Patents Examined by Jessica T Stultz
  • Patent number: 7884995
    Abstract: An electrochromic device including: (a) a first substantially transparent substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; (b) a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; (c) an electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates which includes: (1) a solvent; (2) an anodic material; and (3) a cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic; (d) wherein a seal member, the first substrate, the second substrate, and/or the chamber includes a plug associated with a fill port; and (e) wherein the plug is at least partially cured with an antimonate photo initiator and/or is one- or two-part plug which comprises a resin or mixture of resins that are substantially insoluble and/or substantially immiscible with an associated electrochromic medium while in the uncured state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: William L. Tonar, Joel A. Stray, Steven J. Veenman, Leroy J. Kloeppner, David L. Poll, Gary J. Dozeman, Nalini C. Menon
  • Patent number: 7880950
    Abstract: This invention provides a display element having a reduced white color tone variation during repeated drive. This display element contains an electrolyte between opposed electrodes. The electrolyte contains silver or a compound containing silver in its chemical structure. The opposed electrodes are driven so that silver is dissolved and precipitated. The display element is characterized in that the electrolyte contains a compound represented by general formula (A) and a compound represented by general formula (1) or (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Kokeguchi
  • Patent number: 7880982
    Abstract: A lens driving apparatus may include a movable body holding lenses; a support body for supporting said movable body to move in the optical axis direction of said lenses; and a drive mechanism for driving said movable body in the optical axis direction; wherein said movable body is provided with an extension portion that is extended toward the outer periphery, and a moving path and a movement-stopping portion are formed to at least a member of said drive mechanism mounted on the support body or to said support body, said moving path allowing said extension portion to move in the optical axis direction when said movable body is moved in the optical axis direction and said movement-stopping portion regulating the moving range of said movable body as said extension portion makes contact with said movement-stopping portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventors: Noboru Otsuki, Akihito Wada, Tsuneo Sato
  • Patent number: 7876512
    Abstract: An apparatus for assembling a lens module is provided. The lens module comprises a lens barrel and at least one optical element received therein. The apparatus includes an element-grasping member, an assembly station and two guiding members. The element-grasping member is configured for grasping the at least one optical element and mounting the at least one optical element into the lens barrel. The assembly station has a support surface. Each of the two guiding members includes a stationary element fixedly positioned on the support surface, a movable element and an elastic element. The movable element includes a positioning surface and a clamping surface. The positioning surface is configured for pressing the element-grasping member. The clamping surface is configured for pressing the lens barrel. The elastic element is positioned between the stationary element and the movable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hang-Ming Wong, Chun-Kai Wang
  • Patent number: 7872816
    Abstract: A turning mechanism is adapted to a projector including a base and a zoom lens set in a base for turning a zoom bar of the zoom lens. The turning mechanism includes a fixed element and a movable element. The fixed element is suitable to be fastened to the base and has a pair of slide tracks. The movable element has a pair of slide edges, a pair of slide hooks, and a turn portion. The slide hooks lock the slide tracks respectively, and the slide edges are supported by the slide tracks respectively. Therefore, the movable element substantially slides around a light axis of the zoom lens relative to the fixed element, so as to move the turn portion to turn the zoom bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Chia-Tien Chen, Hung-Lin Lee
  • Patent number: 7871162
    Abstract: The present invention provides improved ophthalmic lenses and methods for their design and use. Monofocal and multifocal diffractive ophthalmic lenses having reduced light scatter and/or improved light energy distribution properties are provided. These properties are provided by the diffractive profiles of the invention, often having subtlely shaped echelettes with appropriately curving profiles. Light scatter may be generated by the sharp corners associated with vertical steps between adjacent conventional diffractive echelettes. Smooth diffractive profiles of the invention reduce light scatter. Light energy directed towards non-viewing diffractive orders may have a unwanted effects on vision quality. Diffractive profiles of the invention may limit the light energy in certain, selected orders, thereby improving viewing quality and mitigating unwanted effects such as dysphotopsia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: AMO Groningen B.V.
    Inventor: Henk A. Weeber
  • Patent number: 7866816
    Abstract: Variable focus spectacles which comprise i) a focus module that includes two variable focus lens sections, said sections each including a first fixed plastic lens and an adjustable focus liquid lens, and ii) a second fixed plastic lens that preferably includes most or all of the optical power needed by the intended wearer to correct his/her distance vision. The second fixed plastic lens is preferably attached to the focus module by magnetic attraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Lane Research, LLC
    Inventor: Stephen Kurtin
  • Patent number: 7864397
    Abstract: An electrolyte composition is described. The electrolyte composition includes at least one ionic compound; at least one polar solvent; at least one polymerizable material; at least one nanoparticle based viscosity modifier; at least one chain transfer agent; and at least one initiator. Also described are electrochromic articles and devices including an electrolyte layer including an electrolyte composition. Methods of assembling an electrochromic article are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Junjun Wu, Brian T. Weber, Duane D. Fansler
  • Patent number: 7864407
    Abstract: A display element which has an electrolyte layer containing silver or a compound containing silver in the chemical structure thereof and an electrolytic solvent between opposed electrodes, and also contains a porous white scattering material between said opposed electrodes, wherein said opposed electrodes can be operated so as to dissolve silver or deposit silver, characterized in that said porous white scattering material is incorporated through a step of imparting an aqueous intimate mixture containing a water-soluble polymer substantially insoluble in said electrolytic solvent and a white pigment onto a component between said opposed electrodes, followed by drying. The above display element is composed of simple and easily available members, can be operated with a low voltage, exhibits high display contrast and satisfactorily high reflectance for the white display, and is reduced in the fluctuation of the white reflectance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Kokeguchi
  • Patent number: 7862169
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for designing contact lenses in which method the lens flexure is taken into account. The method of the invention is insensitive to the lens' back surface design and does not require complex back surface designs. Additionally, the lens design can be optimized virtually, eliminating the need for iterative design-test on-eye-re-design cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe F. Jubin, Larry Jones, Jose L. Perez
  • Patent number: 7857452
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for identifying the covert foci of attention of a person when viewing an image or series of images. The method includes the steps of presenting the person with an image having a plurality of visual elements, measuring eye movements of the subject with respect to those images, and based upon the measured eye movements triangulating and determining the level of covert attentional interest that the person has in the various visual elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Catholic Healthcare West
    Inventors: Susana Martinez-Conde, Stephen L. Macknik, Jorge Otero-Millan
  • Patent number: 7859761
    Abstract: An illumination system including a coherent light source and a speckle-reducing module is provided. The coherent light source is adopted for providing a light beam. The speckle-reducing module is disposed at an optical path of the light beam. The speckle-reducing module includes a rotator, a carrier and an optical path adjusting member. The rotator is adopted for rotating on a reference plane about a spindle axis passing through the rotator. The spindle axis is substantially perpendicular to the reference plane. The carrier is disposed at the rotator. The optical path adjusting member is disposed at the carrier and at the optical path of the light beam. The optical path adjusting member has an incident surface inclined at an angle with respect to the reference plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Young Optics Inc.
    Inventors: Yi-Hsueh Chen, Sung-Nan Chen, Keng-Han Chuang
  • Patent number: 7859735
    Abstract: A lithography method is provided. The method includes generating a beam of radiation, patterning portions of the beam of radiation, projecting the patterned beam of radiation towards a substrate, and blocking scattered light from the beam of radiation from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: ASML Holding N.V.
    Inventors: Wenceslao A. Cebuhar, Jason D. Hintersteiner, Stan Janik, Yuli Vladimirsky
  • Patent number: 7855846
    Abstract: An imaging unit, including: a lens housing section to accommodate a lens; a lens driving section, including: a moving member which supports the lens and moves the lens in an optical axial direction, and an electro-mechanical transduction element to drive the moving member in the optical axial direction; a camera-shake preventing section which drives the lens housing section to prevent camera-shake; and a rotation regulating section to prevent the lens from rotating around an optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Mototaka Chikami
  • Patent number: 7852580
    Abstract: An actuation device having a shape memory alloy component containing: a base having a bottom portion, at least one first magnetic component disposed under the bottom portion of base, a carrier having a top portion, at least one second magnetic component which is disposed on the top portion of carrier and which corresponds in location to the first magnetic component, and a shape memory alloy component which is disposed between the base and the carrier. Shape memory alloy component has at least one deformable supporting component, which is disposed at a position corresponding to both positions of the first magnetic component and of the second magnetic component, for supporting the carrier. The supporting component is in a horizontal form between the base and the carrier since there is a magnetic force between the first magnetic component and the second magnetic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Chicony Electronics Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Kevin Yang
  • Patent number: 7852568
    Abstract: It is provided an imaging apparatus including a plurality of motors configured to be driven to move lenses in synchronous with a drive pulse, a position detection unit configured to detect one of positions of the lenses moved by the driving of the plurality of motors, an operation unit configured to perform an output corresponding to an operation in response to the operation by a user, and a controller configured to receive the output from the position detection unit and control the plurality of motors. The controller supplies the number of drive pulses calculated based on a target position for moving the lens calculated based on the output from the operation unit and a lens position detected by the position detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosuke Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7852577
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a lens barrel assembly includes forming a lens barrel by deep drawing into a cylindrical shape, forming a lens-retaining portion that retains a lens at one of two open sides of the lens barrel, and forming a component-receiving portion that receives an electric component at the other open side of the lens barrel. The lens-retaining portion has an outer diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the component-receiving portion and a wall thickness that is larger than a wall thickness of the component-receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimihiro Kikuchi, Shigeru Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 7850304
    Abstract: Significantly faster state transitioning time between the optimal optical density for viewing 2D Movies as 3D movies through Continuous Adjustable 3Deeps Filter Spectacles can be achieved by using multiple layers (multi-layer) of electronically controlled variable tint materials to fabricate the right and left lenses of the 3Deeps spectacles. The use of multi-layered lenses may result in as much as a 50% decrease in transition time between states. The invention also relates to Multi-Use Electronically Controlled Continuous Adjustable 3Deeps Filter Spectacles that house within a single spectacle frame several layers of optoelectronic material in which each layer of electronically controlled relates to a different method of viewing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Inventors: Kenneth Martin Jacobs, Ronald Steven Karpf
  • Patent number: 7845797
    Abstract: Two or more images captured from digital cameras record an image of spectacle frames on a subject. The image is analyzed using automated image-processing techniques to identify the relation of specific points of interest on the frame to the location of each of the subject's eyes allowing the optical center of the lens to be placed in the correct location in the frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ophthonix, Inc.
    Inventors: Laurence Warden, Andreas W. Dreher, Tro Murphey
  • Patent number: 7847997
    Abstract: A projection apparatus for scanningly projecting an image onto an image field by means of a radiation beam includes a modulator for modulating an intensity of the radiation beam such that the intensity of the radiation beam changes in a time interval during which a scan point to which the radiation beam is directed sweeps a pixel of the image field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thilo Sandner, Harald Schenk, Michael Scholles, Markus Schwarzenberg, Alexander Wolter