Patents Examined by Bao-Luan Le
  • Patent number: 9547223
    Abstract: An air filter includes a filter body configured to trap dust contained in air passing therethrough and a holding frame configured to surround an end edge of the filter body, and the holding frame is formed of a resilient material. The holding frame includes a first surface on a proximal end side in a direction of travel of air passing through the filter body, and a second surface on a distal end side in the direction of travel, and one of the first surface and the second surface is provided with a projecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Nakano
  • Patent number: 9549159
    Abstract: An image projection apparatus includes a light modulation device that modulates light according to image data; a projecting unit that projects modulated light; an angle-of-view deriving unit that derives an angle of view at which modulated light is projected; a projection-direction changing unit that changes a projection direction from a first direction to a second direction; a projection-angle deriving unit that derives a projection angle between the first direction and a changed projection direction; a storage unit that stores image data; and an image cutting unit that generates cut-out image data by cutting a part of the image data based on the angle of view and the projection angle as image data projected from the first direction through the second direction, and the minimum variable angle is determined based on the angle of view and a size of an effective region of the modulated light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: JVC KENWOOD Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Nishima, Katsumi Watanuki, Hisato Seki, Kenji Yasui, Norihisa Yamamoto, Shunichi Shichijo
  • Patent number: 9547224
    Abstract: A projector includes an apparatus casing, a light source module, a flow generating device, a sensing module, and a power module. The light source module is disposed inside the apparatus casing and includes a light-emitting part and a lampshade surrounding the light-emitting part. The flow generating device can generate an air flow for dissipating heat by the light source module. The sensing module is disposed in the apparatus casing and includes a thermo-sensitive component disposed near the lampshade and located in a flowing path of the air flow. The power module is disposed in the apparatus casing and electrically connected to the light source module and the sensing module. The power module selectively stops powering the light source module according to an electric parameter of the thermo-sensitive component. Thereby, the invention protects the projector from being overheated by use of the thermo-sensitivity of the thermo-sensitive component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Qisda Corporation
    Inventors: Fu-Shiung Shih, Chi-Jen Chen, Fang-Chieh Lu, Po-Fu Wu, Chun-Jung Hu
  • Patent number: 9547225
    Abstract: An image display device which reduces speckles in an image display device using a laser source includes: a laser source which emits excitation light; a collecting lens which collects the excitation light; a deflecting element which scans the excitation light collected by the collecting lens; and a light conversion panel which converts a wavelength of the excitation light scanned by the deflecting element and emits fluorescence, wherein the light conversion panel includes a plurality of phosphor layers which are planarly disposed, absorb the excitation light, and emit the fluorescence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohno, Kazuhiko Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 9541820
    Abstract: A light source unit includes a solid light emitting element that emits light in the blue wavelength range, a luminous light emitting portion on which a luminescent material layer is laid out, the luminescent material layer using the light emitted from the solid light emitting element as excitation light to emit light in a wavelength range of which wavelengths are longer than a wavelength of the excitation light, and a light transmitting portion that transmits the light emitted from the solid light emitting element, and an area of a luminescent material that emits luminous light in the green wavelength range is provided at part of the light transmitting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9544553
    Abstract: The invention provides a projector, a color wheel protection circuit, and a color wheel protection method. The projector includes a color wheel, a light source, a controller, and a protection circuit. The light source is controlled by a light source control signal to provide an illumination beam to the color wheel. The controller is used for providing the light source control signal to the light source. The protection circuit includes a resetting signal generator and a logic operator. The resetting signal generator is used for generating a resetting trigger signal according to the rotation speed of the color wheel, and generating a resetting output signal according to the resetting trigger signal. The logic operator is used for receiving the light source control signal and the resetting output signal, and resetting the light source control signal according to the resetting output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Shen Lee, Ming-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 9532018
    Abstract: A projection system includes projection units configured to project an image on a projection body; a preparing unit configured to prepare calibration-use images; an extraction unit configured to extract, from each of the calibration-use images, at least grating points indicating a distortion in a projected image of one of the projection units and alignment points of the projected image of the one of the projection units or another one of the projection units; a conversion unit configured to convert, onto a common coordinate system, the grating points of the projected images of the projection units extracted from the calibration-use images, based on alignment points common to the calibration-use images; and a geometric correction coefficient calculation unit configured to calculate a geometric correction coefficient for providing a projection image to be projected from the projection units, based on the grating points on the common coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Ishikawa, Yukinaka Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 9520071
    Abstract: A display system employs an active image-generating screen (102) that presents a video image. The screen contains a plurality of block facets (112), each containing a plurality of light-emissive modules (114) preferably implemented with LEDs. Each light-emissive module is configured so that the maximum intensity of that module's light emission occurs along a direction (138) materially non-perpendicular to the back surface (136) of the module's supporting body (130). The modules are arranged so that their maximum light-intensity directions are largely the same. The block facets are configured to approximate a convex curved surface. The maximum light-intensity directions (158) of the block facets are thereby materially slanted relative to one another. Arranging the display system in this manner enables the light-processing efficiency to be very high. A motion simulator, such as a flight simulator, is formed by combining the screen with a reflective collimator (104).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Video Display Corporation
    Inventors: Marcial Vidal, Haizhang Li
  • Patent number: 9519204
    Abstract: A light source apparatus which emits light from phosphor by exciting light and in which an efficiency of brightness is improved is provided. The light source apparatus has a light source which emits exciting light; and a metal member to which the exciting light is input, wherein the metal member has a concave portion in a portion to which the exciting light is input, and phosphor to generate phosphor light from the exciting light is coated in the concave portion. The concave portion may have a taper shape. The phosphor may be coated on at least two surfaces of the concave portion. The phosphor may be coated on an area which is equal to or less than the half of a depth of the concave portion. A glass member having a taper shape may be formed at an opening portion of the concave portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kimura, Koji Hirata, Hidehiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9513539
    Abstract: To provide a projector which enables a stable projection for a long period of time, there is provided a projector comprising a light source unit, a display device, a projection-side optical system, a light guiding optical system and a projector control unit, wherein the light source unit comprises an excitation light source unit comprising an excitation light source and a microlens array and a rectangular green luminescent plate which receives light emitted from the excitation light source to emit light in a green wavelength band, and the microlens array is disposed between the excitation light source and the luminescent plate and has a plurality of micro convex lenses which each have a similar shape to the shape of the luminescent material layer are arranged into a matrix, so as to convert light from excitation light source into a plurality of pencils of light to shine them onto the luminescent plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hideyuki Kurosaki
  • Patent number: 9509967
    Abstract: To avoid accelerated progression of deterioration of a semiconductor laser, an LED, and the like to extend their lives while adjusting a balance of a plurality of colors, such as R, G, and B, by feedback control, a deterioration controllable monochromatic light source module is configured to: calculate a substantial upper limit Iu, determine an operation coefficient hx based on a deterioration coefficient dx, perform feedback control of the output current Ix of each drive circuit, and output a light intensity detection signal to the outside. An integrating control circuit calculates a monochromatic light intensity sum ? by a sum of light intensity detection signals from the monochromatic light source modules belonging to the same wavelength band and determines a light intensity target signal so that a ratio of the monochromatic light intensity sum ? to the monochromatic light source modules in different wavelength bands is a predetermined ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Samejima, Fumihiko Oda, Masashi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9509966
    Abstract: A projector in an illumination optical system includes a laser light source, a synchronization signal processor that converts synchronization signals that are synchronized with video signals input from outside the projector into video signals to be used inside the projector, an LD driver that controls a lighting state of the laser light source according to the synchronization signals output from the synchronization signal processor, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source, an LED driver that controls a lighting state of the LED light source according to the synchronization signals output from the synchronization signal processor, a rotational state detector that detects a rotational state of a phosphor wheel, and a phosphor wheel driver that, based on a detected result of the rotational state detector, controls the rotational state of the phosphor wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Saitou, Atsushi Katou, Motoyasu Utsunomiya, Akihiro Osaka, Masateru Matsubara
  • Patent number: 9500390
    Abstract: Methods and systems for setting a throttle at a solar power plant, by a controller, the controller configured to select at least one aim point on a receiver of the solar power plant, calculate a desired energy to be delivered by two or more subgroups to each selected aim point via a search method based on an aiming scheme, and determine an optimum distribution of energy to be delivered to the receiver across the two or more subgroups via a search program based on the calculated desired energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: ESOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Hartshorn, Adam Azarchs, Michael Slack, David Gross, Andrew Zillmer
  • Patent number: 9500937
    Abstract: A light source device includes a light source, a first dichroic mirror, and a light emitting member. The light source is configured to emit blue light substantially polarized in a first direction. The first dichroic mirror is configured to reflect not less than 80% and not more than 90% of the blue light polarized in the first direction, and to transmit more than 10% and less than 20% of the blue light polarized in the first direction, in a wavelength band of blue light. The light emitting member is configured to emit light upon being excited by the blue light reflected by the first dichroic mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takaaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9494796
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle display device, which comprises a base to be connected to a vehicle, a reflective panel being extendable from the base and retractable into the base, a projecting means for projecting an image to be displayed to the reflective panel, a cover for covering a front side of the reflective panel in its extending direction when the reflective panel is in the retracted position, and having an arm portion extending to the base and pivotally supported by the base, and a first biasing means for biasing the cover, and a driving means disposed in the base and configured to drive the reflective panel in an extendable-and-retractable manner. The base has an interlocking member capable of being associated with movement of the reflective panel in the extendable-and-retractable manner and configured to press the arm portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Shuichi Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 9494848
    Abstract: A projector includes: an external housing that includes a projection opening and an exhaust port arranged on the same side as the projection opening; an axial-flow fan that causes air to flow therein with the rotation of blades and delivers the air flowing therein; and a plurality of slats that are arranged at the exhaust port and guide the air delivered from the axial-flow fan to an outside. The plurality of slats include an elongated slat that is disposed in, among four exhaust areas arranged side by side in the exhaust port, one of the two exhaust areas on the side close to the projection opening and whose length in a direction in which the air is guided corresponding to a rotational direction of the blade is longer than that of the slats disposed in the other areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Matsumiya, Nobuyuki Otsuki
  • Patent number: 9491424
    Abstract: A system and its design variations using heat pump to generate useful warm and cool usages for multi functional mobile projector is exposed; the purpose is two folds: first is to reduce the excessive heat, in order to increase the brightness; the second is to reuse the energy, so to extend the functionalities. The key component used is silicon based heat pump, which can convert the electrical energy to heat energy. Different shaped heat or cool fins are designed to match the multiple use cases. One sample implementation using digital serial interface is described in details.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Inventor: Mohammed Didarul Alam
  • Patent number: 9488901
    Abstract: Example methods and systems may help to provide for crowd control of a visual presentation, such as a laser light show. One example method includes causing a visual presentation to be displayed within an environment, receiving position information from at least one sensor on a manually movable object within the environment, determining a translation and an orientation of the object in three-dimensional space based on the position information from the at least one sensor, and causing the visual presentation to move in three-dimensional space based on one or more changes in the translation and orientation of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Bott & Dolly, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey Linnell
  • Patent number: 9482934
    Abstract: A projector includes: an optical unit body having a light modulating apparatus configured to modulate an optical flux emitted from a light source according to image information; a projection lens configured to project the optical flux modulated by the light modulating apparatus; and an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust an inclination of the projection lens with respect to the optical unit body. The adjusting mechanism includes; a supporting portion configured to support the projection lens; a base portion configured to constitute part of the optical unit body; a clamping portion configured to clamp the base portion in cooperation with the supporting portion; a fixing member configured to fix the supporting portion to the clamping portion; and adjusting members configured to be capable of adjusting a distance between the base portion and the supporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Nemura, Masayuki Okoshi
  • Patent number: 9477158
    Abstract: A plurality of extraction conduits are provided to remove immersion liquid into a chamber. The extraction conduits are arranged at different distances from a target portion of the substrate. From the chamber, a passage is provided to which a suction force is applied. When all the conduits are filled with immersion liquid, the extraction capacity will be greater than when one or more of the conduits comprise gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Nicolaas Rudolf Kemper, Marcel Beckers, Stefan Philip Christiaan Belfroid, Ferdy Migchelbrink, Sergei Shulepov