Patents Issued in March 20, 2018
  • Patent number: 9921406
    Abstract: An optical device is described that may be used as a microscope system for real-time, three-dimensional optical imaging. The device includes a miniature, fiber optic, intra-vital probe microscope that uses a dual-axes confocal architecture to allow for vertical scanning perpendicular to a surface of the sample (e.g., a tissue surface). The optical device can use off-axis illumination and collection of light to achieve sub-cellular resolution with deep tissue penetration. The optical device may be used as part of an integrated molecular imaging strategy using fluorescence-labeled peptides to detect cell surface targets that are up-regulated by the epithelium and/or endothelium of colon and breast tumors in small animal models of cancer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Thomas D. Wang, Katsuo Kurabayashi, Kenn Oldham, Zhen Qiu
  • Patent number: 9921407
    Abstract: A fiber-optic scanner equipped with a light-guiding optical fiber; the fiber-optic scanner including a plurality of vibration generating units disposed circumferentially at equal intervals on an outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber located on a base end side thereof at a predetermined distance from the emission end of the optical fiber to vibrate an emission end of the optical fiber in a plurality of directions; and a vibration damping member disposed at least in a position between base end-side edges of the vibration generating units and the emission end of the optical fiber, wherein the vibration damping member has a uniform shape of a rotating body rotated around the axis line of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuaki Kasai
  • Patent number: 9921408
    Abstract: An embodiment is directed to an optical element arrangement including at least one optical element. A first optical element includes a fiber and a curved surface. The fiber emits light beams during oscillation at different angular positions relative to a system axis of the first optical element. The curved surface includes an array of lenslets. Each of the lenslets in the array of lenslets is configured to receive light beams from the fiber that are emitted within a particular range of the first curved surface and to collimate the light beams received by the lenslet at a lenslet-specific field angle relative to the system axis. In other embodiments, one or more additional optical elements with respective fibers can be deployed as part of the optical element arrangement, and any of the optical elements in the optical element arrangement may include multiple curved surfaces with respective lenslet arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Russell Gruhlke
  • Patent number: 9921409
    Abstract: Provided is an image pickup apparatus, including: an image pickup optical system including a protection lens, which is arranged closest to a light incident side and has a convex-shaped surface on light incident side; and a housing houses the image pickup optical system, in which the image pickup optical system includes an aperture stop, and an optical systems A and B, which are arranged on an image side of aperture stop to be selectively placed in an optical path of image pickup optical system, the optical systems A and B having mutually different optical characteristics, and in which the housing separates a medium outside of housing and an inside of housing, and in which the image pickup apparatus further includes a switching unit selectively places one of optical systems A and B in optical path of image pickup optical system depending on a medium outside housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Aoki
  • Patent number: 9921410
    Abstract: A head-mounted display device includes an eyeglass frame, including a rim, for fixing the head-mounted display device onto a wearer's head, a display that displays an image, and an eyepiece optical unit that guides light of an image displayed on the display into at least one of the wearer's eyes to display the image as an enlarged virtual image. The display and the eyepiece optical unit are attached to the rim, an optical axis of incident light that is image light incident on the eyepiece optical unit from the display and an optical axis of exiting light that is image light exiting from the eyepiece optical unit towards the wearer's eye are not coplanar, and the angle between an incident light vector formed by the incident light and an exiting light vector formed by the exiting light is greater than 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryohei Sugihara, Seiji Tatsuta, Teruo Tomita
  • Patent number: 9921411
    Abstract: Provided are a stereoscopic display device capable of implementing a deep three-dimensional effect via a light source module having a thin thickness and a vehicle lighting device using the stereoscopic display device, the stereoscopic lighting device, including: a base substrate; a light source on the base substrate; a reflective layer disposed on one surface of the base substrate; a light guide layer burying the light source and the reflective layer; and a first half mirror layer disposed on the light guide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung Eon Lee, Hyun Duck Yang
  • Patent number: 9921412
    Abstract: Shaped glasses have curved surface lenses and spectrally complementary filters disposed on the curved surface lenses configured to compensate for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles and other sources. The spectrally complementary filters include guard bands to prevent crosstalk between spectrally complementary portions of a 3D image viewed through the shaped glasses. In one embodiment, the spectrally complementary filters are disposed on the curved lenses with increasing layer thickness towards edges of the lenses. The projected complementary images may also be pre-shifted to compensate for subsequent wavelength shifts occurring while viewing the images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Martin J. Richards, Wilson Allen
  • Patent number: 9921413
    Abstract: Apparatus (systems) and methods are described for generating and displaying a virtual true 3D image viewable by a single eye of a viewer. A fixed-curve mirror is translated along an optical axis in synchrony with a temporally-modulated 2D image generator to generate a virtual image in multiple virtual image planes, enabling depth perception of the image by a single eye of the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: DEEPSEE INC.
    Inventor: Jing Xu
  • Patent number: 9921414
    Abstract: A display device according to one or more embodiments includes a display panel configured to display an image, a window substrate above the display panel, and including a display area configured to transmit the image therethrough, and a non-display area around the display area, a first adhesive layer between the display panel and the window substrate, and a decoration film above an upper surface of the window substrate. The decoration film includes a base film and a printing layer at a first surface of the base film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaejoong Kwon, Hyesog Lee, Chio Cho
  • Patent number: 9921415
    Abstract: Optical MEMS scanning micro-mirror comprising: —a movable scanning micro-mirror (101), being pivotally connected to a MEMS body (102) substantially surrounding the lateral sides of the micro-mirror, —a transparent window (202) substantially covering the reflection side of the micro-mirror; —wherein a piezo-actuator assembly (500) and a layer of deformable transparent material (501) are provided on the outer portion of said window (202); —the piezo-actuator assembly (500) being arranged at the periphery of the layer of transparent material (501); —said piezo-actuator assembly (500) and transparent material (501) cooperating so that when actuated, the piezo-actuator assembly (500) causes micro-deformation of the transparent material (501), thereby providing an anti-speckle effect. The invention also provides the corresponding micro-projection system and method for reducing speckle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lucio Kilcher, Nicolas Abele, Faouzi Khechana
  • Patent number: 9921416
    Abstract: A speckle damping system for dampening speckle on a projection screen for a projection display system employing coherent or partially coherent light sources (e.g., lasers, LEDs) are disclosed. In one embodiment, a rotatably coupled system is disclosed, comprising: a set of actuators; a set of rotatably coupled mounts, each of said set of rotatably coupled mount capable of mounting at least one said actuator; and wherein said at least one actuator mounted on said rotatably coupled mount is in moveable mechanical communication with said projection screen. In another embodiment, a linearly coupled system is disclosed comprising: a set of actuators; a set of linearly coupled mounts, each of said set of linearly coupled mount capable of mounting at least one said actuator; and wherein said at least one actuator mounted on said linearly coupled mount is in moveable mechanical communication with said projection screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Brad Basler, Trevor Davies, Douglas J. Gorny, Wilson Allen
  • Patent number: 9921417
    Abstract: An optical image stabilizer including an offset remover configured to remove a direct current offset of an angular velocity signal and output a corrected angular velocity signal; an idle state determiner configured to determine a moving-state or an idle state of the optical image stabilizer based on the corrected angular velocity signal; a switching filter configured to filter the corrected angular velocity signal using a second filter during a stabilization time and subsequently filter the corrected angular velocity signal using a first filter switched from the second filter when the optical image stabilizer is in the moving-state; and an integrator configured to integrate the filtered corrected angular velocity signal from the switching filter to output an angular position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ruslan Krey
  • Patent number: 9921418
    Abstract: An aligning prism amount determination device to determine an aligning prism amount for correcting fixation disparity of a spectacle wearer, having the fixation disparity, includes a determiner to determine an aligning prism amount to be uniformly included in the spectacle lens for correcting the fixation disparity, based on a first aligning prism amount obtained by measuring an aligning prism amount of the spectacle wearer at an eye examination distance corresponding to a first distance, a second aligning prism amount obtained by measurement at an eye examination distance corresponding to a second distance shorter than the first distance, and information used for allocation of the first aligning prism amount and the second aligning prism amount, within a prism prescription range between the first aligning prism amount and the second aligning prism amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: HOY A LENS THAILAND LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 9921419
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an annular device superior to a conventional annular device in the stability over an eyeball when being worn, which overcomes problems caused by wearing a conventional annular device. The above object is attained by preparing an annular device to be worn over the surface of the sclera, the annular device including an opening exposing the cornea and one or a plurality of approximately encircling grooves on an intermediate part between an inner rim part and an outer rim part. The annular device has a maximum thickness preferably in the intermediate part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: SEED CO., LTD., SENJU PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD
    Inventors: Akira Nakamura, Tsutomu Fukushima
  • Patent number: 9921420
    Abstract: A pair of eyeglasses includes a lens support structure having an elongated cavity formed therein that defines an air plenum extending transversely across the lens support structure. Air blowers are situated at opposite axial ends of the lens support structure and generate pressurized air into the elongated cavity. A HEPA filter is situated within the elongated cavity. A plurality of orifices formed in a bottom surface of the lens support structure directs pressurized air from the elongated cavity into the space between the eyeglass lens and the eyes of a user to displace allergens. Electronic circuitry, including a battery and switch, is situated within the lens support structure and operates the blowers. A status indicator is situated on the lens support structure to provide a visual indication of the operational state of the blowers and condition of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventors: Paul D. Bella, Matthew S. Campisi
  • Patent number: 9921421
    Abstract: A optical filter comprising a variable transmittance layer having a first spectrum in a dark state, and a second spectrum in a faded state; and a color balancing layer having a third spectrum; each of the first, second and third spectra comprising a visible portion; the first and third spectra combining to provide a dark state spectrum approximating a dark state target color; and the second and third spectra combining to provide a fades state spectrum approximating a faded state target color. The optical filter may further comprise a light attenuating layer. The optical filter may further comprise part of a laminated glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Switch Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Robin Branda, Zachary Bryce Erno, Jeremy Graham Finden, Duhane Lam, Charles Joseph Gongming Loo, Jonathan Ross Sargent, Matthew Paul Smit, Peter Alexander Von Hahn, Douglas Malcolm Wiggin
  • Patent number: 9921422
    Abstract: Various types of edge seals for protecting electro-optic displays against environmental contaminants are described. In one type of seal, the electro-optic layer is sandwiched between a backplane and a protective sheet and a sealing material extends between the backplane and the protective sheet. In other seals, the protective sheet is secured to the backplane or to a second protective sheet adjacent the backplane. The electro-optic layer can also be sealed between two layers of adhesive or between one layer of adhesive and the backplane. Other seals make use of flexible tapes extending around the periphery of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Guy M. Danner, Shamus Ford Patry, Charles Howie Honeyman, Thomas H. Whitesides, Michael D. McCreary, Gregg M. Duthaler
  • Patent number: 9921423
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present system and method includes: a first substrate; a thin film transistor disposed on the first substrate; a passivation layer disposed on the thin film transistor and including a first portion and a second portion thicker than the first portion; a first sub-pixel electrode and a second sub-pixel electrode disposed on the passivation layer, spaced apart from each other, and positioned on one pixel region; a second substrate facing the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the first sub-pixel electrode is disposed on the second portion of the passivation layer, and the second sub-pixel electrode is disposed on the first portion of the passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung-Jae Yun, Heung Shik Park, Oh Jeong Kwon, Ki Chul Shin
  • Patent number: 9921424
    Abstract: A portable device and method of manufacturing a display device includes a display panel having a glass substrate and a polarizer adhered to the glass substrate, a touch panel which is made of resin material and adhered to the polarizer of the display panel by a first adhesive material, and a front window which is made of glass and adhered to the touch panel by a second adhesive material. One of the first adhesive material and the second adhesive material is an adhesive sheet, and an other of the first adhesive material and the second adhesive material is an ultraviolet-curing adhesive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: Japan Display, Inc., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiji Oohira
  • Patent number: 9921425
    Abstract: A panel apparatus comprises a first layer. The first layer includes a liquid crystal microdroplet display (LCMD) switchable between transparent and opaque states in response to a change in an applied electrical voltage. The panel apparatus further comprises a second layer spaced apart from and coupled to the first layer. The second layer includes a transparent panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Jiansheng Wang
  • Patent number: 9921426
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer surrounding a layer of liquid crystal material. The display may have an active area with an array of display pixels. An inactive area may surround the active area. A black mask structure may be formed in the inactive area. A black matrix having a grid shape with rectangular openings may be formed in the active area. Red, green, and blue color filter elements may be formed in the rectangular openings. The black matrix may have a first layer that is formed from a grid of blue photoresist on a color filter substrate and a second layer that is formed from an aligned grid of black photoresist. In the inactive area, the black mask structure may be formed a layer of blue photoresist covered with a layer of black photoresist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Won Ji, Ho Chun Lee
  • Patent number: 9921427
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for manufacturing a color filter, a color filter, and a liquid crystal panel. The method comprises: providing a substrate; and forming a plurality of color resistances on the substrate one by one using a color resistance forming process, with boundaries of adjacent color resistances being overlapped with each other. The color resistance forming process comprises: coating a photoresist material on the substrate to form a color resistance unit thereof; exposing the color resistance unit, with a light intensity received at the boundary of the color resistance unit being smaller than that received by the main body of the color resistance unit. Through the present invention, dark pixel lines at the boundary overlaps can be eliminated, and transmittance of the product can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Huan Liu, Jinjie Wang
  • Patent number: 9921428
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an LCD device comprising (1) liquid crystals, (2) at least one lighting device that emits BSY-1, BSY-2, BSR, BSG-1, BSG-2 and/or BSG-3 light, (3) solid state light emitters (430-480 nm) and luminescent material (555-585 nm, 595-625 nm, or 510-560 nm), and/or (4) a light guide, a reflector and/or a light polarizer. In some embodiments, a light device comprising (1) at least one lighting device that emits BSY-1, BSY-2, BSR, BSG-1, BSG-2 and/or BSG-3 light, (2) a light guide, a reflector and/or a light polarizer, and/or (3) solid state light emitters (430-480 nm) and luminescent material (555-585 nm, 595-625 nm, or 510-560 nm).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Antony Paul Van De Ven, Gerald H. Negley, Shawn Pyles
  • Patent number: 9921429
    Abstract: There is provided a display device including a first base material, a second base material, an optical layer placed between the first base material and the second base material, and a first retardation layer placed in contact with the first base material, wherein the first base material and the second base material are formed from a polyimide, and the first retardation layer and the second retardation layer are liquid crystal layers which are vertically aligned. Providing the first and second retardation layers in contact with the first and second base materials make it possible to achieve a reduction in the thickness of the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichiro Oka, Toshinari Sasaki, Yasushi Tomioka
  • Patent number: 9921430
    Abstract: A display component includes a glass substrate GS including a display area AA and a non-display area NAA surrounding the display area AA, a color filter 29 overlapping a surface of the glass substrate GS in the display area AA, a CF board side alignment film 32 disposed in at least the display area AA to cover the color filter 29 and partially including a thickness variation portion 36 that gradually decreases thickness thereof toward an outer side, and a film forming control portion 37 disposed in the non-display area NAA to be next to the display area AA and overlapping the surface of the glass substrate GS and configured to form the CF board side alignment film 32 such that the thickness variation portion 36 is in the non-display area NAA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kida, Yutaka Sawayama, Hiroyuki Okazoe, Yoshiyuki Ihara
  • Patent number: 9921431
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a mount portion, a first metal layer, a second metal layer, an interlayer insulating film which is thinner in a non-display area than in a display area, a plurality of lines, a first end, a second end, wherein at least one of the first and second ends comprises a slit formed therein along a second direction from a display area side thereof to a opposite side of the display area side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventor: Takahiro Onuma
  • Patent number: 9921432
    Abstract: The invention provides a manufacturing method for VA type LCD panel. The manufacturing method of the present invention adds a photo-initiator and a polymeric monomer to LC material, and uses UV light to irradiate through a mask so that the polymeric monomer polymerizes in accordance with the mask pattern to form polymer protrusions on the array substrate side to achieve the effect similar to protrusion or slit. The method is applicable for the LC molecules to form the pre-tilt angle so that the LC molecules in the panel are lined up along the normal direction. The method is simple, eliminates ITO etching process on the array substrate side, and reduces costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Song Lan, Xiaolong Ma, Yungjui Lee, Xiufen Zhu
  • Patent number: 9921433
    Abstract: The invention discloses an array substrate, a liquid crystal display panel and a display device, since the first shield electrode, which intents to shield instantaneous electromagnetic signals in a data signal line, and a pixel electrode are provided in the same layer, compared to the existing array substrate in which the shield electrode and a common electrode are provided in the same layer, since the pixel electrode is closer to the data signal line, through the first shield electrode, the light leakage phenomenon can be effectively prevented from occurring in the array substrate, and the color mixing phenomenon of the array substrate can be alleviated, and further the distance between the first shield electrode provided in the same layer as the pixel electrode and the data signal line can be decreased, and the width of the first shield electrode is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyunsic Choi
  • Patent number: 9921434
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes, a first insulation substrate, a first subpixel electrode disposed on the first insulation substrate, an insulation layer disposed on the first subpixel electrode, a second subpixel electrode disposed on the insulation layer, a liquid crystal layer disposed on the second subpixel electrode, a common electrode disposed on the liquid crystal layer, and a second insulation substrate disposed on the common electrode. In the liquid crystal display device, the second subpixel electrode and the common electrode are spaced apart by a second distance in a second region in which the second subpixel electrode is disposed, the first subpixel electrode and the common electrode are spaced apart by a first distance in a first region in which the first subpixel electrode is disposed, excluding the second region, and the first distance and the second distance are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Hoon Kim, Kyeong Jong Kim, Ki Chul Shin
  • Patent number: 9921435
    Abstract: In an electro-optical device, a pixel electrode is provided in a first light-transmitting substrate, and a lens, which overlaps the pixel electrode in a plan view, and a common electrode are provided in a second light-transmitting substrate. The pixel electrode includes an ITO film which includes a first electrically conducting layer stacked a first light-transmitting dielectric layer, and the common electrode includes a second electrically conducting layer which includes an ITO film which is stacked a second light-transmitting dielectric layer. Therefore, it is possible to suppress wavelength dispersion in a case in which incident light is modulated and is emitted. The first dielectric layer includes a silicon oxide film and the second dielectric layer includes an aluminum oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshitake Tateno
  • Patent number: 9921436
    Abstract: A thin film transistor array panel includes a first subpixel electrode and a second subpixel electrode electrically connected with a drain electrode through a first contact hole and a second contact hole, respectively. The first subpixel electrode and the second subpixel electrode include a plurality of vertical stems, a plurality of horizontal stems, and a plurality of branch electrodes. The first subpixel electrode is formed above a gate line and the second subpixel electrode is formed below a gate line. The thin film transistor array panel further includes a first protrusion formed in the plurality of vertical stems of the first subpixel electrode and the plurality of vertical stems of the second subpixel electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee Hwan Lee, Kyu Su Ahn, Kyung Ho Kim, Kee Bum Park
  • Patent number: 9921437
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate including an organic insulation film including a first contact hole penetrating to the switching element, an island-shaped relay electrode and a common electrode which are formed on the organic insulation film, an interlayer insulation film including a second contact hole at a position different from a position of the first contact hole, a pixel electrode which is formed on the interlayer insulation film and includes a slit which is opposed to the common electrode, and an alignment film covering the pixel electrode and the interlayer insulation film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
    Inventors: Yasuo Naoe, Kazuyuki Harada
  • Patent number: 9921439
    Abstract: A first substrate includes a gate line extending in a first direction, a first interlayer insulating film covering the gate line, a first common electrode formed on the first interlayer insulating film extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, a second interlayer insulating film covering the first common electrode, a source line extending in the second direction, and a third interlayer insulating film covering the source line. A pixel electrode includes a main pixel electrode extending in the second direction on the third interlayer insulating film. A second common electrode includes a second main common electrode extending in the second direction on the third interlayer insulating film and facing the source line. The second common electrode is set to the same potential as the first common electrode. A first alignment film covers the pixel electrode and the second common electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventor: Jin Hirosawa
  • Patent number: 9921440
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, a common electrode is formed on an organic passivation film, an interlayer insulating film is formed on the common electrode, a pixel electrode with a slit is formed on the interlayer insulating film, and a through hole is formed in the organic passivation film and the interlayer insulating film, so that the pixel electrode is connected to a source electrode of a TFT through the through hole. Further, the taper angle around the upper base of the through hole is smaller than the taper angle around the lower base. Thus, the alignment film material can easily flow into the through hole when the diameter of the through hole is reduced to connect the pixel and source electrodes, preventing display defects such as uneven brightness due to the absence of the alignment film or due to the alignment film irregularity around the through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Yosuke Hyodo, Hidehiro Sonoda, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Patent number: 9921441
    Abstract: An array substrate, including a substrate, a multi-layer electrode and a switch element, is provided. The multi-layer electrode is disposed on the substrate and comprises an electric conductive layer and a first etch-stop layer. The electric conductive layer covers the first etch-stop layer. The switch element is disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the multi-layer electrode, and has a second etch-stop layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: INNOLUX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chien-Hung Chen
  • Patent number: 9921442
    Abstract: A novel method of forming an alignment layer of a liquid crystal display device includes the steps of providing a substrate (e.g., a processed silicon wafer, etc.) having an alignment layer material deposited thereon and applying a series of pulses from a pulse laser to anneal portions of the alignment layer material and alter its surface morphology. The method can include the step of depositing the alignment layer material (e.g., a spin-on dielectric including SiO2) over the substrate using a spin-on process prior to laser annealing. Applying the series of laser pulses creates a repetitive pattern of features that facilitate alignment of liquid crystals according to a laser scan trace. Liquid crystal display devices with laser-annealed alignment layer(s) are also disclosed. The alignment layers of the invention are quickly and inexpensively applied and are very robust under prolonged, high-intensity light stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yin Qian, Dyson Hsin-Chih Tai, Ming Zhang, Chia-Chun Miao
  • Patent number: 9921443
    Abstract: A display device includes a substrate including an array area in which an image is displayed and a pad area in which an image is not displayed, gate lines in the array area and elongated in a first direction on the substrate, gate lines pads in the pad area and respectively electrically connected to the gate lines, floating patterns disposed in the pad area, a first shorting bar in the pad area and with which electrostatic energy from the floating patterns is dissipated; and first shorting bar lines in the pad area and defined by first lines respectively connected to the floating patterns and second lines spaced apart from the first lines and connected to the first shorting bar, wherein ends of the second lines respectively face ends of the first lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joo Hong Seo, Tae Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 9921444
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal panel, in which a black matrix is formed on a TFT substrate and the black matrix includes a plurality of black light shielding frames respectively located in a plurality of pixel zones and arranged in the form of a matrix. The black light shielding frames are each set at a gap between a light blocking frame and data lines and scan lines along a periphery of an opening area of each of the pixel zones so that the liquid crystal panel of the present invention eliminates the occurrence of defect situations of light leaking and color shifting resulting from positional deviation of the black matrix caused by positional shift between upper and lower substrates and also provides a relatively high aperture ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chuan Wu
  • Patent number: 9921445
    Abstract: To provide a liquid crystal display device capable of controlling deterioration of contrast even in the case where an opening is formed in an organic flattened film and the film has unevenness. In the liquid crystal display device that includes a TFT substrate, a CF substrate, and liquid crystal sandwiched between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate and that drives the liquid crystal with a lateral electric field, the TFT substrate has the organic flattened film in which a through hole for contacting a source electrode of the TFT and a pixel electrode and a sectional shape of the through hole is asymmetrical between a side on which the pixel electrode extends and the other side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Komatsu, Takanori Nakayama, Saori Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9921446
    Abstract: The present application discloses a display panel test structure for testing whether signal lines of a display panel are defective, the signal lines at least comprising a plurality of data lines which are divided into N groups, the display panel test structure comprising N first shorting bars arranged in a test area of the display panel, each of which being configured to short-circuit a group of data lines, wherein the display panel test structure further comprises a plurality of first test pads arranged in the test area, each of which connects with one shorting bar corresponding thereto, and each of the first test pads is configured to load a signal to a group of data lines corresponding thereto during a test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fengwu Yu, Jinhu Cao, Minghui Ma, Bin Cao, Namin Kwon, Yanyan Wu, Wei Li, Mian Gao, Long Guo
  • Patent number: 9921447
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display having excellent visibility. A thin film transistor array panel is provided, which includes: gate lines formed on an insulating substrate; data lines insulated from the gate lines and intersecting the gate lines; first pixel electrodes disposed on pixel areas defined by intersections of the gate lines and the data lines; first thin film transistors, each having three terminals connected to one of the gate lines, one of the data lines, and one of the first pixel electrodes; second pixel electrodes disposed on the pixel areas and capacitively coupled to the first pixel electrodes; and second thin film transistors, each having three terminals connected to a previous gate line, a storage electrode line or one of the data lines, and one of the second pixel electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung-Kyu Hong, Young-Chol Yang, Jong-Lae Kim, Hee-Seob Kim
  • Patent number: 9921448
    Abstract: A display device capable of significantly reducing variation of a capacitance formed by a pixel electrode and a data line, the display device including: a first gate line; first and second data lines intersecting the first gate line; a pixel electrode adjacent to the second data line; a switching element connected to the first gate line, the first data line, and the pixel electrode; and a first extension portion extending from the pixel electrode and intersecting the second data line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Seonkyoon Mok, Seongyoung Lee, Kiwon Park, Hyungjun Park, Hwanyoung Jang, Byoungsun Na
  • Patent number: 9921449
    Abstract: An array substrate and a display device are disclosed. The array substrate includes a display area and a gate driver circuit located outside of the display area. The display area is covered with an alignment film, and the gate driver circuit is also covered with the alignment film. With the array substrate, damage, caused by static electricity generated between conductive particles in a sealant and the gate driver circuit, to the gate driver circuit can be effectively reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., HEFEI BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Miao Geng, Zhangfei Gao, Junhao Liu
  • Patent number: 9921450
    Abstract: Controllers and control methods apply a drive voltage to bus bars of a thin film optically switchable device. The applied drive voltage is provided at a level that drives a transition over the entire surface of the optically switchable device but does not damage or degrade the device. This applied voltage produces an effective voltage at all locations on the face of the device that is within a bracketed range. The upper bound of this range is associated with a voltage safely below the level at which the device may experience damage or degradation impacting its performance in the short term or the long term. At the lower boundary of this range is an effective voltage at which the transition between optical states of the device occurs relatively rapidly. The level of voltage applied between the bus bars is significantly greater than the maximum value of the effective voltage within the bracketed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: View, Inc.
    Inventors: Anshu A. Pradhan, Disha Mehtani, Gordon Jack
  • Patent number: 9921451
    Abstract: An electrophoretic medium comprises a fluid, a first, light scattering particle (typically white) and second, third and fourth particles having three subtractive primary colors (typically magenta, cyan and yellow); at least two of these colored particles being non-light scattering. The first and second particles bear polymer coatings such that the electric field required to separate an aggregate formed by the third and the fourth particles is greater than that required to separate an aggregate formed from any other two types of particles. Methods for driving the medium to produce white, black, magenta, cyan, yellow, red, green and blue colors are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen J. Telfer, Stephen Bull, Jennifer M. Morrison, Luke M. Slominski, David Darrell Miller, Olga Vladimirovna Barykina-Tassa, Lee Yezek, Brandon MaCDonald, Kosta Ladavac, Craig A. Herb
  • Patent number: 9921452
    Abstract: The electrophoretic display device includes an element substrate (first substrate), a counter substrate (second substrate) being disposed opposite to the element substrate, a partition being disposed between the element substrate and the counter substrate, and a dispersion liquid containing electrophoretic particles and the dispersion medium, which is disposed in a cell (space) defined by the partition. Further, a pixel electrodes (first electrode) is disposed on the dispersion liquid side of the element substrate, a common electrode (second electrode) is disposed on the dispersion liquid side of the counter substrate, the electrophoretic display device includes a coating layer on a surface in contact with the dispersion liquid in at least one electrode side of the pixel electrode and the common electrode, and the contact angle to water of the coating layer is not less than 60°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Nakamura, Kei Kamakura, Soichi Moriya, Toru Katakabe
  • Patent number: 9921453
    Abstract: Various of the disclosed embodiments incorporate wavelength-shifting (WLS) materials to facilitate high data rate communication. Some embodiments employ a waveguide incorporating such WLS materials to receive a wireless signal from a source. The signal may be, e.g., in the optical or ultraviolet ranges, facilitating a ˜10 Gbps data rate. Because the WLS material is sensitive in all directions, the source may be isotropic or wide-angled. The WLS material may be shaped into one or more “bands” that may cover an object, e.g., a head-mounted display. A detector may be coupled with the bands to receive the wavelength-shifted signal and to recover the original signal from the source. The WLS material may be modified to improve the waveguide retention, e.g., by incorporating layers of material having a different reflection coefficient or a Bragg reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Tobias Gerard Tiecke, Kevin Jerome Quirk, Yael Maguire
  • Patent number: 9921454
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a photometric lens for forming a secondary image of object light that has been transmitted through a lens unit and had a primary image formed by the lens unit, a photometric sensor for outputting a signal of the object light that has had the secondary image formed, and a PN liquid crystal panel located in the vicinity of a primary imaging plane. The imaging apparatus generates an image obtained by subjecting an output signal of the photometric sensor to reforming processing on the basis of an output signal of the photometric sensor when the PN liquid crystal panel serves as an object. Thus, the imaging apparatus can suppress a deterioration in the image that could be caused by various factors including a manufacturing error, a change over time, a change in temperature, and a change in humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kudo
  • Patent number: 9921455
    Abstract: A diaphragm device includes a diaphragm mechanism, a connector, an identification unit for identifying a control mode of a signal communicated via the multiple terminals on the basis of voltage of the signal, and a control unit, wherein the switching unit switches the communication path so that a pulse signal capable of driving the pulse signal driven actuator is generated for generating the pulse signal on the basis of the signal, and output to the pulse signal driven actuator if the control mode of the signal is identified as one based on a control mode incapable of directly driving the pulse signal driven actuator; and the switching unit switches the communication path so that the signal is output to the pulse signal driven actuator if the control mode of the signal is identified as a first control mode based on a pulse signal directly driving the pulse signal driven actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Koshi Kuwakino, Akinori Hamana, Kouichi Nagata, Shinichi Yamamoto, Hiroshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9921456
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes a light source, a light-receiving unit, and a light guide unit formed in an arc shape. The light guide unit includes a light incidence section on which light from the light source is incident. The light incidence section is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the light guide unit, and faces the light source. The light guide unit further includes a first reflecting section having a first and a second region, and a second reflecting section having first and second surfaces. The first surface reflects the light incident from the light incidence section toward the first region, and the second surface reflects the light incident from the light incidence section toward the second region. The light-receiving unit is disposed at a position between the first and the second surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiki Miyakawa, Yoshiharu Tenmyo