Patents Examined by Melissa Jan Koval
  • Patent number: 7458687
    Abstract: A digital cinema projection apparatus having an illumination source with a first etendue value for providing polarized polychromatic light. A first lens element lies in the path of the polarized polychromatic light for forming a substantially telecentric polarized polychromatic light beam. A color separator separates the telecentric polarized polychromatic light beam into at least two telecentric color light beams. At least two transmissive spatial light modulators modulate the two telecentric color light beams. There is an etendue value associated with each spatial light modulator. The etendue value is within 15% or greater than the first etendue value corresponding to the illumination source. A color combiner combines the modulated color beams along a common optical axis, forming a multicolor modulated beam thereby; and a projection lens directs the multicolor modulated beam toward a display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Barry D. Silverstein, James R. Kircher, Joseph R. Bietry
  • Patent number: 7460780
    Abstract: An exposure parameter is determined based on an illumination condition by calculating a red divided by green (R/G) value, calculating a blue divided by green (B/G) value, and comparing the R/G and B/G values to a predetermined auto-white balancing map to determine the exposure parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuya Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7458735
    Abstract: An image-taking lens unit has an image-taking lens system that forms an optical image of an object and an image sensor that receives the optical image in a rectangular image-sensing region and converts the optical image into an electrical signal. The image-taking lens system includes a reflective optical element that bends the optical path. Of the lens elements constituting the image-taking lens system, the most image-side lens element called the last lens element is molded of resin, and is given a non-circular outer shape fulfilling a prescribed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Souma, Yasushi Yamamoto, Tsutomu Honda
  • Patent number: 7455409
    Abstract: A projection-type image display apparatus using a light emitting diode light source including a compact optical arrangement. The projection-type image display apparatus includes an illumination optical system including a light emitting diode light source to produce light and emit the light produced in one direction, a uniform light illumination unit disposed along a first optical path to change a propagation direction of the light emitted from the illumination optical system and to emit uniform light, a display device to form an image from the light emitted from the uniform light illumination unit, and a projection optical system disposed along a second optical path to enlarge and project the image formed by the display device onto a screen, wherein the first optical path along which the uniform light illumination unit is disposed and the second optical path along which the projection optical system is disposed are parallel or substantially parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Su-gun Kim, Dae-sik Kim, Kye-hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 7457536
    Abstract: A flash device includes at least one light emitting unit is attachable to a plurality of connection portions. A shielding portion shields the connection portion without an attached light emitting unit. A capacitor accumulates an electric charges and is charged by a charging circuit. A control circuit includes judges both (1) whether or not all the plurality of connection portions are shielded and (2) whether or not the light emitting unit is attached to at least one of the plurality of connection portions, and permits the capacitor to be charged if both all the connection portions are shielded and the light emitting unit is attached to at least one of the plurality of connection portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignees: Olympus Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Hamada, Takanaru Kobayashi, Akira Iwamoto, Satsuki Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 7454137
    Abstract: A scene adaptive power control device using a plurality of input images as consecutive input images and controlling a power level of a light source used in displaying the third input image. The scene adaptive power control device including a histogram analysis unit to analyze the second input image and detect a first maximum brightness value of the second input image, a determination unit to detect brightness values matching a first threshold as a predetermined frequency value in the generated histogram and determining a second maximum brightness value, a generation unit generating a power control signal to control the power level of the light source by a value obtained by dividing the second maximum brightness value by the first maximum brightness value, and a compensation unit increasing a brightness of the third input image inversely proportional to the power level of the light source reduced by the power control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-jin Lee, Moon-cheol Kim
  • Patent number: 7454133
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor for automatic focus with highly precise automatic focus performance is realized at low cost. In the solid-state image sensor for automatic focus which has paired linear sensors (L1 to L10) respectively provided with linear sensors for standard portion (L1-B to L10-B) and linear sensors for reference portion (L1-R to L10-R) for performing phase difference detection type focus detection, a linear sensor for standard portion L6-B of paired linear sensors L6 is arranged between a linear sensor for standard portion L5-B and a linear sensor for reference portion L5-R of paired linear sensors L5, and a linear sensor for reference portion L5-R of paired linear sensors L5 is arranged between a linear sensor for standard portion L6-B and a linear sensor for reference portion L6-R of paired linear sensors L6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidekazu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7454130
    Abstract: An exemplary anti-vibration apparatus used in an image pickup system includes a first light-reflecting unit, a driving mechanism configured for driving the light-reflecting unit to rotate, a servo circuit, at least one sensor configured for detecting an angular velocity of the anti-vibration apparatus and sending such signal to the servo circuit, the servo circuit is configured for generating a controlling signal received from the sensor and controlling the driving mechanism based on the controlling signal. The anti-vibration apparatus can eliminate the image vibration caused by the vibration of image pickup system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wei-Chung Chang
  • Patent number: 7452084
    Abstract: A projector includes a projection device, a cross line positional information acquiring device for acquiring positional information of a cross line between a projection surface of the projection device and a plane crossing the projection surface, an inclination detecting device for calculating an angle of inclination between a projection optical axis of the projection device and the projection surface based on the positional information acquired by the cross line positional information acquiring device, and an image distortion correcting device for correcting a trapezoidal distortion of an input image supplied to the projection device, based on the angle of inclination calculated by the inclination detecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Nec Viewtechnology, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 7448755
    Abstract: A three-panel projection display apparatus displays a color image by separating light emitted from a light source into lights of three primaries, i.e., red, green, and blue, with dichroic mirrors, by irradiating liquid crystal light valves with the respective separated lights, by combining the lights modulated by the respective liquid crystal light valves with a cross dichroic prism, and by projecting the combined light through a single projection lens onto a screen. The lengths of the light paths for the separated blue and green lights are equal to each other. The distance between a condenser lens and the liquid crystal light valve in the blue light path is shorter than the distance between a condenser lens and the liquid crystal light valve in the green light path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiro Osaka
  • Patent number: 7448759
    Abstract: A projection equipment is provided with a projection system, a memory unit for storing discrimination information which is used to judge whether or not a cooling operation of a light source lamp of the projection system has been finished in a normal manner at the time of a previous power-off operation, a key input unit for giving an instruction to execute a power-on operation, and a control unit adapted to use a timer unit for delaying a turn-on operation of the light source lamp by a predetermined time depending on the discrimination information stored in the memory unit at the time when the instruction to execute the power-on operation is given.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuyasu Fukano
  • Patent number: 7445393
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a cam gear which can rotate counterclockwise to prepare for photographing. This rotation of the cam gear can cause a cam lever shaft to move from a first cam section that allows a shutter charging lever to be kept in a charged state, over a projection located near an end of the first section, to a second section configured to release the charged state. In conjunction with the movement of the cam lever shaft over the projection, the shutter charging lever momentarily moves from the charged position to an overcharged position, and then moves further to a pre-exposure retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Yamagami
  • Patent number: 7441908
    Abstract: A projection optical system for use in an image projection apparatus illuminating a light valve forming an image in accordance with a modulating signal with illumination light from a light source. The projection optical system includes first and second optical systems arranged along an optical path defining an upstream-downstream direction in the order described from upstream to downstream on the downstream side of the light valve. The first optical system includes at least one dioptric system and has positive power. The second optical system includes at least one reflecting surface having power and has positive power. The image formed by the light valve is formed as an intermediate image in the optical path, and the intermediate image is magnified and projected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Takaura, Kazuhiro Fujita, Nobuo Sakuma
  • Patent number: 7441907
    Abstract: A light source driving method for controlling a first and a second light source assembly of a projection apparatus to turn on and off at least once during each 1/n frame time is provided. The first light source assembly includes first color light sources and third color light sources, while the second light source assembly includes second color light sources. The light source driving method includes following steps: turning on and off the first color light sources once sequentially in a first sub-frame period; turning on and off a part of the second color light sources once synchronously in a second sub-frame period; turning on and off the other second color light sources once synchronously in a third sub-frame period; and turning on and off the third color light sources once sequentially in a fourth sub-frame period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventor: Chin-Ku Liu
  • Patent number: 7438420
    Abstract: A display apparatus having a control unit which controls the light source temperature so that the temperature remains within a predetermined temperature range, a light modulation device for displaying images by receiving light emitted from the light source, and modulating the light according to the image data, and a light source controlling unit which adjusts the amount of light that enters the light modulation device, by controlling electrical power fed to the light source, according to the brightness data. Even if a contrast ratio is improved by changing the amount of light of an HID lamp, a passive optical modulation type display apparatus can be provided without reducing the lifetime of the light source lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Harada, Taichiro Tamida, Akihiko Iwata
  • Patent number: 7440690
    Abstract: An output from an auto focus sensor is converted into a digital signal by an A/D converting section, and an output from the A/C converting section is stored in a memory section. Further, a second AF arithmetic section is used to concurrently execute a plurality of focus detection arithmetic operations based on data in the memory section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Masataka Ide
  • Patent number: 7440688
    Abstract: An image blur compensation apparatus includes first and second driving units (17a, 17b, 16a, 16b) having functionally equivalent members each other. A resultant force which acts on a holding unit (12) when in-phase driving signals of the same amount are applied to the first and second driving units differs in magnitude from a resultant force which acts on the holding unit when reverse-phase driving signals of the same amount are applied to the first and second driving units. The first and second driving units are arranged such that these resultant forces become perpendicular to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takumi Uehara, Koichi Washisu
  • Patent number: 7434943
    Abstract: A system and method displays a realistic image that allows a user to readily grasp his/her own positional relationship and also to experience a sense of presence. An outer dome screen is disposed so as to surround a user, and an immersion image such as the scenery of the surroundings of an object is displayed thereon. An inner dome screen is disposed inside the outer dome screen, and it displays a bird's-eye image of the object as perceived by the vision of the user when the object is viewed from a viewpoint of the user. In this case, the user is allowed to readily grasp his/her own positional relationship by the bird's-eye image and is allowed to experience a sense of presence by the immersion image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Yuji Okumura, Tsugihiko Haga, Tetsuya Murakami, Kenji Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7434938
    Abstract: A display device has a screen, a housing, a mirror, and a projector. The housing extending away from one side of the screen and has an opening. The mirror is disposed within the housing. The projector is moveable relative to the housing to selectively engage the opening for projection at the mirror and to extend away from a second side of the screen for projection onto a surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert M. Schneider, Daniel R. Dwyer, James R. Cole, James P. Dickie
  • Patent number: 7433590
    Abstract: A system for synchronizing image capture and a light source has a first strobing light emitting diode (LED) array with a plurality of LEDs located to light an illumination area. The LED array has an on cycle during which the LED array is activated and an off cycle during which the LED array is inactivated. The system also has a camera located with a view of the illumination area. The camera has an image exposure that coincides with the on cycle of the strobing LED array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Accu-Sort Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Alan Freyman