at least part of the first figure and at least part of the second figure overlaid with the first figure. Hollow portions are provided in a formation region of the light-shielding layers, each hollow portion being shaped so that a cross-sectional area obtained by cutting along a plane parallel to the one surface of the base material is large on the light-shielding layer side and is gradually decreased as being away from the light-shielding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Kanno, Emi Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 9274255
    Abstract: A light-diffusion member includes a substrate having light transparency, a plurality of light-diffusion parts formed on one surface of the substrate, and a light-absorbing layer formed in a region other than a region where the light-diffusion parts are formed, among the one surface of the substrate. Each light-diffusion part includes a light-emission end surface on the side of the substrate and a light-incident end surface of an area larger than an area of the light-emission end surface on a side opposite to the side of the substrate. The height from the light-incident end surface of the light-diffusion part to the light-emission end surface thereof is larger than the thickness of the light-absorbing layer. The plurality of light-diffusion parts are randomly arranged on the one surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Emi Yamamoto, Toru Kanno, Hidefumi Yoshida, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Tsuyoshi Kamada
  • Publication number: 20150369972
    Abstract: The light diffusion member includes a substrate having light transmissivity, a plurality of light shielding layers, and light diffusion portions. The light diffusion portions have a light-emitting end surface, a light incident end surface which has a larger area than the area of the light-emitting end surface, and a reflecting face. Light which enters from the light incident end surface is anisotropically diffused in an azimuth direction seen from a normal direction of the substrate, and the height from the light incident end surface to the light-emitting end surface of the light diffusion portion is configured to be greater than the thickness of the light shielding layers. The azimuth direction where the diffusion by the light diffusion portion is relatively strong, and any one side making up the outer shape of the substrate, are generally parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Yasushi Asaoka, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Emi Yamamoto, Toru Kanno, Shohei Katsuta
  • Publication number: 20150285963
    Abstract: Provided is a display device including a light-diffusing member that includes a substrate, a plurality of light-shielding layers, and a light-diffusing section, and a polarizing plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Asaoka, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Emi Yamamoto, Toru Kanno, Shohei Katsuta, Hideomi Yui
  • Publication number: 20150138783
    Abstract: A light diffusing member includes a base material having a light transmitting property; a plurality of light blocking sections that are formed in a scattered manner at one surface of the base material; and a light transmissive material layer that is formed at the one surface of the base material. A thickness of the light transmissive material layer is larger than a thickness of each light blocking section. The light transmissive material layer has hollow portions in regions where the light blocking sections are formed. Each hollow portion has a shape in which a cross-section area when each hollow portion is cut at a plane that is parallel to the one surface of the base material is large on a side of the corresponding light blocking section and becomes gradually smaller with increasing distance from the corresponding light blocking section. A portion of the light transmissive material layer other than where the hollow portions are formed is a light transmitting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Tokiyoshi UMEDA, Hidefumi YOSHIDA, Emi YAMAMOTO, Toru KANNO, Tsuyoshi MAEDA, Tsuyoshi KAMADA
  • Publication number: 20150062491
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel that includes a liquid crystal cell including a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates, and a pair of polarizers arranged on a light incident side and a light emission side of the liquid crystal layer; an illumination device that is arranged on the light incident side of the liquid crystal cell, and emits light toward the liquid crystal cell; and a light control member that is arranged on the light emission side of the liquid crystal panel, and controls an emission direction of light emitted from the liquid crystal panel by anisotropically diffusing the light in an azimuthal direction as viewed from a direction normal to the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Sakuragi, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Toru Kanno, Shun Ueki, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Emi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20150062492
    Abstract: A light control film (light control member) includes a light transmissive base, a plurality of light shielding portions scattered over one surface of the base, and a light diffusing portion formed on the one surface of the base in a region other than regions in which the light shielding portions are formed. The light diffusing portion has a light exit end face and a light incident end face having a larger area than the light exit end face, and the height of the light diffusing portion is greater than the thickness of the light shielding portions. At least part of the opening of at least some of a plurality of air-cavities has a protrusion which is formed of a portion of the light diffusing portion that projects toward the inner side of the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Emi Yamamoto, Toru Kanno, Tsuyoshi Maeda
  • Publication number: 20150042935
    Abstract: A light control film includes a light shielding layer and a light diffusion portion, and, when an area of a part where the light shielding layer is in contact with one surface of the base material is set to S1, and an area of a part where a low refractive index portion is exposed between light incidence end surfaces is set to S2, the light shielding layer and the light diffusion portion are formed so as to satisfy (S1?S2)/S1×100?50.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Emi Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Toru Kanno
  • Publication number: 20150042934
    Abstract: A viewing angle extending film (a light diffusing member) includes a base material with optical transparency, a plurality of light-shielding layers dotted on one surface of the base material, and a transparent resin layer (optically transparent material layer) provided on the one surface of the base material. At least a light-shielding layer, which is part of the plurality of light-shielding layers, has a planar shape surrounded by a first figure and a second figure contained in the first figure or a planar shape surrounded by at least part of the first figure and at least part of the second figure overlaid with the first figure. Hollow portions are provided in a formation region of the light-shielding layers, each hollow portion being shaped so that a cross-sectional area obtained by cutting along a plane parallel to the one surface of the base material is large on the light-shielding layer side and is gradually decreased as being away from the light-shielding layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Toru Kanno, Emi Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi Maeda