Patents by Inventor Eiji Morikuni

Eiji Morikuni 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).

  • Patent number: 9128365
    Abstract: A projector includes: a main body section including a light source, a display surface irradiated with light from the light source, and an emission optical system capable of emitting the light from the display surface, and once converting the light from the display surface into light forming an image plane of the display surface tilted with respect to the display surface; and a projection unit projecting the light from the display surface, emitted from the emission optical system, toward an irradiated surface, and having an angle-widening mirror with a concave surface having positive power and reflecting and widening light forming an image plane of the display surface tilted with respect to the display surface. The main body section or the projection unit includes a variable power optical system varying magnification of the image forming the image plane of the display surface tilted with respect to the display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 9039186
    Abstract: A projector includes: a light source device; a light modulation device adapted to modulate a light beam emitted from the light source device; a light transmissive substrate adapted to transmit the light beam modulated by the light modulation device; and a projection optical device adapted to project the light beam transmitted through the light transmissive substrate, wherein the light modulation device includes a first light modulation unit having a plurality of pixels arranged, the pixels having colors different from each other, and the light transmissive substrate is disposed so as to be tilted with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to a light axis of the light beam modulated by the first light modulation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Yanai, Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 8955981
    Abstract: A projector includes: a main body section including a light source, a display surface illuminated by light from the light source, and an emission optical system adapted to emit light from the display surface; and a projection unit adapted to project light from the display surface toward an irradiated surface, the light being emitted from the emission optical system, wherein the projection unit includes an image plane control optical system adapted to change the light emitted from the emission optical system to light forming an image plane of the display surface tilted with respect to the display surface, and an angle-widening mirror with a concave surface having positive power and adapted to reflect light forming an image plane of the display surface tilted with respect to the display surface and widen an angle of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 8870388
    Abstract: A light modulation device side lens group has different power in the longitudinal and lateral directions and different magnifications in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Therefore, it is possible to make the aspect ratio of an image of the liquid crystal panel different from the aspect ratio of an image projected on a screen. That is, conversion can be performed on an aspect ratio which is a ratio of width to height using the optical projection system. At this time, a distance p and a distance p? between a diaphragm and the screen SC side end surface of the light modulation device side lens group satisfies predetermined conditional expressions, so it is possible to achieve a predetermined or higher telecentricity in both states, that is, a first operating state and a second operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Otani, Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 8827463
    Abstract: A projector includes an anamorphic prism optical system for converting an aspect ratio of an irradiation region on which the video light is irradiated. The anamorphic prism optical system includes a first prism set and a second prism set. The first prism set is obtained by combining a first prism and a second prism, and the second prism set is obtained by combining a third prism and a fourth prism. The first prism, the second prism, the third prism, and the fourth prism are respectively rotatable around rotation axes thereof, and a space between the first and second prism sets is adjustable in association with the rotation of the first prism, the second prism, the third prism, and the fourth prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 8817382
    Abstract: A light modulation device side lens group has different powers in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of a liquid crystal panel. Therefore, as the entire system of the optical projection system, the light modulation device side lens group has different magnification in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Therefore, it is possible to make the aspect ratio of an image of the liquid crystal panel different from the aspect ratio of an image projected on a screen. That is, conversion can be performed on an aspect ratio. At this time, a distance p between each focus or a diaphragm and the screen SC side end surface of the light modulation device side lens group satisfies the conditional expressions, so it is possible to achieve a predetermined or higher telecentricity in both states, that is, a first operating state and a second operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Otani, Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 8801197
    Abstract: A projection optical system which, when projecting an image of an optical modulator onto a projection surface on an enlarged scale, differs the aspect ratio of the image of the optical modulator and the aspect ratio of the image projected onto the projection surface, and includes, in order from the projection surface, a first group which is an enlargement optical system; a second group includes an adjustment optical component with a surface rotationally asymmetrical to an optical axis, when defining at least one direction of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the optical modulator as an adjustment direction in which conversion adjustment using compression or extension is performed, the adjustment optical component having at least one optical system which differs in power between the adjustment direction and another direction; and a third group which has a correction optical component with a surface rotationally symmetrical to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Makoto Otani
  • Patent number: 8794772
    Abstract: A proximity projection-type projector includes a housing; a dust-proof cover arranged on a top portion of the housing; and a projection unit arranged within the housing. The projection unit projects projection light though the dust-proof cover on the housing toward a screen disposed outside the housing. An anti-reflection film forms a light incident surface of the dust-proof cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Nobutaka Minefuji
  • Publication number: 20140176919
    Abstract: A projection system includes: a relay system that focuses light having exited through a first image plane on a second image plane; and an enlarging system that enlarges and projects an image focused on the second image plane on a third image plane, wherein the relay system includes a first lens element on which the light having exited through the first image plane is incident, the first lens element having positive refracting power, a reflective member that reflects a light having passed through the first lens element, the reflective member having positive refracting power, and a second lens element on which a light reflected off the reflective member is incident and which focuses the light reflected off the reflective member on the second image plane, the second lens element having positive refracting power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji MORIKUNI
  • Patent number: 8760768
    Abstract: An optical modulation device side lens group has different powers in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of a liquid crystal panel. Therefore, as the entire system of the optical projection system, the optical modulation device side lens group has different magnification in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Therefore, it is possible to make the aspect ratio of an image of the liquid crystal panel different from the aspect ratio of an image projected on a screen. That is, conversion can be performed on an aspect ratio. At this time, a distance p between each focus or a diaphragm and the screen SC side end surface of the optical modulation device side lens group satisfies the conditional expressions, so it is possible to achieve a predetermined or higher telecentricity in both states, that is, a first operating state and a second operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Otani, Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 8662679
    Abstract: An object-side lens group has different power factors between the vertical and horizontal directions of a liquid crystal panel, and a projection system as a whole therefore has different focal lengths between the vertical and horizontal directions and hence different magnification factors between the vertical and horizontal directions, whereby the aspect ratio of an image on the liquid crystal panel can be set at a value different from the aspect ratio of an image projected on a screen. That is, the projection system can convert the aspect ratio, which is the ratio of the width to the height of an image. When the distance between a diaphragm and an extreme end surface of the object-side lens group on the screen side satisfies a predetermined condition, at least a certain degree of telecentricity can be provided both in the vertical and horizontal directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Otani, Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 8434878
    Abstract: A projector includes: a projection unit that projects projection light toward an illuminated surface; a housing that houses the projection unit and has an opening that allows the projection light to exit outward; and a cover portion that blocks the opening and transmits the projection light, wherein a plurality of areas is set in the cover portion relative to the projection unit, and a process of changing the reflectance of the light-incident surface of the cover portion at which the projection light is reflected is performed on each of the areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Nobutaka Minefuji
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20130027676
    Abstract: A light modulation device side lens group has different power in the longitudinal and lateral directions and different magnifications in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Therefore, it is possible to make the aspect ratio of an image of the liquid crystal panel different from the aspect ratio of an image projected on a screen. That is, conversion can be performed on an aspect ratio which is a ratio of width to height using the optical projection system. At this time, a distance p and a distance p? between a diaphragm and the screen SC side end surface of the light modulation device side lens group satisfies predetermined conditional expressions, so it is possible to achieve a predetermined or higher telecentricity in both states, that is, a first operating state and a second operating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto OTANI, Eiji MORIKUNI
  • Publication number: 20130010370
    Abstract: An optical modulation device side lens group has different powers in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of a liquid crystal panel. Therefore, as the entire system of the optical projection system, the optical modulation device side lens group has different magnification in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Therefore, it is possible to make the aspect ratio of an image of the liquid crystal panel different from the aspect ratio of an image projected on a screen. That is, conversion can be performed on an aspect ratio. At this time, a distance p between each focus or a diaphragm and the screen SC side end surface of the optical modulation device side lens group satisfies the conditional expressions, so it is possible to achieve a predetermined or higher telecentricity in both states, that is, a first operating state and a second operating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto OTANI, Eiji Morikuni
  • Publication number: 20130010371
    Abstract: A light modulation device side lens group has different powers in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of a liquid crystal panel. Therefore, as the entire system of the optical projection system, the light modulation device side lens group has different magnification in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Therefore, it is possible to make the aspect ratio of an image of the liquid crystal panel different from the aspect ratio of an image projected on a screen. That is, conversion can be performed on an aspect ratio. At this time, a distance p between each focus or a diaphragm and the screen SC side end surface of the light modulation device side lens group satisfies the conditional expressions, so it is possible to achieve a predetermined or higher telecentricity in both states, that is, a first operating state and a second operating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto OTANI, Eiji Morikuni
  • Publication number: 20120327372
    Abstract: An object-side lens group has different power factors between the vertical and horizontal directions of a liquid crystal panel, and a projection system as a whole therefore has different focal lengths between the vertical and horizontal directions and hence different magnification factors between the vertical and horizontal directions, whereby the aspect ratio of an image on the liquid crystal panel can be set at a value different from the aspect ratio of an image projected on a screen. That is, the projection system can convert the aspect ratio, which is the ratio of the width to the height of an image. When the distance between a diaphragm and an extreme end surface of the object-side lens group on the screen side satisfies a predetermined condition, at least a certain degree of telecentricity can be provided both in the vertical and horizontal directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto OTANI, Eiji MORIKUNI
  • Publication number: 20120320347
    Abstract: A projection optical system which, when projecting an image of an optical modulator onto a projection surface on an enlarged scale, differs the aspect ratio of the image of the optical modulator and the aspect ratio of the image projected onto the projection surface, and includes, in order from the projection surface, a first group which is an enlargement optical system; a second group includes an adjustment optical component with a surface rotationally asymmetrical to an optical axis, when defining at least one direction of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the optical modulator as an adjustment direction in which conversion adjustment using compression or extension is performed, the adjustment optical component having at least one optical system which differs in power between the adjustment direction and another direction; and a third group which has a correction optical component with a surface rotationally symmetrical to the optical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji MORIKUNI, Makoto OTANI
  • Patent number: 8330876
    Abstract: A projector includes: a light source; an image processing section adapted to perform an expansion process of an aspect ratio in either one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of an image to be formed by an image signal input; a light modulation element adapted to modulate light from the light source to form an image on which the expansion process is performed; a projection optical system adapted to project the image, formed by the light modulation element, on a projection surface; and an anamorphic zoom optical system adapted to be capable of changing a magnification ratio of the image with respect to a direction different from a direction, along which the expansion process is performed in the image processing section, out of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Morikuni
  • Publication number: 20120249978
    Abstract: A projector includes: a main body section including a light source, a display surface irradiated with light from the light source, and an emission optical system capable of emitting the light from the display surface, and once converting the light from the display surface into light forming an image plane of the display surface tilted with respect to the display surface; and a projection unit projecting the light from the display surface, emitted from the emission optical system, toward an irradiated surface, and having an angle-widening mirror with a concave surface having positive power and reflecting and widening light forming an image plane of the display surface tilted with respect to the display surface. The main body section or the projection unit includes a variable power optical system varying magnification of the image forming the image plane of the display surface tilted with respect to the display surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji MORIKUNI