Patents by Inventor Yasushi Kubota

Yasushi Kubota 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: 6940500
    Abstract: A potential of a data signal line S during a scanning period is charged to a substantially intermediate potential of a data signal at a corresponding frame. Thus, extremely large dispersion does not occur in a potential of each pixel capacitor with respect to a potential of the data signal line S, so that it is possible to restrict dispersion of a leak current flowing via an active element of each pixel. Thus, potential variation of a pixel PIX is reduced, so that it is possible to improve display quality during a non-scanning period. That is, in an active-matrix-type liquid crystal display, when a frame frequency is reduced by setting the non-scanning period to be sufficiently larger than a scanning period while a standby image is being displayed so as to realize low power consumption, the display quality is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Washio, Yasuyoshi Kaise, Kazuhiro Maeda, Yasushi Kubota
  • Publication number: 20050168252
    Abstract: A shift register circuit includes a plurality of latch circuits connected in series to sequentially transfer a pulse signal ST from one to another, a clock signal line transmitting a clock signal CLK, and a plurality of switching circuits performing electrical connection and disconnection between the clock signal line and the plurality of latch circuits. Upon turning on the shift register, at least one of the switching circuits electrically disconnects at least one of the latch circuits from the clock signal line. During an initialization period immediately after power has been turned on, the frequency of the clock signal CLK is lower than in a normal operation period and gradually increases toward the frequency used in the normal operation period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventors: Yasushi Kubota, Hajime Washio, Shigeto Yoshida, Kazuhiro Maeda, Hiroshi Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20050140621
    Abstract: A shift register circuit includes a plurality of latch circuits connected in series to sequentially transfer a pulse signal ST from one to another, a clock signal line transmitting a clock signal CLK, and a plurality of switching circuits performing electrical connection and disconnection between the clock signal line and the plurality of latch circuits. Upon turning on the shift register, at least one of the switching circuits electrically disconnects at least one of the latch circuits from the clock signal line. During an initialization period immediately after power has been turned on, the frequency of the clock signal CLK is lower than in a normal operation period and gradually increases toward the frequency used in the normal operation period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventors: Yasushi Kubota, Hajime Washio, Shigeto Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6909417
    Abstract: A level shifter 13 is provided for each of SR flip flops F1 constituting a shift register 11. The level shifter 13 increases a voltage of a clock signal CK. This arrangement reduces a distance for transmitting a clock signal whose voltage has been increased, as compared with a construction in which a voltage of a clock signal is increased by a single level shifter and the signal is transmitted to each of the flip flops; consequently, a load capacity of the level shifter can be smaller. Furthermore, each of the level shifters is operated during a pulse output of the previous level shifter 13, and the operation is suspended at the end of the pulse output. Thus, the level shifters 13 can operate only when it is necessary to apply a clock signal CK to the corresponding SR flip flop F1. As a result, even when an amplitude of a clock signal is small, it is possible to reduce power consumption of the shift resister under normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Washio, Yasushi Kubota, Kazuhiro Maeda, Yasuyoshi Kaise, Michael James Brownlow, Graham Andrew Cairns
  • Patent number: 6879313
    Abstract: A shift register circuit includes a plurality of latch circuits connected in series to sequentially transfer a pulse signal ST from one to another, a clock signal line transmitting a clock signal CLK, and a plurality of switching circuits performing electrical connection and disconnection between the clock signal line and the plurality of latch circuits. Upon turning on the shift register, at least one of the switching circuits electrically disconnects at least one of the latch circuits from the clock signal line. During an initialization period immediately after power has been turned on, the frequency of the clock signal CLK is lower than in a normal operation period and gradually increases toward the frequency used in the normal operation period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Kubota, Hajime Washio, Shigeto Yoshida, Kazuhiro Maeda, Hiroshi Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20050062263
    Abstract: A clip for attaching a curtain-shield airbag to a body panel of a vehicle comprises a bushing and a pin. The bushing has a flange with a leg extending therefrom. A bore extends through the flange and into the leg for receiving the pin. Outer surfaces of the leg have engagement pieces with shoulders for coupling the bushing to edge regions of a body panel hole into which the leg is inserted. The pin and the bushing are capable of being coupled in a provisionally fixed condition or a permanently fixed condition. When the pin is partially inserted into the bore, the engagement pieces are permitted to flex inwardly of the bore, but when the pin is fully inserted, such inward flexing is prevented. The flange has a wall that provides a partition between the main airbag unit and the entrance hole of the bore in the flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kawai, Yasushi Kubota, Tatsuya Goto, Hirokazu Niimi
  • Publication number: 20050057556
    Abstract: A CMOS logical circuit comprises two electric current paths each of which has circuits consisting of n-type and p-type transistors. In a circuit consisting of n-type or p-type transistors, one electric current path is provided with a circuit having the same construction as that of a circuit having an n-type transistor of a CMOS logical circuit outputting a logical operation result similar to that of this logical circuit, and the other electric current path is provided with a circuit having the same construction as that of a circuit having a p-type transistor of the CMOS logical circuit outputting a logical operation result similar to that of this logical circuit. In another circuit consisting of the other channel type, a gate electrode of the transistor provided on the one electric current path and that of the transistor provided on the other electric current path are connected to drain electrodes of the counterparts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Yasushi Kubota, Hajime Washio, Ichiro Shiraki, Kazuhiro Maeda, Yasuyoshi Kaise
  • Patent number: 6853324
    Abstract: A digital-to-analog conversion circuit of charge distribution type includes a plurality of capacitors having respective capacitances that increase in a sequential order, one end of the capacitors being commonly connected electrically. The circuit also includes a plurality of analog switches each for electrically connecting a reference potential corresponding to a digital signal inputted from outside to the other end of the corresponding capacitor. These analog switches have respective driving capacities that increase in a sequential order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Maeda, Yasushi Kubota, Hajime Washio
  • Publication number: 20050015235
    Abstract: A transistor model for a simulator simulates a resistance between a source region and a drain region with a model equation which has terms representing resistance values corresponding respectively to areas of mutually different impurity concentrations below a gate section in simulating characteristics of a transistor. At least two of the terms each having a threshold parameter indicating a voltage at which a semiconductor element composed of the associated region and regions adjacent to that region changes from an ON state to an OFF state. The threshold parameters of the terms being specified independently from each other. Thus, the characteristics of a transistor having a set of areas of mutually different impurity concentrations below a gate section, inclusive of subthreshold regions which are difficult to evaluate through actual measurement, can be simulated to high accuracy while preserving a good fit with a capacitance model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Kenji Taniguchi
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Maeda, Tamotsu Sakai, Yasushi Kubota, Shigeki Imai, Kenshi Tada, Kenji Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20050008753
    Abstract: A food objective for extraction and/or squeezing is charged into a colloid mill or a twin-screw extruder; immediately after and/or while milling, a low-temperature solvent (for example, water or milk of from ?3 to 50° C.) is added; and after treating the food using the extruder, grounds are removed to produce an extract and/or a squeezed liquid. After milling objective foods, for example, a single product or a combination of foods such as coffee, green tea, black tea, herb tea, wild grass tea, Chinese medical tea, cocoa, vanilla, fruit, and vegetable, extraction and/or squeezing can be rapidly and extremely efficiently carried out at a low temperature, which is appropriate for the mass and continuous production. Furthermore, in comparison with the conventional employed extraction and/or squeezing methods such as a low-temperature extraction method which leads to deterioration in flavor due to oxidation after milling, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Takeshi Honda, Takeshi Imazawa, Yasushi Kubota, Tadashi Nakatsubo
  • Patent number: 6836269
    Abstract: A precharge control circuit constituted by (1) a latch circuit mounted in a precharge circuit and (2) a level shifter circuit of a current drive type controlled through an output of the latch circuit is included. The precharge control circuit changes the latch circuit to an active state to cause the level shifter circuit of a current drive type to operate only during a precharge period and also during immediately preceding and succeeding periods, and outside these periods, changes the latch circuit in a non-active state and the level shifter circuit of a current drive type in an operating state to save power consumption in the level shifter circuit. This enables a low-power-consuming precharge circuit, as well as a low-power-consuming image display device with a high quality display capability, to be offered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Maeda, Hajime Washio, Yasushi Kubota, Yasuyoshi Kaise, Michael James Brownlow, Graham Andrew Cairns
  • Publication number: 20040196235
    Abstract: An AC driven active matrix display device in which image display with enough brightness can be easily achieved while reducing an amplitude range of a pixel electrode potential. The display device 1, 100 or 110 according to the invention comprises two memory circuits (a first memory circuit 40 and a second memory circuit 41) which are connected in series between each pixel electrode 22 and a corresponding signal line 30. Data is written to the first memory circuit in a first period, then the data is transferred from the first memory circuit to the corresponding second memory circuit in a second period. The potential of a counter electrode 23 is switched in the second period between a first potential (VcomH) and a second potential (VcomL).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicants: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Koyama, Buyeol Lee, Yasuhiro Hirayama, Yasushi Kubota
  • Publication number: 20040183771
    Abstract: A shift register is provided with a shift register section composed of a plurality of stages of flip-flops that operate in synchronization with a clock signal, and level shifters for boosting a start signal lower than a driving voltage and for applying the same to both ends of the shift register section, and the shift register is capable of switching the shift direction in accordance with the switching signal. The foregoing level shifters are current-driving-type level shifters that can operate even in the case where the transistor characteristics are inferior or in the case of fast operations, and that can carry out level shifting even with a start signal having a small amplitude. Furthermore, the foregoing level shifters are provided at both ends of the shift register section, respectively, and one of the same stops operating in accordance with a switching signal, so that consumed power should decrease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventors: Masakazu Satoh, Yasushi Kubota, Hajime Washio, Kazuhiro Maeda, Michael James Brownlow, Graham Andrew Cairns
  • Patent number: 6791526
    Abstract: A drive circuit, for example a gate line drive circuit for a TFT liquid-crystal display, having a circuit size smaller than in the past. A TFT drive circuit has the shifting direction of drive data sequentially shifted through shift registers (SR116-R60) and is further inverted by a control signal (SEL_SFT), and the data are shifted in the opposite direction, from the first shift register (SR61) to the second shift register (SR116). At this time, the upper group of switching circuits (SW1-SW56) or the lower group of switching circuits (SW116-SW61) is enabled and the other group is disabled by control signals (SEL_UP, SEL_LO). Once the drive data are shifted to the bits of the shift registers, a voltage selection signal generated by a decoder (DEn) is inputted to an output circuit via an effective switching circuit, and a drive signal for a TFT gate is outputted. The number of circuits is reduced because the shift registers (SR61-SR116) and decoders (DE61-DE116) are shared by two outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Yasushi Kubota, Tatsumi Satoh
  • Publication number: 20040174334
    Abstract: In a shift register provided with flip-flops that operate in synchronism with a clock signal, and a switching means, which is opened and closed in response to an output of the preceding stage of each of the flip-flops, is installed. The clock signal is selectively inputted by the switching means, and the selected clock signal is inverted and used as a shift register output from each of the stages. Moreover, two kinds of clock signals, each of which has a duty ratio of not more than 50% and which have no overlapped portions in their low-level periods, are used so as to prevent the outputs of the shift-register from overlapping each other. Thus, it is possible to provide a shift register which is preferably used for a driving circuit of an image display device, can miniaturize the driving circuit, and can desirably change the pulse width of the output signal, and also to provide an image display device using such a shift register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Hajime Washio, Yasushi Kubota, Kazuhiro Maeda, Yasuyoshi Kaise, Michael James Brownlow, Graham Andrew Cairns
  • Publication number: 20040160432
    Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided for scan driving that can significantly reduce the chip size. In first region AODD, odd-numbered output pads OUT1, OUT3, . . . OUT173, OUT175, driver circuits DR1, DR3, . . . DR173, DR175, and flip-flops SREG1, SREG3, SREG173, SREG175 in an order corresponding to the order of the odd-numbered scanning lines are each arranged as a column in the X-direction, and, at the same time, output pads OUTi, driver circuits DRi and flip-flops SREGi corresponding to the scanning lines are arranged in the same row in the Y-direction (chip width direction). In second region AEVEN, even-numbered output pads OUT2, OUT4, . . . OUT174, OUT176, driver circuits DR2, DR4, . . . DR174, DR176, and flip-flops SREG2, SREG4, . . .
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Yasushi Kubota, Seiji Murakami
  • Patent number: 6741231
    Abstract: An active matrix display device has a number of pixels arranged in matrix form, signal lines for supplying display signals to the pixels, and a driver circuit for driving the signal lines. The driver circuit includes a frequency divider circuit for frequency-dividing input multi-phase clock signals, a synchronous counter circuit for frequency-dividing part of the input multi-phase clock signals, and a decoder circuit for selecting a desired one of the signal lines based on outputs of the frequency divider circuit and the synchronous counter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Katoh, Yasushi Kubota, Hidehiko Chimura, Jun Koyama
  • Patent number: 6724363
    Abstract: A shift register is provided with a shift register section composed of a plurality of stages of flip-flops that operate in synchronization with a clock signal, and level shifters for boosting a start signal lower than a driving voltage and for applying the same to both ends of the shift register section, and the shift register is capable of switching the shift direction in accordance with the switching signal. The foregoing level shifters are current-driving-type level shifters that can operate even in the case where the transistor characteristics are inferior or in the case of fast operations, and that can carry out level shifting even with a start signal having a small amplitude. Furthermore, the foregoing level shifters are provided at both ends of the shift register section, respectively, and one of the same stops operating in accordance with a switching signal, so that consumed power should decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Satoh, Yasushi Kubota, Hajime Washio, Kazuhiro Maeda, Michael James Brownlow, Graham Andrew Cairns
  • Patent number: 6724361
    Abstract: In a shift register provided with flip-flops that operate in synchronism with a clock signal, and a switching means, which is opened and closed in response to an output of the preceding stage of each of the flip-flops, is installed. The clock signal is selectively inputted by the switching means, and the selected clock signal is inverted and used as a shift register output from each of the stages. An output pulse having the same width as the pulse of the clock signal is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Washio, Yasushi Kubota, Kazuhiro Maeda, Yasuyoshi Kaise, Michael James Brownlow, Graham Andrew Cairns
  • Patent number: 6693616
    Abstract: The surface area occupied by a digital type signal line driver circuit in an image display device is large, and this is an impediment to reducing the size of the display device. A memory circuit within a signal line driver circuit is made common among n signal lines (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2). One horizontal scan period is divided into n divisions, and all signal lines can be driven by performing processing with respect to signal lines differing by memory circuit and D/A converter circuit, respectively, during the period of each division. It thus becomes possible to make 1/n as many memory circuits and D/A conversion circuits within the signal line driver circuit as in a conventional example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Koyama, Munehiro Azami, Yasushi Kubota, Hajime Washio