Patents by Inventor Robert D. Taylor
Robert D. Taylor 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).
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Patent number: 11960683Abstract: A display system for sensing a finger of a user applied to the display system includes a display panel; a sensor for sensing the finger; a sensing light source configured to emit a first light having a first wavelength W1; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the display panel and the sensor. For a substantially normally incident light, an optical transmittance of the reflective polarizer versus wavelength for a first polarization state has a band edge such that for a first wavelength range extending from a smaller wavelength L1 to a greater wavelength L2 and including W1, where 30 nm?L2?L1?50 nm and L1 is greater than and within about 20 nm of a wavelength L3 corresponding to an optical transmittance of about 50% along the band edge, the optical transmittance has an average of greater than about 75%.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Bharat R. Acharya, Robert D. Taylor, Joseph P. Attard, Benjamin J. Forsythe, David T. Yust, Matthew E. Sousa, Jason S. Petaja, Anthony M. Renstrom, William Blake Kolb, Matthew S. Cole, Matthew S. Stay, Matthew R. D. Smith, Jeremy O. Swanson, Tri D. Pham, David A. Rosen, Qunyi Chen, Lisa A. DeNicola, Quinn D. Sanford, Carl A. Stover, Lin Zhao, Gilles J. Benoit
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Publication number: 20240095650Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to the sortation of products using a conveyor assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Robert J. Taylor, Matthew D. Alexander, William M. Propes, John C. Crecelius, JR., Jason D. Bellar
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Publication number: 20240085608Abstract: Optical films are disclosed that include a plurality of interference layers. Each interference layer reflects or transmits light primarily by optical interference. The total number of the interference layers is less than about 1000. For a substantially normally incident light in a predetermined wavelength range, the plurality of interference layers has an average optical transmittance greater than about 85% for a first polarization state, an average optical reflectance greater than about 80% for an orthogonal second polarization state, and an average optical transmittance less than about 0.2% for the second polarization state.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Inventors: Adam D. Haag, Timothy J. Nevitt, Carl A. Stover, Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Robert D. Taylor, Zhaohui Yang
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Publication number: 20240053522Abstract: An optical construction includes a reflective polarizer and an optical film. The optical film includes a matrix and a plurality of first particles dispersed in the matrix. Each of the matrix and the plurality of first particles includes a silicone polyoxamide and an acrylate polymer. For substantially normally incident light and for at least a first wavelength in a first wavelength range, the reflective polarizer reflects about 60% for a first polarization state and transmits about 40% for an orthogonal second polarization state. For at least a second wavelength in a second wavelength range, each of the reflective polarizer and the optical film transmits about 60% of an incident light for each of the first and second polarization states. For at least the first wavelength, optical film has an optical haze and a depolarization ratio. A ratio of the depolarization ratio to the optical haze is less than 0.1.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2021Publication date: February 15, 2024Inventors: Bharat R. Acharya, Brett J. Sitter, Robert D. Taylor, Zhicheng Tian, James P. DiZio, Quinn D. Sanford, Kent C. Hackbarth, Matthew E. Sousa
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Patent number: 11885999Abstract: An optical construction includes a reflective polarizer and an optically diffusive film disposed on the reflective polarizer. The reflective polarizer includes an outer layer including a plurality of first particles partially protruding from a first major surface thereof to form a structured major surface. A first optically diffusive layer is conformably disposed on the structured major surface. The optically diffusive film includes a second optically diffusive layer including a plurality of nanoparticles dispersed therein, and a structured layer including a structured major surface. For a substantially normally incident light and a visible wavelength range from about 450 nm to about 650 nm and an infrared wavelength range from about 930 nm to about 970 nm, the second optically diffusive layer has an average specular transmittance Vs in the visible wavelength range and an average specular transmittance Is in the infrared wavelength range, where Is/Vs?2.5.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2021Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: 3M INNOVATION PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Bharat R. Acharya, Robert D. Taylor, Joseph P. Attard, Benjamin J. Forsythe, David T. Yust, Matthew E. Sousa, Jason S. Petaja, Anthony M. Renstrom, William Blake Kolb, Matthew S. Cole, Matthew S. Stay, Matthew R.D. Smith, Jeremy O. Swanson, Tri D. Pham, David A. Rosen, Qunyi Chen, Lisa A. DeNicola, Quinn D. Sanford, Carl A. Stover, Lin Zhao, Gilles J. Benoit
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Patent number: 11880104Abstract: A reflective polarizer has a transmittance for a first polarization state having a band edge separating a first wavelength range extending at least from about 450 nm to about 900 nm and a second wavelength range extending at least from about 1100 nm to about 1300 nm. For the first polarization state, the reflective polarizer has an average transmittance in the first wavelength range less than about 10% and an average transmittance in the second wavelength range greater than about 80%; and for a second polarization state, the reflective polarizer has an average transmittance in the first wavelength range greater than about 40% and an average transmittance in the second wavelength range greater than about 80%. A display system includes the reflective polarizer and an infrared light source configured to emit an infrared light having a wavelength W1. The band edge has a band edge wavelength W2>W1.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2021Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Carl A Stover, Robert D. Taylor, Bharat R. Acharya
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Patent number: 11846792Abstract: Optical films are disclosed that include a plurality of interference layers. Each interference layer reflects or transmits light primarily by optical interference. The total number of the interference layers is less than about 1000. For a substantially normally incident light in a predetermined wavelength range, the plurality of interference layers has an average optical transmittance greater than about 85% for a first polarization state, an average optical reflectance greater than about 80% for an orthogonal second polarization state, and an average optical transmittance less than about 0.2% for the second polarization state.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2021Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Adam D. Haag, Timothy J. Nevitt, Carl A. Stover, Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Robert D. Taylor, Zhaohui Yang
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Publication number: 20230350244Abstract: A reflective polarizer has a transmittance for a first polarization state having a band edge separating a first wavelength range extending at least from about 450 nm to about 900 nm and a second wavelength range extending at least from about 1100 nm to about 1300 nm. For the first polarization state, the reflective polarizer has an average transmittance in the first wavelength range less than about 10% and an average transmittance in the second wavelength range greater than about 80%; and for a second polarization state, the reflective polarizer has an average transmittance in the first wavelength range greater than about 40% and an average transmittance in the second wavelength range greater than about 80%. A display system includes the reflective polarizer and an infrared light source configured to emit an infrared light having a wavelength W1. The band edge has a band edge wavelength W2>W1.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2021Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: Carl A. Stover, Robert D. Taylor, Bharat R. Acharya
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Publication number: 20230341615Abstract: An optical construction includes a reflective polarizer and an optically diffusive film disposed on the reflective polarizer. The reflective polarizer includes an outer layer including a plurality of first particles partially protruding from a first major surface thereof to form a structured major surface. A first optically diffusive layer is conformably disposed on the structured major surface. The optically diffusive film includes a second optically diffusive layer including a plurality of nanoparticles dispersed therein, and a structured layer including a structured major surface. For a substantially normally incident light and a visible wavelength range from about 450 nm to about 650 nm and an infrared wavelength range from about 930 nm to about 970 nm, the second optically diffusive layer has an average specular transmittance Vs in the visible wavelength range and an average specular transmittance Is in the infrared wavelength range, where Is/Vs?2.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2021Publication date: October 26, 2023Inventors: Bharat R. Acharya, Robert D. Taylor, Joseph P. Attard, Benjamin J. Forsythe, David T. Yust, Matthew E. Sousa, Jason S. Petaja, Anthony M. Renstrom, William Blake Kolb, Matthew S. Cole, Matthew S. Stay, Matthew R.D. Smith, Jeremy O. Swanson, Tri D. Pham, David A. Rosen, Qunyi Chen, Lisa A. DeNicola, Quinn D. Sanford, Carl A. Stover, Lin Zhao, Gilles J. Benoit
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Publication number: 20230273359Abstract: An optical film includes a plurality of polymeric layers arranged along at least a portion of a thickness of the optical film. Each polymeric layer has an average thickness less than about 300 nm. The plurality of polymeric layers includes a first polymeric layer having a largest average thickness among the plurality of polymeric layers, and a second polymeric layer disposed between a third polymeric layer and the first polymeric layer. The first and second polymeric layers are separated by N1 polymeric layers where 2 ?N1 ? 10. The second and third polymeric layers are separated by N2 polymeric layers where N2 ? 10. The first, second and third polymeric layers have respective average thicknesses t1, t2 and t3, where t1 is greater than t2 by at least 10%, and t2 is greater than t3 by at most 2%.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2021Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Carl A. Stover, Lin Zhao, Gilles J. Benoit, Robert D. Taylor
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Publication number: 20230266515Abstract: A housing (185) for an electronic device (170) includes an optical film (100) having an optical transmittance for substantially normally incident light having a band edge separating first and second wavelength ranges, where the first wavelength range extends from about 400 nm to about 700 nm and the second wavelength range is at least about 100 nm wide and disposed between about 800 nm and about 1100 nm. For substantially normally incident light, an average optical reflectance of the optical film is greater than about 90% in the first wavelength range, and an average optical transmittance of the optical film is greater than about 80% in the second wavelength range. For at least one frequency in a range of about 0.1 GHz to about 90 GHz and for substantially normally incident radiation, the optical film transmits at least about 95% of the incident radiation.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2020Publication date: August 24, 2023Inventors: Fan Long, Bharat R. Acharya, Jing Fei Chen, Huijie Xie, Zhe Hu, Bradley L. Givot, Carl A. Stover, Lin Zhao, Gilles J. Benoit, Robert D. Taylor
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Publication number: 20230228918Abstract: An optically diffusive film includes an optical substrate layer with opposing first and second major surfaces; and an optical layer disposed on the second major surface of the optical substrate layer and including a structured major surface having a plurality of spaced apart elongated structures elongated along a same first direction and arranged at a substantially uniform density, each elongated structure including a peak such that, in a plane of a cross-section of the elongated structure that is parallel to the first direction and comprises the peak, the elongated structure has a substantially flat top region; wherein for substantially normally incident light and a visible wavelength range and an infrared wavelength range, the optical substrate layer has an average total transmittance or reflectance of greater than about 60% in the visible wavelength range and an average specular transmittance of greater than about 60% in the infrared wavelength range.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2021Publication date: July 20, 2023Inventors: Tri D. Pham, David A. Rosen, Qunyi Chen, Lisa A. DeNicola, Quinn D. Sanford, Matthew S. Cole, Bharat R. Acharya, Matthew E. Sousa, Robert D. Taylor, Benjamin J. Forsythe
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Publication number: 20230214062Abstract: A display system for sensing a finger of a user applied to the display system includes a display panel; a sensor for sensing the finger; a sensing light source configured to emit a first light having a first wavelength W1; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the display panel and the sensor. For a substantially normally incident light, an optical transmittance of the reflective polarizer versus wavelength for a first polarization state has a band edge such that for a first wavelength range extending from a smaller wavelength L1 to a greater wavelength L2 and including W1, where 30 mn?L2?L1?50 nm and L1 is greater than and within about 20 nm of a wavelength L3 corresponding to an optical transmittance of about 50% along the band edge, the optical transmittance has an average of greater than about 75%.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2021Publication date: July 6, 2023Inventors: Bharat R. Acharya, Robert D. Taylor, Joseph P. Attard, Benjamin J. Forsythe, David T. Yust, Matthew E. Sousa, Jason S. Petaja, Anthony M. Renstrom, William Blake Kolb, Matthew S. Cole, Matthew S. Stay, Matthew R.D. Smith, Jeremy O. Swanson, Tri D. Pham, David A. Rosen, Qunyi Chen, Lisa A. DeNicola, Quinn D. Sanford, Carl A. Stover, Lin Zhao, Gilles J. Benoit
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Publication number: 20230204839Abstract: An optical film includes a plurality of polymeric layers. A plot of an average layer thickness versus a layer number of the polymeric layers includes a knee region separating a left region including at least N1 sequentially arranged polymeric layers where the polymeric layers have lower layer numbers from a middle region including at least N2 sequentially arranged polymeric layers where the polymeric layers have higher layer numbers. N1 is greater than about 50 and N2 is greater than about 10. A linear fit to the at least N1 sequentially arranged polymeric layers in the left region has a positive linear slope having a magnitude of greater than about 0.04 nm per layer number, and a linear fit to the at least N2 sequentially arranged polymeric layers in the middle region has a negative linear slope having a magnitude of greater than about 0.05 nm per layer number.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2021Publication date: June 29, 2023Inventors: Carl A. Stover, Lin Zhao, Gilles J. Benoit, Robert D. Taylor
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Patent number: 11493677Abstract: Optical films are disclosed that include a plurality of interference layers. Each interference layer reflects or transmits light primarily by optical interference. The total number of the interference layers is less than about 1000. For a substantially normally incident light in a predetermined wavelength range, the plurality of interference layers has an average optical transmittance greater than about 85% for a first polarization state, an average optical reflectance greater than about 80% for an orthogonal second polarization state, and an average optical transmittance less than about 0.2% for the second polarization state.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2018Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Adam D. Haag, Timothy J. Nevitt, Carl A. Stover, Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Robert D. Taylor, Zhaohui Yang
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Publication number: 20220003911Abstract: Optical films are disclosed that include a plurality of interference layers. Each interference layer reflects or transmits light primarily by optical interference. The total number of the interference layers is less than about 1000. For a substantially normally incident light in a predetermined wavelength range, the plurality of interference layers has an average optical transmittance greater than about 85% for a first polarization state, an average optical reflectance greater than about 80% for an orthogonal second polarization state, and an average optical transmittance less than about 0.2% for the second polarization state.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2021Publication date: January 6, 2022Inventors: Adam D. Haag, Timothy J. Nevitt, Carl A. Stover, Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Robert D. Taylor, Zhaohui Yang
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Patent number: 11156757Abstract: Optical films are disclosed that include a plurality of interference layers. Each interference layer reflects or transmits light primarily by optical interference. The total number of the interference layers is less than about 1000. For a substantially normally incident light in a predetermined wavelength range, the plurality of interference layers has an average optical transmittance greater than about 85% for a first polarization state, an average optical reflectance greater than about 80% for an orthogonal second polarization state, and an average optical transmittance less than about 0.2% for the second polarization state.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2020Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Adam D. Haag, Timothy J. Nevitt, Carl A. Stover, Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Robert D. Taylor, Zhaohui Yang
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Publication number: 20210116747Abstract: Optical films are disclosed that include a plurality of interference layers. Each interference layer reflects or transmits light primarily by optical interference. The total number of the interference layers is less than about 1000. For a substantially normally incident light in a predetermined wavelength range, the plurality of interference layers has an average optical transmittance greater than about 85% for a first polarization state, an average optical reflectance greater than about 80% for an orthogonal second polarization state, and an average optical transmittance less than about 0.2% for the second polarization state.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2018Publication date: April 22, 2021Inventors: Adam D. Haag, Timothy J. Nevitt, Carl A. Stover, Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Robert D. Taylor, Zhaohui Yang
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Patent number: 10928571Abstract: Hybrid polarizers are described. More particularly, hybrid polarizers including reflective polarizer portions and hybrid polarizing portions, including embedded absorbing polarizing elements are described. The hybrid polarizers may be used in backlights or display devices.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2014Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Adam D. Haag, Timothy J. Nevitt, Quinn D. Sanford, Robert D. Taylor, Carl A. Stover
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Publication number: 20210033766Abstract: Polarizer stacks are described. More particularly, polarizer stacks that include an absorbing polarizer and multiple reflective polarizers, including at least one collimating reflective polarizer are described. Such polarizer stacks are capable of emitted light that is both collimated and color neutral. Backlights incorporating such polarizer stacks are also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2020Publication date: February 4, 2021Inventors: Adam D. Haag, Timothy J. Nevitt, Michael F. Weber, Robert D. Taylor, Carl A. Stover