Patents Represented by Attorney Sidley Austin Brown & Wood
  • Patent number: 7107705
    Abstract: An insole having a molded base and a top sheet. The insole includes directional air ports for facilitating airflow above and below the insole. In addition, the insole has a shock absorbing pad positioned on the bottom of the base to provide cushioning to the area of the joints of the metatarsals and proximal phalanges and along a portion of the fifth metatarsal. A rear shock absorbing pad is provided which provides cushioning to the center of the calcaneus and which has an extension along the medial portion to provide cushioning to the talus. Two anatomical centering devices are provided on each side of the rear portion of the insole to support and direct the foot into the proper position over the cushioning pads. The medial anatomical centering device also provides additional stiffness to the arch area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Spenco Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Edward F. Dalton, Jacob A. Martinez, John C. Hardt
  • Patent number: 7079685
    Abstract: In an image processor which converts color image data to image data of cyan, magenta, yellow and black necessary for forming an image, a black character edge is discriminated in R, G, B image data. The edge component in a black character area is deleted by narrowing on image data of cyan, magenta and yellow. Further, in a black character area, K data is replaced with maximum density data in the R, G, B data, and edge emphasis is performed on the substituted data. Then, reproducibility of a thin line portion in a character is improved largely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hirota, Kazuhiro Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 7075615
    Abstract: A thin and light optical device satisfactorily separates light components having different properties. A blazed grating is formed on a surface of a flat-plate-shaped transparent substrate, and a separation coating that reflects or transmits incident light according to the properties of the incident light is provided on the blazed grating. The thus obtained optical device offers a function of separating light into reflected light and transmitted light, and also has a function of diffracting or refracting the thus separated light. As the separation coating, a polarization separation film, dichroic film, angle separation film, or chiral nematic liquid crystal layer is used to separate linearly polarized light components having different polarization planes, light components having different wavelengths, light components incident at different angles of incidence, or circularly polarized light components having different rotation directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Ishihara, Kohtaro Hayashi, Yuichiro Ori
  • Patent number: 7042652
    Abstract: A zoom lens system for forming an optical image of a subject on the image-sensing surface of an image sensor has three lens units, namely, from the object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative optical power, a second lens unit having a positive optical power, and a third lens unit having a positive optical power, and achieves zooming by varying the distances between the individual lens units in such a way that, during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the distance between the first and second lens units decreases. The first lens unit is composed of two or more lens elements, and the first lens element, i.e., the lens element disposed at the object-side end of the first lens unit, and the last lens element, i.e., the lens element disposed at the image-side end of the third lens unit, are plastic lens elements. Moreover, a prescribed conditional formula is fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Nose, Mamoru Terada, Atsuo Masui
  • Patent number: 7042650
    Abstract: A zoom lens device has a zoom lens system having a plurality of lens units; and an image sensor converting an optical image formed by the zoom lens system, into electric image data. The zoom lens system has, from the object side, a first lens unit disposed on the most object side and consisting of one negative lens element; and a second lens unit being overall positive power and including a positive lens element and a negative lens element independent of each other. Lens surfaces constituting the zoom lens system are all refracting surfaces. Zooming is performed by varying the distances between the lens units. The predetermined conditions are satisfied by the zoom lens system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hagimori, Genta Yagyu, Kazuhiko Ishimaru
  • Patent number: 7024466
    Abstract: Network systems and processes for delivery of electronic content to recipient processors may be configured to facilitate the delivery of relatively large content items and/or a relatively large number of content items. In one example, a movie rental system and process delivers (downloads) movie files to customers across the Internet. System network architecture includes three or more layers of servers, including a main server supporting an interface for recipient processors to request content items, a plurality of parent servers, and a plurality of edge servers. Edge servers are distributed throughout a region in which the system provides content delivery services to recipient processors. Parent servers, spaced across the service region, support edge servers. A copy of each content item available through the service is distributed from the main server to each parent servers for storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Movielink, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Avery Outten, Bryan Gentry Spaulding, Scott Jeffrey Sherr, Ira Steven Rubenstein, Yair Landau, Douglas Daiseung Chey, Michael R. Arrieta, Harish Mandyam, Thomas M. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 7021770
    Abstract: An oblique projection optical system for leading rays of light from a display surface on which an image is displayed to a projection surface in such a way that the ray of light from the center of the display surface is obliquely incident on the projection surface in order to project a magnified image of the image displayed on the display surface onto the projection surface includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces having a power. At least two of the reflecting surfaces have a free-form curved surface, and, of all the reflecting surfaces, the one closest to the projection surface has a negative power and at least one of the other has a positive power. Alternatively, in a rear projection optical system having a projection optical system for projecting an image displayed on a panel display surface onto a screen surface, the projection optical system includes at least four curved-surface reflecting mirrors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Konno, Soh Ohzawa, Jun Ishihara
  • Patent number: 7023592
    Abstract: A band-pass filter has a reflecting optical element having a fixed reflection angle selection region for wavelengths of a given region, and has an optical path such that reflection is performed at least once and transmission is performed at least once at the reflecting optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Noda, Yasushi Tanijiri, Takeshi Endo, Hiroaki Ueda
  • Patent number: 7019852
    Abstract: A user-friendly, image forming apparatus capable of reducing operation errors by users provides a permission to change a print mode to the staple print mode when the device is placed in the original mixed mode and the image data of originals all have a same length in the main scanning direction. When the image data also have a same length in a subscanning direction, the apparatus provides a permission to change the current print mode to the economy print mode and the two-side print mode. Only a print mode which is permitted as an optional print mode is displayed on a screen on the liquid crystal touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 7017467
    Abstract: A method of defense against optically guided missiles, said method comprising the steps of: mounting a single-ended laser adjacent the area to be protected emitting electromagnetic radiation at a frequency within the sensitive frequency range of said guided missile, directing said radiation toward an area within which said radiation may be reflected by components of said missile, causing lasing operation of said laser in response to reflection of said radiation by components of said missile, and modulating the output of said laser in response to said lasing operation for misdirecting said guided missile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1965
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: John N. Monroe
  • Patent number: 7013110
    Abstract: A radio receiving apparatus is used at a sporting event to provide a spectator with additional information and contact with the participants in the event. In an automobile racing event, each of the automobiles can be equipped with a two-way radio for communication between the driver and the crew as well as with a telemetry transmitter for sending data concerning the operation of the automobile. The telemetry data is combined with other information relating to the car's involvement in the race and this data is combined to produce parameter data. A hand-held receiver receives both the audio conversation and the parameter data for one of the selected cars and produces audible sounds and concurrently produces a display of a graphic image on a screen with information derived from the parameter data. Thus, the user of the receiving apparatus can both hear a selected driver and at the same time see a display of performance information about the car and driver in the race.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Uniden American Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth Scott Carpenter, Arthur Y. Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 7012758
    Abstract: A projection optical system includes from the enlargement side a first lens unit, a mirror which is an optical path bending member, a second lens unit, and a third lens unit. The projection optical system is designed so that a condition (1), 5.5<T12/FL<12.0, is fulfilled. Here, T12 is the air equivalent distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit, and FL is the overall focal length of the projection optical system. By fulfilling the condition (1), it is unnecessary that the diameter of the first lens unit be extremely large. It is also unnecessary to change the lens shape to prevent interference between the first lens unit and the second lens units, so that an increase in the cost of the projection optical system can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomokazu Masubuchi, Kohtaro Hayashi, Shigeru Sawamura
  • Patent number: 7006940
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for testing a first integrated circuit chip which is packaged along with at least a second integrated circuit chip in a semiconductor device, wherein at least some external terminals for the semiconductor device are shared by the first and second integrated circuit chips. The method and system include: powering down the second integrated circuit chip; tri-stating a plurality of input/output (I/O) drivers of the second integrated circuit chip so that the plurality of I/O drivers do not drive any signals onto any connections for the shared external terminals; and performing testing of the first integrated circuit chip according to one or more regular testing routines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Inapac Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Adrian E. Ong
  • Patent number: 7006105
    Abstract: The gray axis of an input apparatus is shifted so as to match the gray axis of an output apparatus. Each data on a plane of equal lightness located in the Gamut of the input apparatus is shifted in the same direction in accordance with the shift of the gray axis by an amount of shifting smaller in proportion to greater distance from the gray axis. Therefore, the image is not governed by the chromaticness in the shifting direction even if the gray axis is shifted. Points located outside the Gamut of the output apparatus is compressed-converted into points within the Gamut (surface) where color difference is minimized while maintaining the lightness. A desired image is reproduced without inversion in the lightness after Gamut compression between data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Deishi, Masahiro Hayakawa, Toshitsugu Yamamoto, Kenji Masaki, Fumiko Uchino, Naoko Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 7002751
    Abstract: An image display apparatus forms illumination light from a light source into image light by using a reflective display device, and directs the image light through an eyepiece optical system to an eye to present a virtual image of the image carried by the image light. To realize an image display apparatus of this type that is compact, affords a sufficiently long eye relief, and offers wide-field, high-quality images, a combiner for making the optical path of the illumination light from the light source overlap with that of the image light is disposed inside the eyepiece optical system, a positive lens is provided in the rear potion of the eyepiece optical system between the display device and the combiner, a concave reflective surface is provided in the front portion of the eyepiece optical system between the combiner and the observation point, and the eyepiece optical system is designed to be overtelecentric as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Kobayashi, Soh Ohzawa
  • Patent number: 6999122
    Abstract: In a solid-state image-sensing device, after completion of image sensing by individual pixels, in each pixel, a signal ?VRB fed to a capacitor C1 connected to the gate of a first MOS transistor T1 is turned to a high level to make it easy for a negative electric charge to flow into the MOS transistor T1. This permits quick recombination of the positive electric charges accumulated at the drain and gate of the MOS transistor T1, at the gate of a MOS transistor T2, at the anode of a photodiode, and in a capacitor C2, and thereby makes quick resetting possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Hagihara, Kenji Takada
  • Patent number: 6996652
    Abstract: A system is provided for driving data signals in an integrated circuit device. The system includes a plurality of functional blocks, each having at least one input/output connection along one side of the integrated circuit device. A data bus comprises a plurality of electrically independent segments. Each segment of the data bus spans a respective portion of the one side of the integrated circuit device. A plurality of lines electrically couple the input/output connections of the functional blocks to the segments of the data bus. The lines are grouped into a plurality of subsets, and each subset is electrically coupled to a different segment of the data bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Inapac Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Adrian E. Ong
  • Patent number: 6995995
    Abstract: A power control circuit is provided containing a switch array, which includes segmented switches, a flying capacitor, an output voltage terminal, a feedback loop, and a digital voltage regulator block. The digital voltage regulator block includes an A/D converter, an encoder, an add-subtractor, and a gate logic. These power control circuits do not include pass transistors. A method is also provided, where the charge pumps of the power control circuit are operated in two-phase cycles including a charging phase and a pumping phase. The power control circuit is controlled in both of these phases, thereby reducing the ripple of the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: James S. Zeng, Sridhar Kotikalapoodi, Lajos Burgyan
  • Patent number: D515292
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Spenco Medical Corporation
    Inventors: David Bradley Granger, Duane Michael Sulak
  • Patent number: D517833
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Saddlebags, Inc.
    Inventor: D. Micheal Jennings