Patents by Inventor Akira Shinbo

Akira Shinbo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230266653
    Abstract: An illuminator includes a light source that emits first light that belongs to a first wavelength band, a wavelength converter that converts the first light into second light that belongs to a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band, and an optical element that transmits the second light emitted from the wavelength converter. An air layer is provided between the wavelength converter and the optical element. A length of the air layer along the direction of the optical axis of the optical element is greater than or equal to 0.3 ?m but smaller than or equal to 9.0 ?m. The optical element has a coefficient of linear expansion smaller than or equal to 65×10?7/° C. at temperatures ranging from 100° C. to 200° C., and a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 1.0 W/m·K.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Toshiaki HASHIZUME, Akira SHINBO, Tomohiro YOKOO
  • Publication number: 20230239442
    Abstract: A projection device includes a camera that captures an image of a real space in which an object is disposed and a projector that projects an image indicated by video data generated based on the captured image by the camera onto an image capturing region of the camera in the real space. The video data is, for example, a pointing image such as an arrow or a finger point pointing to an object disposed in the real space. The projection device detects the object by image recognition from the captured image and generates video data for displaying a pointing image pointing to the object at a position superimposed on or adjacent to the object. When the image indicated by the video data generated is projected from the projector, the pointing image is displayed at a position superimposed on or adjacent to the object in the real space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira SHINBO
  • Publication number: 20160124223
    Abstract: A virtual image display apparatus includes a first light guide that not only causes a display light flux incident through a first light incident surface to repeatedly undergo internal reflection to travel in a first direction away from the first light incident surface but also causes part of the display light flux to exit to the outside through areas of a first light exiting surface that is at least one of interfaces with the outside and extends in the first direction, a first light-incident-side diffraction grating that diffracts light incident thereon to cause the diffracted light to enter the first light guide, and a first light-exiting-side diffraction grating that diffracts light incident from the first light guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Akira SHINBO, Osamu YOKOYAMA, Masatoshi YONEKUBO
  • Patent number: 8416494
    Abstract: A screen includes; a plurality of layers including a diffusion layer that diffuses incident light; an elastic member that movably supports the diffusion layer with respect to an arbitrary holding part; and a driving unit that moves the diffusion layer in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of light that is incident to the diffusion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinoshita, Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo
  • Patent number: 8405905
    Abstract: A screen on which an image according to light incident thereon is displayed includes a plurality of lens trains on a light-exiting surface from which the light exits, and the plurality of lens trains are provided along a plurality of virtual reference lines extending in respective predetermined directions. Each of the lens trains is formed of a plurality of lens elements from which the light exits. At least some of the plurality of lens elements that form any of the lens trains are so disposed that the lens elements are shifted from the reference line along which the lens train extends. The screen can suppress degradation of a displayed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Shinbo, Ryoji Katsuma
  • Publication number: 20120229895
    Abstract: A screen on which an image according to light incident thereon is displayed includes a plurality of lens trains on a light-exiting surface from which the light exits, and the plurality of lens trains are provided along a plurality of virtual reference lines extending in respective predetermined directions. Each of the lens trains is formed of a plurality of lens elements from which the light exits. At least some of the plurality of lens elements that form any of the lens trains are so disposed that the lens elements are shifted from the reference line along which the lens train extends. The screen can suppress degradation of a displayed image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira SHINBO, Ryoji KATSUMA
  • Patent number: 8228603
    Abstract: A screen includes a plurality of structures arrayed in parallel in at least one direction of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on a reference surface parallel to the first direction and the second direction. The structures are arrayed such that at least one of a distance between central positions of the structures adjacent to each other and a size of the structure changes irregularly in at least one direction, in which the structures are arrayed in parallel, of the first and second directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Shinbo, Ryoji Katsuma
  • Patent number: 8197926
    Abstract: A screen includes a plurality of concave recesses arranged on a flat surface, wherein the recesses are arranged in such a way that the spacing between adjacent ones of the recesses in the radial direction from a reference point located in the flat surface or a plane extended from the flat surface increase with distance from the reference point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Shinbo, Ryoji Katsuma
  • Patent number: 8169700
    Abstract: A reflective screen comprising: a projection surface on which an image light is projected, a plurality of unit structures provided on the projection surface, one of the plurality of unit structures being formed of a concavely curved surface or a convexly curved surface, a first reflection portion that reflects the image light incident thereon toward a preset field of view, the first reflection portion being provided on the concavely curved surface or on the convexly curved surface and a second reflection portion that reflects at least a part of the image light incident thereon toward a region outside the preset field of view, the second reflection portion being provided on the concavely curved surface or on the convexly curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Katsuma, Akira Shinbo
  • Patent number: 8130445
    Abstract: There is provided a screen and a projector using a simple configuration and operation to make speckles less visible. A screen 10 on which light beams are incident includes a lenticular lens 11 as a first layer having viewing angle control means for enlarging the viewing angle and a Fresnel lens 12 as a second layer having angular conversion means for converting the angles of incidence of the incident light beams into the substantially same direction. One of the first and second layers has a diffusion capability that diffuses the incident light beams and has moving means for moving that layer relative to the other. Alternatively, the first and second layers both have the diffusion capability, and at least one of the layers has moving means for moving that layer relative to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo, Hideya Seki
  • Publication number: 20110249329
    Abstract: A screen includes; a plurality of layers including a diffusion layer that diffuses incident light; an elastic member that movably supports the diffusion layer with respect to an arbitrary holding part; and a driving unit that moves the diffusion layer in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of light that is incident to the diffusion layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinoshita, Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo
  • Patent number: 8023186
    Abstract: A screen that reflects light from a projection apparatus to present a projected image includes: a screen substrate; and a plurality of spherical microlenses disposed on the front side of the screen substrate, wherein the microlenses are arranged along a predetermined first direction on the screen substrate to form lens rows, and adjacent microlenses in each of the lens rows have different radii of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Katsuma, Akira Shinbo, Toshiaki Hashizume
  • Publication number: 20110222151
    Abstract: There is provided a screen and a projector using a simple configuration and operation to make speckles less visible. A screen 10 on which light beams are incident includes a lenticular lens 11 as a first layer having viewing angle control means for enlarging the viewing angle and a Fresnel lens 12 as a second layer having angular conversion means for converting the angles of incidence of the incident light beams into the substantially same direction. One of the first and second layers has a diffusion capability that diffuses the incident light beams and has moving means for moving that layer relative to the other. Alternatively, the first and second layers both have the diffusion capability, and at least one of the layers has moving means for moving that layer relative to the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji MORIKUNI, Akira SHINBO, Hideya SEKI
  • Publication number: 20110194178
    Abstract: A reflective screen comprising: a projection surface on which an image light is projected, a plurality of unit structures provided on the projection surface, one of the plurality of unit structures being formed of a concavely curved surface or a convexly curved surface, a first reflection portion that reflects the image light incident thereon toward a preset field of view, the first reflection portion being provided on the concavely curved surface or on the convexly curved surface and a second reflection portion that reflects at least a part of the image light incident thereon toward a region outside the preset field of view, the second reflection portion being provided on the concavely curved surface or on the convexly curved surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Katsuma, Akira Shinbo
  • Publication number: 20110188114
    Abstract: A screen includes a plurality of structures arrayed in parallel in at least one direction of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on a reference surface parallel to the first direction and the second direction. The structures are arrayed such that at least one of a distance between central positions of the structures adjacent to each other and a size of the structure changes irregularly in at least one direction, in which the structures are arrayed in parallel, of the first and second directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira SHINBO, Ryoji KATSUMA
  • Patent number: 7986457
    Abstract: A screen includes; a plurality of layers including a diffusion layer that diffuses incident light; an elastic member that movably supports the diffusion layer with respect to an arbitrary holding part; and a driving unit that moves the diffusion layer in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of light that is incident to the diffusion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinoshita, Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo
  • Patent number: 7961389
    Abstract: There is provided a screen and a projector using a simple configuration and operation to make speckles less visible. A screen 10 on which light beams are incident includes a lenticular lens 11 as a first layer having viewing angle control means for enlarging the viewing angle and a Fresnel lens 12 as a second layer having angular conversion means for converting the angles of incidence of the incident light beams into the substantially same direction. One of the first and second layers has a diffusion capability that diffuses the incident light beams and has moving means for moving that layer relative to the other. Alternatively, the first and second layers both have the diffusion capability, and at least one of the layers has moving means for moving that layer relative to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo, Hideya Seki
  • Patent number: 7948679
    Abstract: A screen includes a plurality of structures arrayed in parallel in at least one direction of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on a reference surface parallel to the first direction and the second direction. The structures are arrayed such that at least one of a distance between central positions of the structures adjacent to each other and a size of the structure changes irregularly in at least one direction, in which the structures are arrayed in parallel, of the first and second directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Shinbo, Ryoji Katsuma
  • Patent number: 7929207
    Abstract: A screen includes a plurality of reflecting portions disposed on a flat surface with a clearance left between one another. The reflecting portions reflect diagonal incident light coming in a predetermined direction other than the normal line direction of the flat surface, and block the diagonal incident light by reflecting the incident light such that the incident light cannot reach each area between the adjoining reflecting portions on the flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masatoshi Yonekubo, Akira Shinbo
  • Publication number: 20110069385
    Abstract: A screen includes: a screen substrate; a first area disposed on the screen substrate and containing a first main line which has a plurality of first concaves for reflecting light and a first supplementary line which is disposed on the screen substrate at a position adjacent to the first main line and has the same number of second concaves as that of the first concaves formed adjacent to the second concaves, the first main line and the first supplementary line being alternately and repeatedly arranged; and a second area disposed on the screen substrate in a region where an angle of incidence of projection light with respect to the screen substrate becomes larger than in the first area and containing a second main line which has a plurality of third concaves for reflecting light and a second supplementary line which is disposed on the screen substrate at a position adjacent to the second main line and has a larger number of fourth concaves as that of the third concaves formed adjacent to the fourth concaves, th
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Katsuma, Akira Shinbo