Patents Examined by Audrey Chang
  • Latch for optical assembly
    Patent number: 6525890
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes a frame member for holding an optical member, a mounting member releasably coupled to the frame member and having a latch engaging surface. A latch member is coupled to the frame member and is pivotally movable between locked and unlocked positions relative to the frame and mounting members. The latch member has a main body portion, a cam arm portion extending from a first surface at a first end of the main body portion, a handle portion extending from the first surface at an opposing second end of the main body portion, and a central positioning portion extending from the first surface between the cam arm and handle portions. A spring biasing member is disposed between the latch member and the frame member for biasing the latch member toward the locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: James P. Wang, Marc A. Schetselaar
  • 3-D viewing system
    Patent number: 6525878
    Abstract: A 3-D viewing system is disclosed that enables multiple operators to share a common objective element while readily adjusting the orientation of images that are displayed to one or more moveable display units. The orientation of images that are displayed at a movable display unit can be made to automatically depend on the position/orientation of the display unit. Thus greater freedom in viewing postures is provided than previously available in 3-D viewing systems that share a common objective element, and each operator may view a 3-D image with proper perspective for his position/orientation. In order to reduce the number of optical components, the need to adjust optical components, and reduce costs, images from at least two different optical perspectives may be time-division multiplexed onto a single optical detecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Susumu Takahashi
  • Hydrophilic mirror and method of producing the same
    Patent number: 6525882
    Abstract: A hydrophilic mirror comprising a glass substrate having on the main surface side thereof a layer having a refractive index n1 at 550 nm, a layer having a refractive index n2 at 550 nm, a tin oxide layer having a refractive index n3 at 550 nm, and an overcoat in this order, the refractive indices n1, n2 and n3 satisfying the relationship: n1≧n3>n2, and having a visible light reflectance of 70% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Yamamoto, Masahiro Hirata
  • Method and apparatus for maximizing the viewing zone of a lenticular stereogram
    Patent number: 6519088
    Abstract: A lenticular stereogram has an improved viewing zone for a specific viewing distance when an image print (207) having an optimum image column width is utilized. The optimum image column width is determined by observing a series of two color prints having variable image column widths mounted under a lenticular screen (206) through an imaging apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: StereoGraphics Corporation
    Inventor: Lenny Lipton
  • Diffusive optical element, illumination optical system, and image-shooting apparatus
    Patent number: 6515775
    Abstract: A diffusive optical element exploiting holography is designed in such a way that, the higher the intensity of incident light in a wavelength range, the lower the rate at which the intensity of diffused light in that wavelength range is reduced with increasing angle relative to the maximum intensity direction. Thus, the lower the intensity of incident light in a wavelength range, the narrower the range of angles at which light is diffused in that wavelength range. This makes it possible to use light diffused at angles within a predetermined range relative to the maximum intensity direction, and thereby enhance light use efficiency in a wavelength range in which light intensity is comparatively low. This diffusive optical element is employed in an illumination optical system, which is used to illuminate photographic film from which to read images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuichiro Ori
  • System and method for correcting projection distortions in a hologram producing system
    Patent number: 6512609
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed to replace complex fast cylindrical lens (FCL) systems used for producing one-step horizontal parallax only holographic sterograms. A substantially monochromatic fast cylindrical lens is combined with chromatic corrector optics and image scaling performed in conjunction with spatial light modulators (SLMs) in order to avoid the use of an anchromatic FCL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Zebra Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Klug, Qiang Huang
  • System and method for adjusting recording laser beam polarization
    Patent number: 6509983
    Abstract: Systems and methods for adjusting the polarization of one or more recording laser beams can correct (in whole or in part) for the changes in the polarization of the recording laser beam(s) caused by changes in the dominant polarization direction within the film substrates used for recording holograms. Using information about the dominant polarization direction of portions of holographic film substrate, a polarization adjusting device can be used to adjust the polarization of the recording laser beam(s) to compensate for the effects that changes in the dominant polarization direction of the holographic film substrate have on the recording laser beam(s) and thus the recorded hologram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Zebra Imaging, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Klug
  • Diffractive optical element and photographic optical system having the same
    Patent number: 6507437
    Abstract: To obtain a diffractive optical element of high diffraction efficiency over a wide range of wavelengths with no conspicuous color flare and a photographic optical system having the diffractive optical element, at least two diffraction gratings of different materials in dispersion are stratified, the first order is chosen as the design order and two wavelengths which, when multiplied one times, amounts to the maximum optical path length difference in the grating structure are used as the design wavelengths, wherein each of the values of the plurality of design wavelengths is determined so as to make white or nearly white flare caused by the diffracted light in the zero and second orders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takehiko Nakai
  • Bright wide-angle infrared lens
    Patent number: 6507432
    Abstract: A bright wide-angle infrared lens, suitable for a wavelength band of 8 to 12 &mgr;m, having favorable imaging performances comprises, successively from the object side, a first lens L1 made of a positive meniscus lens having a convex surface directed onto the object side and an image-side surface formed aspheric, a second lens L2 made of a negative meniscus lens having a convex surface directed onto the object side, and a third lens L3 having a positive refracting power with a convex surface directed onto the object side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fumio Watanabe
  • Tunable add/drop filter
    Patent number: 6498682
    Abstract: An inexpensive and efficient tunable electromagnetic filter is disclosed, having a wide range of tunable frequencies, comprising a holder with a number of filters mounted on the holder. The frequency of the filter is altered by moving the holder relative to a beam striking the holder so that one of the filters is filtering the beam. The frequency to be filtered may be easily and quickly changed, without altering the structure of the filter. In one embodiment the tunable filter is a disk rotatable by a motor with a number of fixed frequency filters mounted around the periphery of the disk. The filter is surrounded by four fibers providing and receiving beams, as with known add-drop filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: Bernard Glance
  • Method for gain equalization, and device and system for use in carrying out the method
    Patent number: 6496619
    Abstract: A method for gain equalization. In this method, an optical transmission line including an optical amplifier for giving a gain to WDM (wavelength division multiplexed) signal light is first provided. Gain equalization is next performed on the optical transmission line so as to obtain a gain changing substantially monotonously with respect to wavelength. Gain equalization is further performed on the optical transmission line so as to obtain a gain substantially fixed with respect to wavelength. A wavelength characteristic of gain changing monotonously can be easily gain-equalized by an active gain equalizer having a simple configuration. Accordingly, even when the optical amplifier has a nonmonotonous wavelength characteristic of gain, a gain tilt in the optical amplifier can be easily flattened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Norihisa Naganuma
  • Diffractive optical element and optical system incorporating the same
    Patent number: 6493143
    Abstract: A diffractive optical element, as well as an optical system incorporating the same, has a comparatively large minimum grating pitch and, hence, is easy to produce. The diffractive optical element has a diffraction grating surface and an aspherical surface formed on an identical substrate or on separate substrates. The pitch of the diffractive grating varies such that it progressively decreases radially outward from the center of the substrate and then kept constant towards the radially outer extremity of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Kato
  • Coloring structure for producing color
    Patent number: 6490090
    Abstract: A coloring structure includes a surface layer placed on a base with light transparency and containing transparent brilliant members, each brilliant member including an alternate lamination of at least two polymers having different refractive indexes, and controlling interfered light resulting from reflection and interference produced by the alternate lamination and transmitted light other than interfered light and passing through the alternate lamination. The brilliant members may dispersedly be contained in the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K., Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Kinya Kumazawa, Hiroshi Tabata, Masahiko Yamanaka, Toshihiko Sada
  • Optical system using a radial harmonic pupil filter for generating collimated beams
    Patent number: 6490088
    Abstract: A Fourier hologram with the distribution of a radial harmonic function creates, in the far field, a pseudo non-diffracting beam. The properties of this pseudo non-diffracting beam can be set by appropriate characterization of the radial harmonic function. Various operations can also be carried out to change the position of the beam relative to the focal point. The beam can be shifted in space, twisted, or tilted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Joseph Rosen, Amnon Yariv, Boaz Salik
  • Trimodal microlens
    Patent number: 6487017
    Abstract: A trimodal microlens configuration is provided for the lenses in a microlens array utilized as a diffraction separator for generating separated bands of different color when the microlens array is provided with a collimated light source. To provide the trimodal functionality, each microlens is divided up into three segments, with the center segment providing a red, green, blue diffraction pattern, with the left segment providing a blue, red, green diffraction pattern, and with the right segment providing a green, blue, red diffraction pattern. This pattern is directed towards an adjacent liquid crystal color display in which its sub-pixels are arranged red, green, blue, with the green sub-pixel aligned with the center segment of the corresponding lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Inc
    Inventors: Thomas V. Gunn, Michael P. Schmidt, Wesley H. Halstead, Richmond F. Hicks
  • Garnet crystal for Faraday rotator and optical isolator having the same
    Patent number: 6483645
    Abstract: An optical isolator comprsing at least two parts of a Faraday rotator obtained from a garnet crystal and an analyzer, which is small in size, can be mounted directly to a semiconductor laser. The garnet crystal is grown, by a liquid-phase epitaxial growth technique, on the substrate of a garnet with a lattice constant of 12.514±0.015 Å, and consists of the following composition formula: (Tb1−(a+b+c+d)LnaBibM1cEud)3(Fe1−eM2e)5O12 where Ln is an element selected from rare-earth elements excluding Tb and Eu, and Y; M1 is an element selected from elements Ca, Mg, and Sr; M2 is an element selected from elements of Al, Ga, Sc, In, Ti, Si, and Ge; a, b, c, d, and e are defined as 0≦a≦0.5, 0.3<b≦0.6, 0≦c≦0.02, 0<d≦0.3, and 0.01<e≦0.3, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Tanno, Satoru Fukuda
  • Two-color holographic recording apparatus
    Patent number: 6473208
    Abstract: A two-color holographic recording apparatus reduces error signals possibly included in reproduced digital data signals. The two-color holographic recording apparatus has first, second and third light shutters for passing or blocking gate light, signal light and reference light incident on a recording medium respectively, and a controller for controlling the respective states of the first, second and third light shutters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignees: Director General of National Institute for Research in Inorganic Materials, Science and Technology Agent, Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Myeongkyu Lee, Kenji Kitamura, Yasunori Furukawa, Shunji Takekawa, Yoshihisa Ito, Hideki Hatano, Satoru Tanaka
  • Multi-beam optical system
    Patent number: 6473233
    Abstract: A multi-beam optical systems forms a plurality of beam spots on an object surface to be exposed. The system includes a light source that emits a light beam having a plurality of peak wavelengths, a diffraction beam-dividing element that divides the light beam into a plurality of light beams exiting at the different diffraction angles, and a compensating optical system whose lateral magnification is inversely proportional to the wavelength of the light beam to compensate deviation of the diffraction angle of the diffracted light beams caused due to wavelength dependence of the diffraction beam-dividing element. The compensating optical system includes a diffractive lens component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Iizuka
  • Temperature compensated optical filter
    Patent number: 6469847
    Abstract: An optical filter assembly is provided which includes a first optical filter and a first counteracting ring. The first optical filter is of a filter material that transmits a selected transmission range within a wider range of wavelength of light, and reflects another selected reflection range of the wavelengths. The filter material has a refractory index, whereby heating of the first optical filter tends to cause an increase in refractory index with a corresponding increase in the transmission range in a first direction. The counteracting ring is attached to the first optical filter so that at least some of the light transmits through an aperture in the counteracting ring. Heating of the first counteracting ring causes enlargement of the first counteracting ring, which stretches the first optical filter. The selected transmission range is thereby at least partially stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corp.
    Inventors: Weixing Fan, Zhibin Yan, Chung-Ho Hsia
  • Optical switching element and image display device
    Patent number: 6470115
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical switching element causing less loss of light and permitting high response, thinning of an optical system for illumination, and the realization of an image display device exhibiting precise grayscale properties. In the optical switching element, an extraction surface of a light extraction unit mounted to a thin film is brought into contact with the total reflection surface of a light guide serving as a light guide unit comprising a glass plate or the like for transmitting light by total reflection, or near at a distance from the total reflection, surface for allowing extraction of evanescent waves, to extract the incident light transmitted through the light guide and emit the extracted light to the outside through an emission member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masatoshi Yonekubo