Patents Issued in June 28, 2001
  • Publication number: 20010005220
    Abstract: In an image pickup device, a crystal as an optical low pass filter is rotatable in a vertical plane that is vertical to an optical axis. In a normal mode and a shift mode, the crystal is rotated in order to change a separation direction of pixels. Thereby, moirés in a circular zone can be eliminated in the normal mode, and moirés in a high frequency side can be eliminated in the shift mode while a contrast zero line is not passed through the center section of the circular zone in order to prevent the decreasing of a resolution and to improve the characteristic of the shift mode. Because the rotary mechanism can be formed simply and smaller, the device can be manufactured with a low coast and a high realibility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Yoshichi Otake, Fumio Nidaira, Hideki Tengeiji, Shouji Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20010005221
    Abstract: A current frame portion (21) stores therein the most recent information of an image of those fingerprint images input from an inputted unit (1), while a previous frame portion (22) stores therein image information saved in the current frame portion (21). A pixel comparing portion (31) compares mutually corresponding pixel gray-level value information saved in the current frame portion (21) and the previous frame portion (22) respectively. A gray-level-value-changed pixels counting portion (32) counts the gray-level-value-increased pixels and the gray-level-value-decreased pixels based on the resultant information of that comparison of the pixel gray-level values. A pick-up timing deciding portion (33) utilizes the results obtained by the gray-level-value-changed pixels counting portion (32), to automatically detect a fingerprint image appropriate for matching in order to thus decide pick-up timing and also in order to output to an output unit (4) an appropriate fingerprint image based on the decision results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Lei Huang
  • Publication number: 20010005222
    Abstract: An automatic correcting device of an identification photo system comprises a skin pigmentation area abstracting device that abstracts a skin pigmentation area from an image of a person, a skin pigmentation correction value calculating device that calculates skin pigmentation correction values according to colors of the skin pigmentation area abstracted by the skin pigmentation area abstracting device and a predetermined skin pigmentation correction target value, and a color correcting device that corrects colors of the skin pigmentation area according to the skin pigmentation correction values calculated by the skin pigmentation correction value calculating device. Thus, the skin pigmentation of the person in the photo can be corrected to the person's true pigmentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20010005223
    Abstract: A data recording apparatus includes a slot for receiving a memory card having a disk, a flash memory and a controller. Each time one frame of compressed image data is recorded to the disk, a vacant capacity value of the disk is written to the flash memory. This vacant capacity value is read out according to an instruction given from a CPU. When the vacant capacity of the disk is lower than the vacant capacity of a compressed image area formed in an SDRAM, the CPU invalidates the vacant capacity of the compressed image area in a portion exceeding the vacant capacity of the disk. This restricts the number of frames to be picture-taken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsunoda, Akira Toba
  • Publication number: 20010005224
    Abstract: A CMOS image sensor for providing a wider dynamic range even at a low power supply voltage level includes a plurality of unit pixels and a control unit. Each unit pixel includes: a light sensing element for sensing an incident light to generate photoelectric charges to a sensing node; a first switching unit, coupled between a power terminal and the sensing node, for transferring a reset voltage level from a voltage source to the light sensing element; an amplification unit for amplifying a voltage level of the sensing node to output an amplified signal, wherein one terminal of the amplification unit is coupled to a ground terminal; a second switching unit, coupled between an output node and the other terminal of the amplification unit, for outputting the amplified signal as an image data via the output node. The control unit, which is coupled between the power terminal and the output node, controls an output resistance of the output node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Do-Young Lee
  • Publication number: 20010005225
    Abstract: An electronic exposure control system for an active pixel CMOS image sensor includes a row decoder and a column decoder for respective row-wise and column-wise addressing of the image signal generating pixels. The decoders receive row and column addresses and control signals from a controller. The row addresses received by the row decoder are alternately switched between a predetermined row address for resetting the image signals of pixels in said row and another predetermined spaced apart row address for enabling the image signals of pixels in said selected row to be read out by the column decoder. By providing a predetermined sequence of row addresses, a “rolling shutter” can be created and/or the exposure time of the pixels can be selected to be different from the time to expose an entire frame. The image sensor can also be operated in an interlaced mode and/or specific areas on the image sensor can be selected to be reset and read out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: VINCENT S. CLARK, PETER K. DUANE, R. DANIEL MCGRATH
  • Publication number: 20010005226
    Abstract: An image sensor and a pixel reading method used this image sensor, in which the accuracy of a black level can be increased by that an optical black region being the black level reference of signals is read every horizontal line at a local or random access mode, are provided. And also the structure of a camera system used this image sensor can be simplified is provided. The image sensor is a MOS type image sensor composed of a pixel array region and an optical black region disposed at the one end in the pixel array region. And the MOS type image sensor provides a mode selector that selects the local access or random access mode or a frame access mode. When the local access or random access mode is activated, the image sensor decides a pixel reading region in the pixel array region. The image sensor reads information of one or more pixels having a designated horizontal line address in the pixel reading region every horizontal line address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Muramatsu, Hidemitsu Nikou
  • Publication number: 20010005227
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes unit cells, arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, each having a photodiode for photoelectrically converting incident light to store signal charges, a readout transistor Td for reading out the signal charges and amplifying transistor Tb for amplifying signals readout at a detection node, a plurality of vertical shift registers for generating signal charge readout pulses ESi, DRi, ROi and a voltage switching circuit for setting a voltage VDR of the readout pulse DRi for dynamic range control lower than voltages of both a readout pulse ESi for an electronic shutter and a usual readout pulse ROi. The solid-state imaging device provides excellent images without clipping from a small signal region to large signal region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Egawa, Shinji Ohsawa, Yukio Endo, Nobuo Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20010005228
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device comprising a photoelectric converter portion, a solid-state image sensor, and a controlling means. The photoelectric converter portion has a plurality of photoelectric converters arranged in two dimensions on a semiconductor substrate. The solid-state image sensor vertically transfers charges, transferred from the photoelectric converter portion, at separate times of first transfer and second transfer. Further, the photoelectric converter portion has a vertical transfer portion, in which first and fourth gates are provided for odd-numbered photoelectric converters, and second and third gates are provided for even-numbered photoelectric converters, and a horizontal transfer portion for horizontally transferring charges transferred from the vertical transfer portion. The controlling means supplies the vertical transfer portion with vertical transfer pulses and the horizontal transfer portion with horizontal transfer pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Hiromasa Funakoshi, Ryoji Asada, Kazumasa Motoda
  • Publication number: 20010005229
    Abstract: An information recording apparatus for recording external information of the present invention including an input unit for transmitting a user's instruction to the information recording apparatus. The input unit includes a cross key and a dot matrix display arranged to be wedged in the crossing of the cross key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Takeshi Misawa, Toshita Hara, Takeyoshi Ito
  • Publication number: 20010005230
    Abstract: Motion of a user's line of sight is detected. If motion of the user's line of sight stops for a period of time greater than a fixed period of time, a shutter-release operation is performed. Image data representing the image of aL subject obtained by shutter release is recorded on a memory card. This makes it possible to record image data on the memory card without pressing a shutter-release button.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20010005231
    Abstract: When an instruction to record an image is provided while a live view is being displayed, the image shot immediately before the provision of the instruction is displayed while a half mirror is moving to retract from the optical path, and the image to be recorded shot immediately therebefore is displayed while the half mirror is moving to advance onto the optical path. To indicate that shooting, preparations and recording of the image to be recorded are in progress, the brightness of the displayed image is gradually changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: MINOLTA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20010005232
    Abstract: The digital camera having a taking lens, a finder for viewing light transmitted through the taking lens, an image sensing element for optoelectrically converting light which passes through the taking lens, a light splitting means capable of changing transmittance and dividing the light transmitted through the taking lens to the image sensing element and the finder, a light splitting means driving means for driving the light splitting means to a position to split the light between the image sensing element and the viewfinder when viewing and driving the light splitting means to retract a position for directing the light only to the image sensing element during photography, and a control means for controlling the light splitting means to a semitransparent state to direct light to the image sensing element and the viewfinder when viewing and controlling the light splitting means to a blocking state during photography.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Daigo Yoshioka, Hisanori Itoh, Yoshio Nakagawa, Shoichi Minato
  • Publication number: 20010005233
    Abstract: A video data display board, device or method for inputting and displaying video data including vertical blanking interval data containing character data and other image data than the vertical blanking interval data. The video data display device has a data transfer circuit capable of transferring both of the data to devices different from each other, so that the processing of character information and image data are performed by using the different devices which perform an appropriate process according to the property of the data. The processed character and image data are displayed on a graphic display screen simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Itaru Nonomura, Yasuhiro Furukawa, Kazushige Hiroi, Akio Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20010005234
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a digital television relay system for relaying wirelessly a broadcasting signal discharged from a broadcasting station. In order to cover shadow areas of the digital broadcasting channel signal discharged from a digital television transmitter, the present invention receives the broadcasting channel signal of a certain frequency discharged from the broadcasting station, performs channel-decoding, compensates a transmission error occurred in space, and relays it wirelessly to a subscriber in the shadow areas. Accordingly, the present invention can provide a digital television broadcasting service with transmission quality same with the broadcasting station to the subscriber in the shadow areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Kwang-Joo Choi, Seong-Hwan Oh, Cheol Lee, Byung-Heon Lee
  • Publication number: 20010005235
    Abstract: An adaptive comb filter small in circuit scale and simple in circuit constitution is provided. The frequency band component of chrominance signal is extracted from a composite color video signal by a bandpass filter. The extracted chrominance signal is delay by a delay circuit by one horizontal period. A subtraction output is obtained by a first subtracting circuit between the output signal of the bandpass filter and the output signal of the delay circuit. An addition output is obtained by a adding circuit between the output signal of the bandpass filter and the output signal of the delay circuit. A correlation detecting circuit is provided that outputs a binary signal k0 based on a relationship between the output of the first subtracting circuit and the output of the adding circuit. This binary signal k0 and a signal k1 obtained by delaying this binary signal k0 by a second delay circuit by one horizontal period are supplied to an arithmetic block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masami Goseki
  • Publication number: 20010005236
    Abstract: To present a broadcasting system of data broadcast capable of changing the screen display in a receiver, by displaying selectively the broadcast contents of plural channels on a receiving screen of digital satellite broadcasting of one channel, and selecting desired broadcast contents from plural on-air channels by viewer's local command operation. It is realized by broadcasting a reception screen 1 and a program Pr for controlling the sound suited to this screen 1 to a receiver Tv by using data broadcasting band in television broadcasting, and also broadcasting images of one channel of program and broadcast contents of plural programs used in data broadcast in the sound broadcasting band usually in combination to the receiver Tv, and, at the receiver Tv, selecting one desired program from the combined image and sound mixed signals of plural programs by the program Pr already received, and displaying on the screen 1 of the receiver Tv and delivering the sound of this screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Kentaro Nakada, Masanao Kobayashi, Akira Tomomitsu
  • Publication number: 20010005237
    Abstract: 1. A display device is manufactured having a display with an auxiliary plate. The display window (3) and the auxiliary plate (15) are oriented at an angle of tilt &agr;1, preferably substantially vertically, the volume in between the display window and auxiliary plate is filed up to a selected level height (h) with uncured resin, a seal (17) and an opening (18) being provided at or near the highest point. Thereafter the display window is reoriented to a more horizontal position (smaller angle of tilt &agr;2) the auxiliary plate being positioned on top of the display window inducing a flow v of curable material (16) towards the opening (18), and when the resin has reached the opening the resin near the opening is plugged, where after the angle of tilt is further reduced and the resin is fully cured. FIG.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Gosse Charles De Vries
  • Publication number: 20010005238
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for manufacturing a fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display device. Here, a gate bus line has a double layer structure of an ITO layer and an opaque metal layer, and thus the gate bus line and a counter electrode region where a counter electrode is formed are formed at the same time. In addition, a data bus line has a double layer structure of the ITO layer and the opaque metal layer, and thus the data bus line and a pixel electrode region where a pixel electrode is formed are formed at the same time. A polyimide layer is employed as an electrode insulating layer formed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Suk Shin Yun, Seong Yik Park, Young Tae Kwon
  • Publication number: 20010005239
    Abstract: A transmissive display device using a micro light modulator that is capable of improving a light efficiency. In the display device, each of first and second transparent substrates has first and second surfaces. A plurality of stationary members are provided on the first surface of the first transparent substrate in a line with and at a desired distance from each other in a stripe shape. A plurality of movable members are opposed to portions at which the stationary members are not provided on the first transparent substrate and takes a bridge shape to have each end secured to onto the first surface of the second transparent substrate and a center portion floated by a desired distance. spacers are provided at the edges of the display device in such a manner that the first surface of the first transparent substrate is opposed to the first surface of the second transparent, thereby constantly keeping a distance between each stationary member and each movable member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Yong Sung Ham
  • Publication number: 20010005240
    Abstract: A signal processing circuit board includes a board body, a variable electronic element, and a hole. The variable electronic element is mounted in a mounting side of the board body. The variable electronic element has an operating member to control an output outputted from the variable electronic element in a single side of the variable electronic element. The hole is provided in the board body. The operating member is positioned in the hole such that the operating member points in the other side opposite to the mounting side of the board body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Takeishi
  • Publication number: 20010005241
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel including a pair of opposing substrates and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the substrates, at least one driver circuit disposed at a periphery of one of the substrates for applying a drive voltage to the liquid crystal layer, a circuit board mounting thereon a display control circuit for controlling and driving the at least one driver circuit. The circuit board includes a chip component having a pair of electrodes disposed at respective ends thereof, the electrodes are soldered to a pair of land areas disposed on the circuit board, respectively. A portion of a respective one of the land areas is covered with a protrusion of a solder resist layer protruding from a center of a side of the respective one of the pair of land areas opposite from mutually facing sides of the pair of land areas toward a center of the respective one of the pair of land areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamate, Yoshiyuki Tsujita
  • Publication number: 20010005242
    Abstract: There is provided a light source unit for a liquid crystal projector such as a so-called two purpose type liquid crystal projector which can advantageously be used in a device which does not discriminate between the top and bottom plates being oriented in an upward or downward position and in which the inner space of the light source unit is kept substantially hermetically sealed and can be efficiently cooled. Foreign bodies such as pieces from the breakage of the lamp do not drop out of the light source unit and thus do not damage the other components due to the specific construction of the light source unit which is comprised of a light source lamp, a concave reflector for projecting reflected light from the light source lamp in a substantial horizontal direction, a transparent front plate covering the front opening of the concave reflector, and aeration ports formed near the front circumferential edge of the concave reflector which are arranged only at the lateral side of the light source unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Kenji Imamura, Mituo Narita
  • Publication number: 20010005243
    Abstract: The improved liquid-crystal display apparatus has a liquid-crystal display panel, a backlight section that issues collimated light launched and a light diffusing plate and satisfies either the relation p/tan &thgr; ≦ L or d×tan &thgr;≦ A, or the both relations, where p is the average pitch of emergence of the collimated light, &thgr; is the divergence angle of the collimated light, L is the distance from the collimating plate to the interface in the liquid-crystal layer of the liquid-crystal display panel which is directed to the collimating plate, d is the distance from the light diffusing plate to the interface in the liquid-crystal layer of the liquid-crystal display panel which is directed to the light diffusing plate, and A is the pixel size of the liquid-crystal display panel. The apparatus can display images of high contrast and quality over a wide range of viewing angles without having unevenness and blur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Akira Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20010005244
    Abstract: A display device (1) is provided with a means (15) for selectively transmitting and blocking light from specific areas of the image. The means for blocking comprises an LCD cells or a number of LCD cells, which cells comprises an oriented polymer network, an LC material with negative &Dgr;&egr; and a pleochroic dye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Dirk Jan Broer, Hendrik De Koning, Gosse Charles De Vries, Mark Thomas Johnson
  • Publication number: 20010005245
    Abstract: In a color liquid crystal display, a shading film including a first filter formed from a red resist film, a second filter formed from a blue resist film laminated on the first filter and a third filter formed from a green resist film laminated on the first filter and the second filter is formed on a TFT substrate. Therefore, increment of an optical leak in the TFT is restricted when the shading film is formed by laminating plural filters to be a color filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Yuji Yamamoto, Mamoru Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20010005246
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device is disclosed, comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal layer which has an intrinsic helical pitch of approximately twice as large as a thickness of the liquid crystal layer and also has a bistable character capable of switching by an application of voltage, and further provided with at least one birefringent medium layer between a polarizer and a substrate. This construction of the liquid crystal display device results in a reduction of birefringent effects, whereby achieving a high contrast, satisfactory color purity, and other display characteristics such as a higher duty ratio operation and faster time response, suitable for displaying a large volume of information data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 1997
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: YASUYUKI TAKIGUCHI, HIROYUKI TAKAHASHI, AKIHIKO KANEMOTO
  • Publication number: 20010005247
    Abstract: An OCB (optically compensated bend)-type liquid crystal display device is provided, which possesses high serviceability by suppressing disturbances of the liquid crystal molecules due to nearby electric fields or irregularities of the orientation surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Hironori Kikkawa
  • Publication number: 20010005248
    Abstract: There is a liquid crystal display element capable of obtaining a good display performance which is not influenced by the deterioration with the time course and the history of applied voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Rieko Fukushima, Kohki Takatoh
  • Publication number: 20010005249
    Abstract: An electrooptic device (2), and the methods for manufacturing, including a liquid crystal material (12) disposed between electroded flat glass or polymer substrates (4, 20) which have been precoated with a e.g. a chiral smectic surface layer (10, 14) in such way that the surface layer is able to mediate switching of the liquid crystal (12) between different optical states. The chiral smectic surface layer can be a polymer, oligomer or monomer liquid crystal with paraelectric, ferroelectric, ferrielectric or antiferroelectric response, which is insoluble in the liquid crystal used for the bulk (12) between the electroded substrates (4, 20). the switchable surface director enforces a certain orientation of the optic axis in the bulk liquid crystal (12), which can be a conventional non-chiral or chiral nematic or smectic in a twisted or non-twisted configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Bengt Stebler, Dietrich Demus, Torbjorn Lagerwall, Lachezar Komitov
  • Publication number: 20010005250
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling a pretilt angle direction for a liquid crystal cell comprising the steps of first setting the magnitude of pretilt angle and a plurality of pretilt angle directions in an alignment layer. This first step is achieved by irradiating linearly the alignment layer with polarized or unpolarized UV light. One of the plurality of pretilt angle directions is then selected by exposing the alignment layer to UV light a second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Yuriy Reznikov, Oleq Yaroshchuk, Joung Won Woo, Yoo Jin Choi, Ki Hyuk Yoon, Mi Sook Nam, Jong Hyung Kim, Soon Bum Kwon
  • Publication number: 20010005251
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) in which the direction of a fringe field produced at one unit pixel is orthogonal to the direction of a fringe field produced at each of unit pixels adjacent to the one unit pixel. The disclosed fringe field switching mode LCD includes counter electrodes and pixel electrodes arranged on a back substrate to produce a fringe field having horizontal elements parallel to data bus lines at one unit pixel while producing a fringe field having horizontal elements parallel to gate bus lines at each of unit pixels longitudinally and laterally adjacent to the one unit pixel. In this LCD, the rubbing axis of a back horizontal alignment film defines an angle of ±45±10° with respect to each of the gate bus lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Hyang Yul Kim, Seung Hee Lee
  • Publication number: 20010005252
    Abstract: Disclosed is an in plane switching (IPS) mode LCD device and method for manufacturing the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Kyung Ha Lee, Jeong Geun Kim, Seung Yik Park
  • Publication number: 20010005253
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display including: a first transparent substrate coated with a first alignment layer, a second transparent substrate coated with a second alignment layer, the second substrate facing the first transparent substrate, a liquid crystal layer between the substrates, a polarizer attached on the outer surfaces of the substrates, a pair of electrodes formed on the first substrates, and a driving circuit applying signal voltage to the electrodes. The liquid crystal molecules adjacent to the first substrate is rotated by applying the voltage, but, the liquid crystal molecule adjacent to the second substrate is fixed regardless of the applied voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Hiroshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20010005254
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel, a first gate driver substrate, a second gate driver substrate and a source driver substrate. The liquid crystal panel includes cells arrayed in matrix. The first substrate is provided in a first outer portion of the liquid crystal panel, and has a first drive circuit provided to drive a set of signal lines in an X-axis direction of the liquid crystal panel. The second substrate is provided in a second outer portion opposite to the first outer portion of the liquid crystal panel, and has a second drive circuit provided to drive another set of signal lines in the X-axis direction of the liquid crystal panel. The third substrate is provide between the first substrate and the second substrate, and has a third drive circuit provided to drive a set of signal lines in a Y-axis direction of the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiya Oishi
  • Publication number: 20010005255
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display element includes a pair of substrates made of plastic, a liquid crystal sandwiched between the pair of substrates, and a plurality of spacers for maintaining a gap d between the pair of substrates, which are sandwiched between the pair of substrates, and when x is an average value of thickness of the plurality of spacers in a state without a load in such a direction that the plurality of spacers are sandwiched between the pair of substrates, d<x≦1.1d is satisfied. Further, in the liquid crystal display element, a numerical density of the spacers is set to be not less than 240 pieces/mm2 and not more than 300 pieces/mm2. Further, in the liquid crystal display element, an elastic modulus of the spacers is set to be larger than that of the pair of substrates. As a result, in the liquid crystal display element, color shading is suppressed while suppressing generation of bubbles in a vacuum region and reduction in contrast, thus obtaining desirable display quality of a display image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Hirotaka Niiya, Ippei Inou
  • Publication number: 20010005256
    Abstract: In a process for chamfering substrates constituting a liquid crystal display device, it is made possible to prevent a static electricity from generating in a chamfering amount mark used in order to perform a highly accurate chamfering, and improve a chamfering accuracy. There is provided a structure in which a chamfering amount mark 7 formed in an end portion of a 1st substrate is formed so as to be electrically connected to a short wiring 10, and a connection between the chamfering amount mark 7 and extension wirings 9 which are another conductive wirings is performed, thereby discharging the static electricity to another conductive pattern. Incidentally, there is adopted a structure in which plural mark patterns 8b constituting the chamfering amount mark 7 are intended to be electrically connected by a connecting wiring 8a and, additionally, the connecting wiring 8a is extended to a short wiring 10 side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Akinori Sumi, Ichiro Takasaki, Miyuki Hirosue
  • Publication number: 20010005257
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a liquid crystal display apparatus in which the cell gap is uniform and the display quality is high, and also a method for manufacturing the same. In the liquid crystal display apparatus, a color filter side substrate in which a protrusion is formed by a black mask, and a TFT side substrate in which a recess is formed by a resin film such as an orientation film are bonded together via dispersed spacers therebetween, and a liquid crystal is filled between the substrates. In the resin film such as an orientation film, patterning is performed except a portion which is opposed to the protrusion, thereby forming the recess in the TFT side substrate. The formation of the recess prevents the cell gap from being pushed up even when the dispersed spacers are placed on the protrusion. Even in the case where the substrates are not flat, therefore, the cell gap can be maintained uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Naoshi Yamada, Nobuhiro Waka, Ichiro Nakamura, Eiichiro Nishimura, Kazushi Tsuji, Kohichi Toriumi, Chikanori Tsukamura, Okifumi Nakagawa, Takaharu Yamada, Hiroyuki Araki
  • Publication number: 20010005258
    Abstract: A liquid crystal element, in which a liquid crystal layer is held between a pair of substrates, an electrode and a functional thin film such as an insulating film are formed on at least one of the substrates, and a refractive index difference between a largest refractive index and a smallest refractive index among refractive indexes of the substrate, the electrode formed on this substrate and the functional thin film formed on this substrate is in a range from 0 to 0.3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Takuji Hatano
  • Publication number: 20010005259
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprises a pair of substrates on whose opposing surfaces electrodes are formed; and a liquid crystal provided between the substrates and having spontaneous polarization and a physical property such that when a positive or negative saturation voltage whose absolute value is sufficiently large is applied between the electrodes, liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a first direction or a second direction, and when an arbitrary voltage lying between the positive saturation voltage and the negative saturation voltage is applied between the electrodes, a director is aligned in an arbitrary direction which corresponds to the applied voltage and which lies in a cone angle formed by the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventor: Jun Ogura
  • Publication number: 20010005260
    Abstract: An ophthalmologic apparatus is disclosed, in which even in the case where the range of lateral relative movement of a trestle is limited with respect to a base, the measurement can be continued without enlarging the space occupied by the apparatus body and without imposing an extra burden on the testee. The apparatus composes a trestle (4) mounted on a base (3) and laterally movable relative to the base (3) and has a limited range, and a measuring head portion (5) mounted on the trestle (4) and automatically laterally moved relative to the trestle (4) with respect to a reference position (H1). In the case where the trestle (4) moves rightward or leftward and reaches a movement limit position O2, O3, the reference position (H1) of the measuring head portion (5) with respect to the trestle (4) is shifted in the direction in which the trestle (4) moves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Kunihiko Hara, Yasuhisa Ishikura, Hiroshi Iijima
  • Publication number: 20010005261
    Abstract: An autostereo projection system uses multiple projectors to form an essentially seamless and extended field of view. Each projector is registered to a CRT display. Shutter elements in each projector create multiple pupils for each CRT display. Each CRT display is driven with different images for each shutter pupil. Seamlessness is promoted by the use of a tunable optical diffuser as part of a common lenticular viewing lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: Litton Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Graham Martin, Joseph L. Mclaughlin
  • Publication number: 20010005262
    Abstract: An image projection method and an image projector are adapted to shut down the laser beams instantaneously when an obstacle intruding into the projection area of the laser beams is detected. A detection wave is projected onto a display screen 3 along with laser beams for displaying an image and detect the reflection wave of the detection wave reflected from the display screen 3 to find out the obstacle, if any, intruding into the projection area of the laser beams. The laser beams are shut down when the intrusion of the obstacle is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuaki Tsurushima
  • Publication number: 20010005263
    Abstract: The photosensitive device implements charge coupling and accumulation for analyzing a light signal A sensor has an image zone M rows and N columns of photosensitive sites for receiving a light signal during successive acquisition periods, a transfer zone of P rows and N columns of non-photosensitive sites for receiving, in each site of a first row, the sum of the charges in a respective column of the image zone at the end of each successive sampling period. It also has a storage zone of P rows an N columns in which each column is adjacent to a respective column of the transfer zone and each site is arranged to receive charges contained in an adjacent site of the transfer zone and to accumulate it. The sensor is clocked for a sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Frederic Fabre, Didier Morancais, Michel Tulet
  • Publication number: 20010005264
    Abstract: An inspection system for identifying defects on the surface of an item includes an information processor mounted on a base assembly. A tray is used to move the item to an inspection station on the base assembly, and an illuminator is provided at the inspection station to illuminate the item from different visual perspectives. Importantly, the illuminator includes a plurality of different light sources. An N number of cameras and an M number of image processors are operated in concert to collect image data from the illuminated item. This image data is then analyzed using the image processors to compare the image data with a template image to detect defects in the item. In the operation of the inspection system, the tray, the illuminator, the cameras and the image processors are all centrally controlled and coordinated by an central information processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Charles S. Slemon, W. James Frandsen, Raymond H. Bratton, James John Glover
  • Publication number: 20010005265
    Abstract: A jet of water in a cylindrical form is supplied from a jet nozzle onto a measurement surface of a substrate to form a column of the water extending between the nozzle and the measurement surface Light is emitted from an irradiation fiber and transmitted through the column of water to the measurement surface. The light reflected by the measurement surface is received by a light-receiving fiber through the column of water. A measurement calculation unit measures the thickness of a film formed on the substrate, based on the intensity of the reflected light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Toshifumi Kimba, Shunsuke Nakai
  • Publication number: 20010005266
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming stations each having an image carrier and forming an image on the image carrier; a mark detecting unit for detecting a plurality of registration correction marks formed on a recording medium by the plurality of image forming stations; a correction mechanism for correcting a position difference between images formed by the plurality of image forming stations in accordance with a detection result by the mark detecting unit; and a controller for independently controlling an image forming operation of each of the plurality of the image forming stations so that the image density of each of the registration correction marks formed by the plurality of image forming units has a different predetermined image density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Tatsuhito Kataoka, Hirokazu Kodama
  • Publication number: 20010005267
    Abstract: A facsimile machine adapted to receive data from a remote device (data transmitter) over LAN and transfer the data to a recipient over LAN or PSTN. A memory of the facsimile machine stores delivery conditions such as e-mail address of registered recipients and delivery day and time. A controller determines whether a request for data transfer from the data transmitter should be accepted, based on an address of the data transmitter and the registered e-mail addresses if the data transfer request is attached to the received data. If no data transfer request is attached, the controller determines whether the data should be transferred depending upon a current time and the registered day and time. In the latter case, the data transmitter does not have to append the data transfer request and recipient information to the data. Instead, the controller finds out an appropriate recipient in the delivery condition table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: MURATA KIKAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Tanimoto
  • Publication number: 20010005268
    Abstract: A facsimile server connected to a mail server and a client over a network, and capable of sending and receiving an e-mail via the mail server. Certain data in a header of an e-mail to be sent to a recipient is used as identification data indicative of an origin of the e-mail. A controller identifies the origin of the e-mail based on the identification data upon receiving reception acknowledgement from the recipient. The facsimile server sends the reception acknowledgement to the client if it determines that the e-mail origin is the client. On the other hand, the facsimile server causes a printer to print the reception acknowledgement if it determines that the e-mail is originated from the facsimile server itself.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masashi Eguchi
  • Publication number: 20010005269
    Abstract: A system which enhances the process of specifying the settings of paper input and paper output by a printer driver. The system causes a Properties dialog box to be displayed on a display. The dialog box includes an image, which is an icon schematically illustrating the appearance of a printer, a paper input settings display box showing information relating to paper input to the printer, and a paper output settings display box showing information relating to paper output from the printer to be displayed in a mutually correlating manner with indication lines. Namely, the system does not require the user to switch over the card when the user carries out both the settings of paper input and the settings of paper output. The paper input settings display box has radio buttons corresponding paper output sources. The user clicks one of the radio buttons to select a desired input paper source. The paper output settings display box has checkboxes corresponding to paper outputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Nozawa