Patents by Inventor Tsuyoshi Okazaki

Tsuyoshi Okazaki 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: 8054433
    Abstract: There are provided a viewing angle control device that can provide a black display without coloring and achieve a significantly improved shielding ability during a narrow viewing angle state, and a display using the same. In order to adjust VT (voltage-transmittance) characteristics of a viewing angle control liquid crystal panel (2) that switches a viewing angle between a wide viewing angle state and a narrow viewing angle state by using birefringence of liquid crystal, the viewing angle control liquid crystal panel (2) includes a translucent dielectric film (206g, 206r) for adjusting the voltage-transmittance characteristics of the liquid crystal at a position corresponding to a picture element of at least one color in a display liquid crystal panel (1) on at least one of a pair of translucent substrates (201, 202) that sandwich the liquid crystal therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Takehiko Sakai, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba
  • Patent number: 8045097
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device including a display liquid crystal panel and a viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel and capable of switching viewing angle characteristics, a half wavelength plate for setting a viewing restricted direction is provided between the display liquid crystal panel and the viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel. This makes it possible to realize a liquid crystal display device that allows a viewing restricted direction to be set as appropriate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiko Sakai, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba
  • Publication number: 20110199568
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device which can suppress generation of an afterimage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Morishita, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki
  • Patent number: 7978298
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device which presents display by forming liquid crystal domains that take radially-inclined orientation, persisting display unevenness is prevented from occurring when the panel surface is pressed, thus realizing high-quality displaying. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate provided so as to oppose the first substrate, and a vertical-alignment type liquid crystal layer provided therebetween. The liquid crystal display device according to the present invention further includes wall-like structures regularly arranged on the liquid crystal layer side of the first substrate, such that, when a predetermined voltage is applied, the liquid crystal layer forms at least one liquid crystal domain that takes a radially-inclined orientation state in a region substantially surrounded by the wall-like structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Saitoh, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Katsuya Ogawa, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20110134348
    Abstract: The present invention provides a TBA-mode transflective liquid crystal display device in which components such as a multigap structure and a quarter-wave plate can be omitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Morishita, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Hajime Imai
  • Patent number: 7956940
    Abstract: A display system includes a liquid crystal display (10) including a backlight (3), a liquid crystal display panel (1), and a viewing angle control panel (2) for controlling the viewing angle of the display panel (1), the display system causing the amount of external light reflected by the liquid crystal display (10) to be relatively larger than the amount of light leaked from the backlight (3) onto the liquid crystal display panel (1). This provides a display system having an enhanced blocking effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiko Sakai, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Takahiro Sasaki, Dai Chiba
  • Publication number: 20110128458
    Abstract: The present invention provides a TBA-mode liquid crystal display device that is capable of reflective display and transmissive display without using a multigap structure. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and has, in a pixel area, a reflective area where reflective display is performed and a transmissive area where transmissive display is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Morishita, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Hajime Imai
  • Patent number: 7948580
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a backlight (3), a liquid crystal display panel (1), and a viewing angle control panel (2) for controlling the viewing angle of the display panel (1), the liquid crystal display further including a lens sheet (41) provided between the backlight (3) and the liquid crystal display panel (1). This provides a display device system which is capable of providing better blocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiko Sakai, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba
  • Patent number: 7932975
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a reflective liquid crystal panel (20) having a liquid crystal panel polarization plate (22), a polarization plate (32) provided on a front surface side of the polarization plate (22) with its absorption axis in parallel with an absorption axis of the polarization plate (22), and a negative C plate (31) provided between the liquid crystal panel polarization plate (22) and the polarization plate (32). The negative C plate (31) sets a direction in which viewing limitation is carried out. Thus, it is possible to provide the liquid crystal display device in which a viewing angle can be narrowed by freely setting, in the reflective liquid crystal panel, the direction in which the viewing limitation should be carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiko Sakai, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba
  • Patent number: 7880843
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device (10) of the present invention includes a backlight (3), a display liquid crystal panel (1) and a viewing angle control panel (2) for switching a viewing angle of the display liquid crystal panel (1) between a wide viewing angle mode and a narrow viewing angle mode. The viewing angle control panel (2) includes a control panel upper polarizing plate (22), a liquid crystal cell (21) and a control panel lower polarizing plate (23) stacked in this order, and phase difference plates (24, 25) are provided between the polarizing plates (22, 23) and the liquid crystal cell (21), respectively. The viewing angle control panel (2) is arranged such that Re1 in a white display portion in the wide viewing angle mode is n?/2 (n is an integer of 1 or more), Re2 in a white display portion in the narrow viewing angle mode is n?/2 (n is an integer of 1 or more), and Re3 in a black display portion in the narrow viewing angle mode is n? (n is an integer of 1 or more).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Morishita, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Takehiko Sakai, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba
  • Publication number: 20100259469
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel (2) includes a TFT substrate (20) and a counter substrate (30) placed opposite each other via a liquid crystal layer (40) containing liquid crystal molecules (41) that, when an electric field is applied, makes an alignment transition from an initial state to an image display state different in state of alignment from the initial state. A region (40B) where the liquid crystal molecules come into anti-parallel alignment is provided in that region of at least either the TFT substrate (20) or the counter substrate (30) to which a transverse electric field parallel to a surface of the substrate is applied. This makes it possible to provide a liquid crystal display panel capable of causing each pixel to surely make an alignment transition and making a quick alignment transition from an initial state to an image display state in a liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventors: Masahiro Shimizu, Takashi Katayama, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki
  • Patent number: 7808587
    Abstract: A light-shielding plate and a first light-shielding layer are arranged between a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal layer in a peripheral region of a liquid crystal panel so that linearly polarized light transmitted through the polarizing plate, which is a reflection polarizing plate, is not incident on the liquid crystal layer, but is reflected to the polarizing plate in the peripheral region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shirasaka, Kohichi Ohmura, Hisashi Kadota, Akiko Toriyama, Tsuyoshi Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20100128200
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device (10) of the present invention includes a backlight (3), a display liquid crystal panel (1) and a viewing angle control panel (2) for switching a viewing angle of the display liquid crystal panel (1) between a wide viewing angle mode and a narrow viewing angle mode. The viewing angle control panel (2) includes a control panel upper polarizing plate (22), a liquid crystal cell (21) and a control panel lower polarizing plate (23) stacked in this order, and phase difference plates (24, 25) are provided between the polarizing plates (22, 23) and the liquid crystal cell (21), respectively. The viewing angle control panel (2) is arranged such that Re1 in a white display portion in the wide viewing angle mode is n?/2 (n is an integer of 1 or more), Re2 in a white display portion in the narrow viewing angle mode is n?/2 (n is an integer of 1 or more), and Re3 in a black display portion in the narrow viewing angle mode is n? (n is an integer of 1 or more).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Morishita, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Takehiko Sakai, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba
  • Publication number: 20100110355
    Abstract: Disclosed is an OCB mode liquid crystal panel (10a) including: an active matrix substrate which includes signal lines including scanning signal lines (16) and data signal lines (15), transistors (12) connected to the respective signal lines, and pixel electrodes (17) provided for respective pixel areas demarcated by the signal lines; a counter substrate; and a liquid crystal layer provided between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate, the liquid crystal layer being caused to transition from a bend alignment to a splay alignment; the active matrix substrate having a surface on which a step section (7) for suppressing reverse transition from a bend alignment to a splay alignment is provided, the step section being provided so that (i) the step section, (ii) a corresponding gap between two adjacent pixel electrodes (17) and (iii) a corresponding one of the signal lines (15 and 16) overlap each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Masahiro Shimizu, Takashi Katayama
  • Publication number: 20100110352
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device which presents display by forming liquid crystal domains that take radially-inclined orientation, persisting display unevenness is prevented from occurring when the panel surface is pressed, thus realizing high-quality displaying. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate provided so as to oppose the first substrate, and a vertical-alignment type liquid crystal layer provided therebetween. The liquid crystal display device according to the present invention further includes wall-like structures regularly arranged on the liquid crystal layer side of the first substrate, such that, when a predetermined voltage is applied, the liquid crystal layer forms at least one liquid crystal domain that takes a radially-inclined orientation state in a region substantia y surrounded by the wall-like structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Masaaki Saitoh, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Katsuya Ogawa, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20100103148
    Abstract: There are provided a viewing angle control device that can provide a pure black display without coloring and have a significantly improved shielding ability in the narrow viewing angle state, and a display using the viewing angle control device. To adjust the VT (voltage-transmittance) characteristics of a viewing angle control liquid crystal panel (2) that switches a viewing angle between a wide viewing angle state and a narrow viewing angle state by using birefringence of liquid crystal, translucent electrode films (205r, 205g, 206b), to which alternating-current voltages with different frequencies are applied, are provided on a portion of at least one of a pair of translucent substrates (201, 202) sandwiching the liquid crystal, the portion corresponding to at least one color of a picture element of a display liquid crystal panel (1), so that the voltage-transmittance characteristics of the liquid crystal are adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Takehiko Sakai, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba
  • Publication number: 20100085513
    Abstract: A viewing angle control panel (2) that includes two substrates (4 and 6) facing each other and liquid crystal layer (5) provided between the substrates and that is usable in combination with a display panel (10) so as to allow a liquid crystal display device (1) to switch a viewing angle characteristic, wherein: one of the substrates (6) includes a counter electrode pattern (62) in which a counter electrode is provided over the one of the two substrates; and the other one of the substrates (4) includes a transparent electrode pattern (49) in which transparent electrodes (49a through 49d) are provided in a striped manner and first and second wire electrodes (e.g., wire electrodes 48a and 48b) that are provided for each space (e.g., a space 51x) between the transparent electrodes in the transparent electrode pattern (49) in such a manner that the first the second wire electrodes, positioned in parallel with the transparent electrodes, respectively, overlap the space 51x.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventors: Dai Chiba, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Takehiko Sakai
  • Publication number: 20100026937
    Abstract: There are provided a viewing angle control device that can provide a black display without coloring and achieve a significantly improved shielding ability during a narrow viewing angle state, and a display using the same. In order to adjust VT (voltage-transmittance) characteristics of a viewing angle control liquid crystal panel (2) that switches a viewing angle between a wide viewing angle state and a narrow viewing angle state by using birefringence of liquid crystal, the viewing angle control liquid crystal panel (2) includes a translucent dielectric film (206g, 206r) for adjusting the voltage-transmittance characteristics of the liquid crystal at a position corresponding to a picture element of at least one color in a display liquid crystal panel (1) on at least one of a pair of translucent substrates (201, 202) that sandwich the liquid crystal therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Takehiko Sakai, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba
  • Patent number: 7582338
    Abstract: Discloses are liquid crystal medium based on a mixture of polar compounds, the use thereof for electro-optical purposes, and displays containing the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignees: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Sharp Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Ichinose, Yuko Arai, Takanori Takeda, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Masahiro Shimizu, Takashi Katayama
  • Publication number: 20090174843
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device including a display liquid crystal panel and a viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel and capable of switching viewing angle characteristics, a half wavelength plate for setting a viewing restricted direction is provided between the display liquid crystal panel and the viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel. This makes it possible to realize a liquid crystal display device that allows a viewing restricted direction to be set as appropriate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiko Sakai, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba