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: 7834990
    Abstract: An evaluation method for evaluating optical characteristics of an optical system, the evaluation method includes: providing an optical system that is an evaluation object and that has a light incidence section and a light emission section; disposing a first pattern having a fist predetermined pitch, in an optical path of light which is incident onto the light incidence section; disposing a projection surface having a second pattern with a second predetermined pitch, at the position to which the light emitted from the light emission section is reached; projecting an image of the first pattern onto the projection surface through the optical system; and evaluating the optical characteristics of the optical system by observing a state of moiré fringes which are generated onto the projection surface due to interference between the image and the second pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Hideya Seki, Akira Shinbo
  • Patent number: 7807959
    Abstract: A screen includes a screen main body that has a diffusion layer, a frame that is provided along the circumference of the screen main body, and to which the diffusion layer is attached through supporting members to rock, and a driving unit that is mounted on the diffusion layer and moves the diffusion layer in parallel to a surface of the diffusion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideya Seki, Eiji Morikuni
  • Publication number: 20100245996
    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: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji MORIKUNI, Akira SHINBO, Hideya SEKI
  • Publication number: 20100208149
    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: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji MORIKUNI
  • Patent number: 7764425
    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: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo, Hideya Seki
  • Publication number: 20100165308
    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: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji MORIKUNI, Nobutaka MINEFUJI
  • Publication number: 20100097698
    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: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinoshita, Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo
  • Patent number: 7660037
    Abstract: A screen includes; a plurality of layers including a diffusion layer that diffuses incident tight; 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 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinoshita, Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo
  • Publication number: 20090231555
    Abstract: In a projection optical system comprising: two lens groups, and a curved plane mirror, wherein the projection optical system including two story structure, and having bend means for bending at least two times the light incident from an electro-optic modulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru NAGAREKAWA, Eiji MORIKUNI, Nobutaka MINEFUJI, Masayuki OKOSHI
  • Publication number: 20090185139
    Abstract: A projection system includes a first projector and a second projector configured to project light on a light receiving surface according to an image signal. The first projector and the second projector direct light to be supplied to the light receiving surface in a direction along the light receiving surface. A part of an image projected by the first projector overlaps with a part of an image projected by the second projector on the light receiving surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji MORIKUNI
  • Publication number: 20080151266
    Abstract: An evaluation method for evaluating optical characteristics of an optical system, the evaluation method includes: providing an optical system that is an evaluation object and that has a light incidence section and a light emission section; disposing a first pattern having a fist predetermined pitch, in an optical path of light which is incident onto the light incidence section; disposing a projection surface having a second pattern with a second predetermined pitch, at the position to which the light emitted from the light emission section is reached; projecting an image of the first pattern onto the projection surface through the optical system; and evaluating the optical characteristics of the optical system by observing a state of moiré fringes which are generated onto the projection surface due to interference between the image and the second pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Hideya Seki, Akira Shinbo
  • Publication number: 20080123062
    Abstract: A projector includes a projection engine section including a light source section, an image forming section for displaying an image of a desired size on an irradiated surface using light from the light source section, and projecting light corresponding to an image signal to the irradiated surface, and a housing for housing the projection engine section, wherein the projection engine section is capable of moving in the housing in a direction along a light path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Morikuni
  • Publication number: 20080049315
    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: August 21, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo, Hideya Seki
  • Publication number: 20080037117
    Abstract: A screen includes a screen main body that has a diffusion layer, a frame that is provided along the circumference of the screen main body, and to which the diffusion layer is attached through supporting members to rock, and a driving unit that is mounted on the diffusion layer and moves the diffusion layer in parallel to a surface of the diffusion layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideya SEKI, Eiji MORIKUNI
  • Publication number: 20080007660
    Abstract: An image display device includes: a projecting section; an image forming section having an image forming plane on which light projected from the projecting section is focused and where an image is formed by diffuse-reflection of the light that has been focused on the image forming plane; and an image providing section configured to transmit the light diffuse-reflected by the image forming section to provide the image formed on the image forming plane to the viewer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi KINOSHITA, Akira SHINBO, Eiji MORIKUNI
  • Publication number: 20080007827
    Abstract: A screen includes; a plurality of layers including a diffusion layer that diffuses incident tight; 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 1, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinoshita, Eiji Morikuni, Akira Shinbo
  • Publication number: 20070251916
    Abstract: A projector includes a light diffusing unit that is vibratably provided to diffuse incident light by a vibration and to emit diffused light, the light diffusing unit having a unique resonance frequency, a vibration generating unit that has a piezoelectric element for vibrating the light diffusing unit, and a control unit that controls the vibration generating unit to vibrate the light diffusing unit at a frequency corresponding to the unique resonance frequency of the light diffusing unit. An image is displayed using the diffused light emitted from the light diffusing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidehiro AKAHANE, Eiji MORIKUNI
  • Publication number: 20070097337
    Abstract: An image display apparatus 100 that displays an image using a light modulated according to an image signal includes a projection optical system 90 that includes a projection lens 20, a first mirror 30 that reflects a light from the projection lens 20, and a second mirror 40 that widens an angle of a light from the first mirror 30 by reflecting the light, and projects the light modulated according to the image signal from an optical engine unit 10; a third mirror 50 that reflects a light from the projection optical system 90; and a screen 50 that transmits a light from the third mirror 50. The projection lens 20 and the second mirror 40 are arranged in such a manner that an optical axis of the projection lens 20 substantially matches an optical axis of the second mirror 40, and shift the light from the optical engine unit 10 to a specific side from the optical axis of the projection lens 20.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Masatoshi Yonekubo, Toshihiko Sakai, Shunji Kamijima
  • Patent number: 6763915
    Abstract: A winding stem (10) is connected to an inner end (11a) of a mainspring (11), and an outer end (11b) of the mainspring (11) is connected to a barrel drum (12). A braking plate (15) is placed inside a braking case (14), and the braking case (14) is filled with a fluid (16). An uneven joint portion (10b) is formed at the lower end of the winding stem (10), and is engaged with an uneven joint portion (15b) of the braking plate (15) placed in the braking case (14). By adopting the above configuration which can simplify the structure of the mainspring mechanism having the braking plate and which can reduce the number of components, the size and production cost of the mainspring mechanism can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shoichi Nagao, Eiji Morikuni, Taro Matsunaga
  • Publication number: 20030066713
    Abstract: A winding stem (10) is connected to an inner end (11a) of a mainspring (11), and an outer end (11b) of the mainspring (11) is connected to a barrel drum (12). A braking plate (15) is placed inside a braking case (14), and the braking case (14) is filled with a fluid (16). An uneven joint portion (10b) is formed at the lower end of the winding stem (10), and is engaged with an uneven joint portion (15b) of the braking plate (15) placed in the braking case (14). By adopting the above configuration which can simplify the structure of the mainspring mechanism having the braking plate and which can reduce the number of components, the size and production cost of the mainspring mechanism can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: Shoichi Nagao, Eiji Morikuni, Taro Matsunaga