Patents Examined by Audrey Chang
  • Patent number: 7400431
    Abstract: A method and a device for encoding and reconstructing computer-generated video holograms using a conventional LC display: it provides holographic reconstruction of three-dimensional scenes using electronically controllable pixel in a holographic array (3) with a conventional resolution, and is reasonably free from flickering and cross-talk. Reconstruction is in real time, and for both eyes at the same time, over a large viewing zone. The method takes advantage of an optical focusing means (2) in order to image vertically coherent light emitted by a line light source (1) into viewing windows (8R, 8L) after modulation by the pixel array (3). The holographic reconstruction (11) of the scene is rendered visible from viewing windows (8R, 8L) for both eyes of an observer by way of diffraction at the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: SeeReal Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Armin Schwerdtner, Ralf Haussler, Norbert Leister
  • Patent number: 7379219
    Abstract: A holographic display comprising a spatial light modulator, SLM, for displaying a computer generated hologram, CGH, containing horizontal or vertical parallax only, HPO, means for illuminating the SLM, and means for guiding light reflected from the SLM to a display region, the means for illuminating the SLM comprising a vertically/horizontally oriented line light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: F. Poszat Hu, LLC
    Inventor: Douglas Payne
  • Patent number: 7375886
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing viewing distance for a stereogram system. In a stereogram, an image is held in close juxtaposition with a lenticular screen. In the invention, a data store is used to store optimum pitch values for specified viewing distances. An interdigitation program then acts on the table values and creates a mapping of interdigitated views for each viewing distance. The user can then select or specify a desired viewing distance, and the optimum mapping of views is automatically chosen for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Stereographics Corporation
    Inventors: Lenny Lipton, William James McKee, Jr., Mark H. Feldman
  • Patent number: 7372602
    Abstract: A holographic recording and reproducing method for recording data in a holographic recording medium comprising a recording layer in which data are to be recorded as phase information of light by projecting a signal beam and a reference beam thereonto and a servo layer disposed on the opposite side of the recording layer as viewed in the direction of signal beam incidence on the holographic recording medium and having regions in which servo projections are formed by projecting the signal beam and the reference beam onto the holographic recording medium and reproducing holographic data from the holographic recording medium by projecting the reference beam onto the holographic recording medium, the holographic recording and reproducing method includes steps of setting an optical path of the signal beam so that the signal beam is projected onto other regions of the servo layer than the regions formed with the servo projections, setting an optical path of a servo beam different from that of the signal beam so that
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventor: Takuya Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 7365908
    Abstract: A large-area display is composed of two or more adjacent panels, in which the overall display provides a consistent perception of depth (and/or other characteristics of the images) in all panels from each viewing position. This is accomplished by generating a first panel having a first repeating pattern in an arrangement of successive segments of the images, and generating a second panel to be displayed adjacent to the first panel, the second panel having a second repeating pattern in an arrangement of successive segments of the images that are in the same order as the first repeating pattern but starting at a different element of the repeating pattern from the first element of the first repeating pattern, and assembling the panels adjacent to each other, thereby allowing corresponding images to be displayed on the adjacent panels when viewed from a range of various view points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Inventor: Eugene Dolgoff
  • Patent number: 7349156
    Abstract: A display device includes a screen having opposite ends and a curved surface between the opposite ends, the curved surface being protrudingly curved toward a side opposite to a display observation side. First and second display elements are respectively provided at the opposite ends of the screen, and display two different sub-images constituting one image. The display elements are arranged in such a manner that sub-image lights of these sub-images are transmitted toward an inner side from corresponding areas on an outer side of the curved surface in end sections of the screen to be applied to the inner side of the curved surface of the screen and sub-image lights are reflected on the inner surface of the curved surface of the screen to enter right and left eyes of an observer, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Daiku
  • Patent number: 7319560
    Abstract: A tunable Fabry-Perot filter that is less sensitive to angle of incidence is formed by replacing the cavity (air gap) with a partitioned cavity that has an effective refractive index greater than one. The partitioned cavity includes a pair of partitioned cavity dielectric layers formed on the reflectors on either side of the variable air gap. Each of the dielectric layers has an optical thickness that is less than one fourth the shortest wavelength in the tuning range of the filter. The resulting three-layer partitioned cavity has an effective optical thickness substantially equal to an integral multiple (m) of one half the transmitted wavelength within the tuning range of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Teledyne Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: William J. Gunning, William H. Southwell
  • Patent number: 7317575
    Abstract: A novel dispersion optical system based on at least one grating is provided. The pitches of the grating are linearly modulated so that the incident light is dispersed into different monochromatic light at different diffraction angles. In such a system, an order sorting filter is not required to separate the light of a selected order from the rest of unwanted overlapped order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Instrument Technology Research Center
    Inventors: Kuen-Wey Shieh, Jerwei Hsieh, Hsiao-yu Chou
  • Patent number: 7317573
    Abstract: A tray with an upstanding billboard or panel that displays a three-dimensional image is provided by a carton assembly comprising sheet material having fold lines defining parts that are movable to assembled positions presenting a tray for receiving food, beverage or other items of interest to the user, and a display panel having an image printed thereon by a three-dimensional process. The display panel is part of a panel structure that provides a carrier for a viewer that may be removed from the panel structure by the user in order to see and enjoy the three-dimensional image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Kid Stuff Marketing, Inc.
    Inventor: William D. Billen
  • Patent number: 7315407
    Abstract: The invention relates to a security system especially for security documents, wherein a security element is provided in a carrier plane, that under incident light holographically reconstructs a pattern outside the carrier plane, in which concealed information is stored and having a flat transparent verification element which on flat contact with the security element makes the information stored therein visible. The invention further relates to a security element and a verification element for use in the security system and a security document fitted with the security system. The invention additionally relates to an apparatus and a method for reading out the concealed information which is stored holographically in the pattern reconstructed on the security element under incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
    Inventors: Irina Menz, Günther Dausmann, Benedikt Ahlers, Arnim Franz-Burgholz
  • Patent number: 7315420
    Abstract: A CWDM filter having four channels of the present invention comprises a substrate and odd number of stack structures. Each stack structure includes a first multi-layer stack, a spacer layer, a second multi-layer stack and a coupling layer arranged in turn from the side thereof approaching the substrate. The rules of the coupling layer of the No. [(N+1)/2?1] stack structure and the coupling layer of the No. [(N+1)/2+1] stack structure both are (2n+1)L, among which, n being a positive whole number, L representing for a low refraction index layer with a thickness of ?0/4 and ?0 representing for the center wavelength thereof. While the coupling layers of the other stack structures can be expressed as L.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Asia Optical Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Chang Chen E Shang
  • Patent number: 7304775
    Abstract: An interference lithography system is described that is capable of exposing high resolution patterns in photosensitive media and employing yield increasing active stabilization techniques needed in production environments. The inventive device utilizes a division-of-wavefront interference lithography configuration which divides a single large field size optical beam using one or more mirrors, and is actively stabilized with a subsystem employing; a phase modulator operating on each divided wavefront section; a novel feedback apparatus for observing the relative phase shifts between interfering wavefront sections; and a control system for holding the relative phase shifts constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: CoHo Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas S. Hobbs, James J. Cowan
  • Patent number: 7304796
    Abstract: A stereogram viewing apparatus comprises a box having a cover pivotally attached thereto for pivotal movement between open and closed positions. A stereogram accommodating part holds a set of stereograms at the front of the inside of the cover. A foldable plate is disposed in the box and is provided with left and right eyepieces. The plate is foldable into a folded state to fit within the box to permit the cover to close and is movable to an unfolded state in which the plate positions the eyepieces frontward of the stereograms to enable a user to view the stereograms through the eyepieces. When the cover is in the upstanding open position, the box may be pivoted downwardly and rearwardly to an upside-down position to support the apparatus on a surface while the upstanding cover faces frontward. In this manner, the apparatus can be conveniently placed on a surface, such as a desk or the like, so that the stereograms may be viewed by a user without having to hold the apparatus in his hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Inventors: Kazunobu Hosoda, Hideki Tuchiya, Yukio Kurano
  • Patent number: 7298533
    Abstract: An optical layer comprises a sheet of material having a surface. The surface comprises a plurality of optical elements. The optical elements are comprised of microscopic patterns in the surface that cooperate to produce an image. Each of the elements has a focal length. At least some of the focal lengths are significantly different from other focal lengths, such that some portions of the surface appear to be closer to a viewer than other portions of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Wavefront Technology
    Inventors: Joel M. Petersen, Christopher Chapman Rich
  • Patent number: 7298532
    Abstract: A method of writing a spatially heterodyne hologram having spatially heterodyne fringes includes: passing a single write beam through a spatial light modulator that digitally modulates said single write beam; and focusing the single write beam at a focal plane of a lens to impose a holographic diffraction grating pattern on the photorefractive crystal, the holographic diffraction grating pattern including the spatially heterodyne hologram having spatially heterodyne fringes, wherein only said single write beam is incident on said photorefractive crystal without a reference beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
    Inventors: Clarence E. Thomas, Gregory R. Hanson
  • Patent number: 7298552
    Abstract: An observer-adaptive autostereoscopic display system (100) comprises a display device (102) having a screen for displaying an image and a shutter (204) being electronically controlled to have transparent (230) and non transparent segments (228, 232, 234) which alternate time-sequentially in synchronism with the display device (102). The shutter (204) is designed to block light that is traveling in arbitrary directions but to let pass light which goes from the display device to predetermined positions and which is bent by lenses (208-226) of a first (202) and a second grid (206) of lenses. The lenses (208-226) are disposed in the first (202) and the second grid (206) at a predetermined pitch distance which is substantially equal to a pixel width of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Peter Andre Redert
  • Patent number: 7277209
    Abstract: The method consists of computing (E1-E4) a set of two-dimensional images in a three-dimensional geometrical space representing a virtual object from respective different viewpoints. The virtual object is represented by digital data stored in a computer. Holograms are computed (E5-E6) for the respective two-dimensional images using a fast complex transform, such as a Fourier transform. The holograms are then juxtaposed (E7) to form a digital hologram of the object which is physically reproduced (E8) by a spatial light modulator. A three-dimensional image of the object is obtained by illuminating the spatial light modulator with a coherent source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: European Community (EC)
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Grossetie, Pierre Noirard
  • Patent number: 7271950
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for optimizing a pellicle for off-axis transmission are disclosed. A pellicle includes a thin film optimized for transmission of off-axis incident light at a desired angle. The pellicle further includes an optical thickness greater than a design thickness by less than or equal to approximately one-quarter of an exposure wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Toppan Photomasks, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph S Gordon, Gregory P Hughes, Franklin D Kalk, Hakki U Alpay
  • Patent number: 7268927
    Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical apparatus includes an optical filter array which comprises a plurality of optical filter elements, wherein at least one of the optical filter elements is adapted for tuning to two or more wavelengths. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical apparatus includes a monolithic optical filter array which further includes at least one tunable optical filter element. The optical apparatus also includes a tuning mechanism which tunes the tunable optical filter element to extract a signal of a particular wavelength from an optical signal which includes a plurality of wavelengths. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for selectively extracting optical signals of particular wavelengths includes providing a monolithic optical filter array which further includes at least one tunable optical filter element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: George F. Wildeman, Michael J. Yadlowsky
  • Patent number: 7268943
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a 3D image display apparatus of a parallax barrier method. In the 3D image display apparatus of a parallax barrier method, a parallax barrier of which a transparent slit portion is formed in a tooth shape is adapted, so that it is possible to decrease an optical bad feeling due to Moire pattern. When designing the pitch S of the parallax barrier, in the case that the parallax barrier is disposed behind the image panel the pitch S is S=2Pk(V+D)/V, and in the case that the parallax barrier is disposed in front of the image panel, the pitch S is S=2Ph(V?D)/V. In the 3D image reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, an excellent performance can be achieved as compared to the simple 3D image. The common image can be easily converted into a 3D image using an on and off operation using the electronic shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Pavonine Inc.
    Inventor: Sung-Jung Lee