Patents Examined by Jordan M. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 7995291
    Abstract: An image reading lens system of Example 1 includes six lenses having first to sixth lenses being arranged in order from an object side and an aperture diaphragm. In the image reading lens system, the first lens, the third lens, and the sixth lens are formed of negative lenses, and the second lens, the fourth lens, and the fifth lens are formed of positive lenses. The first lens, the second lens, the third lens, and the fifth lens are made of glass, and surfaces of all these lenses are formed of spherical surfaces. The fourth lens and the sixth lens are made of resin, and surfaces of the fourth lens and surfaces of the sixth lens are formed of aspheric surfaces. A cemented lens is formed of the second lens and the third lens with a cemented surface interposed therebetween, and is disposed adjacent to the aperture diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventor: Yoko Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7988286
    Abstract: An ophthalmic lens is presented in which the lens includes a progressive addition region and a dynamic optic. The dynamic optic and the progressive addition region are in optical communication. The progressive addition region has an add power which is less than a user's near viewing distance add power. The dynamic optic, when activated, provides the additional needed optical power for the wearer to see clearly at a near distance. This combination leads to the unexpected result that not only does the wearer have the ability to see clearly at intermediate and near distances, but the level of unwanted astigmatism, distortion, and vision compromise are reduced significantly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: E-Vision LLC
    Inventors: Ronald D. Blum, William Kokonaski, Venkatramani S. Iyer, Joshua N. Haddock
  • Patent number: 7986465
    Abstract: Fluidic lens devices, and systems employing such lens devices, along with methods of fabricating and operating such lens devices, are disclosed. Certain of the disclosed structures permit fluidic lens devices to operate without valves that control fluid exchange between fluidic lenses and reservoirs. Also disclosed are fluidic lens devices that comprise a fluidic lens but no reservoir. Additional disclosed structures and methods permit fluidic lens devices to perform zoom and focus functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Rhevision Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Hwa Lo, Jeffrey R. Vasko, Robert S. Vasko
  • Patent number: 7980694
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for obtaining, in vivo, a measurement of retinal response to an optical stimuli. Light sources provide optical stimuli to the retina in accordance with predetermined stimulation sequences, and images of the retina are obtained and correlated with the predetermined stimulation sequences so as to determine responses of the retina to the optical stimuli. In one particular embodiment, optical stimuli are provided according to m-sequences and correlated with corresponding optical coherence tomography images to determine a functional response of the retina.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Greater Glasgow Health Board
    Inventors: David Keating, Stuart Parks
  • Patent number: 7982968
    Abstract: A variable-power optical system includes, in order from an object side thereof: a first lens group with a negative optical power; a second lens group with a positive optical power; and a third lens group with a negative optical power, where an interval between the first lens group and the second lens group decreases when a power of the variable-power optical system varies from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end. The first lens group comprises a negative lens and a positive lens. The second lens group consists of a positive lens and a negative lens, and includes at least one aspheric surface. The variable-power optical system satisfies the predetermined conditional expressions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Keiji Matsusaka, Soh Ohzawa, Yasunari Fukuta
  • Patent number: 7982975
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-performance imaging optical system that achieves a magnification high enough to be capable of microscopic viewing under an endoscope, and is compatible with high-definition imaging devices. The objective optical system comprises, at least in order from the object side, a positive, first group G1, a second group G2 and a third group G3. In association with an object point change, at least the second group G2 is moved along an optical axis. The objective optical system satisfies a condition with respect to an optical magnification ? upon focusing on the closest range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Hideyasu Takato
  • Patent number: 7980698
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to apparatus and methods for automatically setting a power level of light emitted by a light source; illuminating a retina of a patient with the light emitted by the light source; receiving, at a sensor, light reflected from the retina of the patient; providing a signal based upon the received light; determining whether the signal meets one or more signal quality criteria; automatically setting a second power level of light emitted by the light source; and repeating the steps of illuminating the patient's eye, receiving reflected light, providing the signal, and determining whether the signal meets the signal quality criteria. In some embodiments, setting the second power level is performed in response to determining whether the signal meets the signal criteria. In still other embodiments, the method comprises selecting an operating power based upon the signal quality criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
    Inventors: Lloyd G. Allred, Jeffrey B. McBeth, Barry Eagan
  • Patent number: 7978422
    Abstract: An incident-light controlling apparatus has a first aperture in a substrate, a diaphragm blade which rotates around an axis, and controls light passing through the first aperture, by the diaphragm blade rotating alternately between a first stationary position coinciding with the first aperture, and a second stationary position retracted from the first aperture, a permanent magnet joined directly to the diaphragm blade, at a position of the axis of rotation of the diaphragm blade, and magnetized in a direction of a plane of rotation of the diaphragm blade, and a pair of coils having a winding around cores disposed such that an end portion of each coil faces the magnet. The diaphragm blade rotated alternately between the first and second stationary positions due to an interaction between a generated magnetic field upon passing an electric power, and a magnetic field generated due to the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Ide
  • Patent number: 7971995
    Abstract: An injection molding apparatus and method of use are provided whereby a net-molded optical article can be produced. Edge wave deviations are reduced by controlling the cooling profile of the resin. The apparatus can be configured to include at least one heat control element disposed adjacent to an edge of the mold cavity. After plasticized resin has been injected into the mold cavity, the edge of the mold cavity can be thermally regulated relative to the center of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Oakley, Inc.
    Inventors: Gardner Wade, Alan McHugh, Larry Butler
  • Patent number: 7974015
    Abstract: A center lens for collecting light in a center range and left/right lenses for collecting light in left/right ranges are supported in one plane to form center and left/right unit images. A microprocessor combines the unit images into a wide-angle image. The left/right optical lenses are placed on left-right direction line parallel to the wide-angle direction, while the center lens is placed distant from the left/right lenses above the direction line. Prisms are placed in front of the left/right lenses, and a toroidal lens to vertically modify the light path for light convergence onto each lens is placed in front of the prisms. The toroidal lens has a vertically curved surface having an axis coinciding with the direction line, and a horizontally cured surface having an axis coinciding with a vertical line passing through the center lens. This device can obtain a wide-angle image with a vertically large picture angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Toyoda, Yoshizumi Nakao, Yoshimasa Imahori
  • Patent number: 7967436
    Abstract: Wavefront measurements of eyes are typically taken when the pupil is in a first configuration in an evaluation context. The results can be represented by a set of basis function coefficients. Prescriptive treatments are often applied in a treatment context, which is different from the evaluation context. Hence, the patient pupil can be in a different, second configuration, during treatment. Systems and methods are provided for determining a transformed set of basis function coefficients, based on a difference between the first and second configurations, which can be used to establish the vision treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: AMO Development LLC.
    Inventor: Guang-ming Dai
  • Patent number: 7963654
    Abstract: The invention provides for a subjective refractor for determining refractive error of the eye comprising an optical system for presenting at least two targets to the eye, the difference of focus between the targets greater than the predicted depth of focus of the eye; —means for indicating target preference from the presented targets; and means for determining refractive error of the eye on the basis of target preference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Inventor: Karan Aggarwala
  • Patent number: 7959284
    Abstract: A method of generating a high precision optical surface profile includes obtaining a high precision optical surface profile which contains information of the optical path difference map of the profile. A substrate material has a known index of refraction, Ns, while a cover material has an index Nc that is more closely matched to the index Ns of the substrate material than the index of air Nair to Ns. An exaggerated surface profile is cut that is proportionally expanded from the high precision profile by a factor: (Ns?Nair) divided by (Ns?Nc). The cut surface profile is covered with the cover material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Inventor: Shui T. Lai
  • Patent number: 7961400
    Abstract: A projection image display device is disclosed in which a trapezoidal distortion and/or aberration are restrained when an image is enlarged and projected obliquely onto a screen. An image generator is connected to an optical system base in such a manner that at least an inclination thereof (on an axis parallel to X axis) with respect to a vertical line and a distance thereof in forward and backward direction (Z axis direction) can be adjusted by an adjusting mechanism. Further, a projecting lens 2 as a first optical system and a free-form curved surface mirror as a second optical system are fixed to the optical system base. The free-form curved surface mirror is rotatable (on an rotary axis parallel to X axis) with respect to the vertical line at a substantial center of the free-form curved surface mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Yoshikawa, Takanori Hisada, Tetsu Ohishi, Koji Hirata, Naoyuki Ogura
  • Patent number: 7954944
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a spectacle lens comprising: a lens base member; a multi-layered anti-reflection film placed on the lens base member, and including a layer mainly made of silicon dioxide as an outermost layer; and a water-and-oil repellent layer provided in contact with the outermost layer of the multi-layered anti-reflection film, and made by using, as raw materials: at least one kind of a first fluorine-substituted alkyl group-containing organosilicon compound and a second fluorine-substituted alkyl group-containing organosilicon compound. The disclosure also relates to methods of producing a spectacle lens that is capable of retaining a sufficient water-and-oil repellency over an extended period, and having sufficient edge processability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon-Essilor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Abe, Hidemoto Uekusa, Fazlat Ali
  • Patent number: 7957066
    Abstract: A system for inspecting a specimen is provided. The system includes an illumination subsystem configured to produce a plurality of channels of light energy, each channel of light energy produced having differing characteristics (type, wavelength, etc.) from at least one other channel of light energy. Optics are configured to receive the plurality of channels of light energy and combine them into a spatially separated combined light energy beam and direct it toward the specimen. A data acquisition subsystem comprising at least one detector is provided, configured to separate reflected light energy into a plurality of received channels corresponding to the plurality of channels of light energy and detect the received channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: J. Joseph Armstrong, Yung-Ho Chuang
  • Patent number: 7950802
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a circuit arrangement for recognising and for tracking, in a contact-free manner, eye positions of several users in real time. The input data comprises a sequence of digital video frames. Said method comprises the following steps: combining a face-finder-instance which is used to examine faces, an eye-finder-instance which is used to examine eye areas, and an eye-tracker-instance which is used to recognise and track eye reference points. The aim of the invention is to convert the eye positions within a hierarchical outlet of the instance to the target, which successively restricts the dataset, which is to be processed, emerging from the dataset of the entire video frame (VF) in order to form a face target area (GZ) and subsequently an eye target area (AZ). Also, an instance or a group of instances, which run in a parallel manner, are carried out, respectively, on a calculating unit thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: SeeReal Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Schwerdtner, Enrico Zschau
  • Patent number: 7948671
    Abstract: A support structure within an interferometric modulator device may contact various other structures within the device. Increased bond strengths between the support structure and the other structures may be achieved in various ways, such as by providing roughened surfaces and/or adhesive materials at the interfaces between the support structures and the other structures. In an embodiment, increased adhesion is achieved between a support structure and a substrate layer. In another embodiment, increased adhesion is achieved between a support structure and a moveable layer. Increased adhesion may reduce undesirable slippage between the support structures and the other structures to which they are attached within the interferometric modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ming-Hau Tung, Brian W. Arbuckle, Philip Don Floyd, William Cummings
  • Patent number: 7940468
    Abstract: A variable-focus lens assembly is provided. The lens assembly includes a microfluidic device that defines a chamber for receiving a fluid therein. A slip having an aperture therethrough is disposed in the chamber. A first fluid is disposed on the first side of the slip and a second fluid is disposed on the second side of the slip. A lens is formed from the interface of the first and second fluids. The outer periphery is pinned to the slip about the aperture. A turning structure fabricated from a hydrogel material engages the slip and tunes the focal length of the lens in response to a predetermined stimulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Hongrui Jiang, Abhishek K. Agarwal, Liang Dong, David J. Beebe
  • Patent number: 7940465
    Abstract: A collimator array using a molded element to hold the input fibers and to collimate the light. The input fibers are held within holes in one face of the element, and the collimation of the light emitted from the ends of the fibers is performed by an array of lenses appropriately located such that each lens collimates the light emitted from a fiber end. The lateral spacing between the holes is made to be equal to the lateral spacing between the lenses of the array. Since, in a molded element, this lateral spacing can be accurately provided, good alignment of the input fibers with the lenses can be achieved. The depths of the holes can be made such that when a fiber is inserted right to the bottom of a hole, the end of that fiber is accurately located such that the light emitted therefrom is collimated by the lens. This avoids the need for accurate manual alignment of the fibers of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Oclaro (New Jersey), Inc.
    Inventors: Yossi Corem, Gil Cohen, Boris Frenkel