Patents Examined by Melissa Jan Koval
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Patent number: 7433590Abstract: A system for synchronizing image capture and a light source has a first strobing light emitting diode (LED) array with a plurality of LEDs located to light an illumination area. The LED array has an on cycle during which the LED array is activated and an off cycle during which the LED array is inactivated. The system also has a camera located with a view of the illumination area. The camera has an image exposure that coincides with the on cycle of the strobing LED array.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2005Date of Patent: October 7, 2008Assignee: Accu-Sort Systems, Inc.Inventor: Christopher Alan Freyman
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Patent number: 7431463Abstract: A projection display system has at least one light-recycling illumination system and at least one imaging light modulator. The light-recycling illumination system includes a light source that is enclosed within a light-recycling cavity. The light source is a plurality of light-emitting diode that emits light, and a fraction of that light will exit the light-recycling cavity through an aperture. The light-recycling cavity recycles a portion of the light emitted by the light source back to the light source in order to enhance the luminance of the light exiting the aperture. The fraction of the light that exits the aperture is partially collimated and is directed to the imaging light modulator. The imaging light modulator spatially modulates the partially collimated light to form an image.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2005Date of Patent: October 7, 2008Assignee: Goldeneye, Inc.Inventors: Karl W. Beeson, Scott M. Zimmerman
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Patent number: 7430369Abstract: An image capture apparatus, such as a digital camera or a digital still camera, is capable of easily capturing an optimal image by determining a state of a subject via image processing during capturing, and executing re-capturing or giving a warning to prompt re-capturing according to a result of the determination.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2005Date of Patent: September 30, 2008Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takaaki Fukui
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Patent number: 7428377Abstract: A focusing drive apparatus includes a determination device that is configured to determine whether a present focusing condition is an AF-able condition or an AF-unable condition. In the AF-able condition, the focusing lens group can be moved to the in-focus position by the AF device. In the AF-unable condition, the focusing lens group cannot be moved to the in-focus position by the AF device. The apparatus also includes a change control device that is configured to set a motive power transmission mechanism in the engaged state to enable the focusing lens group to be moved to the in-focus position by the AF device when the determination device determines that the present focusing condition is the AF-able condition, and to set the motive power transmission mechanism in the disengaged state when the determination device determines that the present focusing condition is the AF-unable condition.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2005Date of Patent: September 23, 2008Assignee: Fujinon CorporationInventor: Tadashi Sasaki
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Patent number: 7422382Abstract: A camera module comprises a lens array including at least one lens, a lens accommodating unit having an inner space, in which the lens array is arranged, and an incident hole, and a housing mounted on a circuit board. The housing has a counter-engagement part engaged with an engagement part formed at the lens accommodating unit such that the lens accommodating unit is moved in the direction of the optical axis. An image sensor has an image area on which light is focused. The image sensor is electrically connected to the circuit board. A filter is disposed between the lens array and the image sensor. The filter includes a transparent medium through which light introduced along the optical axis is transmitted to the image area, and a prevention film for preventing electromagnetic waves generated by the image sensor from being emitted out of the housing.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2005Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tae Jun Seo
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Patent number: 7422380Abstract: A camera door opening/shutting apparatus for a portable terminal equipped with a camera lens capable of semi-automatically opening and shutting the camera door of a portable terminal. The apparatus has a door member having a lens hole formed therein, a camera door adapted to open and shut the lens hole, a first door cam providing the rotation axis and a trough, the first door cam extending along the periphery of the camera door and being rotatably connected to the door member, a second door cam having a crest formed thereon, which faces the trough, and being adapted to travel linearly as the first door cam is rotated, a door elastic body; and a door cover having an opening formed therein.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2005Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hee-Kwan Kim, Seung-Woo Lim, Jung-Nam Moon, Hyon-Myong Song
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Patent number: 7424216Abstract: A light diffuser for a camera used in macro photography, the diffuser formed from a prism having a body that includes an opening to accommodate the camera lens such that the body is positioned adjacent the camera flash unit for receiving and redirecting light throughout the body to exit a front face thereof around the lens and illuminate the subject in a desirable manner. Ideally the body is a unitary transparent material having facets formed thereon to provide internal reflection. One or more filter elements aid in conditioning the light processed in the diffuser body, such as diffusing, adding color to, and focusing the light.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2006Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Inventor: Ronnie K. Liem
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Patent number: 7422332Abstract: A wall structure has a first wall and a second wall that faces the first wall. A part of the second wall or the entire second wall is configured as a rear-projection screen. A projector for projecting an image onto the rear-projection screen is arranged between the first and second walls.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2005Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Tetsushi Kokubo, Yasushi Tatehira, Kenji Tanaka, Hitoshi Mukai, Hirofumi Hibi
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Patent number: 7424214Abstract: A push-pull type camera module for a portable wireless terminal in which a hollow outer lens barrel is installed in the portable wireless terminal, a push-pull switch is installed in the outer barrel, an inner barrel is installed in the outer barrel, the inner barrel extending from or retracting to the outer barrel by the push-pull switch, a lens assembly is exposed at an outer surface of the inner barrel, the lens assembly taking a picture when the inner barrel is extended, a first switching module detects the extension and retraction of the inner barrel, and a second switching module detects rotation of the extended inner barrel.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2005Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Han-Sik Kim, Jong-Hwan Kim
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Patent number: 7419265Abstract: An autostereoscopic projection arrangement, comprising at least one projector and at least one filter array which has a multitude of filter elements arranged in columns and rows, in which arrangement bits of partial information from views of a scene or object are projected by the projector(s) onto a projection screen, where there bits of partial information are rendered on image rendering elements and, having passed one or several of the filter arrays, are made visible to at least one observer, and in which, as regards to propagation direction of the bits of partial information, the image rendering elements correspond with correlated filter elements in such a way that an observer will see predominantly bits of partial information from a first selection of views with one eye and predominantly bits of partial information from a second selection of views with the other eye, and thus will have a spatial impression.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2003Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: X3D Technologies GmbhInventors: Ingo Relke, Stephan Otte, Markus Klippstein, Thomas Bruggert, Bernd Riemann
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Patent number: 7419267Abstract: A display has a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear-projection screen. Elements of the light modulator may be controlled to adjust the intensity of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may provide a high dynamic range.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2007Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Lorne A Whitehead, Gregory John Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Helge Seetzen
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Patent number: 7419266Abstract: A projector includes a laser beam source that outputs a laser beam and modulates the laser beam in a beam form based on an image signal, a scanning unit that scans the laser beam output by the laser beam source at least in one-dimensional direction, a scan driving unit that drive controls the scanning unit by a first force, a retaining unit that stops and retains the scanning unit at a predetermined position by a second force, and a light shielding unit that shields the laser beam from the scanning unit that is retained by the retaining unit. The scan driving unit releases the scanning unit retained by the retaining unit, and drives it when the first force is larger than the second force. The retaining unit stops and retains the scanning unit at the predetermined position when the second force is larger than the first force.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2006Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Hideya Seki
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Patent number: 7418202Abstract: An optical low pass filter or blur filter, and method of making the filters, using an article having a birefringent surface for refracting incoming light when used with an image sensor. The birefringent surface of the article, such as a film, is structured or tilted such that, when the blur filter is placed within an optical path between a lens and the image sensor, the birefringent surface causes refraction of a light signal in the optical path into multiple light signals each being incident upon different sub-pixels within the pixels in the image sensor to prevent or reduce artifacts, such as undesirable color moiré effects, in the resulting digital image. The structures on the surface have a variable pitch or angles. The variable pitch can include a periodic, aperiodic, or quasi-aperiodic pitch, to reduce diffractive artifacts in the resulting image.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2005Date of Patent: August 26, 2008Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Rolf W. Biernath, Robert L. Brott, William Ward Merrill, John S. Huizinga, William B. Black
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Patent number: 7418199Abstract: An imaging apparatus including a first lens unit with positive power in which the most object-side surface is concave and the most image-side surface is convex, an aperture stop, a second lens unit with positive power in which the most object-side surface is convex and the most image-side surface is concave, and a third lens unit with positive power; and an image sensor. Air spacing between the second lens unit and the third lens unit assumes the shape of a biconvex air lens. The imaging apparatus satisfies the following condition: 1.4?|r 2R|/IH?15.0 where IH is the maximum photographic image height, which is a half of the diagonal length, in an effective imaging area, of the image sensor, and r 2R is the radius of curvature, measured along the optical axis, of the most image-side surface of the second lens unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2005Date of Patent: August 26, 2008Assignee: Olympus Corporation and Olympus Imaging Corp.Inventors: Kazuteru Kawamura, Kazuya Nishimura
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Patent number: 7413307Abstract: A display has a first array of pixels connected to emit individually-controlled amounts of light onto a second array of pixels. The second array of pixels is connected to pass individually-controllable portions of the light. The display has a controller connected to control the pixels of the first and second arrays of pixels. The controller is configured to control the pixels of the first array of pixels to provide on the second array of pixels an approximation of an image specified by image data; determine a difference between the image and the approximation of the image at individual pixels of the second array of pixels; and control the pixels of the second array of pixels to modulate the approximation of the image according to the corresponding determined differences.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2007Date of Patent: August 19, 2008Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Lorne A. Whitehead, Gregory John Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Helge Seetzen
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Patent number: 7413309Abstract: A display has a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear-projection screen. Elements of the light modulator may be controlled to adjust the intensity of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may provide a high dynamic range.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2008Date of Patent: August 19, 2008Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Lorne Whitehead, Greg Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Helge Seetzen
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Patent number: 7410310Abstract: A blade driving apparatus for cameras includes a base plate having an aperture for a photographing optical path; a cover plate having the aperture for the photographing optical path, provided with a blade chamber between the base plate and the cover plate; at least one blade rotatably mounted to the base plate in the blade chamber; and at least one electromagnetic driving source driving the blade. The electromagnetic driving source includes a rotor magnetized to have a plurality of magnetic poles at preset angles on its peripheral surface and having a driving pin for driving pin for driving the blade by its rotation, a yoke having a plurality of magnetic pole sections opposite to the peripheral surface of the rotor, and a coil wound through the yoke. At least, the rotor and the yoke are interposed between the base plate and the cover plate so that, at least, the rotor is rotatably mounted to the base plate.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2005Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: Nidec Copal CorporationInventor: Tomokazu Kihara
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Patent number: 7410261Abstract: In an image projection system, there are at least two light illumination units producing illumination light beams of respective first and second primary colors. A first beamsplitter is disposed to split at least a portion of the first illumination light beam into sub-beams, one of which is directed to a first image-forming panel. The other sub-beam is combined with at least some of the second illumination light beam to form a light beam of mixed light that illuminates the image-forming panel. In some embodiments, the first beamsplitter is a polarizing beamsplitter.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2005Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventor: Simon Magarill
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Patent number: 7410260Abstract: An optical projection and capture system includes an image sensor integrated with an optical projection device. Additionally, the integrated device may be coupled with a laser pointer to deliver interactive presentations. The laser pointer may be pulsed to improve identifying and tracking a laser light spot on a projected image. These applications may be extended to rear projection systems for gaming and interactive graphics.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2005Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventor: David J. Mehrl
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Patent number: 7409152Abstract: The present invention provides a technique for enabling even a person having no expert knowledge to adjust the direction of an optical axis easily with high precision. In a three-dimensional image processing apparatus having plural image capturing apparatuses, optical center of an image from an image capturing apparatus is stored for each of the image capturing apparatuses. A mark indicative of the optical center is superimposed on an image obtained from the image capturing apparatus. By referring to the mark for each of the image capturing apparatuses, the orientation of each of the image capturing apparatuses is adjusted so that all of the marks overlay on the same point on an object.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2005Date of Patent: August 5, 2008Assignee: Omron CorporationInventor: Masaki Suwa