Patents Examined by Rochelle Blackman
  • Patent number: 7354162
    Abstract: A projector includes: a light source device that emits substantially parallel illumination light; a first lens array having a plurality of first small lenses each of which divides the illumination light coming from the light source device into a plurality of partial light fluxes; a second lens array having a plurality of second small lenses corresponding to the first small lenses; a superposing optical system that superposes the partial light fluxes coming from the second lens array on regions to be illuminated; a color-separating and guiding optical system that separates the lights coming from the second lens array into lights in a plurality of different colors and guides the separated lights to the regions to be illuminated; a plurality of electro-optical modulation devices each of which modulates the light in the corresponding color of the lights in the plural colors separated by the color-separating and guiding optical system in accordance with image information; a color synthesizing optical system that s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Akiyama
  • Patent number: 7350926
    Abstract: A light source apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is comprised of a light emitting tube having a first electrode in one end and a second electrode in the other end thereof, the tube having both ends closed, a concave-shaped reflector having a hole in its deepest portion, the hole being provided for holding the light emitting tube, a transparent glass plate covering an opening of the reflector, a lead wire whose ends connects to the second electrode and extends out through a hole formed on a side surface of the reflector, respectively, a cooling fan blowing cooling air toward the reflector, and an air guiding member that separates the cooling air from the fan into a first cooling air cooling an outer surface of the reflector and a second cooling air cooling the other end of the lead wire extending out from the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Limited
    Inventors: Mitsuharu Fukuda, Tatsuru Kobayashi, Atsushi Koide, Noboru Fujino
  • Patent number: 7350928
    Abstract: A projection display system comprises an illumination device, a prism assembly, a projection lens and a reflective light valve. The prism assembly has a first light incident surface, a first light emitting surface and a second light emitting surface. The first light emitting surface is an optical curved surface. An illumination beam is incident on the light valve after it enters the prism assembly from the first light incident surface. A modulated beam is generated after it is processed through the light valve. Finally, the modulated beam is projected into the projection lens through the prism assembly. Because a surface of the prism assembly is set to be an optical curved surface to replace a lens in the projection lens or the illumination device, a back focal length of the system is shortened and the projection lens or the illumination device is simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Young Optics Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Chen Liao, Yi-Hao Kang, Chu-Ming Cheng
  • Patent number: 7350925
    Abstract: Described is an optical lens having a light-receiving surface facing a light source and a first structured surface opposite a first portion of the light-receiving surface. The first structured surface includes a plurality of first reflecting surfaces and first refractive surfaces. Each of the first refractive surfaces receives light from a corresponding first reflective surface for refractive transmission therethrough. The optical system may further include a second structured surface opposite a second portion of the light-receiving surface. The second structured surface includes a plurality of second refractive surfaces. Each of the second refractive surfaces receives light directly from the light-receiving surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Frederic R. Engstrom
  • Patent number: 7350929
    Abstract: A method for controlling a lighting device that consists of at least a lighting source, a color sequential device and a single light valve consisting of an array of light processing elements that are controlled by bits, the method comprising the steps of emitting a light beam with said light source, filtering said light beam by said color sequential device to achieve a colored light beam and processing said colored light beam with a bit depth of less than 16.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Barco, Naamloze Vennootschap
    Inventors: Chris Colpaert, Peter Gerets
  • Patent number: 7347564
    Abstract: The projector comprises an image forming panel that forms an effective panel image for modulating the light into an image light in an image forming area of a panel surface, and an image capturing unit for capturing a specific projection area wherein the image light corresponding to a specific area in the image forming area is projected. The projector calculates one or more edges of the outside perimeter lines of the screen and of the specific projection area by detecting plural points in a captured image. Based on the detection results, a post-correction image forming area is calculated, and trapezoidal distortion is corrected by forming the effective panel image within the post-correction image forming area. When only three or less of the four edges of the outside perimeter lines of the screen are detected, the projector calculates the post-correction image forming area based on the position and slope of the detected edge within the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Morio Matsumoto, Shiki Furui
  • Patent number: 7347565
    Abstract: An optical element mounting and demounting device for bringing an optical element (26) into an optical path of an optical lens system and removing it from the optical path includes a holder frame (28) for holding the optical element (26) that is supported for pivotal movement on a stationary shaft (30) so as to move the optical element (26) between a rest position and a working position, an urging member (40, 50, 60) for applying urging force against the holder frame during pivotal movement of the holder frame (28) between the rest position and the working position, the urging member being secured to a stationary member so as to invert the direction of urging force against the holder frame between the rest position and the working position, and a manually operable member elements for causing pivotal movement of the holder frame between the rest position and the working position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Shimakura
  • Patent number: 7344254
    Abstract: A projection display with a common light source sharing system for improved illumination uniformity is described. The common light source is coupled through a light-dividing prism to multiple integrators. Each integrator is coupled to one or more imaging devices that project image tiles to form a larger composite tiled image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventor: Youngshik Yoon
  • Patent number: 7338176
    Abstract: An elevator installation includes an elevator car moved in an elevator shaft between floors in a building. A shaft door for closing the elevator shaft is arranged at each floor. A method for representing information on the shaft doors makes possible a qualitatively high-grade projection of an image on the shaft door. The shaft doors are formed to be at least partly transparent, wherein a projector is arranged in the elevator shaft and projects an image onto the side of the shaft door facing the elevator shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Lennart Svensson-Hilford, Paul Friedli
  • Patent number: 7334900
    Abstract: The invention provides a three-dimensional image projecting apparatus. The three-dimensional image projecting apparatus comprises a light signal generator, a filter device, a focusing device and a reflecting device. The light signal generator is used for generating a projection light signal. The filter device filters the projection light signal for generating a set of polarized light signal. The focusing device receives the set of polarized light signal for generating a set of focusing light signal. The reflecting device receives the set of focusing light signal for generating a set of reflected light signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Yu Lu, Sze-Ke Wang
  • Patent number: 7322703
    Abstract: An light emitting apparatus which illuminates an illumination area has a first light source which emits a first light, a second light source which emits a second light, a wheel which is provided with a transmission filter area which transmits the first light, and a reflection area which reflects the second light, a wheel driving unit which controls a rotation of the wheel, and drives the wheel, a light emitting optical unit which leads the first light which transmits the transmission filter area, or the second light which is reflected by the reflection area to the illumination area, in which the light which is led to the illumination area by the light emitting optical unit is at least two colors of light which are successively changed over in the time series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Shinzo Matsui
  • Patent number: 7322700
    Abstract: An image display apparatus includes an indicating element which modulates or emits light as a pixel in accordance with image information. A displacement unit optically displaces a position of the pixel for each of two or more sub-fields constituting an image field corresponding to the image information. A projection unit enlarges the pixel and projects an enlarged pixel on a screen. A pixel-profile deformation unit changes an optical intensity profile of the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Miyagaki, Kenji Kameyama, Takanobu Osaka, Ikuo Katoh, Atsushi Takaura, Kenji Namie, Yasuyuki Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 7320523
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel in which temperature rise of the liquid crystal panel is sufficiently restrained by cooling the panel by means of a cooling liquid, and exudation of the cooling liquid toward the liquid crystal material is prevented. Disclosed are cover members attached to the liquid crystal panel that form cavities on the light entrance and exit sides of the panel. The cover members are such that a sealed portion of the liquid crystal material is not in contact with the cavities. The cover members are light transmitting. The cavities are filled with the cooling liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takuji Ohkubo, Dai Yoneya, Yoshiro Asano, Hiroaki Fujii
  • Patent number: 7314280
    Abstract: A projector apparatus includes: an optical system unit including an optical prism unit having liquid crystal panels for modulating red light, green light, and blue light and a dichroic prism, and a PS conversion device for aligning the polarization directions of the light from a light source lamp; cooling means for cooling the optical system unit; and an outer cabinet for mounting the optical system unit and the cooling means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Nobutake Iwase
  • Patent number: 7303288
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention can provide an image display device that can include light sources provided, respectively, for regions obtained by dividing an image forming region of an electro-optic modulator into plural regions to irradiate corresponding regions, and a light source control portion that performs lighting control on the light sources. The light source control portion can perform the lighting control on the light sources for the respective region independently in sync with writing of image data to the electro-optic modulator, and the lighting control can be performed in such a manner that the light source corresponding to at least one region among the plural regions is kept unlit in a writing period for a screenful of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunaga Miyazawa, Takashi Takeda, Yoshitaka Ito, Hideki Kojima
  • Patent number: 7303284
    Abstract: An image projecting apparatus projects an image formed on a display device in accordance with input image data, onto a projection surface with illumination light emitted from a light source, to enable an observer to observe the image. The image projecting apparatus comprises a distribution area recognizing section configured to recognize an area in which the input image data is distributed in a color space, and a projection condition controlling section configured to convert the input image data to increase brightness of the image to be projected onto the projection surface without changing a color balance of the image, based on the area recognized by the distribution area recognizing section, and send image data obtained by conversion of the input image data to the display device, and also control brightness of illumination light emitted from the light source in connection with the conversion of the input image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Imade
  • Patent number: 7303286
    Abstract: In a projection display device that is provided with a relay lens for converting flux that is emitted from a light source to a parallel flux for illuminating an image display element (DMD), and a total internal reflection prism for both directing flux that is emitted from the relay lens to the DMD and directing flux that is reflected by the DMD toward a projection lens, the relay lens is unified with the prism as a lens-integral prism by bonding the relay lens to the total internal reflection surface of the prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naofumi Ishikura, Jun Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7303290
    Abstract: A lightweight, compact image projection module, especially for mounting in a housing having a light-transmissive window, is operative for causing selected pixels in a raster pattern to be illuminated to produce an image of high resolution of VGA quality or higher in color. A laser beam focusing arrangement aligns a mechanical axis of a focusing lens with an optical axis along which a laser beam is directed to reduce pointing errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl Wittenberg, Chinh Tan, Lisa Fan
  • Patent number: 7300157
    Abstract: A projection display system includes a projection lens assembly that has multiple projection lens elements that are configured to receive light imparted with display information by a pixelated display device. The projection lens elements project the light toward a display screen. A pixel-shifting element is included within the projection lens assembly to cyclically shift between at least two positions within the projection lens assembly to form at a display screen at least two interlaced arrays of pixels. An electro-mechanical transducer is coupled to the pixel-shifting element to impart on it the cyclic shifting between positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Arlie R. Conner, Gary B. Kingsley
  • Patent number: 7281803
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for a polarizing conversion assembly adapted to provide polarized light having an intensity distribution to complement an angular transmission distribution of a corresponding light modulator are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: InFocus Corporation
    Inventor: Serge J. A. Bierhuizen