Patents Examined by Adam W Booher
  • Patent number: 11585972
    Abstract: A manufacturing process that allows for the transfer of labels formed from polarizer film to end-use products. The polarizer film is covered by a masking layer that is typically die cut to create the labels from the continuous sheet of film. Here, an additional covering layer (or layers) of a relatively stiff material is disposed over the masking layer. The addition of the covering layer results in the processed polarizer film being less susceptible to damage (related to unwanted bending) during further processing and/or shipment. Advantageously, the covering layer improves the ability to remove individual labels from the film, particularly with respect to attempting to peel off the thin masking layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: American Polarizers, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas K. Bentley
  • Patent number: 11572470
    Abstract: Tropistic materials incorporating a class of adaptively configurable materials capable of real-time detection, tracking, and processing incident stimulus are provided. Incident stimulus can comprise any energetic emission or signals, such as electromagnetic waves, acoustics waves, or magnetic fields. The materials comprise a deformable stimuli-responsive material, which can adapt configuratively to a specific stimulus, and may further comprise a plurality of absorbers or photo-sensitive molecules configured to convert external incident stimuli to the specific stimulus type toward which the deformable material is responsive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Ximin He, Xiaoshi Qian
  • Patent number: 11573361
    Abstract: Rolls of film are described. In particular, rolls of film including a multilayer birefringent reflective polarizer and a polyvinyl alcohol layer are described. Such films exhibit low variation in pass axis across a full crossweb width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, Carl A. Stover, Matthew B. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11567253
    Abstract: A patterned optical retarder including non-overlapping first (21) and second (27) regions with respective first and second major surfaces having different RMS surface roughnesses. For substantially normally incident light over a wavelength range from about 400 nm to about 1000 nm, the optical retarder has different retardances in the respective first and second regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Jo A. Etter, Stephen P. Maki, Michael L. Steiner, James A. Phipps
  • Patent number: 11567337
    Abstract: A simple optical layout for a grazing angle probe mount that allows coupling to a mid-infrared (MIR), laser-based spectrometer is provided. The assembly enables doing reflectance measurements at high incident angles. In the case of optically thin films and deposits on MIR reflective substrates, a double pass effect, accompanied by absorption by the chemicals or biological samples deposited in an Infrared Reflection-Absorption Infrared Spectroscopy (IRRAS) modality is achieved. The optical system includes a probe that allows the passage of MIR light through the same sampling area twice. Initially, the infrared beam produces a spot on the surface, and then the light is returned in back reflection to the sample surface producing a new little slightly larger spot onto the selfsame position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: University of Puerto Rico
    Inventors: Samuel P. Hernandez-Rivera, Leonardo C. Pacheco-Londono
  • Patent number: 11550085
    Abstract: A structure includes a support 10, a first optical filter layer 24 provided on the support, a light scattering layer 50 provided on the light path of the first optical filter layer 24, and a second optical filter layer 21, 22, 23, 25, and 26 provided on the support 10, on a different region from the region where the first optical filter layer is provided, and the light scattering layer 50 is not provided on the light path of the second optical filter layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Taguchi, Tetsushi Miyata
  • Patent number: 11513272
    Abstract: A wire grid polarizer (WGP) can have a conformal-coating to protect the WGP from at least one of the following: corrosion, dust, and damage due to tensile forces in a liquid on the WGP. The conformal-coating can include a silane conformal-coating with chemical formula (1), chemical formula (2), or combinations thereof: A method of applying a conformal-coating over a WGP can include exposing the WGP to Si(R1)d(R2)e(R3)g. In the above WGP and method, X can be a bond to the ribs; each R1 can be a hydrophobic group; each R3, if any, can be any chemical element or group; d can be 1, 2, or 3, e can be 1, 2, or 3, g can be 0, 1, or 2, and d+e+g=4; R2 can be a silane-reactive-group; and each R6 can be an alkyl group, an aryl group, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Moxtek, Inc.
    Inventors: Stew Nielson, Matt Linford, Anubhav Diwan, Matthew C. George
  • Patent number: 11500138
    Abstract: Retroreflecting articles are described. In particular, retroreflecting articles including retroreflecting layers and contrast reduction layers are described. The contrast reduction layer decreases the near infrared retroreflective efficiency of the retroreflecting substrate by more than 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventor: John A. Wheatley
  • Patent number: 11493673
    Abstract: Article (9,19) comprising a substrate (10, 20) comprising a polymer and having first (11,21) and second (12, 22) opposed major surfaces. The first major surface (11, 21) has first surface regions (13, 23) with first nanoparticles (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) partially embedded into the first major surface (11, 21), and one of •(a) second surface regions (15) free of nanoparticles; or •(b) second surface regions (25) with at least second nanoparticles (28) on the first major surface (11, 21) or partially embedded into the first major surface (11, 21). The first surface regions (13, 23) have a first average surface roughness, Ra1, of at least 20 nm, wherein the second surface regions (15, 25) have a second average surface roughness, Ra2, of less than 100 nm, wherein the first average surface roughness, Ra1, is greater than the second average surface roughness, Ra2, and wherein there is an absolute difference between the first and second average surface roughness of at least 10 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Matthew H. Frey, Megan A. Creighton, Morgan A. Priolo, Benjamin R. Coonce
  • Patent number: 11490667
    Abstract: A protective lens stack comprises a base layer including a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film containing a UV blocking additive and one or more removable lens layers stacked on top of the base layer. Each of the removable lens layers may include a PET film and a first adhesive disposed on a bottom surface of the PET film. Refractive indices of the base layer and the one or more removable lens layers may be matched to within 0.2. Each layer of the protective lens stack, including the base layer and each of the removable lens layer(s), may have less than 0.5% haze. The protective lens stack may be used as a face shield or may be surface mountable using a second adhesive disposed on a bottom surface of the PET film containing the UV blocking additive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Racing Optics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bart E. Wilson, Stephen S. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11485052
    Abstract: A resin product including an antireflection surface includes a plurality of first concave portions, a plurality of second concave portions, and a component surface. The first concave portions have opening widths equal to or larger than 1 ?m and equal to or smaller than 300 ?m. The second concave portions are formed on each of the plurality of first concave portions and have opening widths equal to or larger than 10 nm and equal to or smaller than 1 ?m. The component surface is configured to surround each of the plurality of first concave portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Nagoya, Makoto Kojima, Kei Oikawa, Yukiya Enokida, Takashi Endo, Osamu Morisaki
  • Patent number: 11485200
    Abstract: A filtering vision element forming a windshield or rearview mirror of a road vehicle includes a lower region and an upper region. The filtering vision element is designed so that a difference in attenuation between two linear polarizations of an incident radiation has values that are of opposite signs in the lower and upper regions. The two linear polarizations may respectively be horizontal and contained in a vertical plane. Blinding of the driver caused by a spot of reflected light produced on a road by headlights of an external vehicle may thus be decreased or prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: OFFICE NATIONAL D'ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES AÉROSPATIALES
    Inventors: Riad Haïdar, Sylvain Maine, Gregory Vincent, Jérôme Primot, Hervé Lachaud
  • Patent number: 11463167
    Abstract: The disclosed visible-light barrier may include a light-scattering layer that preferentially scatters visible light over infrared light. The light-scattering layer may include (1) a substantially transparent or translucent material and (2) at least one of TiO2 or ZnO particles dispersed within the substantially transparent or translucent material at a concentration of from approximately 0.02 wt % to approximately 2 wt %. Various other articles, devices, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rajesh Prasannavenkatesan, Luke Murphy, Elizabeth Tu, Peter Wesley Bristol
  • Patent number: 11454819
    Abstract: The present application relates to a polarization conversion element and an optical isolation device. The present application provides a polarization conversion element capable of converting unpolarized incident light into one polarized light and an optical isolation device with an excellent optical isolation ratio comprising the polarization conversion element. Such an optical isolation device can be applied to various applications such as the field of optical communication or laser optics, the field of security or privacy protection, brightness enhancement of displays, or a use for hiding and covering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventor: Sang Choll Han
  • Patent number: 11454799
    Abstract: Microscopes with objective assembly crash detection and methods of utilizing the same are disclosed herein. For example, a microscope comprises a microscope body, an objective assembly comprising an objective lens, an objective assembly mount configured to separably attach the objective assembly to the microscope body, and an orientation detection circuit configured to indicate when a relative orientation between the microscope body and the objective assembly differs from a predetermined relative orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: FormFactor, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald Lee Gisler, Sia Choon Beng, Anthony James Lord, Gavin Neil Fisher
  • Patent number: 11448809
    Abstract: A multi-layer, layered film includes a multi-layer, alternately layered body containing birefringent first layers including a first resin and isotropic second layers including a second resin, in which the multi-layer, layered film has a layer thickness profile with which light at a wavelength of from 380 to 780 nm can be reflected due to optical interference between each of the first layers and each of the second layers, in which a layer thickness profile for an optical thickness of the first layers has a first monotonically increasing region which meets specific requirements, and in which a layer thickness profile for an optical thickness of the second layers has a second monotonically increasing region which meets specific requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOBO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Amane Hirose, Nobuyuki Nakanishi, Mitsuo Tojo, Dai Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11442211
    Abstract: An authenticity determination viewer including a first phase difference film, a linear polarizer, and a second phase difference film in this order, wherein a polarized light transmission axis of the linear polarizer and a slow axis of the first phase difference film are non-parallel to each other, and the polarized light transmission axis of the linear polarizer and a slow axis of the second phase difference film are non-parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koya Kawabata
  • Patent number: 11432899
    Abstract: A medical observation device that includes a microscope that images a surgical site, a holding section that holds the microscope, a base section to which the holding section is connected, and an operation section that receives operating input, the operation section being provided at the base section, the holding section being configured as a balance arm provided with a counterweight, when the base section is viewed from an upper side of the medical observation device, the base section having a first area inside a movable range of the counterweight and a second area outside the movable range of the counterweight, the base end of the holding section being connected to the base section at a location in the first area, and the operation section being arranged at another location in the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignees: SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC., SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Hirose, Hisayoshi Otaki, Hiroki Sato, Shingo Mouri, Katsuhisa Hakoda, Daisuke Iseki
  • Patent number: 11409028
    Abstract: A layered body including a polarizer material film that is a product of stretching in one or more directions, and a substrate film provided on the polarizer material film, the substrate film being a product of stretching in one or more directions, wherein a stretching ratio X of the polarizer material film is 1.5 or more and 5.5 or less, a thickness T2 is 20 ?m or less, the thickness T2 being a thickness of the polarizer material film as a result of free end uniaxial stretching of the layered body at a stretching ratio 6.0/X, an angle ?2 formed by a stretching direction of the polarizer material film and a stretching direction of the substrate film is less than 1°, and a stretching ratio Y of the substrate film is smaller than the stretching ratio X of the polarizer material film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromu Mashima, Takamichi Inomata
  • Patent number: 11402612
    Abstract: An optical image capturing system includes, along the optical axis in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, a sixth lens, and a seventh lens. At least one lens among the first to the sixth lenses has positive refractive force. The seventh lens can have negative refractive force, wherein both the surfaces of the seventh lens are aspheric surfaces, and at least one surface of the seventh lens has an inflection point. The lenses in the optical image capturing system which have refractive power include the first to the seventh lenses. The optical image capturing system can increase aperture value and improve the imaging quality for use in compact cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: ABILITY OPTO-ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yeong-Ming Chang, Chien-Hsun Lai, Yao-Wei Liu