Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Toshimitsu Gotoh

Kiyoshi Toizumi

Taisuke Kamimura

Katsumi Adachi

Masamitsu Sakuma

Yukio Mizuno

Yasuhiro Takai

Akizumi Fujioka

Tsutomu Yoshimoto

Masaki Uehata

Shinichi Miyazaki

Atsushi Okada

Akinori Kubota

Provided is a touch panel device configured to execute touch panel drive processing while appropriately preventing discoloration of a semi in-cell touch panel. A touch panel-equipped display deviceincludes a touch panel TP and a touch panel controller. The touch panel TP is configured as a semi in-cell touch panel, and includes a color filter layer, a sense electrode layer provided with sense electrodes RxRx, and a drive electrode layer provided with drive electrodes Txto Tx. The sense electrode layer and the drive electrode layer oppose each other with the color filter layer interposed therebetween. The touch panel controllergenerates a drive signal such that an integrated value of a potential difference between the drive electrode and the sense electrode is less than a first value in a predetermined period of driving the touch panel.

Touch panel device

Provided is a display device characterized in that a display area can be prevented from appearing darker when the position of light-shielding sections are moved, while the control of voltages applied to electrodes is simplified. In the case where electrodes to which a specific voltage is applied are changed from a first electrode group (e.g.,) to a second electrode group (e.g.,), the voltage applied to the first electrode group is switched from the specific voltage to a reference voltage first, and thereafter, the voltage applied to the second electrode group is switched from the reference voltage to the specific voltage.

Display device

In a display device with optical sensors, a recognition processing portion () performs recognition processing on a scan picture generated by optical sensors (), and calculates a position. A mode control portion () determines whether or not the mode is standby so that the recognition processing portion () is stopped from operating. At the time of transition to the standby mode, decimated image memory () stores a decimated image with a decreased number of pixels. The mode control portion () performs pixel-by-pixel comparison between the stored decimated image and a decimated image supplied anew, and exits the standby mode when the number of pixels whose difference in pixel values is greater than or equal to a first threshold is greater than or equal to a second threshold. Here, the first and second thresholds are appropriately set in accordance with an ambient luminance L from a luminance sensor (), and therefore, any change in the image can be accurately distinguished from noise, thereby preventing the standby mode from being or not being cancelled by mistake.

Display device with optical sensors

A liquid crystal panel with built-in sensorsincludes, in a pixel array, a plurality of pixel circuitsand a plurality of optical sensorswhich are arranged two-dimensionally. Infrared light transmitting filtersthat allow infrared light to pass therethrough and cut off visible light are provided in respective paths of light entering the optical sensors. A backlightincluding white LEDsand infrared LEDsis provided on a back surface of the liquid crystal panel. With this, reflected light of backlight light including infrared light is detected by the optical sensorswithout receiving the influence of visible light, and thus a touch position is detected with high accuracy, irrespective of display data.

Display device having optical sensors

A developing device prevents deterioration of toner, i.e., prevent the toner from being damaged, or fused onto the blade, to realize a more reliable developing operation. In the developing device, an electron emitting section is provided onto the toner regulation blade in which apertures () are formed, wherein each of the apertures () is formed by electroforming to have an inner surface curved convexly to be widened outwardly to the side irradiated with an ultraviolet ray (shape A). Further, a photoelectric surface () is laminated on the surface of the electron emitting section with the apertures (). With an application of ultraviolet ray onto the electron emitting section, the resulting photoelectrons as emitted from the photoelectric surface () are guided to the toner through the apertures (). Here, for the aperture () of the shape A, a larger amount of electrons can be guided to the toner than the apertures in other shapes (B to E).

Developing device using specific charging unit for charging toner and image forming device adopting the same

Electron generating devices and LED arrays are arranged in a surrounding area of a photosensitive drum. The electron generating devices are located downstream of a cleaner and upstream of a developing unit with respect to a turning direction of the photosensitive drum with a specific gap between the electron generating devices and a surface of the photosensitive drum. The LED arrays are disposed against outer ends of the electron generating devices opposite to inner ends thereof facing the photosensitive drum. When activated by a driving circuit according to image information, individual LED elements of the LED arrays emit light, causing the electron generating devices to emit electrons in a pattern corresponding to the image information. The electrons emitted from the electron generating devices produce more electrons due to an electron avalanche phenomenon before reaching the photosensitive drum, eventually forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum.

Image forming apparatus

Light emitted from an entire surface of a light source is passed selectively through a liquid crystal shutter. The shutter can be controlled to open/close on a pixel basis in response to image data and then selectively passed light is converted into light having a specified wavelength by a nonlinear optical element before impinging on a metal film. The metal film induces and emits its own electrons and forms an electrostatic latent image directly on a dielectric film.

Charging system

A developing device is provided with a developer conveying member in which a plurality of electrodes arranged on a substrate at a predetermined interval are coated with a surface protection layer, the developer conveying member being provided in a developing area that faces an image carrying body whose surface carries an electrostatic latent image, wherein developer is conveyed on the developer conveying member using a traveling-wave electric field that is formed by applying a polyphase voltage to the respective electrodes. The developing device is further provided with a supplying member for supplying the developer onto the developer conveying member, wherein (i) an effective electrode width Le of the respective electrodes in their width direction orthogonal to their arranging direction and (ii) a width Lt of a developer existing area on the supplying member, the width Lt being orthogonal to a direction of supplying the developer, are set so as to satisfy a relation of Lt&#x3c;Le. This prevents the developer from entering wiring pattern areas outside of the electrodes on the developer conveying member, thereby surely preventing the scattering and the sticking of the developer in the areas.

Developing device conveying toner using a traveling-wave electric field and image forming apparatus using same

On surfaces of insulating layersandof a transportation member, a protective layerhaving a volume resistivity of 10&#x3a9;&#xb7;cm to 10&#x3a9;&#xb7;cm is so laminated that a sum of thickness of the insulating layersandis less than intervals between adjacent ones of progressive wave generating electrodes. With this arrangement, it is ensured that a progressive wave electric field generated by the progressive wave generating electrodesis exposed beyond a surface of the transportation member. Even if developer T and the transportation membercontact each other, a surface potential of the transportation memberis not changed. Moreover, firm adhering of the toner T to the surface of the transportation memberis prevented. It is therefore possible to certainly transport the developer T to a development position always stably.

Developing apparatus and image forming apparatus using progressive wave electric field transport

The charging method is arranged so as to charge the toner on a developing roller by electrons as generated by the photoelectric effect from a photo-electric surface of a toner layer regulating/charging blade. An electric bias is applied across a toner layer thickness regulating/charging blade and a developing roller, and an amount of electrons discharged indicated by current flowing across the toner layer thickness regulating/charging blade and the developing roller is measured by an amplifier. When the amount of electrons discharged is detected to be 1/t of an initial amount, the amount of light to be received by the photo-electric surface of an ultraviolet ray luminescent is increased by t times to be the initial amount. According to the foregoing method, such event that the photoelectric effect is weakened due to the deterioration of the photoelectric surface can be detected with ease, and thus desirable charged state of toner can be maintained with ease.

Charging method and developing device adopting the same

An image forming device includes a development section which has a blade for applying electrons generated in its photoelectric surface due to a photoelectric effect to a toner so as to charge the toner; an ultraviolet irradiator for irradiating the photoelectric surface with light; a development roller for holding the toner thus charged, and performing carriage of the toner to a photoconductive drum having an electrostatic latent image on a surface; wherein the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drum is developed by the charged toner. The development section further includes a control section for performing control of application of a voltage to the ultraviolet irradiator, application of a voltage to the photoelectric surface, application of a voltage to the development roller, and beginning of the carriage of the toner by the development roller, at predetermined timings, respectively.

Development device, charging method used in the development device and image forming device having the development device

A developing device comprises: a toner carrying member ( ) for carrying toner T towards a photosensitive drum, using a traveling wave electric field; a belt member ( ) which is provided so as to cover the surface of the toner carrying member ( ), the surface facing the photosensitive drum ( ); a belt drive roller ( ) which is in touch with the belt member ( ) so as to rotate the belt member ( ) around the toner carrying member ( ); and a drive assistance roller ( ) for sandwiching the belt member ( ) with the belt drive roller ( ). With this arrangement, it is possible to provide a developing device which is silent, small in size, and capable of reducing costs, and an image forming device including the developing device.

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Yamatokoriyama, Japan

Toshimitsu Gotoh