Patents Examined by Kimberly N. Kakalec
  • Patent number: 11624869
    Abstract: An optical device comprises a waveguide plate, which in turn comprises: an in-coupling element to form first guided light and second guided light by diffracting input light, first expander element to form third guided light by diffracting the first guided light, second expander element to form fourth guided light by diffracting the second guided light, and an out-coupling element to form first output light by diffracting the third guided light, and to form second output light by diffracting the fourth guided light, wherein the out-coupling element is arranged to form combined output light by combining the first output light with the second output light, wherein the in-coupling element has a first grating period for forming the first guided light, and wherein the in-coupling element has a second different grating period for forming the second guided light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Shenzhen Optiark Semiconductor Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Tapani Kalervo Levola, Houqiang Jiang, Yisheng Zhu
  • Patent number: 11614615
    Abstract: A laser beam display device that can dynamically control the resonant frequency of a mirror is provided. The increase the reliability of a device by controlling the resonant frequency of a mirror instead of requiring components of a display device to react to changes in the resonant frequency of a mirror. A controller can drive a mirror with an input signal, receive a signal or data indicating a target resonant frequency, and bias the input signal to control the resonant frequency of the mirror. In some embodiments, the controller can also receive a feedback signal from a mirror indicating a current resonant frequency. The controller can also bias the input signal to increase or decrease the current resonant frequency. By dynamically controlling the resonant frequency of a mirror, a device can minimize any difference between the current resonant frequency detected in a feedback signal and the target resonant frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Chuan Pu, Wenjun Liao
  • Patent number: 11598949
    Abstract: An actuator including a beam configured to support an object to be driven, and a drive source to which a drive signal is input, wherein the drive signal includes a drive waveform in a shape of sawtooth waveform, a rising of the drive waveform in the shape of sawtooth waveform includes a first staircase waveform and a second staircase waveform continuing from the first staircase waveform, the first staircase waveform generates oscillation of a ringing suppressing waveform for suppressing a ringing waveform to be generated in the second staircase waveform, and the object to be driven is driven to swing in a direction of rotating around the predetermined axis by driving the drive source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kensuke Yamada
  • Patent number: 11592664
    Abstract: There is disclosed herein a display device comprising a picture generating unit, a waveguide pupil expander and a viewer-tracking system. The picture generating unit comprises a first display channel, a second display channel and a controller. The first display channel is arranged to output first spatially-modulated light of a first colour. The first spatially-modulated light corresponds to a first picture. The second display channel is arranged to output second spatially-modulated light of a second colour. The second spatially-modulated light corresponding to a second picture. The controller is arranged to drive the first display channel and second display channel. The waveguide pupil expander comprises a pair of parallel reflective surfaces. The waveguide pupil expander defines an input port and a viewing window. The input port is arranged to receive the first spatially-modulated light and the second spatially-modulated light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Envisics Ltd
    Inventor: Jamieson Christmas
  • Patent number: 11579451
    Abstract: A head-mounted device (HMD) contains a display, an optics block, a redirection structure, and an eye tracking system. The display is configured to emit image light and provide it to an eye of a user. The optics block is configured to direct the emitted light in order to allow it to reach the eye. The eye tracking system contains a camera, an illumination source, and a controller. The camera is configured to capture image data using infrared light reflected from the eye. The controller is configured to use this image data to determine eye tracking information. The illumination source is configured to illuminate the eye with infrared light for the purpose of taking eye tracking measurements. The redirection structure is configured to direct infrared light reflected from the eye to the eye tracking system. In multiple embodiments, redirection structures may comprise prism arrays, lenses, liquid crystal layers, or grating structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Mela Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wai Sze Tiffany Lam, Yusufu Njoni Bamaxam Sulai, Robin Sharma, Ying Geng, Lu Lu, Jacques Gollier
  • Patent number: 11573418
    Abstract: An apparatus including a first substrate including a first incoupling diffractive optical element configured to couple light into the first substrate, and a first outcoupling diffractive optical element configured to output, from the first substrate, light that has been coupled into the first substrate; and a second substrate including a second incoupling diffractive optical element configured to couple light into the second substrate, and a second outcoupling diffractive optical element configured to output, from the second substrate, light that has been coupled into the second substrate; wherein the first and second incoupling diffractive optical elements are substantially inverse of each other and the first and second outcoupling diffractive optical elements are substantially inverse of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventor: Toni Johan Jarvenpaa
  • Patent number: 11573396
    Abstract: A multi-axis gimbal actuator includes a first tilt frame tiltably coupled to a second tilt frame. The second frame is tiltably coupled to a reference frame. The first tilt frame is offset from the second tilt frame and approximately parallel to the second tilt frame while in a neutral position. An optical element is mounted on the first tilt frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Steven Edward Smith
  • Patent number: 11567312
    Abstract: A micromirror comprising a mirror pivotally attached to a mount by a first pivoting structure that permits pivotal movement of the mirror relative to the mount about a first axis. A first comb drive with a first portion fixed relative to the mirror and a second portion fixed relative to the mount, and the first comb drive are adapted to actuate the mirror about the first axis. A first support structure pivotally attached to the mount by a second pivoting structure that permits pivotal movement of the mount relative to the first support structure about a second axis, and the second axis is non-parallel to the first axis. A second comb drive with a first portion fixed relative to the mount and a second portion fixed relative to the first support structure, and the second comb drive is adapted to actuate the mount about the second axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: PRECISELEY MICROTECHNOLOGY CORP.
    Inventor: Tiansheng Zhou
  • Patent number: 11567324
    Abstract: An exit pupil expander (EPE) has entrance and exit pupils, a back surface adjacent to the entrance pupil, and an opposed front surface. In one embodiment the EPE is geometrically configured such that light defining a center wavelength that enters at the entrance pupil perpendicular to the back surface experiences angularly varying total internal reflection between the front and back surfaces such that the light exiting the optical channel perpendicular to the exit pupil is at a wavelength shifted from the center wavelength. In another embodiment a first distance at the entrance pupil between the front and back surfaces is different from a second distance at the exit pupil between the front and back surfaces. The EPE may be deployed in a head-wearable imaging device (e.g., virtual or augmented reality) where the entrance pupil in-couples light from a micro display and the exit pupil out-couples light from the EPE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventor: Jyrki Sakari Kimmel
  • Patent number: 11555999
    Abstract: Electrical connections are created between the actuator frame of a piezoelectric MEMS scanning mirror system and the substrate separate from the structural adhesive creating the mechanical bond between the actuator frame and the substrate. A structural bond (with no conducive properties) is formed between the actuator frame and the substrate. After the bond is fully formed, separate electric connections can be created by one or both of: 1) coating the actuator frame with a coating that enables a surface of the actuator frame to be wire bondable and creating a wire bond between the actuator frame and the substrate; or 2) depositing a trace of conductive material on the outside edge of the mechanical bond between the actuator frame and the substrate and a final protection layer may be applied over the conductive trace to protect the trace from mechanical or environmental damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Michael James Nystrom
  • Patent number: 11550144
    Abstract: A mirror drive portion which causes a mirror portion to swing around a predetermined swing axis; a single optical sensor including a single light emission portion and a single light reception portion which receives light emitted from the light emission portion; a light blocking portion which is arranged in the mirror portion to swing together with the swing of the mirror portion and periodically blocks the light emitted from the light emission portion along with the swing; and a mirror control portion which controls the swing of the mirror portion based on an alternating voltage and a detection signal of the optical sensor, wherein the mirror control portion acquires a state of the swing of the mirror portion based on a light reception state of the light reception portion and a zero-cross timing of the alternating voltage, and controls the swing of the mirror portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Futoshi Takeda, Mika Hamaoka
  • Patent number: 11543571
    Abstract: A transmission filter apparatus is provided that includes: (i) a substrate to serve as a foundation for the apparatus; (ii) a layer containing resonant dielectric cavities separated by conductive regions. The dimensions and design of the dielectric cavities, thickness of the layer, and substrate, dielectric and conductive materials are chosen to achieve resonant transmission of selected wavelengths. In a particular one or more embodiments, the layer is one dimensional, i.e. you have dielectric cavities along one axis in the plane that are comparatively infinity long in the parallel plane. In a particular one or more embodiments, the layer is two dimensional, i.e. you have dielectric cavities along both axis in the plane. The dimensions in each plane may or may not be equal. In a specific one or more embodiments, the dielectric cavities are terminated on the top and/or bottom by thin metal films with small apertures or tapers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Justin W. Cleary, Evan M. Smith, Ricky D. Gibson, Jr., Shivashankar R. Vangala, Joshua Hendrickson, Ivan Avrutsky
  • Patent number: 11536960
    Abstract: A head up display (HUD) system includes: one or more light sources and one or more phase modulators configured to generate and output a hologram; and a replicator configured to receive the hologram, to generate N replications of the hologram from the hologram, and to output the N replications of the hologram, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignees: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Kai-Han Chang, Thomas A. Seder, Jamieson Leigh Christmas
  • Patent number: 11531142
    Abstract: An optical member that has excellent antireflection properties and that can maintain antifogging properties over a long term, and a method for manufacturing an optical member are provided. The optical member includes, in sequence, a substrate, a porous layer, and a multilayered antireflection layer. The ratio n/n0 is 0.85 or more and 0.95 or less, where n represents a refractive index of a layer having the highest refractive index among layers included in the antireflection layer and n0 represents a refractive index of a compound constituting the layer having the highest refractive index at a theoretical density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Makino, Toshinao Tatsuno
  • Patent number: 11526129
    Abstract: An interference structure having a nanovoided hologram material is described. The nanovoided hologram material may have an index of refraction difference of approximately 0.4. The interference structure may include about 10% to 90% nanovoids by volume. The interference structure may be formed using a mixture of a monomer, an initiator, and solvent. The mixture may be disposed on a substrate and irradiated with two sources of light spaced apart from each other and shining on the same region of the mixture to generate an interference pattern in the mixture, leading to the selective polymerization of regions of the mixture where there is constructive interference of light. Various other devices, methods, and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Qi Zhang
  • Patent number: 11513354
    Abstract: A light guide for guiding light for an HMD includes at least one input coupling structure and at least one output coupling structure. The output coupling structure can be oriented such that for all the rays that are coupled out by the output coupling structure and for which the wave vector k has a negative ratio ky/kxz after they have been coupled out, the wave vector k in the light guide has a ratio of ky/kxz of greater than ?0.2, and/or that for all the rays that are coupled out by the output coupling structure and for which the wave vector k has a positive ratio ky/kxz after they have been coupled out, the wave vector k in the light guide has a ratio of ky/kxz of less than +0.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Singer, Matthias Hillenbrand, Hans-Juergen Dobschal
  • Patent number: 11511989
    Abstract: Described examples include a micromechanical device having a substrate. The micromechanical device includes a MEMS element and a via between the MEMS element and the substrate, the via having a conductive layer extending from the substrate to the MEMS element and having a structural integrity layer on the conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Earl Vedere Atnip, John Wesley Hamlin, Win Jae Jessie Yuan
  • Patent number: 11493748
    Abstract: An optical filter device includes a wavelength variable interference filter that includes a pair of reflective films which face each other, and a fixed substrate in which one of the pair of reflective films is provided; a base to which the fixed substrate is fixed; and a fixing member which fixes one place on the fixed substrate to the base, a surface which is on other place of the one place of the substrate and the base are disposed with a gap therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Inventors: Daisuke Saito, Satoshi Fujisawa, Yasushi Matsuno, Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Patent number: 11487244
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for translating optical beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona
    Inventor: Pierre Alexandre Blanche
  • Patent number: 11487053
    Abstract: An optical element includes a substrate, an intermediate layer, a topmost layer, and a contiguous multitude of recessed and non-recessed areal regions. The intermediate layer is formed over a top surface of the substrate and has a refractive index nI. The topmost layer is formed directly on the intermediate layer and has a refractive index nT where nT?nI. The intermediate and topmost layers are substantially transparent over an operational wavelength range that includes a design wavelength ?0. A subset of areal regions has a largest transverse dimension less than about ?0. Each non-recessed areal region includes corresponding portions of the intermediate and topmost layers. Each recessed areal region extends entirely through the topmost layer and at least partly through the intermediate layer. A fill medium fills the recessed areal regions. The areal regions are variously sized and distributed transversely across the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: II-VI DELAWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Christoph M. Greiner, Jianji Yang, Dmitri Iazikov