Patents Assigned to Physical Optics Corporation
  • Patent number: 5886675
    Abstract: An autostereoscopic display system including: I) image signal electronics; II) a first projector including: A) a first light source 33; B) a first spatial light modulator 35 optically connected to said first light source and electrically connected to said image signal electronics; and C) a first image delivery system optically connected to said first spatial light modulator; III) a second projector connected to said first projector, said second projector including: A) a second light source 34; B) a second spatial light modulator 36 optically connected to said second light source and electrically connected to said image signal electronics; and C) a second image delivery system optically connected to said second spatial light modulator; IV) a fan-out multiplexer 39 optically connected to both said first image delivery system and said second image delivery system, said fan-out multiplexer being characterized by a viewing zone period and a viewing region period; and V) a binary head tracker 40 electrically connec
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Tin M. Aye, Tomasz P. Jannson, Andrew Kostrzewski, Gajendra D. Savant
  • Patent number: 5838403
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing an LCD with a collimated backlight and a non-Lambertian diffuser are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Joanna L. Jannson, Tomasz P. Jannson, Jeremy M. Lerner
  • Patent number: 5815124
    Abstract: A scanning antenna is disclosed including: a rotatable cylinder having an outer surface; a continuously, or steppingly, varying period conductive grating pattern of separated strips on the outer surface, the varying conductive grating pattern of separated strips defining a grating axis; and a first elongated dielectric waveguide defining a first waveguide axis, the first elongated dielectric waveguide being located proximally adjacent and alongside the varying conductive grating pattern of separated strips so as to evanescently couple electromagnetic signals with the first elongated dielectric waveguide. The scanning antenna provides advantages in that the gain is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Vladimir A. Manasson, Lev S. Sadovnik, Paul I. Shnitser
  • Patent number: 5764317
    Abstract: A volumetric multi-layer screen including a plurality of electrically switchable layers that are stacked and coextensive, each of the plurality of electrically switchable layers including: a first transparent dielectric substrate having a first side and a second side; a first transparent electrode coated on the first side of the first transparent substrate; and an electrically switchable polymer dispersed liquid-crystal film coated on the first transparent electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Lev S. Sadovnik, Alexander Rizkin
  • Patent number: 5743633
    Abstract: Systems and methods for illuminating bar codes are described. A bar code illuminator includes a first light source and a first light transformer optically connected to the first light source; the first light transformer including a first light shaping diffuser and a first lens optically connected to the light shaping diffuser. The systems and methods are advantageous in that a bar code illuminator is provided with a wide angle capability that may be compact and inexpensive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Chiu W. Chau, Jeremy M. Lerner
  • Patent number: 5735988
    Abstract: Systems and methods for embedding optical elements in an optical device are described. A method includes: providing a resin layer with a replica surface topography; cutting the resin layer to form an optical element layer that includes the replica surface topography; coating the replica surface topography with a layer; providing a substrate having a substrate refractive index; and connecting the layer to the substrate with an index matching material having a matching refractive index that is substantially equal to the substrate refractive index. The systems and methods provide advantages in that surface topography is replicated with enhanced overall cost effectiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Chiu W. Chau, Jeremy M. Lerner
  • Patent number: 5660181
    Abstract: An apparatus for in-depth three dimensional tumor mapping including (A) a light source; (B) a multi-fiber bundle including at least one illumination fiber and at least two receiving fibers, the at least one illumination fiber being connected to the light source; (C) a spectrometer connected to the at least two receiving fibers; and (D) a hybrid neural network connected to the spectrometer, said hybrid neural network including a principle component analysis processor and a neural network classifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Zonh-Zen Ho, Taiwei Lu
  • Patent number: 5631754
    Abstract: Systems and methods for shaping light from a liquid crystal display are described. A holographic high contrast viewing screen embedded in a liquid crystal display includes a first substrate; a first electrode connected to said first substrate; a light shaping holographic surface relief diffuser connected to said first electrode, said light shaping holographic surface relief diffuser having a first orientation and a first refractive index; a liquid crystal adjacent said light shaping holographic surface relief diffuser, the liquid crystal having a second refractive index that is substantially equal to the first refractive index, in the absence of a driving voltage applied to the first electrode and the second electrode; an alignment layer adjacent said liquid crystal, said alignment layer having a second orientation that is substantially orthogonal to said first orientation; a second electrode connected to said alignment layer; and a second substrate connected to said second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Tomasz P. Jannson, Tin M. Aye, Jeremy Lerner
  • Patent number: 5629996
    Abstract: Systems and methods for universal remote lighting systems are described. A high definition universal remote lighting system includes a light source that is coupled to a light pipe, a high efficiency nonimaging total internal reflection light transformer design and a high efficiency holographic diffuser for shaping the light. The present invention can also include an optical switch device for direct light output monitoring. The systems and methods provide advantages such as cost reduction, better monitoring and control, maintenance simplification, enhanced personnel safety, electromagnetic impulse (EMI) insensitivity, reduced radar and weight/size reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Rizkin, Lev S. Sadovnik, Vladimir Manasson
  • Patent number: 5609939
    Abstract: A viewing screen for incident light including a sheet of embossable material in which a first micro-sculpted surface relief structure that controls the direction in which light propagates has been formed by replicating in the sheet of embossable material a second micro-sculpted surface structure that controls the direction in which light propagates, the second micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by (i) generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in the photosensitive medium with coherent light which has been diffused through a holographic diffuser so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in the refractive index of the photosensitive medium which scatter collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation and (ii) developing the photosensitive medium, the incident light being incident on and returned from the viewing screen to a viewing area, the viewing screen controlling the direction o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Joel Petersen, Jeremy Lerner
  • Patent number: 5572228
    Abstract: A scanning antenna is disclosed including: a rotatable cylinder having an outer surface; a varying period conductive grating pattern of separated strips on the outer surface, the varying conductive grating pattern of separated strips defining a grating axis; and a first elongated dielectric waveguide defining a first waveguide axis, the first elongated dielectric waveguide being located proximally adjacent and alongside the varying conductive grating pattern of separated strips so as to evanescently couple electromagnetic signals with the first elongated dielectric waveguide. The scanning antenna provides advantages in that the gain is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Vladimir A. Manasson, Lev S. Sadovnik, Paul I. Shnitser
  • Patent number: 5534386
    Abstract: A homogenizer for incident light including: a sheet of embossable material including a one micro-sculpted surface relief structure that (i) controls the direction in which light propagates and (ii) homogenizes light with directionality has been formed by replicating in the sheet of embossable material another micro-sculpted surface structure that (i) controls the direction in which light propagates and (ii) homogenizes light with directionality, the another micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by: (a) generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in the photosensitive medium using coherent light, the coherent light having been diffused through a holographic diffuser, so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in the refractive index of the photosensitive medium, the smoothly varying changes scattering collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation; and (b) developing the photosensitive m
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Joel Petersen, Jeremy Lerner
  • Patent number: 5497430
    Abstract: A method of operating an image recognition system including providing a neural network including a plurality of input neurons, a plurality of output neurons and an interconnection weight matrix; providing a display including an indicator; initializing the indicator to an initialized state; obtaining an image of a structure; digitizing the image so as to obtain a plurality of input intensity cells and define an input object space; transforming the input object space to a feature vector including a set of n scale-, position- and rotation- invariant feature signals, where n is a positive integer not greater than the plurality of input neurons, by extracting the set of n scale-, position- and rotation-invariant feature signals from the input object space according to a set of relationships I.sub.k =.intg..sub..OMEGA. .intg.I(x,y)h[k,I(x,y)]dxdy, where I.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Lev S. Sadovnik, Taiwei Lu
  • Patent number: 5485277
    Abstract: A surface plasmon resonance sensor including: a substrate-mode metal film coated waveguide cartridge including: a planar waveguide including a plurality of reflector surfaces within the planar waveguide; and a metal film deposited directly on the planar waveguide, the metal film and the planar waveguide defining a plasmon resonance interface directly on the planar waveguide; a sample flow cell adjacent the substrate-mode metal film coated waveguide cartridge; a transverse magnetic polarized light source optically connected to the planar waveguide; a cylindrical diverging lens optically connected to the planar waveguide; and a detector array comprising a plurality of photodetectors optically connected to the cylindrical diverging lens. Methods of using the surface plasmon resonance sensor are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventor: Mark W. Foster
  • Patent number: 5461475
    Abstract: Apparatus for analyzing a spectral signature, including: a light source; a spatial light modulator connected to the light source, the spatial light modulator modulating light from the light source in accordance with spatial features of the spectral signature; an optic system upon which modulated light from the spatial light modulator is incident, the optic system filtering the modulated light; a hologram illuminated with filtered, modulated light from the optic system, the hologram outputting an optical identification of the spectral signature; and a detector upon which the optical identification is incident, the detector detecting the optical identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremy Lerner, Taiwei Lu, Shing-Hong F. Lin, Andrew Kostrzewski, Hung Chou
  • Patent number: 5384221
    Abstract: An optical storage medium including a transparent polymer and an isomerizable AZO dye, the optical storage medium being coated as a water miscible solution on a substrate so as to form a film having a thickness of from .mu.m to 100 .mu.m storing information through birefringence and having a diffraction efficiency greater than 40% at a 1 millisecond response time. The isomerizable AZO dye remains in the film and is present in a concentration of from 4.5% to 25% based on the weight of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1995
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Gajendra D. Savant, Tomasz P. Jannson
  • Patent number: 5365354
    Abstract: A diffuser based on a phase volume holographic medium is recorded non-holographically with speckle which define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying change in the refractive index of the medium. The diffuser scatters light traveling from an entrance surface to an exit surfaces and reflection from the diffuser is substantially limited to Fresnel reflection from the entrance and exit surfaces and light exiting the exit surface is substantially non-specular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1994
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Tomasz P. Jannson, David G. Pelka, Tin M. Aye
  • Patent number: 5305123
    Abstract: A 2D/3D optically controlled spatial and angular electromagnetic wave modulator is disclosed. The modulator of the present invention modulates the amplitude and direction of an electromagnetic wave such as millimeter microwaves or infrared waves by diffracting or scattering the electromagnetic wave from a semiconductor material upon which is incident a controlling lightwave. The lightwave incident upon the semiconductor is of varying intensity, and may be time varying, and changes the complex refractive permittivity of the semiconductor material. The electromagnetic wave is thus modulated in accordance with the controlling lightwave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1994
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Lev S. Sadovnik, Tomasz P. Jannson, Vladimir Manasson
  • Patent number: 5293272
    Abstract: A high finesse holographic Fabry-Perot etalon and method of making a high finesse holographic Fabry-Perot etalon is disclosed. Particularly, a holographic Fabry-Perot etalon which achieves high finesse despite non-flat interfaces between the etalon media is presented. In a preferred method of fabricating a high finesse Fabry-Perot etalon, single step recording of both holograms simultaneously, with the spacer and substrates in place, is employed which preserves full phase synchronization between the holograms. In spite of imperfections or irregularities of the interface surfaces of the substrates or spacers, the holographic fringes in the holograms remain flat even for slightly different refractive indices between the various media. The position and flatness of the fringes remains similar to perfect Fabry-Perot etalon structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Tomasz P. Jannson, Tin M. Aye, Jay W. Hirsh, Christopher C. Rich
  • Patent number: 5278687
    Abstract: An optical multi-channel data communication link transmits data from a transmitter to a remote receiver. The link includes a multimode laser diode source connected to the transmitter, a device for modulating the source with each channel of data to generate a modulated light wave, and a wavelength division multiplexing device at the transmitter. The wavelength division multiplexing device has paraxial optics for multiplexing the light waves to produce a multiplexed signal. Multimode fiber optic means are connected to the multiplexer and pass the multiplexed signal to the remote receiver. A wavelength division multiplexer has paraxial optics for demultiplexing the multiplexed signals at the receiver to produce demultiplexed light waves. Each of the demultiplexed light waves are converted for use by the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Tomasz P. Jannson, Kevin W. Shirk, Behzad M. R. Moslehi, Richard C. Kim