Patents Examined by James Phan
  • Patent number: 9664980
    Abstract: An optical device includes an optical section, a moving section, a shaft section, and an actuator. The optical section includes a light-incident surface on which light is incident. The moving section supports the optical section and the shaft section swingably supports the moving section. The actuator swings the moving section based on a drive signal having a trapezoidal waveform. A swing waveform representative of a trajectory of the moving section as the moving section is swung has a trapezoidal waveform. A maintenance time of a flat portion of the trapezoidal waveform of the drive signal is shorter than a maintenance time of a flat portion of the trapezoidal waveform of the swing waveform of the moving section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Mizoguchi, Takao Hirakura
  • Patent number: 9664896
    Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror array can include pre-tilted mirrors. In some implementations, a MEMS mirror array includes a set of first MEMS mirrors supported by a mounting surface of one or more first substrates, and a set of exterior MEMS mirrors supported by a mounting surface of one or more exterior substrates. The one or more exterior substrates can be disposed along at least one edge of an exterior perimeter of at least one of the first substrates. The mounting surface of the one or more exterior substrates can be arranged to cause a plane of each exterior MEMS mirror to be at a non-zero angle with respect to each first MEMS mirror. The one or more first substrates and the one or more exterior substrates can be supported by a common substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Yasumura
  • Patent number: 9664823
    Abstract: Reflective target for surveying instruments having a plurality of planar reflective sections arranged to form a shape having a target axis. Each reflective section includes a plurality of prisms, each prism constituted by a corner cube having three surfaces oriented perpendicular to one another and forming a base for receiving incident light, and each of the prisms is oriented such that a common edge formed by two of the three surfaces of the prism is oriented such that the common edge and the target axis or a line parallel to the target axis lie in a common plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Trimble Jena GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Winter, Ute Natura
  • Patent number: 9661882
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a system, method and apparatus for increasing the visibility of a garment or article of clothing may be described. This can include an element of a garment which may be functionally or structurally integrated into the garment, such as a heat transfer. The heat transfer can utilize any number of visibility-enhancing elements to increase the visibility of a wearer of a garment having the heat transfer, for example through any combination of reflective elements, retro-reflective elements, and elements formed in various colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES, LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy W. White, John Ellison
  • Patent number: 9658459
    Abstract: A head-mounted image display apparatus includes: a light source that emits laser light; a splitter that splits the laser light into first laser light and second laser light having a different optical intensity than the first laser light; an image drawing section that causes the first laser light to be reflected off a mirror and causes the mirror to make pivotal motion to perform image drawing; a controller that controls the pivotal motion of the mirror; and a notification section that notifies other persons by diffusing the second laser light that the image drawing section is performing image drawing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makiko Hino, Yasushi Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 9658371
    Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure provides microprismatic retroreflective film that includes a substrate and metalized microprisms located on the substrate. At least a portion of the metalized microprisms are forward-tilted microprisms, and at least a portion of the forward-tilted microprisms are arranged in matched pairs and are aligned with the plane of optical axis tilting aligned at an angle ranging from about 10 to 80 degrees with an edge of the microprismatic retroreflective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Aura Optical Systems, LP
    Inventor: Drew J. Buoni
  • Patent number: 9651776
    Abstract: A scanner apparatus includes: a scanner having a mirror that is driven into resonance in a first direction; a scanner holder holding the scanner and rotatable about an axis extending in a direction parallel to the first direction; and a driver that oscillates the scanner holder, and the scanner holder includes: a first holding portion holding the scanner; a second holding portion connected to the first holding portion and holding the driver; a connecting portion connected to the second holding portion; and an elastic portion connected to the connecting portion and having elasticity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignees: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD., KYOTO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Manabu Murayama, Ryusuke Horibe, Shingo Setono, Tomohisa Hirai, Yuichiro Masuda, Atsushi Mushimoto, Fumitoshi Matsuno
  • Patent number: 9651777
    Abstract: An oscillation device includes an oscillator, an oscillation detection unit that detects oscillation of the oscillator and outputs an oscillation detection signal, and a drive unit that generates a drive signal in keeping with the oscillation detection signal and outputs the drive signal to the oscillator. The drive unit includes a phase shift unit that shifts the phase to provide the drive signal as positive feedback to the oscillator. The phase shift unit includes a disturbance generating unit that outputs the periodic signal, a fluctuation unit that causes the amount of phase shift to fluctuate based on the periodic signal, a drive amplitude detection unit that detects the amplitude of the drive signal and outputs a drive amplitude signal, a product detection unit that outputs a detection signal after performing product detection on the drive amplitude signal based on the periodic signal, and an adjustment unit that adjusts the phase-shift amount based on the detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Horibe, Naoki Inoue, Manabu Murayama
  • Patent number: 9651773
    Abstract: An optical device includes a glass plate, a movable section adapted to support the glass plate, shaft sections adapted to support the movable section so as to be able to oscillate around an oscillation axis, a support section adapted to support the shaft sections, a permanent magnet provided to the movable section, and a coil disposed so as to be opposed to the permanent magnet, and generating a magnetic field acting on the permanent magnet, and the support section has a window section through which a gap between the permanent magnet and the coil can visually be recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Mizoguchi, Shinichi Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 9651849
    Abstract: An optical resonator is provided made of low-outgassing materials, including at least one chamber, a non-linear crystal arranged in the chamber, and an array of mirrors arranged in the chamber and including a plurality of mirrors for deflecting a light beam. To specify such a resonator which is low-outgassing and which ensures fine adjustment of the optical elements at the same time, the present invention proposes that the non-linear crystal and at least one mirror of the array of mirrors is arranged on one movable carrier each, wherein the said carrier is fabricated from a low-outgassing material and seals the chamber. Furthermore, a sealing system is provided including a housing, an optical element and a sealing element of indium or indium alloy, which is arranged between the housing and the optical element, wherein the optical element has a lateral surface and the sealing element is arranged on the lateral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Toptica Photonics AG
    Inventors: Rainer Heidemann, Matthias Scholz
  • Patent number: 9645289
    Abstract: Provided is an article having a condition-dependent image, said article comprising (a) a substrate having a surface, (b) upon the surface of the substrate, one or more layers of a clear coating comprising a plurality of beads. Also provided are a method of producing such an article and a method of observing the image on such an article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: ROHM AND HAAS COMPANY
    Inventors: Edwin Hugh Nungesser, Edward La Fleur, Adam Fasula, Partha S. Majumdar
  • Patent number: 9645286
    Abstract: Method for fabricating a transparent display dial for a portable object, wherein the method includes the steps of: creating a mold with a first relief pattern for imprinting a decoration on at least a first portion of the surface of the transparent display dial, and with a second relief pattern for imprinting an antireflective filter on a second portion of the surface of the transparent display dial; depositing on the dial a mixed layer of a monomer and a cross-linking agent sensitive to ultraviolet radiation; applying the mold on the mixed monomer and cross-linking agent layer; solidifying the mixed monomer and cross-linking agent layer by photopolymerization under ultraviolet irradiation through the mold, and after insolation, removing the mold. The invention also concerns a transparent display dial obtained according to the method of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventor: Michel Sagardoyburu
  • Patent number: 9632309
    Abstract: In a two-dimensional optical deflector including: a mirror; two first torsion bars coupled to the mirror along a first axis; an inner frame surrounding the mirror; two piezoelectric actuators each coupled between the first torsion bars and supported by the inner frame; an outer frame surrounding the inner frame; and two second torsion bars coupled between the inner frame and the outer frame along a second axis; a first permanent magnet layer formed on at least a part of a rear-side surface of the inner frame. A base supports the outer frame. A coil is formed at the base. A magnetic flux generated from the coil interacts with a magnetic flux of the first permanent magnetic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Yasuda
  • Patent number: 9618663
    Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to retroreflective articles and methods of making such articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Smith, Michael Benton Free, Bimal V. Thakkar, Raymond C. Chiu
  • Patent number: 9618740
    Abstract: A micromirror for a micromirror device includes: a mirror side; and a back side which is directed away from the mirror side, at least one central area of the back side having at least one surface which is plane parallel to the mirror side, the back side being shaped in such a way that on two opposite sides of the central area, a side area having at least one side surface of the back side in each case, which is curved and/or oriented inclined toward the mirror side borders on the central area of the back side, and a height of the micromirror continuously decreasing starting from the central area along a cross section of the micromirror, which runs through the central area and the two side areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Simon Armbruster, Helmut Grutzeck, Joerg Muchow, Frederic Njikam Njimonzie, Johannes Baader, Stefan Pinter, Rainer Straub, Zoltan Lestyan
  • Patent number: 9612433
    Abstract: A drive circuit for a resonant system provides an excitation signal having an amplitude and a phase. The resonant system provides a feedback signal representing an oscillation amplitude. The amplitude of the excitation signal is reduced for a substantially constant feedback signal amplitude by modifying the excitation signal phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick J. McVittie, Jonathan A. Morarity, Damon M. Domjan
  • Patent number: 9612435
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes an optical fiber, a holding member cantilevering the optical fiber, a first driving device placed on the distal end of the optical fiber and making the optical fiber vibrate in a first direction, and a second driving device placed between the holding member for the optical fiber and the first driving device and making the optical fiber vibrate in a second direction which crosses the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsuyoshi Shimamoto
  • Patent number: 9612436
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing a high speed scanner tracker are disclosed. The scanner tracker can include a mirror assembly that rotates within a housing about a first axis. Moreover, the mirror can be tilted about a second axis. Pulses of light can be directed to and received from a selected location or target surface located within a target volume by selectively controlling the rotational and tilt angles of the mirror relative to a laser associated with the scanner tracker assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Charles N. Hoffman, Christopher M. Leone
  • Patent number: 9612501
    Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to a front-lit display having transparent and selectively emissive light directionality. The disclosed semi-retro-reflective, semi-specular and specular displays include directional front light systems that reflect light in a manner to preserve the non-Lambertian characteristic of the light output. This leads to brighter displays with a higher degree of luminance as compared to conventional microencapsulated electrophoretic displays with substantially Lambertian reflectance where much of the light is not reflected back towards the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: CLEARink Displays, Inc.
    Inventor: Lorne A. Whitehead
  • Patent number: 9606419
    Abstract: An adaptive photo thermal lens comprising at least one cell, each cell provided with at least one photo absorbing particle, a thermo-optical material in thermal contact with the cells and at least one controllable light source for illuminating the photo absorbing particles, the light source having at least one spectral component which can be absorbed by the photo-absorbing particles and being controllable in wavelength and/or power and/or polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignees: FUNDACIÓ INSTITUT DE CIÈNCIES FOTÒNIQUES, INSTITUCIÓ CATALANA DE RECERCA I ESTUDIS AVANÇATS
    Inventors: Jon Donner, Renaud Marty, Romain Quidant