Patents by Inventor Tsuyoshi Maeda

Tsuyoshi Maeda 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: 9835904
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal panel; an illuminating device; and a light control member that is disposed on a light emission side of the liquid crystal panel. The light control member diffuses light that is emitted from the liquid crystal panel in an anisotropic manner in a first azimuth angle direction viewed from a normal direction of the liquid crystal panel to control an emission direction of the light. A pixel includes a first region in which a director of liquid crystal molecules is in a first direction, and a second region in which the director of the liquid crystal molecules is in a second orientation opposite to the first orientation in the first direction. A second azimuth angle direction in which light-diffusibility of the light control member is relatively strong, and the first direction approximately match each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shohei Katsuta, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Hideomi Yui, Emi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9829737
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal device including: a liquid crystal panel including a first substrate having a first vertical alignment film, a second substrate having a second vertical alignment film, a liquid crystal layer which is interposed between the first vertical alignment film and the second vertical alignment film and has a negative dielectric anisotropy, a first polarizing plate that is disposed on a light-incident side of the liquid crystal layer, and a second polarizing plate that is disposed on a light-emitting side of the liquid crystal layer; an illuminating device which is disposed on a light-incident side of the liquid crystal panel, and emits light toward the liquid crystal panel; and a light control member which is disposed on a light-emitting side of the liquid crystal panel, and diffuses light that is emitted from the liquid crystal panel in an azimuth angle direction and a polar angle direction viewed from a normal direction of the liquid crystal panel to control an emission direction of th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohei Katsuta, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Hideomi Yui, Yuhsuke Tsuda
  • Patent number: 9772430
    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: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Emi Yamamoto, Toru Kanno, Tsuyoshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 9734816
    Abstract: A noise reduction device includes a plurality of noise microphones, noise controller, and control speakers. Noise controller generates a control-sound signal to reduce a noise, at a control center of a control space, with the noise being detected by the plurality of noise microphones. Noise microphone disposed at a shorter distance from the control center than distance “d” indicated by Relational Expression (1) is smaller in number than noise microphones disposed at longer distances than distance “d” where “?” is a wavelength corresponding to control upper-limit frequency “f” in noise microphones, “d0” is a distance from the control center to control speakers, “t” is a control delay time in control speakers, and “v” is a sound speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Yoshifumi Asao
  • Patent number: 9709841
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device in which grayscale inversion when viewing a liquid crystal panel in an oblique direction is suppressed, thereby being excellent in viewing angle characteristics. The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel that includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates, and a pair of polarization plates respectively arranged in the liquid crystal layer on a light incident side and a light emission side, an illumination device that is arranged on the light incident side of the liquid crystal panel and emits light toward the liquid crystal panel, and a light diffusion member that is arranged on the light emission side of the liquid crystal panel and causes light emitted from the liquid crystal panel to be diffused in an azimuthal direction viewed from a normal direction of the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shohei Katsuta, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Hideomi Yui, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Kazuyoshi Sakuragi
  • Patent number: 9709496
    Abstract: An inspection device of the present invention is provided with a light source unit which is disposed either one of a base material side and a light diffusing portion side and irradiates light toward a light-regulating film with respect to the light-regulating film which includes a base material, a light diffusing portion, and a light shielding layer, and a light receiver which is disposed on either the other of the base material side and the light diffusing portion side and measures an intensity of transmitted light which is emitted from the light source unit and is transmitted through the light-regulating film, and inspects a state of an inclined surface of the light diffusing portion based on a measurement result of the intensity of the transmitted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisuke Shinozaki, Yasushi Asaoka, Shohei Katsuta, Tsuyoshi Maeda
  • Publication number: 20170186417
    Abstract: A noise reduction device is used together with a shell which surrounds at least a part of the periphery of reclinable seat. The device includes a plurality of noise microphones, a noise controller, and control speakers. Control speakers output a sound based on a control-sound signal that is generated by the noise controller. Each of noise microphones is accommodated in back wall configuring the shell and is set back from a surface of the back wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi MAEDA, Yoshifumi ASAO, Masaaki HIGASHIDA, Mitsuhiro TOSA, Kaname TOMITA, Toshihide ABE
  • Publication number: 20170153364
    Abstract: A light diffusion member includes a light transmissive substrate, a plurality of light diffusion sections, a light shielding layer, and a bonding layer. The plurality of light diffusion sections are disposed in first regions on one surface of the substrate. The light shielding layer is disposed in a second region which is other than the first regions on the one surface of the substrate. The bonding layer is disposed so as to overlap with the plurality of light diffusion sections. Each of the light diffusion sections is formed such that one surface side of the substrate forms a light emitting end surface, a surface facing the light emitting end surface forms a light incident end surface, and a cross-sectional area of each of the light diffusion sections is increased from the light emitting end surface toward the light incident end surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru KANNO, Tsuyoshi MAEDA, Emi YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9661969
    Abstract: A cyclone separation device includes: a swirl chamber that swirls air containing dust along a side wall therein, and separates dust from the air containing dust; a first dust collection chamber that communicates with an inside of the swirl chamber through a first opening formed in the side wall of the swirl chamber; a second dust collection chamber that communicates with the inside of the swirl chamber through a second opening formed on a downstream side of the first opening in the swirl chamber; a discharge pipe that communicates with a discharge port for discharging air in the swirl chamber; and a plurality of inlets that are provided on an upstream side of the first opening, and through which the air containing dust flows into the swirl chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Marika Riku, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Sota Komae, Daisuke Kondo
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20170115524
    Abstract: A light control member of the invention includes a light-transmissive first substrate, a light diffusing portion which is formed on a first surface of the first substrate, and a light shielding layer which is formed in a region other than a region in which the light diffusing portion is formed on the first surface of the first substrate. The light diffusing portion includes a light emitting end surface being in contact with the first substrate, and a light incident end surface opposite the light emitting end surface and having an area larger than an area of the light emitting end surface, and is configured such that a height from the light incident end surface to the light emitting end surface is larger than a layer thickness of the light shielding layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Sho OCHI, Yasushi ASAOKA, Tsuyoshi MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20170082894
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a liquid crystal panel of a vertical alignment mode, and an optical control member disposed on a light-exiting side of the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel includes a plurality of pixels having at least two domains (50a, 50b), in which directors of liquid crystal molecules are in a first direction. An absorption axis of a first polarizing sheet and an absorption axis of a second polarizing sheet are a mutually orthogonal and form angle that is approximately 45°. The optical control member includes a base, a light diffusion part, a light blocking layer and a low refractive index part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Shohei KATSUTA, Yasushi ASAOKA, Sho OCHI, Emi YAMAMOTO, Hideomi YUI, Tsuyoshi MAEDA, Tsuyoshi KAMADA, Yuhsuke TSUDA, Katsumi KONDOH
  • 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: 9575364
    Abstract: This liquid crystal display device (100) includes: a vertical alignment liquid crystal layer (30); first and second substrates (10, 20); first and second electrodes (11, 21) arranged on the first and second substrates to face the liquid crystal layer; and two photo-alignment films (12, 22). Each pixel region includes first and second liquid crystal domains, of which the reference alignment directions defined by the two photo-alignment films are a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, respectively. The first electrode has a slit cut region (11R1), through which a slit (11s) has been cut to run substantially parallel to the reference alignment direction, in a part of a region allocated to each of the first and second liquid crystal domains. The width (W) of the slit is set so that when the highest grayscale voltage is applied to the first electrode, an effective applied voltage decreases by at least 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidefumi Yoshida, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Mitsuhiro Murata, Yoji Yoshimura, Yuichiro Yamada, Kenji Okamoto, Yosuke Iwata, Yasuhiro Nasu, Akira Sakai, Masahiro Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20170038634
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (1) includes a liquid crystal panel (4), a backlight (2), and a light-diffusing member (7). There exist azimuths in which a transmittance of the liquid crystal panel (4) and a luminance of the backlight (2) are higher than a transmittance and a luminance in a direction of a normal. The azimuth in which the transmittance of the liquid crystal panel (4) is higher coincides with the azimuth in which the luminance of the backlight (2) is higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Shohei KATSUTA, Tsuyoshi MAEDA, Emi YAMAMOTO, Yasushi ASAOKA, Hideomi YUI
  • 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: 9541787
    Abstract: The light control film includes a base material with transparency and a light control layer that is provided on a side of a surface which faces a display surface of a display panel in the base material, has a light shielding portion which is formed on one surface of the base material, and controls an emission direction of light by diffusing light which is emitted from the display surface, in which the light control layer includes a light emission end surface that contacts with the base material, 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 reflection surface that contacts with the light emission end surface and the light incident end surface and reflects light which is incident from the light incident end surface, a height from the light incident end surface to the light emission end surface is larger than a layer thickness of the light shielding portion, and the reflection surface reflects light to allocate
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideomi Yui, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Shohei Katsuta
  • Publication number: 20170003545
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light diffusion member which includes a light diffusion film, a polarizing film, and a retardation film. The light diffusion film includes a first substrate, a light diffusion portion, and a light shielding layer. The polarizing film includes a second substrate and a polarization layer. The retardation film includes a third substrate and a retardation layer. The retardation layer is formed from a birefringence body which has optically-negative uniaxiality. An alignment direction of the birefringence body is different in a thickness direction thereof. A slow axis of the retardation layer is positioned at azimuth between a transmission axis and an absorption axis of the polarization layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Yasushi ASAOKA, Tsuyoshi MAEDA, Shohei KATSUTA, Emi YAMAMOTO, Sho OCHI
  • Publication number: 20160370512
    Abstract: A light diffusing film (a light diffusing member) according to the present invention includes a substrate which has optical transparency and a birefringence, a wavelength control layer which is formed one surface of the substrate, a light diffusing portion which is formed in a region other than a forming region of the wavelength control layer in the one surface of the substrate, and a light scattering layer, the light diffusing portion includes a light emitting end surface which comes into contact with the substrate and a light incident end surface which is opposite to the light emitting end surface and has a larger area than an area of the light emitting end surface, and a height from the light incident end surface to the light emitting end surface is larger than a layer thickness of the wavelength control layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Emi YAMAMOTO, Tsuyoshi MAEDA, Yasushi ASAOKA, Shohei KATSUTA, Hideomi YUI
  • Publication number: 20160363762
    Abstract: A MEMS display device (1) is provided with a display unit (14), and a light control film (9) which controls a light distributing property of light which is output from the display unit (14), in which the display unit (14) includes a backlight (11), an aperture layer (22) which includes an opening (24) which transmits light output from the backlight (11), and a shutter (23) which is movable with respect to the opening (24), and performs switching between transmitting of light through the opening (24) and shielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Emi YAMAMOTO, Tsuyoshi MAEDA