Patents by Inventor Yasuo Hira

Yasuo Hira 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: 6958790
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus having a light conductor plate, a liquid crystal cell arranged on a front surface side of the light conductor plate, and a light source arranged on a side surface of the light conductor plate so as to light the liquid crystal cell from a back surface side thereof. The light conductor plate has an incident surface for a light from the light source, a light emitting surface for emitting the input light to the liquid crystal cell, and a plurality of dots constituted by small projecting portions or small recess portions for changing a moving direction of the light from the incidence surface toward a direction of the light emitting surface. The dots are formed in at least one of the light emitting surface and a surface of the light conductor plate opposite to the light emitting surface and have a particular configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Yuji Mori
  • Publication number: 20050041178
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus having a light conductor plate, a liquid crystal cell arranged on a front surface side of the light conductor plate, and a light source arranged on a side surface of the light conductor plate so as to light the liquid crystal cell from a back surface side thereof. The light conductor plate has an incident surface for a light from the light source, a light emitting surface for emitting the input light to the liquid crystal cell, and a plurality of dots constituted by small projecting portions or small recess portions for changing a moving direction of the light from the incidence surface toward a direction of the light emitting surface. The dots are formed in at least one of the light emitting surface and a surface of the light conductor plate opposite to the light emitting surface and have a particular configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Yuji Mori
  • Patent number: 6803977
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus having a light conductor plate, a light source arranged on a side surface of the light conductor plate so as to light a liquid crystal cell arranged on a front surface side of the light conductor plate from a back surface side thereof. The light conductor plate having an incident surface for a light from the light source, a light emitting surface for emitting the input light to the liquid crystal cell, and a plurality of dots constituted by small projecting portions or small recess portions for changing a moving direction of the light from the incidence surface toward a direction of the light emitting surface, the dots being formed in the light emitting surface and a surface of the light conductor plate opposite to the light emitting surface with each of the dots having a height or depth within a range of 2 to 100 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Yuji Mori
  • Patent number: 6781733
    Abstract: An optical film comprising microlenses, a light shield layer and a light diffusion layer, wherein, for example, the light transmittance passing through the light shield layer is modulated depending on changed concentrations of silver or a compound containing silver dispersed in gelatin in the light shield layer, has wide angle of field properties and high contrast properties, and can be applied to image display apparatuses such as a liquid crystal display to improve angle of field properties, contrast properties and to prevent image deterioration against outer light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hira
  • Patent number: 6727963
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display apparatus having a high brightness and a less number of constituent parts. By forming a plurality of dots each constituted by a small projecting portion or a small recess portion for changing a light at a predetermined angle from an incident surface of a light conductor plate toward a direction of a transmitting surface and properly controlling an angle of incline of a cross section, it is possible to irradiate an illuminating light having a suitable angle distribution from a light emitting surface toward a display element, thereby improving a brightness of the liquid crystal display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Yuji Mori
  • Publication number: 20040070701
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus having a light conductor plate, a light source arranged on a side surface of the light conductor plate so as to light a liquid crystal cell arranged on a front surface side of the light conductor plate from a back surface side thereof. The light conductor plate having an incident surface for a light from the light source, a light emitting surface for emitting the input light to the liquid crystal cell, and a plurality of dots constituted by small projecting portions or small recess portions for changing a moving direction of the light from the incidence surface toward a direction of the light emitting surface, the dots being formed in the light emitting surface and a surface of the light conductor plate opposite to the light emitting surface with each of the dots having a height or depth within a range of 2 to 100 &mgr;m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Yuji Mori
  • Patent number: 6717635
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device having a light guide plate and a light source disposed on one of side surfaces of the light guide plate so that external light is transmitted through the light guide plate and enters a liquid-crystal display portion. A plurality of dots each constituted by a small recess or protrusion portion reflecting light from the light source toward the liquid crystal display portion are formed in or on another surface of the light guide plate opposite to the liquid crystal display portion. Each of the dots have a substantially V-shape in section with an inclination angle of the section being in a range of 35° to 43°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Toshihiko Ariyoshi, Seiji Umemoto
  • Patent number: 6704070
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a light guide plate having dots on one surface thereof includes forming an oxide film on a crystal plane of a silicon substrate, forming a resist film on the oxide film, and forming a dot pattern in the oxide film by using the resist film as a mask, anisotropically etching the silicon substrate by using the oxide film as a mask, forming a metal film on the silicon substrate, stripping the metal film off so as to produce a stamper or a replica thereof, and transferring the dots onto a surface of a film or a plastic sheet or plate by using the stamper or the replica.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Toshihiko Ariyoshi, Seiji Umemoto
  • Patent number: 6700632
    Abstract: To provide a reflection type liquid-crystal display device having an illuminator in front of the liquid-crystal display device, the illuminator having a light guide plate superior in light utilization efficiency, dots constituted by a plurality of small recess or protrusion portions for reflecting the light incident on the light guide plate toward the liquid-crystal display device are formed in or on a surface of the light guide plate which does not face the liquid-crystal display device. Each of the dots is set to have a substantially V-shape in section, the sectional inclination angle of the V-shape is set in a range of from 35 to 43°, and the sectional vertex angle of the V-shape is in a range of 70.6±2.5°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Toshihiko Ariyoshi, Seiji Umemoto
  • Patent number: 6700634
    Abstract: Light directional diffusing elements such as hologram elements are formed on the upper surface or lower surface of a light guide plate near the light source, and dots are formed of multiple small protrusions or small depressions on the light guide plate upper or lower surface to change the direction the light transmits from the input surface of the upper surface of light guide plate to a specified angle to irradiate towards a display element, to obtain a liquid crystal display technology for an easy to assemble backlit lighting device with greater brightness and fewer dark spots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Tetsuo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6690544
    Abstract: A magnetic head slider including a plurality of rails adapted to face a magnetic disk. Each of the rails has a longitudinal extension direction substantially in a direction of rotation of the magnetic disk, and a protective film is provided on a floating surface of at least one of the rails. A thickness of the protective film at least in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension direction of the at least one of the rails is not uniform in the transverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsuko Okawa, Yasuo Hira, Hirotaka Imayama, Masayasu Fujisawa, Saburou Suzuki, Eisei Togawa, Noriyuki Saiki, Nobuo Suzuki, Hiroshi Agari, Kiyoshi Akamatsu, Hiromu Chiba
  • Patent number: 6661479
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a light conductor plate for a liquid crystal display apparatus forming a photo resist on a stamper original plate, arranging a photo mask having a flat surface shape pattern or an inverted pattern of a dot constituted by a small projecting portion or a small recess portion on a base plate and developing after irradiating an ultraviolet ray from an upper portion of a mask so as to form a pattern for forming the small projecting portion or the small recess portion on the stamper original plate, making the pattern in a mask and etching the stamper original plate so as to form a plastic forming metal stamper, and a plastic molding using the stamper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Yuji Mori
  • Patent number: 6661552
    Abstract: A rear projection apparatus having a projector containing a light source and a liquid crystal cell, a mirror for reflecting a light from the projector, and a screen for projecting the light reflected by the mirror. The screen is being composed of an optical film having an optical element capable of forming a spatial distribution of light transmittance, a light shield layer and a light diffusion layer. The light shield layer is positioned between the optical element and the light diffusion layer and is composed of a compound which changes light transmittance depending on irradiation of an energy beam. The light transmittance passing the light shield layer is modulated spatially depending on a dose of the energy beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hira
  • Patent number: 6639705
    Abstract: An optical film comprising an optical element capable of forming a spatial distribution of light transmittance, and a light shield layer positioned on an opposite side of the optical element. The light shield layer is composed of a compound which changes light transmittance permanently depending on irradiation of an energy beam, and has light transmitting regions near a position corresponding to the optical element and light shielding regions at positions other than the light transmitting regions. The light shielding regions have a smaller light transmittance than the light transmittance of the light transmitting regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hira
  • Patent number: 6633351
    Abstract: An optical functionality sheet provided with microlenses and a functional film (reflective film or light-blocking film/light-diffusing layer), with the above described functional film formed upon a patterned transparent conductive film. Thereby, self-alignment exposure using microlenses is made possible, and an optical functionality sheet with good directivity with respect to incident light, and good angle of visibility characteristics, can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuo Hira, Toshihiko Ariyoshi
  • Publication number: 20030090840
    Abstract: A magnetic head slider including a plurality of rails adapted to face a magnetic disk. Each of the rails has a longitudinal extension direction substantially in a direction of rotation of the magnetic disk, and a protective film is provided on a floating surface of at least one of the rails. A thickness of the protective film at least in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension direction of the at least one of the rails is not uniform in the transverse direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Inventors: Atsuko Okawa, Yasuo Hira, Hirotaka Imayama, Masayasu Fujisawa, Saburou Suzuki, Eisei Togawa, Noriyuki Saiki, Nobuo Suzuki, Hiroshi Agari, Kiyoshi Akamatsu, Hiromu Chiba
  • Publication number: 20030086031
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device having a light guide plate and a light source disposed on one of side surfaces of the light guide plate so that external light is transmitted through the light guide plate and enters a liquid-crystal display portion. A plurality of dots each constituted by a small recess or protrusion portion reflecting light from the light source toward the liquid crystal display portion are formed in or on another surface of the light guide plate opposite to the liquid crystal display portion. Each of the dots have a substantially V-shape in section with an inclination angle of the section being in a range of 35° to 43°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Toshihiko Ariyoshi, Seiji Umemoto
  • Publication number: 20030086030
    Abstract: Light directional diffusing elements such as hologram elements are formed on the upper surface or lower surface of a light guide plate near the light source, and dots are formed of multiple small protrusions or small depressions on the light guide plate upper or lower surface to change the direction the light transmits from the input surface of the upper surface of light guide plate to a specified angle to irradiate towards a display element, to obtain a liquid crystal display technology for an easy to assemble backlit lighting device with greater brightness and fewer dark spots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Tetsuo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20030080450
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a light guide plate having dots on one surface thereof includes forming an oxide film on a crystal plane of a silicon substrate, forming a resist film on the oxide film, and forming a dot pattern in the oxide film by using the resist film as a mask, anisotropically etching the silicon substrate by using the oxide film as a mask, forming a metal film on the silicon substrate, stripping the metal film off so as to produce a stamper or a replica thereof, and transferring the dots onto a surface of a film or a plastic sheet or plate by using the stamper or the replica.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Toshihiko Ariyoshi, Seiji Umemoto
  • Patent number: 6530671
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display having a liquid crystal display panel having a plurality of liquid crystal cells, and a back light that irradiates the liquid crystal display panel with irradiation light. The back light includes a light source, and a light guide plate having one side arranged adjacent the light source and having a planar surface with a plurality of small concaves. The planar surface is almost parallel to a liquid crystal cell face, and a plane shape of the small concaves is almost rectangular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi Electronic Devices Co. Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Yuji Mori, Hisao Hirayama, Toshitsugu Miyawaki