Patents by Inventor Yutaka Nakai

Yutaka Nakai 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: 8427604
    Abstract: A display device includes a light source, an optical waveguide, a light-extracting portion, a liquid crystal dispersion layer and a drive circuit. The optical waveguide has two ends to guide light from one of the two ends to the other end. The light is emitted by the light source. The light-extracting portion is provided to a side face of the optical waveguide. The liquid crystal dispersion layer is included in the light-extracting portion and includes liquid crystal droplets whose mean diameter is 100 nm or less. The drive circuit applies a voltage to the light-extracting portion to generate an electric field in the liquid crystal dispersion layer so that the light transmitting through the optical waveguide is scattered to be extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yutaka Nakai, Tsuyoshi Hioki
  • Publication number: 20130082904
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display unit, an imaging element, and a first reflecting unit. The display unit emits a light. The imaging element has a major surface and is configured to form a real image of an object at a symmetric position of the object with the major surface serving as a plane of symmetry. The imaging element includes a portion not overlapping the display unit as viewed along a normal direction of the major surface. The first reflecting unit includes a portion facing the major surface, and is configured to reflect the light emitted from the display unit and to cause the light to be incident on the portion of the imaging element not overlapping the display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yutaka Nakai, Tsuyoshi Hioki
  • Publication number: 20130077021
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes light guide bodies, light sources, light extraction units, and a control unit. Each light guide body includes one end, another end on an opposite side, and a side surface. The light guide bodies are disposed with a pitch. Each of the light sources is juxtaposed to the one end of each light guide body and configured to cause a light to enter the light guide bodies. Each light extraction unit faces the side surface. Each light extraction unit includes light extraction elements. The control unit is configured to supply an electric signal to each light extraction unit. The control unit makes the light extraction units extract the light that enters the light guide bodies and propagates through the light guide bodies in accordance with the electric signal. Positions between the light extraction elements are uniformly distributed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yutaka Nakai, Tsuyoshi Hioki
  • Publication number: 20130077029
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an interference filter includes a base body, a lower semi-transmissive layer, and an upper semi-transmissive layer. The base body includes a major surface. The lower semi-transmissive layer is provided on the major surface. The upper semi-transmissive layer is provided on the lower semi-transmissive layer. The base body, the lower and upper semi-transmissive layers form a first region to selectively transmit blue light, a second region to selectively transmit green light, and a third region to selectively transmit red light, arranged in a plane parallel to the major surface. A distance between the lower semi-transmissive layer and the upper semi-transmissive layer in the second region is shorter than a distance between the lower semi-transmissive layer and the upper semi-transmissive layer in the first region, and shorter than a distance between the lower semi-transmissive layer and the upper semi-transmissive layer in the third region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hitoshi NAGATO, Takashi Miyazaki, Yutaka Nakai, Hajime Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20130077342
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes light emitting units, light guides, light extraction units, and a light receiver. The light emitting unit emits a light. The light guide guides the light. The light guide includes a side surface, and first and second ends. The side surface extends along a first direction. The light guides are disposed in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The light extraction unit faces the side surface and emits a light guided through the light guide toward an outside. The light receiver faces the first end and includes a photoelectric converter. The photoelectric converter receives a light which is guided through the light guide and emitted from the first end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Hioki, Yutaka Nakai
  • Publication number: 20130070482
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a light-guiding body, a light source, a wavelength selection transmission layer, and a light control layer. The light-guiding body has a first major surface, a second major surface opposite to the first major surface, and a side face connecting the first major surface and the second major surface. The wavelength selection transmission layer is provided on the second major surface. The first major surface has a plurality of concave portions having inclined faces inclined relative to the first major surface. A ratio of a total area of the plurality of the concave portions projected on the first major surface, relative to an area of the first major surface is 8% to 25%. The plurality of the concave portions is evenly provided in the first major surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi MIYAZAKI, Hitoshi NAGATO, Hajime YAMAGUCHI, Rei HASEGAWA, Yutaka NAKAI
  • Patent number: 8390610
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a plurality of optical waveguides which are arranged in a row and have light output areas, a plurality of light sources which emit light beams incident upon the optical waveguides, a plurality of scanning lines whose cross-sections have convex portions and concave portions alternately positioned in a column, wherein inner surfaces of each of the convex portions and the concave portions are arranged so as to face the optical waveguides, and, by applying an electric field, the convex portions and the concave portions undergo displacement, and a control unit which controls the scanning lines with the application of an electric field sequentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Hioki, Yutaka Nakai
  • Publication number: 20130021556
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a main substrate, and a light control layer. The main substrate includes a main base having a main surface, a wavelength selective transmission layer provided on the main surface, and a circuit layer provided on the wavelength selective transmission layer. The light control layer is stacked with the main substrate and has variable optical characteristics. The wavelength selective transmission layer includes lower and upper reflecting layers, and first and second spacer layers. The upper reflecting layer is provided on the lower reflecting layer. The first spacer layer is provided between the lower and upper reflecting layers. The second spacer layer is provided between the lower and upper reflecting layers, and has a different thickness from the first spacer layer. The circuit layer includes first and second pixel electrodes, and first and second switching elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hitoshi NAGATO, Takashi MIYAZAKI, Yutaka NAKAI, Hajime YAMAGUCHI, Koji SUZUKI, Rei HASEGAWA
  • Publication number: 20120327069
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a light source, a light guide, a light extraction unit, and a drive circuit. The light source emits a first light. The light guide has a first end, a second end arranged in a first direction, and a side surface extending in the first direction. The light guide guides the first light from the first end toward the second end. The light extraction unit opposes the side surface, and includes first and second conductive units provided parallel to the side surface. The light extraction unit extracts the first light guided inside the light guide by coming close to the side surface for a state in which a voltage is applied to the first and second conductive units. The drive circuit applies the voltage between the first and second conductive units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yutaka NAKAI, Tsuyoshi HIOKI
  • Patent number: 8264433
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a display part in which a plurality of light guide elements are extended in the column direction, and are arranged in the row direction in parallel with each other. A plurality of scanning lines are extended in the row direction to intersect the light guide elements, arranged in the column direction, transmission lines are extended along the light guide elements, and each of the transmission lines is connected to the scanning lines, respectively. Control elements are provided at intersections of the light guide elements and the scanning lines, and each of the control elements causes a part of a light beam traveled in the light guide element to the outside of the light guide element in response to a scanning signal supplied to the scanning line through the transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yutaka Nakai, Tsuyoshi Hioki
  • Publication number: 20120218778
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display element includes a light guide and a light extraction unit. The light guide extends in one direction, and is optically transmissive. The light extraction unit includes a displacement layer, a reflective layer provided on the displacement layer, and a light extraction layer provided on the reflective layer to oppose the light guide. A plurality of prisms are formed in one major surface of the light extraction layer opposing the reflective layer. A trough line is formed between mutually-adjacent ridgelines. The element has at least one selected from a configuration in which an angle between one of the oblique surfaces and one other major surface of the light extraction layer opposing the light guide is different between corresponding oblique surfaces of two mutually-adjacent prisms and a configuration in which the ridgelines of the prisms are non-parallel to the trough line between the ridgelines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi HIOKI, Yutaka NAKAI
  • Publication number: 20120207431
    Abstract: In one embodiment, in an optical device, a bar-shaped optical waveguide has either a polygonal or circular cross-sectional shape. A light entry portion is formed in a circumferential area of a first-end surface of the optical waveguide. The light entry portion includes a sloping surface having a normal vector containing a component in a circumferential direction of the first-end surface. An incident light beam travels towards a second-end surface of the optical waveguide while repeating total reflections on a side surface of the optical waveguide. The incident light beam travels without passing through a central portion in a cross section of the optical waveguide. A light exit portion is formed in the side surface of the optical waveguide. The light exit portion is configured to let the light beam in the optical waveguide out of the optical waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: Yutaka Nakai, Tsuyoshi Hioki
  • Publication number: 20120188499
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a light source, a light guide, a light extraction unit, and a drive circuit. The light guide is configured to guide light emitted by the light source from one end side of the light guide toward one other end side of the light guide. The light extraction unit is provided on a surface of the light guide, and includes a liquid crystal dispersion layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The liquid crystal dispersion layer includes liquid crystal droplets, and the first and second electrodes are configured to cause an electric field to occur in the liquid crystal dispersion layer. The drive circuit is configured to apply a voltage between the electrodes. Liquid crystal molecules included in the liquid crystal droplets are configured to have an orientation parallel to the surface of the light guide in the electric field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yutaka NAKAI, Tsuyoshi Hioki
  • Publication number: 20120176811
    Abstract: A light-emitting element includes: a light source; a light guide member having a columnar shape and comprising a plurality of side surfaces containing a pair of parallel total reflection principal surfaces and other surfaces than the total reflection principal surfaces, an upper bottom surface disposed so that light from the light source reaches the total reflection principal surfaces, and a lower bottom surface disposed opposite to the upper bottom surface; clad portions provided on the other side surfaces of the light guide member than the total reflection principal surfaces, the clad portions having a smaller refractive index than that of the light guide member; and a light extraction portion provided on one part of the total reflection principal surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yutaka NAKAI, Tsuyoshi HIOKI
  • Publication number: 20120176423
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes an optical switch panel, and a light source device. The optical switch panel includes pixels and a drive part controlling transmissivity of the pixels. The light source device is stacked with the panel and includes a light source to emit a source light, a light guiding unit, interference filters, and light controlling parts. The light guiding unit includes a light guide region guiding the source light, a reflecting part provided around the region to reflect the source light, and apertures provided around the region and causing semi-collimated light to be emitted. The interference filters cause lights in certain wavelength dands of the light emitted from the aperture to pass. The light controlling parts cause the lights through the filters to enter the pixels to form an image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hitoshi NAGATO, Takashi MIYAZAKI, Yutaka NAKAI, Tomio ONO, Yoshinori HONGUH, Hideki NUKADA, Yuzo HIRAYAMA, Hajime YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8198647
    Abstract: A light emitting apparatus, includes: a substrate; a semiconductor device including a semiconductor layer formed integrally on a major surface of the substrate; and a light emitting device formed separately from the substrate. The light emitting device is mounted on the major surface of the substrate, electrically connected to the semiconductor device, and thermally connected to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Hioki, Yutaka Nakai, Noburu Fukushima
  • Publication number: 20120113680
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a light guide body includes a light guide plate and a prism array unit. The light guide plate has a major surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface on an opposite side to the first side surface. The prism array unit is provided on the major surface to be in contact with the major surface. The prism array unit includes a plurality of prism bodies. Each of the prism bodies extends along a first direction from the first side surface to the second side surface. The prism bodies are disposed to align along a second direction parallel to the major surface and perpendicular to the first direction. A vertex angle of the prism bodies is a substantially right angle. A refractive index of the prism bodies is higher than a refractive index of the light guide plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yutaka NAKAI, Tsuyoshi HIOKI, Yoshinori HONGUH, Takeshi MORINO, Masataka SHIRATSUCHI
  • Publication number: 20120113682
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a surface lighting apparatus includes surface light source units stacked, and a control unit. Each surface light source unit includes a light guide plate and light-emitting units. The light guide plate includes a light incident surface for introducing light emitted by the light-emitting units, and a light-outputting region configured to output light through a front surface. The front surface is provided with a light transmission control part to prevent light from diffusing in a direction of arranging the light-emitting units. The light-emitting units are linearly arranged opposite to the light incident surface. The control unit controls a light intensity for each of the light-emitting units. A light guide plate of each surface light source unit other than a lowermost surface light source unit further includes a window region configured to transmit light output from one or more lower surface light source units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Inventors: Takeshi Morino, Masataka SHIRATSUCHI, Yoshinori HONGUH, Masahiro BABA, Ryosuke NONAKA, Masako KASHIWAGI, Yutaka NAKAI
  • Publication number: 20120068628
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device in which one display screen is formed by a plurality of one-dimensional device structures is disclosed. Each of the one-dimensional device structures includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged linearly, a first driving line group configured to drive the pixel array, a plurality of inter-pixel circuits arranged between a first pixel and a second pixel of the plurality of pixels to perform a sequential operation from the first pixel to the second pixel, and a second driving line group configured to drive the inter-pixel circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Hioki, Yutaka Nakai
  • Publication number: 20120038848
    Abstract: A backlight includes a case having plural apertures in a main face thereof and a light source disposed in the case. A total area of the plural apertures is not less than 8% and not more than 15% of an area of the main face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hitoshi NAGATO, Takashi Miyazaki, Yutaka Nakai, Hajime Yamaguchi