Patents by Inventor Toshifumi Yagi

Toshifumi Yagi 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: 11150519
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates and a vertically-aligned liquid crystal layer. The first substrate includes a pixel electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate includes a counter electrode and a second alignment film. The first alignment film has, within each pixel, first and second pretilt regions that define first and second pretilt directions, respectively, that are antiparallel to each other. The second alignment film has, within each pixel, third and fourth pretilt regions that define third and fourth pretilt directions, respectively, that are antiparallel to each other. At least either a surface of the first substrate or a surface of the second substrate has a groove formed so as to overlap at least either a boundary between the first and second pretilt regions or a boundary between the third and fourth pretilt regions when seen from a direction normal to a display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Meng-Yi Hung
  • Patent number: 10725352
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a peripheral circuit including a first TFT disposed in a non-display region and a capacitance portion, and a lower transparent electrode and an upper transparent electrode disposed in each pixel. The active matrix substrate includes a gate metal layer including a gate electrode of the first TFT, a source metal layer including a source electrode of the first TFT, a lower transparent conductive layer positioned above the gate metal layer and the source metal layer and including the lower transparent electrode, and an upper transparent conductive layer including the upper transparent electrode. The capacitance portion includes a first capacitor including a first lower capacitance electrode formed in the lower transparent conductive layer, a first upper capacitance electrode formed in the upper transparent conductive layer, and a portion positioned between these capacitance electrodes in a dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Meng-Yi Hung
  • Publication number: 20190391428
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a peripheral circuit including a first TFT disposed in a non-display region and a capacitance portion, and a lower transparent electrode and an upper transparent electrode disposed in each pixel. The active matrix substrate includes a gate metal layer including a gate electrode of the first TFT, a source metal layer including a source electrode of the first TFT, a lower transparent conductive layer positioned above the gate metal layer and the source metal layer and including the lower transparent electrode, and an upper transparent conductive layer including the upper transparent electrode. The capacitance portion includes a first capacitor including a first lower capacitance electrode formed in the lower transparent conductive layer, a first upper capacitance electrode formed in the upper transparent conductive layer, and a portion positioned between these capacitance electrodes in a dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Toshifumi YAGI, Meng-Yi HUNG
  • Publication number: 20190250466
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates and a vertically-aligned liquid crystal layer. The first substrate includes a pixel electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate includes a counter electrode and a second alignment film. The first alignment film has, within each pixel, first and second pretilt regions that define first and second pretilt directions, respectively, that are antiparallel to each other. The second alignment film has, within each pixel, third and fourth pretilt regions that define third and fourth pretilt directions, respectively, that are antiparallel to each other. At least either a surface of the first substrate or a surface of the second substrate has a groove formed so as to overlap at least either a boundary between the first and second pretilt regions or a boundary between the third and fourth pretilt regions when seen from a direction normal to a display surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: TOSHIFUMI YAGI, MENG-YI HUNG
  • Patent number: 9076395
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device (100) according to the present invention includes a plurality of pixels arrayed in a matrix, n number of the pixels (n is an even number of 4 or greater) being included in a color display pixel (CP). The liquid crystal display device includes an active matrix substrate (10) including a plurality of scanning lines (12) extending in a row direction and a plurality of signal lines (13) extending in a column direction; and a signal line driving circuit (3) that supplies, as a display signal, a gray scale voltage of a positive or negative polarity to each of the plurality of signal lines. The plurality of signal lines include a first type of signal line (13a) which does not intersect another signal line, and a second type of signal line (13b) which intersects a signal line adjacent thereto outside a display area in the state where an insulating film (16) is interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Shohraku, Toshifumi Yagi, Masahiro Matsuda, Hidetoshi Nakagawa, Takuya Ohishi, Tomofumi Kubota, Kazushige Miyamoto, Haruhisa Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20130070003
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device (100) according to the present invention includes a plurality of pixels arrayed in a matrix, n number of the pixels (n is an even number of 4 or greater) being included in a color display pixel (CP). The liquid crystal display device includes an active matrix substrate (10) including a plurality of scanning lines (12) extending in a row direction and a plurality of signal lines (13) extending in a column direction; and a signal line driving circuit (3) that supplies, as a display signal, a gray scale voltage of a positive or negative polarity to each of the plurality of signal lines. The plurality of signal lines include a first type of signal line (13a) which does not intersect another signal line, and a second type of signal line (13b) which intersects a signal line adjacent thereto outside a display area in the state where an insulating film (16) is interposed therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventors: Akihiro Shohraku, Toshifumi Yagi, Masahiro Matsuda, Hidetoshi Nakagawa, Takuya Ohishi, Tomofumi Kubota, Kazushige Miyamoto, Haruhisa Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8330883
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes: storage capacitor wirings (18); a Cs trunk wiring (50) connected with the storage capacitor wirings via contact holes (48) provided in a non-display region (44); scanning signal lines (16) provided in the same layer as the storage capacitor wirings (18) and crossing the Cs trunk wiring (50) in the non-display region (44); an insulating layer between the storage capacitor wirings (18) and the Cs trunk wiring (50) which includes: a through-bore portion for forming the contact hole (48); a first film thickness portion (53) adjacent to the through-bore portion; and a second film thickness portion which is thicker than the first film thickness portion (53) and situated at least in the intersections of the storage capacitor wirings (18) with the Cs trunk wiring (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihide Tsubata, Toshifumi Yagi
  • Patent number: 8089571
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate (12) includes a substrate, a TFT (24) formed on the substrate, a storage capacitor element (20) formed on the substrate, an interlayer insulating film covering the storage capacitor element (20), and a pixel electrode (21) formed on the interlayer insulating film. The storage capacitor element (20) includes a storage capacitor line (27), an insulating film formed on the storage capacitor line (27), and two or more storage capacitor electrodes (25a, 25b, 25c) opposed to the storage capacitor line (27) with the insulating film interposed therebetween. The two or more storage capacitor electrodes (25a, 25b, 25c) are electrically connected via associated contact holes (26a, 26b, 26c) formed in the interlayer insulating film to the pixel electrode (21) and electrically continuous with a drain electrode of the TFT (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Tomoki Noda, Toshihide Tsubata, Masanori Takeuchi, Kenji Enda
  • Patent number: 7973871
    Abstract: The present invention provides an active matrix substrate of comprising on the substrate: a plurality of scanning signal lines and data signal lines; a thin film transistor provided at an intersecting point of the signal lines and comprising a gate electrode connected to the scanning signal line, a source electrode connected to the data signal line; and a pixel electrode electrically connected to a drain electrode of the thin film transistor, wherein the active matrix substrate comprises a structure having an at least partly multilinear data signal line and an interconnection electrode for correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Masanori Takeuchi, Toshihide Tsubata, Nobuyoshi Nagashima, Akira Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7923274
    Abstract: After forming a gate electrode (4a) in a first step, a gate insulating film (5), a semiconductor film (8) and a conducting film (12) including a transparent conducting film (9) are stacked, and on the thus obtained multilayered body (18), a resist pattern (13a) including a first opening (14a) for exposing the conducting film (12) therein and a second opening (14b) having a bottom portion (B) above the gate electrode (4a) is formed. Portions of the conducting film (12) and the semiconductor film (8) exposed in the first opening (14a) are etched, the bottom portion (B) of the second opening (14b) is removed for exposing the conducting film (12) therein, and the exposed conducting film (12) is etched, so as to form a TFT (20) in a second step. A pixel electrode (5a), a protection masking layer (17a) and a projection (17b) are formed in a third step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata, Yoshinori Shimada
  • Patent number: 7924382
    Abstract: A color filter substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a color layer, a photo spacer and a counter electrode disposed on the substrate, and an alignment control protrusion is disposed on the counter electrode for controlling alignment of liquid crystal. A manufacturing method for the color filter substrate includes the step of forming an opening by laser irradiation in a region of the counter electrode corresponding to an absent portion occurring in the alignment control protrusion. The manufacturing method is also applicable to an active matrix substrate for a liquid crystal display device. The manufacturing method can effectively correct a defect if one occurs in the alignment control protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata, Yoshinori Shimada
  • Publication number: 20110025937
    Abstract: The active matrix substrate of the present invention is the active matrix substrate in which the faulty connection in a storage capacitor element as caused by a short circuit between storage capacitor electrodes due to a conductive foreign material or a pinhole in an insulating layer or by a short circuit between a data signal line and a storage capacitor upper electrode can be repaired with ease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Toshifumi YAGI, Toshihide Tsubata, Masanori Takeuchi, Yuhko Hisada
  • Patent number: 7830467
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a thin film transistor, a scanning signal line, and a data signal line disposed on the substrate. A gate electrode of the transistor is connected to the scanning signal line, a source electrode thereof is connected to the data signal line, and a drain electrode thereof is connected to a pixel electrode; and an upper electrode is disposed so as to oppose a storage capacitor wiring pattern at least via an insulating layer. Within a pixel region, the upper electrode includes three divided electrodes in a region opposing the storage capacitor wiring pattern, and a central divided electrode of the three divided electrodes has the smallest area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata, Masanori Takeuchi, Yuhko Hisada
  • Patent number: 7826012
    Abstract: A color filter substrate and a liquid crystal display apparatus include, on a substrate: a colorized layer including color layers; a stacked layer protruding in comparison with the colorized layer; an opposing electrode covering the colorized layer and the stacked layer; an alignment layer formed at least on a part of the opposing electrode covering the colorized layer; and an insulating layer stacked on an entire surface of another part of the opposing electrode covering the stacked layer. With this, the short circuit between the opposing electrode and a pixel electrode is prevented, so that a color filter substrate, a liquid crystal display apparatus including the color filter substrate, and a method of manufacturing the color substrate, those being able to improve the yield of the liquid crystal display apparatus, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata, Tsuyoshi Tokuda
  • Patent number: 7812893
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate suppresses reduction in production yield and increase in production steps and simultaneously permits both sufficient securing of a storage capacity and improvement of an aperture ratio of a pixel. The active matrix substrate is an active matrix substrate and includes a thin film transistor disposed at an intersection of a scanning signal line with a data signal line on a substrate, the thin film transistor including a gate electrode connected to the scanning signal line, a source electrode connected to the data signal line, and a drain electrode connected to a drain lead-out wiring; a storage capacitor upper electrode connected to the drain lead-out wiring and a pixel electrode; and a storage capacitor wiring overlapping with the storage capacitor upper electrode through an insulating film, wherein the storage capacitor wiring has an extending portion overlapping with the drain lead-out wiring through the insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata, Tsuyoshi Tokuda, Kenji Enda, Yoshinori Shimada, Shinya Maruoka
  • Patent number: 7768590
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an active matrix substrate prevents an increase in the number of production steps while simultaneously preventing electrostatic discharge at a TFT channel. The method preferably includes the steps of forming a short-circuit wiring for connecting a data signal line or a source electrode to a drain electrode or a drain side circuit; successively forming an upper insulating film having an opening for short-circuit wiring separation and a transparent conductive film at a region above the short-circuit wiring as upper layers of the short-circuit wiring; and removing at least the transparent conductive film inside the opening for short-circuit wiring separation and the short-circuit wiring below the opening for short-circuit wiring separation to perform patterning of the pixel electrode and separation of the short-circuit wiring in the same step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata
  • Patent number: 7768584
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a substrate, a TFT formed on the substrate, a storage capacitor element formed on the substrate, an interlayer insulating film covering the storage capacitor element, and a pixel electrode formed on the interlayer insulating film. The storage capacitor element includes a storage capacitor line, an insulating film formed on the storage capacitor line, and two or more storage capacitor electrodes opposed to the storage capacitor line with the insulating film interposed therebetween. The two or more storage capacitor electrodes are electrically connected via associated contact holes formed in the interlayer insulating film to the pixel electrode and electrically continuous with a drain electrode of the TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Tomoki Noda, Toshihide Tsubata, Masanori Takeuchi, Kenji Enda
  • Patent number: 7714948
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a substrate, a TFT formed on the substrate, a storage capacitor element formed on the substrate, an interlayer insulating film covering the storage capacitor element, and a pixel electrode formed on the interlayer insulating film. The storage capacitor element includes a storage capacitor line, an insulating film formed on the storage capacitor line, and two or more storage capacitor electrodes opposed to the storage capacitor line with the insulating film interposed therebetween. The two or more storage capacitor electrodes are electrically connected via associated contact holes formed in the interlayer insulating film to the pixel electrode and electrically continuous with a drain electrode of the TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Tomoki Noda, Toshihide Tsubata, Masanori Takeuchi, Kenji Enda
  • Publication number: 20090268116
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate (12) includes a substrate, a TFT (24) formed on the substrate, a storage capacitor element (20) formed on the substrate, an interlayer insulating film covering the storage capacitor element (20), and a pixel electrode (21) formed on the interlayer insulating film. The storage capacitor element (20) includes a storage capacitor line (27), an insulating film formed on the storage capacitor line (27), and two or more storage capacitor electrodes (25a, 25b, 25c) opposed to the storage capacitor line (27) with the insulating film interposed therebetween. The two or more storage capacitor electrodes (25a, 25b, 25c) are electrically connected via associated contact holes (26a, 26b, 26c) formed in the interlayer insulating film to the pixel electrode (21) and electrically continuous with a drain electrode of the TFT (24).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Tomoki Noda, Toshihide Tsubata, Masanori Takeuchi, Kenji Enda
  • Publication number: 20090257008
    Abstract: A color filter substrate and a liquid crystal display apparatus include, on a substrate: a colorized layer including color layers; a stacked layer protruding in comparison with the colorized layer; an opposing electrode covering the colorized layer and the stacked layer; an alignment layer formed at least on a part of the opposing electrode covering the colorized layer; and an insulating layer stacked on an entire surface of another part of the opposing electrode covering the stacked layer. With this, the short circuit between the opposing electrode and a pixel electrode is prevented, so that a color filter substrate, a liquid crystal display apparatus including the color filter substrate, and a method of manufacturing the color substrate, those being able to improve the yield of the liquid crystal display apparatus, are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata, Tsuyoshi Tokuda