Patents Examined by Christopher Mahoney
  • Projector and screen
    Patent number: 9354501
    Abstract: This projector includes a laser light generation portion, a projection portion scanning laser light, and a projection screen. The projection screen includes a lens member including a plurality of lens portions splitting the laser light and a diffusion member arranged to be opposed to the lens member, having an incident surface and a diffusion portion. The diffusion portion of the diffusion member is arranged at a position apart by a distance larger than the focal length of the lens member along an optical axis with respect to the optical principal surface of the lens member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Matsubara, Kenji Nagashima
  • Screen for reflective projector
    Patent number: 9354500
    Abstract: A screen for displaying an image received from a projector includes an anisotropic base diffusion layer having a fine pattern; a lens layer formed on a rear surface of the anisotropic base diffusion layer; a reflection layer deposited on a rear surface of the lens layer; and a surface protection layer coupled with a front surface of the anisotropic base diffusion layer. The screen for a projector enables a viewer to view an image from a single focus projector inside a bright room, brightness to be uniformly distributed throughout the screen, and a desirable viewing angle to be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sungtae Kim, Seunggyu Lee, Youngsung Kim
  • Alternate voltage sensing method for increased weather robustness of ungrounded power line sensors
    Patent number: 9347972
    Abstract: A voltage sensing system and method for use with ungrounded power line sensors deployed on each phase of a power line. The voltage of each phase is measured using the sensors. This measurement is used unless there is a snow event. A collector is powered by a transformer connected to the power line being monitored and a voltage measurement circuit is configured to measure the collector supply voltage which is then used to obtain an alternate voltage measurement for each phase. When the sensor measured voltage for any phase deviates from the alternate voltage measurement by a pre-established value, a snow event has occurred and the alternate voltage measurement may then be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Foster-Miller, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Meeker, Brian M. Compter
  • Image formation device and method for starting image formation device
    Patent number: 9342001
    Abstract: An image formation device includes a power controller that controls transition to an energy-saving mode to reduce power consumption in a standby state and startup in the energy-saving mode and a timer in which a timing schedule that starts up the device in the energy-saving mode is set. The power controller controls the surface temperature of the fixing roller of the image generator to be a temperature lower than the fixing temperature that enables image formation when the image formation device is started up in the energy-saving mode according to the timing schedule set in the timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ishikura
  • Retractable projection screen
    Patent number: 9329468
    Abstract: A screen device (10) having a casing (10), a projection screen (12) and a setting (13) associated with displacement mechanism (20) for modifying the visible content of the casing. The projection screen (12) and the setting (13) are combined on a unitary support sheet (14) and the displacement mechanism (20) comprise two parallel winding rollers (21, 22) about which the support sheet (14) is wound, and one of the rollers is a driven roller. Stiffening mechanism (50) is associated with the two free edges (14a) of the support sheet (14) for stiffening the free edges in the winding direction of the and to confer a perfect flatness to the sheet over its entire surface area. A guide mechanism (60) is associated with the stiffening mechanism (50) for the free edges (14a) of the support sheet (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Inventor: Robert Miggiano
  • Pan/tilt head with tilt range extender
    Patent number: 9329458
    Abstract: A pan/tilt head that can be used with a camera is disclosed that includes a tilt range extender. The pan/tilt head has a main housing formed from a central housing and two housing sides. A pantograph linkage is connected to a housing side. The pantograph linkage includes an upper transverse member and a lower transverse member. The lower transverse member is connected to the housing side at a non-rotating mount on the tilt axis. The upper transverse member is connected to the tilt range extender. The tilt range extender rotates about the tilt axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Inventor: Mark T. Dumm
  • Particle adhesion preventing member, electric field forming member, and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 9316949
    Abstract: A particle adhesion preventing member used for an image forming apparatus that forms an image using charged toner, and configured to prevent adhesion of the charged toner, includes a conductive member, and an insulating member that is attached to the conductive member, including a porous member made of an ethylene propylene diene ternary copolymer having a density of 0.01 g/cm3 or more and 0.2 g/cm3 or less or silicon having a density of 0.01 g/cm3 or more and 0.3 g/cm3 or less, and being negatively charged with negatively charged particles adhering onto a surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki Fujita, Kazushige Nishiyama, Koki Watanabe, Eikou Mori
  • Exchangeable lens and camera body
    Patent number: 9319577
    Abstract: An exchangeable lens includes: a mount unit at which a camera body is detachably engaged; a plurality of drive target members, conditions of which change as a drive force is applied thereto; an initialization unit that executes initialization processing for each of the plurality of drive target members; an initialization status transmission unit that transmits initialization statuses, each indicating a status of the initialization processing executed for one of the drive target members, to the camera body via a first transmission path over predetermined first cycles; and a drive condition transmission unit that transmits a drive condition of at least one drive target member among the plurality of drive target members to the camera body via a second transmission path different from the first transmission path over predetermined second cycles different from the predetermined first cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masafumi Oikawa, Kazuharu Imafuji, Shigeo Takahashi, Shunji Nagaya
  • Strain relieved mounting method and apparatus for screen material
    Patent number: 9316899
    Abstract: A method of mounting screen material may include a screen mounted to a frame at multiple mounting points. One embodiment may include mounting patches attached along the perimeter of the screen. These mounting patches may be strain relieved in order to enable rolling the screen without sacrificing the in-plane rigidity of the patches when the screen is mounted to a frame. Stated differently, the strain relieved patches may reduce the strain on the screen in the circumstance the screen is rolled onto a core. The mounting patches may be strain relieved by locating notches or slits in the mounting patch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: RealD Inc.
    Inventors: Harrison Fast, David A. Coleman, Mark DiLullo
  • Digital camera lens guard and use extender
    Patent number: 9300847
    Abstract: A digital camera lens guard and use extender to: extend the picture-taking capacities of the digital camera by using different camera filters; enable the digital camera to take pictures of the images formed at the eyepiece of a sighting device; protect the camera lens from dust, moisture, and contaminations; make the digital camera usable as an industrial tool; allow the digital camera to be used in photographing activities such as surveillance, sports, past times, research, astronomy; and maintain the original functions of the digital camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Inventor: Roy Lique
  • Devices and methods for collecting daylight in clear and cloudy weather conditions
    Patent number: 9291321
    Abstract: Lighting devices and methods for providing daylight to the interior of a structure are disclosed. Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a daylighting device including a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, a light collecting structure, and a light reflector positioned to reflect daylight into the light collector. In some embodiments, the light collector is associated with one or more light-turning and/or light reflecting structures configured to increase the amount of light captured by the daylighting device. Optical elements may allow for the absorption and/or selective transmission of infrared light away from an interior of the daylighting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SOLATUBE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventor: Paul August Jaster
  • Linear fresnel lens sheet, transmissive display device and roll-shaped mold for producing linear fresnel lens sheet
    Patent number: 9291888
    Abstract: A linear Fresnel lens sheet (3) includes: a lens layer (10) having a first surface (11) in which a linear Fresnel lens portion (13), having a number of lens surfaces (14) arranged in a first direction d1, is formed, and a second surface (12) opposite the first surface (11); and a diffusion layer (20) disposed on the side of the second surface (12) of the lens layer (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Sasahara
  • Reflection screen and image display system
    Patent number: 9285669
    Abstract: A reflection screen includes: a reflection layer provided on the back side and adapted to reflect light; and a surface shape layer provided on the reflection layer, at the image source side relative to the reflection screen, the surface shape layer having a plurality of unit optical shapes arrayed and deflecting image light toward the reflection layer side. The unit optical shape satisfies, in a section along the array direction of the unit optical shapes and orthogonal to a screen plane, the relationship of ?+2???>90°, where ? is an angle that a total reflection surface makes with a plane parallel to the screen plane, ? is an angle that an incidence surface makes with a normal direction to the screen plane, and ? is an angle that light incident on the incidence surface makes with the normal direction to the screen plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Sadahiro, Kazunobu Ogawa
  • Developer container, image forming unit and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 9280088
    Abstract: A developer container includes a developer containing part that has an cylindrical hollow shape inside and contains developer therein; and an agitation member that is elastic and rotatably provided inside the developer containing part, rotating around a rotation axis that is a center of the cylindrical hollow shape, having at least a side edge extending in the rotation axis. The developer containing part has a side wall part on one end thereof in a direction of the rotation axis of the agitation member, the side wall extending to correspond to the side edge of the agitation member and scraping a surface of the side wall while the agitation member rotates, the side wall part has a projection part that projects toward inside of the developer containing part so that the side edge of the agitation member is elastically deformed by the projection part when passing over the projection part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Fujii
  • Projection screen and projection system using the same
    Patent number: 9280040
    Abstract: A projection screen includes a reflector and a plurality of compound lenses. The compound lenses are arranged at the same side of the reflector in an array manner. Each of the compound lenses has a first lens portion and a second lens portion. The first lens portion is disposed between the second lens portion and the reflector. A surface of the first lens portion opposite to the reflector has a first radius of curvature, and a surface of the second lens portion opposite to the reflector has a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature has a length greater than the second radius of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Yu-Chang Wang
  • Imaging apparatus with display and image display apparatus
    Patent number: 9282251
    Abstract: A digital camera is provided with a vertically long camera body having an approximately rectangular solid shape. An LCD panel provided in a rear surface of the camera body is arranged such that longitudinal directions of the display screen and the camera body correspond to each other. The digital camera is operated through a touch panel provided in a lower portion of the display screen. In a taking mode, an image is displayed in a small size on an upper portion of the display screen. In reproducing, the camera body is rotated sideways by 90 degree. In a reproducing mode, display posture of the image is also rotated by 90 degree, and the image is displayed in a large size on the entire display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Misawa
  • Lock releasing device for camera
    Patent number: 9261756
    Abstract: A lock releasing device a camera that is disposed on a camera body and can release by an external operation a lock of a lens locking mechanism that locks an interchangeable lens mounted on the camera body which includes a lock releasing part that can release the lock of the lens locking mechanism 2 imparting a predetermined displacement amount Sm, and a lock releasing ring that is disposed at a coaxial position to the interchangeable lens L in such a manner as to transmit the predetermined displacement amount Sm to the lock releasing part and enable the external operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: COSINA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yohei Kuroiwa
  • Dual sided lens array using clear beads
    Patent number: 9256115
    Abstract: A projection screen includes a transparent substrate having a first side and a second side, a first optically clear adhesive (“OCA”) layer disposed across the first side of the transparent substrate, a first two-dimensional (“2D”) matrix of clear beads partially embedded into the first OCA layer, and a dark layer disposed across the first OCA layer filling in exposed gaps between the clear beads to block and absorb light incident upon the exposed gaps between the clear beads. The clear beads form optical paths through the dark layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Adam E. Norton, Andrei S. Kazmierski
  • Dual-sided daylight redirecting film
    Patent number: 9250368
    Abstract: Dual-sided daylight redirecting films include an optical substrate with two solar light redirecting layers disposed on the major surfaces of the optical substrate. The light redirecting layers are microstructured surfaces forming a plurality of prism structures. At least one of the microstructured surfaces is an ordered arrangement of a plurality of asymmetric refractive prisms, and the two solar light redirecting layers are not identical or mirror images. Articles may be prepared that include the dual-sided daylight redirecting film and one or more glazing substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Raghunath Padiyath, Charles A. Marttila, Bing Hao
  • Method and apparatus for macro photographic stereo imaging
    Patent number: 9253472
    Abstract: A macro photographic apparatus for creating focus stacked images of a specimen may include a rigid longitudinal member having a longitudinal axis and including a camera mount thereon. A translation device may be fixed to the member for translating the specimen along the member toward and away from the camera mount. A rotation device may be mounted on the translation device. The rotation device may support the specimen and enable rotation of the specimen around first and second axes that are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the member. At any single position of the translation device along the longitudinal axis of the member, as the specimen is rotated around the first and second axes, the spatial location of the specimen remains substantially the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Inventor: Anthony Gutierrez