Patents by Inventor Toshihiko FUKUMA

Toshihiko FUKUMA 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: 10551550
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an illumination device includes a light guide, a light source and prisms. The light guide has a side surface and first and second main surfaces. The light source emits light to the side surface in a first emission direction. The prisms are provided on the second main surface. The second main surface has first and second areas. The prisms include first prisms in the first area and second prisms in the second area. A first virtual line connecting apexes of the first prisms is inclined with respect to the first main surface. A distance between the second area and the first main surface is greater than a distance between the first area and the first main surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Fukuma, Shinichi Komura, Youichi Asakawa, Ken Onoda
  • Patent number: 10437104
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an illumination device includes a first member, a second member, a first light source. The first member includes a first prism array including first prisms aligned in a first direction. The second member includes a second prism array including second prisms aligned in a second direction. The second member disposed more closely to a first A side than to the first member. The first light source disposed more closely to a second A side than to the second member to apply a parallel light beam to a second B side. The parallel light beam from the first light source is made incident on the second prism array and incident on the first prism array without passing through a light guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Onoda, Shinichi Komura, Youichi Asakawa, Toshihiko Fukuma
  • Patent number: 10429664
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor laser element. A drive current which is composed of a direct current and an alternating current superposed thereon is applied to the semiconductor laser element. A waveform of the alternating current is a non-square wave. A frequency of the alternating current is from 50 Hz to 500 kHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Youichi Asakawa, Ken Onoda, Toshihiko Fukuma, Shinichi Komura
  • Patent number: 10324335
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, and an optical element layer provided between the substrates, a light directing unit facing the first substrate of the display panel, and including a first main surface disposed on a side facing the first substrate, and a second main surface disposed on a side reverse to the first main surface, and a light source unit disposed on the first substrate side with respect to the display panel, and emitting polarized light toward the first or second main surface. The polarized light is made incident on the first or second main surface, and directed perpendicularly to the optical element layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Youichi Asakawa, Toshihiko Fukuma, Ken Onoda, Shinichi Komura
  • Patent number: 10209426
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a backlight unit includes a light source, a first lens, a second lens, and a light guide unit. The light source emits light which is diffused as the light travels in a first-A direction, the light being diffused in a second direction intersecting the first-A direction, and a third direction intersecting the first-A direction and the second direction. The first lens and the second lens are arranged in an optical path of the light. The first and second lenses control the light such that the first lens controls a beam width of the light in the second direction, and the second lens controls a beam width of the light in the third direction, thereby converting the light into parallel light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Fukuma, Shinichi Komura, Youichi Asakawa, Ken Onoda
  • Publication number: 20180329224
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor laser element. A drive current which is composed of a direct current and an alternating current superposed thereon is applied to the semiconductor laser element. A waveform of the alternating current is a non-square wave. A frequency of the alternating current is from 50 Hz to 500 kHz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Youichi ASAKAWA, Ken ONODA, Toshihiko FUKUMA, Shinichi KOMURA
  • Patent number: 10073207
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a display device includes first and second substrates, a liquid crystal layer, a polarizing element, a light source, and a bending member. The first substrate includes first and second surfaces and a side surface. The second substrate includes third and fourth surfaces. The polarizing element is provided on the fourth surface side of the second substrate. The light source irradiates the side surface with polarized parallel light. The bending member bends a path of the light entering the first substrate from the light source such that the light goes to the second substrate. No polarizing element is provided between the first substrate and the light source, and the bending member is provided on the second surface side of the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Youichi Asakawa, Toshihiko Fukuma, Ken Onoda, Shinichi Komura
  • Patent number: 9964688
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a light source unit, a light guide unit, a lens, and a light emitting layer. The light source unit emits light to the light guide unit. The lens concentrates the light emitted from the light source unit. The light guide unit guides the light concentrated by the lens toward the light emitting layer. The light guided by the light guide unit is transmitted to the light emission layer without any intervening prism layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichi Komura, Toshihiko Fukuma, Youichi Asakawa, Ken Onoda
  • Publication number: 20180107029
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an illumination device includes a first member, a second member, a first light source. The first member includes a first prism array including first prisms aligned in a first direction. The second member includes a second prism array including second prisms aligned in a second direction. The second member disposed more closely to a first A side than to the first member. The first light source disposed more closely to a second A side than to the second member to apply a parallel light beam to a second B side. The parallel light beam from the first light source is made incident on the second prism array and incident on the first prism array without passing through a light guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Ken ONODA, Shinichi KOMURA, Youichi ASAKAWA, Toshihiko FUKUMA
  • Publication number: 20180074252
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an illumination device includes a light guide, a light source and prisms. The light guide has a side surface and first and second main surfaces. The light source emits light to the side surface in a first emission direction. The prisms are provided on the second main surface. The second main surface has first and second areas. The prisms include first prisms in the first area and second prisms in the second area. A first virtual line connecting apexes of the first prisms is inclined with respect to the first main surface. A distance between the second area and the first main surface is greater than a distance between the first area and the first main surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko FUKUMA, Shinichi Komura, Youichi Asakawa, Ken Onoda
  • Publication number: 20180074247
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an illumination device includes a light guide, a plurality of light sources, and a plurality of light diffusion structures. The light guide extends in a first direction and a second direction and having a thickness in a third direction. The plurality of light sources includes a first laser element and a second laser element. The plurality of light diffusion structures provides to correspond to the respective light sources, and located on an incidence surface of the light guide or between the incidence surface and the light sources. The light sources are arranged in the second direction. The first laser element and the second laser element are arranged in the first direction or the third direction, in each of the light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Youichi ASAKAWA, Toshihiko FUKUMA, Ken ONODA, Shinichi KOMURA
  • Patent number: 9910205
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a light-emitting device includes a light source unit which emits polarized light in a first direction, a bending portion which is irradiated with the polarized light in the first direction and bends the light in a second direction, and a lightguide member which is irradiated with the polarized light caused to bend in the bending portion. The lightguide member comprises an exit surface, bends the polarized light in a third direction, and emits the light through the exit surface. The light source unit includes a first source which emits first light, and a second source which emits second light. The bending portion includes a first incident portion which the first light enters, and a second incident portion which the second light enters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Onoda, Shinichi Komura, Youichi Asakawa, Toshihiko Fukuma
  • Publication number: 20170357041
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an illumination device comprises a light source, a light guide having an incidence surface, and a light refraction structure on the surface. The light guide has an irradiation direction, a thickness direction, and a width direction. The light guide has a first surface in the thickness direction and a second surface in the width direction. A first length in the width direction is greater than a second length in the thickness direction, in the structure. The light from the light source having passed through the structure is reflected on the first surface in the thickness direction and passes through the second surface in the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Ken ONODA, Shinichi KOMURA, Youichi ASAKAWA, Toshihiko FUKUMA
  • Publication number: 20170269278
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a backlight unit includes a light source, a first lens, a second lens, and a light guide unit. The light source emits light which is diffused as the light travels in a first-A direction, the light being diffused in a second direction intersecting the first-A direction, and a third direction intersecting the first-A direction and the second direction. The first lens and the second lens are arranged in an optical path of the light. The first and second lenses control the light such that the first lens controls a beam width of the light in the second direction, and the second lens controls a beam width of the light in the third direction, thereby converting the light into parallel light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko FUKUMA, Shinichi Komura, Youichi Asakawa, Ken Onoda
  • Publication number: 20170242302
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, and an optical element layer provided between the substrates, a light directing unit facing the first substrate of the display panel, and including a first main surface disposed on a side facing the first substrate, and a second main surface disposed on a side reverse to the first main surface, and a light source unit disposed on the first substrate side with respect to the display panel, and emitting polarized light toward the first or second main surface. The polarized light is made incident on the first or second main surface, and directed perpendicularly to the optical element layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Youichi ASAKAWA, Toshihiko FUKUMA, Ken ONODA, Shinichi KOMURA
  • Patent number: 9733673
    Abstract: A display module includes an image display panel, a touch screen, a first FPC substrate, and a second FPC substrate. The first and second FPC substrates are disposed so as not to overlap with each other. The image display panel has a first curved portion in its first peripheral area. The touch screen has a second curved portion in its second peripheral area. The first and second FPC substrates each extend toward the opposite side of the image display panel from the touch screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Fukuma, Norio Oku
  • Patent number: 9735221
    Abstract: The display module includes first and second FPC substrates disposed on top of each other. The first substrate has an IC mounted on it. The second FPC substrate has a cutout inside which the IC is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Fukuma, Norio Oku
  • Publication number: 20170160458
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a display device includes first and second substrates, a liquid crystal layer, a polarizing element, a light source, and a bending member. The first substrate includes first and second surfaces and a side surface. The second substrate includes third and fourth surfaces. The polarizing element is provided on the fourth surface side of the second substrate. The light source irradiates the side surface with polarized parallel light. The bending member bends a path of the light entering the first substrate from the light source such that the light goes to the second substrate. No polarizing element is provided between the first substrate and the light source, and the bending member is provided on the second surface side of the first substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Youichi ASAKAWA, Toshihiko FUKUMA, Ken ONODA, Shinichi KOMURA
  • Publication number: 20170153376
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a light-emitting device includes a light source unit which emits polarized light in a first direction, a bending portion which is irradiated with the polarized light in the first direction and bends the light in a second direction, and a lightguide member which is irradiated with the polarized light caused to bend in the bending portion. The lightguide member comprises an exit surface, bends the polarized light in a third direction, and emits the light through the exit surface. The light source unit includes a first source which emits first light, and a second source which emits second light. The bending portion includes a first incident portion which the first light enters, and a second incident portion which the second light enters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Ken ONODA, Shinichi KOMURA, Youichi ASAKAWA, Toshihiko FUKUMA
  • Publication number: 20170139111
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a light source unit, a light guide unit, a lens, and a light emitting layer. The light source unit emits light to the light guide unit. The lens concentrates the light emitted from the light source unit. The light guide unit guides the light concentrated by the lens toward the light emitting layer. The light guided by the light guide unit is transmitted to the light emission layer without any intervening prism layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichi KOMURA, Toshihiko Fukuma, Youichi Asakawa, Ken Onoda