Patents Examined by Ricky L. Mack
  • Patent number: 8018642
    Abstract: A display system encompasses electrodes that induce a convective flow of a carrier fluid that transports a colorant species that is suspended in the carrier fluid. At least one of the convection flow, speed, and direction of the colorant species is controlled by operation of the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jong-Souk Yeo, Gregg Alan Combs, Jeffrey Todd Mabeck, Tim R. Koch, Pavel Kornilovich, Donald Milton Hill
  • Patent number: 8007106
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining whether an image is of a left eye or a right eye may be used to enhance laser eye surgery systems and techniques. Methods generally involve locating an iris center and/or pupil center on an image of the eye, locating a corneal vertex and/or at least one reflection on the image, and determining whether the image is of a left eye or a right eye, based on the location of the corneal vertex and/or reflection(s) relative to the iris center and/or pupil center. Systems include a laser emitting a beam of an ablative light energy and a computer processor having a computer program for determining whether the image is of a left eye or a right eye, based on a location of the corneal vertex and/or reflection(s) relative to the iris center and/or pupil center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: AMO Manufacturing USA, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Wong, Dimitri Chernyak
  • Patent number: 8000044
    Abstract: There are provided a lens holder being capable of holding a lens and having flange portions at opposite end portions thereof along an optical axis, a planary-driven actuator including driving arm portions having lens holder support points for holding the outer surface of the lens holder at a plurality of opposing positions and having free-end side contact portions, a lens-holder retaining plate having spring-characteristic portions, and fixing frames which form the outer surfaces of a lens holder driving device and fix the respective components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Ono, Kazuo Yokoyama, Osamu Yamada, Sachio Nagamitsu
  • Patent number: 7997730
    Abstract: A system for determining a three-dimensional location and orientation of an eye within a camera frame of reference includes a camera, an illuminator, and a processor. The camera captures an image of the eye. The illuminator generates a reflection off of a corneal surface of the eye. The processor computes a first two-dimensional location of a pupil reflection image and a corneal reflection image from the image of the eye. The processor predicts a second two-dimensional location of a pupil reflection image and the corneal reflection image as a function of a set of three-dimensional position and orientation parameters of the eye within the camera frame of reference. The processor iteratively adjusts the set until the first two-dimensional location is substantially the same as the second two-dimensional location. The set is the three-dimensional location and orientation of an eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: LC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Dixon Cleveland
  • Patent number: 7997731
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for predicting an optical acuity measure of an optical system of an eye. An optical acuity measure can be predicted by determining a point spread function based on a wavefront measurement of an eye, convolving a resolution target with the point spread function to produce an image, and predicting the optical acuity measure of the optical system of the eye based on the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: AMO Manufacturing USA LLC
    Inventor: Guangming Dai
  • Patent number: 7995280
    Abstract: A beam delivery system of a projection exposure system comprises a laser generating a beam of laser light from a plurality of longitudinal laser modes in a cavity, wherein light generated by a single longitudinal laser mode has an average line width ?lat, wherein the laser light of the beam has, at each of respective lateral positions of the beam, a second line width ?lat corresponding to lateral laser modes, and wherein the laser light of the beam has, when averaged over a whole cross section thereof, a line width ?b corresponding to plural lateral laser modes, and wherein ?m<?lat<?b, and wherein an optical delay apparatus disposed in the beam provides an optical path difference ?l, wherein 0.8 · ? 0 2 ( 2 · ? ? ? ? l ) < ? ? ? l < 1.8 · ? 0 2 ( 2 · ? ? ? ? l ) , wherein ?0 is an average wavelength of the light of the first beam of laser light, and ??lat represents the second line width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Kuss, Damian Fiolka, Gerd Reisinger, Manfred Maul, Vladimir Davydenko
  • Patent number: 7995287
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes: a lens holding frame holding a lens; a barrel body housing the lens holding frame; motion conversion means for converting rotary motion of the lens holding frame into reciprocating motion along the optical axis of the lens; a manual ring provided on the outer side of the barrel body and rotating around the optical axis; a coreless stepper motor provided on the outer side of the barrel body and rotating around the optical axis; rollers provided between the manual ring and the stepper motor, and rotating in synchronization with the rotation of the manual ring and the stepper motor; motor rotation preventing means for preventing the stepper motor from rotating when the rollers transfer the rotation of the manual ring; an intermediate ring rotating around the optical axis; and a transfer unit transferring the rotary motion of the intermediate ring to the lens holding frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Naitou
  • Patent number: 7995279
    Abstract: For combining light from different light sources that are spatially apart, an optical system comprises a prism assembly that comprises a totally-internally-surface and a dichroic filter. The totally-internally-surface and the dichroic filter are configured for reflecting light of different colors or polarizations, so as to combine light of different polarization or colors into a single beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Andrew Gerritt Huibers, Regis Grasser
  • Patent number: 7992999
    Abstract: A fully automated optic nerve head assessment system, based on spectral domain optical coherence tomography, provides essential disc parameters for clinical analysis, early detection, and monitoring of progression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Juan Xu, Chaim-Gadi Wollstein, Hiroshi Ishikawa, Joel Steven Schuman
  • Patent number: 7995289
    Abstract: A lens drive device may include a fixed body, a movable body having a lens, a magnetic drive mechanism for magnetically driving the movable body in a lens optical axis direction, and a spring member which connects the movable body with the fixed body. The fixed body may include a base disposed on an imaging element side, a shield member which is formed in a cover shape and which is provided with a side plate part whose imaging element side end part is abutted with an object side face of the base, and a ground terminal which is a different member from the shield member and connected with the shield member. An imaging element side face of the ground terminal is supported by a ground terminal support part formed on the object side face of the base and a gap space is formed between the object side face of the ground terminal and an end part of the side plate part of the shield member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Akabane, Akira Mori
  • Patent number: 7990625
    Abstract: A camera module includes a zoom lens group, a focus lens group, a barrel, an actuator group comprising a first actuator and a second actuator. The first and second actuators are received in the barrel, and respectively receive the zoom lens group and the focus lens group therein. The first lens group is driven by the first actuator to move along the axis thereof. The second lens group is driven by the second actuator to move along the axis thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chau-Yuan Ke
  • Patent number: 7988289
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for designing ophthalmic lenses, and lenses produced by this method, which lenses corrects both low order and high order wavefront aberrations of the lens wearer's eyes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Khaled Chehab, Michael J. Collins, Jeffrey H. Roffman, Ross J. Franklin, Brett A. Davis, Xu Cheng
  • Patent number: 7989695
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to organic infrared absorbing layers comprising an organic radical cation compound that absorbs in an infrared region and produces an electron transfer reaction that results in a flow of electrons. Preferably, the organic radical cation compound is a salt of an aminium radical cation. Provided are photovoltaic cells comprising such light-sensitive organic infrared absorbing layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Inventor: Steven Allen Carlson
  • Patent number: 7990627
    Abstract: A second fixed cylinder includes a lens attachment portion having straight-ahead grooves provided therein and a guide groove arrangement portion having a first guide groove and a second guide groove provided therein. A second rotating cylinder rotatably supported by the second fixed cylinder includes a cam groove arrangement portion having cam grooves provided therein and a claw arrangement portion having a first claw portion (third claw portion) fitted to the first guide groove and a second claw portion fitted to the second guide groove. The first guide groove and the second guide groove are arranged so as to deviate from each other in the axial direction. Therefore, the operation range of the second rotating cylinder is not regulated by the movement range of the first claw portion, and a wide operation range of the second rotating cylinder is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Masumi David Sato
  • Patent number: 7986462
    Abstract: A scanning type image display apparatus is disclosed which is capable of forming an exit pupil with a shape and a size which facilitate observation. The apparatus includes a scanning unit, a first optical system introducing a light flux to the scanning unit, a second optical system converging the light flux from the scanning unit, a diffractive optical element receiving the converged light flux, and an ocular optical system. Two directions in diametral directions of the light flux are first and second directions. The optical element increases the divergent angles of an emerging light flux therefrom in the first and second directions as compared with the convergent angles of an incident light flux thereinto in the two directions and increases the divergent angle of the emerging light flux in the first direction as compared with the divergent angle thereof in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Kobayashi, Akira Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7986468
    Abstract: A lens barrel including: an imaging optical system; a tube configured to contain the imaging optical system; a holder configured to hold a lens included in the imaging optical system in the tube in such a way that the lens is movable along a direction of an optical axis of the imaging optical system; a sensor unit configured to output a cyclic detection signal whose peak value changes depending on a movement amount of the holder; a memory unit configured to store a relationship between peak values of the detection signal and a position of the holder in the direction of the optical axis in advance; and an arithmetic processor configured to calculate a position of the holder in the direction of the optical axis from a peak value of a detection signal detected by the sensor unit in movement of the holder based on the relationship stored in the memory unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kentaro Abe, Tomoya Takei
  • Patent number: 7986476
    Abstract: A camera device includes a housing, a lens module, a holder, an image sensor, a driving apparatus, and an elastic member. The housing includes a front housing and a back housing. The lens module is assembled on the outer surface of the front housing away from the back housing. The holder is received between the front housing and the back housing, the holder is movable along the optical axis of the lens module and defines a screw hole thereon. The image sensor is fixed on the holder and facing the lens module. The driving apparatus is fixed on the back housing, the driving apparatus includes a motor and a lead screw rotated by the motor, the lead screw is inserted into and meshing with the screw hole for moving the holder. The elastic member has two ends thereof connecting to the holder and the back housing respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shao-Hung Wang
  • Patent number: 7986469
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens unit comprises a second lens group unit, a focus lens unit, a fourth lens group unit, a zoom ring unit, and a focus motor. The zoom ring unit mechanically transmits operational force inputted to a zoom ring to the second lens group unit and the fourth lens group unit. The focus motor electrically drives the focus lens unit in the Z axis direction with respect to the second lens group unit. When the zoom ring is operated in a state in which no power is being supplied to the focus motor, a gap is always ensured in the Z axis direction between the focus lens unit and the second lens group unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Naoto Yumiki, Hideo Onishi, Yoshiharu Araki, Fumio Muramatsu, Masato Murayama
  • Patent number: 7986472
    Abstract: There is provided an optical element module comprising a first optical element and an optical element holder. The first optical element has a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The optical element holder holds the first optical element and has a second coefficient of thermal expansion, the second coefficient of thermal expansion being adapted to the first coefficient of thermal expansion. The optical element is directly contacting the optical element holder in a wide contact area. The contact area is defined by a first contact surface of the first optical element and a second contact surface of the optical element holder, wherein the second contact surface matches the first contact surface. Thus, favorable rigidity and deformation behavior is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT, AG.
    Inventors: Jens Kugler, Ulrich Weber, Bernhard Gellrich, Yim-Bun Patrick Kwan, Peter Deufel
  • Patent number: 7986464
    Abstract: An image system adapted to a projection display apparatus includes a first lens group having a negative refractive power, a second lens group having a positive refractive power, an aspheric reflector, and a curved reflector. The second lens group includes an aspheric lens which is the nearest to the light valve in the second lens group. A material of the aspheric lens includes glass, the thermal-optical coefficient of the glass is between 1.0×10?6/K and 12.5×10?6/K, and the refractive index of the glass is between 1.482 and 1.847. The aspheric reflector is disposed front of the first lens group for reflecting the image beam passing through the first lens group and second lens group. The curved reflector is disposed above the first lens group for reflecting the image beam reflected by the aspheric reflector onto the screen. The image system has a good imaging quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Young Optics Inc.
    Inventors: Jung-Yao Chen, Wei-Chung Chao, Yu-Tsung Lee