Patents by Inventor Yukito Saitoh

Yukito Saitoh 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).

  • Publication number: 20240085320
    Abstract: Provided are an optical element that causes a guided-mode resonance phenomenon to occur using a liquid crystal diffraction element to reflect light in a specific wavelength range such that the reflection wavelength range can be widened and the controllability of the width of the reflection wavelength range is also excellent, and an optical sensor including the above-described optical element. The optical element includes a liquid crystal layer that is formed of a composition including a liquid crystal compound, in which the liquid crystal layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, the liquid crystal compound is twisted and aligned in a thickness direction, and the liquid crystal layer further has a resonance structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yukito SAITOH, Hiroshi SATO
  • Publication number: 20240085607
    Abstract: Provided is an optical element in which the occurrence of sidelobe is suppressed and a reflectivity is high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Yukito SAITOH
  • Patent number: 11927792
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide: an optical element in which incident light can be transmitted or reflected at an angle in the predetermined direction and the wavelength dependence of the amount of transmitted light or reflected light is small; and an optical element including the optical element. The optical element according to the present invention comprises: an optically-anisotropic layer that is formed using a composition including a liquid crystal compound and an infrared absorbing colorant, in which the optically-anisotropic layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, and an absorption of the infrared absorbing colorant in a wavelength range of 700 to 2000 nm in a minor axis direction is higher than an absorption of the infrared absorbing colorant in a wavelength range of 700 to 2000 nm in a major axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Yukito Saitoh, Ayako Muramatsu, Mayumi Nojiri, Hideyuki Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20240077664
    Abstract: Provided is a sensor having a high SN ratio. The sensor includes a light source, a band pass filter, and a light-receiving element, in which the band pass filter includes two cholesteric liquid crystal layers and a discontinuous layer disposed between the two cholesteric liquid crystal layers, in the two cholesteric liquid crystal layers, helical twisted directions and helical pitches are the same, and in a case where the discontinuous layer is a layer other than a cholesteric liquid crystal layer and a wavelength having a lowest reflectivity in a selective reflection wavelength range of the band pass filter is represented by ?m [nm], a thickness [nm] is in a range of “30×(?m/550) to 150×(?m/550)”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi SATO, Katsumi SASATA, Yukito SAITOH
  • Publication number: 20240069257
    Abstract: Provided are a cholesteric liquid crystal layer having a high diffraction efficiency, a method of forming the same, and a laminate, a light guide element, and an image display device that include the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer is obtained by immobilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, in which the cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, in a cross-section observed with a SEM, bright portions and dark portions are tilted, in a case where a tilt angle of a direction in which an in-plane retardation is minimum with respect to a normal line in a slow axis plane or a fast axis plane is represented by ?2, an absolute value of an optical axis tilt angle ? represented by “sin ?2=n·sin ? (n represents an average refractive index of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer)” is 5° or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi SASATA, Hiroshi SATO, Yukito SAITOH
  • Publication number: 20240036343
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal diffraction element in which chromatic aberration is small and diffraction efficiency is high in the liquid crystal diffraction element, and an image display apparatus and a head mounted display which use this diffraction element. The liquid crystal diffraction element includes an optically anisotropic layer that is formed of a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound, where the optically anisotropic layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating along at least one in-plane direction, and the optically anisotropic layer has at least a curved surface portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi SATO, Naoyoshi YAMADA, Yukito SAITOH, Takashi YONEMOTO
  • Patent number: 11886071
    Abstract: A light guide element includes: a light guide plate; and a diffraction element that is disposed on a main surface of the light guide plate, in which the diffraction element includes a liquid crystal layer that is formed of a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound and has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, a refractive index of the light guide plate is 1.70 or higher, and in a case where the refractive index of the light guide plate is represented by nd and a refractive index of the liquid crystal layer is represented by nk, nk?nd?0 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Fumitake Mitobe, Katsumi Sasata, Yukito Saitoh, Akiko Watano
  • Publication number: 20240027783
    Abstract: Provided are a beam combiner that can obtain a fine and clear interference pattern, a method of forming an alignment film in which a fine and clear alignment pattern can be obtained, and a method of manufacturing an optical element including a fine and clear liquid crystal alignment pattern. The beam combiner includes: a beam combiner element that emits light where light transmitted through a first surface and light reflected from a second surface are combined; a light control element that is provided on an upstream side of the beam combiner; and a polarization conversion layer that converts polarized light of the light emitted from the beam combiner element, in which an absolute value of an ellipticity of light emitted from the polarization conversion layer is 0.7 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi YONEMOTO, Hiroshi SATO, Yukito SAITOH
  • Publication number: 20240019810
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image display device capable of easily detecting an eye gaze. The object is achieved by providing an image display optical system; an infrared light source that irradiates an eyeball of a user with infrared light; a hologram element that transmits infrared light emitted by the infrared light source and reflected by the eyeball of the user; and an infrared light image sensor that images infrared light transmitted through the hologram element, in which the hologram element acts on infrared light without acting on visible light and emits reproduced infrared light with an intensity distribution in a plane direction corresponding to an eye gaze of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Megumi SEKIGUCHI, Naoyoshi YAMADA, Takehiro KASAHARA, Yukito SAITOH, Ryoji HIMENO, Makoto KAMO
  • Patent number: 11860504
    Abstract: Provided is an optical scanning device having a stable scanning direction corresponding to a temperature fluctuation of a semiconductor laser by being provided with a predetermined liquid crystal optical element utilizing a characteristic of a linear expansion coefficient of a support of a liquid crystal diffraction element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yukito Saitoh, Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 11852940
    Abstract: An optically anisotropic film is formed of a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound and has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction of the optically anisotropic film, and the optically anisotropic film satisfies predetermined requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Yonemoto, Yukito Saitoh, Hiroshi Sato, Yuki Fukushima, Mitsuyoshi Ichihashi, Keisuke Kodama, Shunya Katoh, Naoto Yanase
  • Publication number: 20230400694
    Abstract: Provided is a virtual image display device where a scenery and a video can be displayed to be superimposed on each other and a field of view is wide. The virtual image display device includes: a transparent display; and an optical system that is disposed on a visible side with respect to the transparent display, in which the optical system includes a half mirror and a reflective polarizer, and at least one of the half mirror or the reflective polarizer has an action of a concave mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyoshi YAMADA, Hirofumi TOYAMA, Yukito SAITOH
  • Patent number: 11835823
    Abstract: A transmissive liquid crystal diffraction element includes a rod-like liquid crystal layer where a rod-like liquid crystal compound is aligned and a disk-like liquid crystal layer where a disk-like liquid crystal compound is aligned that are alternately laminated, in which each of the liquid crystal layers has a predetermined liquid crystal alignment pattern, rotation directions of optical axes in the liquid crystal alignment patterns are the same, single periods of the liquid crystal alignment patterns are the same, a thickness direction retardation |Rth| of each of the liquid crystal layers is 65 nm or less, and at an interface between the liquid crystal layers, longitudinal directions of the liquid crystal compounds match with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yukito Saitoh, Hiroshi Sato, Takashi Yonemoto
  • Patent number: 11835744
    Abstract: Provided is a sensor having a high SN ratio. The sensor includes a light source, a band pass filter, and a light-receiving element, in which the band pass filter includes two cholesteric liquid crystal layers and a discontinuous layer disposed between the two cholesteric liquid crystal layers, in the two cholesteric liquid crystal layers, helical twisted directions and helical pitches are the same, and in a case where the discontinuous layer is a layer other than a cholesteric liquid crystal layer and a wavelength having a lowest reflectivity in a selective reflection wavelength range of the band pass filter is represented by ?m [nm], a thickness [nm] is in a range of “30×(?m/550) to 150×(?m/550)”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Katsumi Sasata, Yukito Saitoh
  • Patent number: 11828960
    Abstract: Provided are a cholesteric liquid crystal layer having a high diffraction efficiency, and a laminate, a light guide element, and an image display device that include the same. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer is obtained by immobilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, in which the cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, in a case where a tilt angle of a direction in which an in-plane retardation is minimum with respect to a normal line in a slow axis plane or a fast axis plane is represented by ?2, an absolute value of an optical axis tilt angle ? represented by “sin ?2=n·sin ? (n represents an average refractive index of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer)” is 5° or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Sasata, Hiroshi Sato, Yukito Saitoh
  • Patent number: 11815706
    Abstract: Provided are a method of manufacturing an optical element in which an optically-anisotropic layer having a small amount of in-plane unevenness can be prepared, and an optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Yukito Saitoh
  • Patent number: 11796880
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid crystal diffraction element that diffracts incident light while allowing transmission of the incident light and has wavelength selectivity, and a laminated diffraction element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yukito Saitoh, Katsumi Sasata, Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 11796854
    Abstract: Provided are an optical member in which emission of stray light to the outside can be suppressed and an image display apparatus. The optical member includes: a light guide element including a light guide plate and an incidence diffraction element and an emission diffraction element that are disposed on a main surface of the light guide plate; and a polarization element that blocks transmission of light leaking to a side of the emission diffraction element opposite to an emission side, wherein the emission diffraction element is a polarization diffraction element, the polarization element is disposed on the side of the emission diffraction element opposite to the emission side, and the polarization element is disposed at a position overlapping the emission diffraction element in a plane direction of the main surface of the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Katsumi Sasata, Yukito Saitoh
  • Patent number: 11782196
    Abstract: Provided are a cholesteric liquid crystal layer that diffracts specific circularly polarized light in a specific wavelength range by transmission, and a method of forming the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer is obtained by immobilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, in which the cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, in a cross-section of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer observed with a scanning electron microscope, bright portions and dark portions derived from the cholesteric liquid crystalline phase are tilted at 80° or more with respect to a main surface of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Sasata, Hiroshi Sato, Yukito Saitoh
  • Publication number: 20230288719
    Abstract: An optical element includes a light guide plate, an incidence portion, and an emission portion, in which the incidence/emission portion includes an ?1 diffraction element having a diffraction period ?1, an ?2 diffraction element having a diffraction period ?2, and an ?3 diffraction element having a diffraction period ?3, “?1:?2:?3 = 1: 1/?2± 0.015: ½ ± 0.015” is satisfied, an angle between periodic directions of the ?1 diffraction element and the ?2 diffraction element and an angle between periodic directions of the ?2 diffraction element and the ?3 diffraction element is 45° or 135° (± 0.5°), and an angle between the periodic directions of the ?2 diffraction elements in the incidence portion and the emission portion is any one of 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270° (± 0.5°).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Fumitake MITOBE, Katsumi SASATA, Hiroshi SATO, Akiko WATANO, Yukito SAITOH