Patents Examined by Rochelle Blackman
  • Patent number: 7059729
    Abstract: A display apparatus comprises a screen which can rotate and provides a part for controlling view angle, a mirror group which comprises a plurality of mirrors arrayed in a ring form along a surface of a circular cone which sets a central axis as an axis of rotation of the screen, and a plurality of electronic projectors arranged at positions where oppose to mirror faces of the mirrors comprising the mirror group and project different image divisions representing different sides of an object to the different mirror faces, wherein each of the electronic projectors is arranged so as to project the image division to the mirror group, and each of the mirrors is arranged on optical path of optical system which the image division projected from the electronic projector is reflected on the mirror face and is projected to the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Hoshino, Rieko Otsuka, Atsushi Ishibashi, Youichi Horii, Manabu Yanagimoto, Yukinobu Maruyama
  • Patent number: 7055965
    Abstract: A shutter device comprises a plurality of shutters. Each of the shutters is provided at a position in the vicinity of a fly's eye lens positioned on the side of a polarization conversion system (one of fly's eye lenses in an integrator lens) and not preventing the passage of effective illuminating light. Each of the shutters is constructed as a first shutter or a second shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki Koba
  • Patent number: 7055962
    Abstract: Projector bulb life is managed to achieve desired performance parameters, such as a maximum life mode or maximum brightness mode, by sensing bulb luminance and applied the sensed luminance with a luminance feedback controller to drive the bulb to achieve the desired performance parameter. For instance, in maximum life mode the luminance feedback controller reduces power applied to the bulb to restrict bulb luminance to a maximum luminance setpoint when greater luminance is available with a newer bulb. In maximum brightness mode, the luminance feedback controller increases power applied to the bulb to increase bulb luminance if the sensor senses luminance below a threshold due bulb wear. Bulb life management improves project image illumination to display information in a variety of projector types, including digital mirror devices and liquid crystal displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Howell Schwartz, Samuel Nicklaus D'Alessio, Subramanian Jayaram, Harold Guy Melton, Stanley Osgood
  • Patent number: 7055966
    Abstract: When a video signal is inputted to a projector (10) through a video input terminal, a luminance peak value of an image of the video signal is detected by an image-analyzing circuit (61) to be outputted to a CPU (71). A gain-adjusting circuit (63) adjusts a luminance signal in the video signal based on a command from the CPU (71). The CPU (71) determines a gain adjustment amount based on the luminance peak value of the image obtained by the image-analyzing circuit (61) and outputs the result to the gain-adjusting circuit (63). For instance, when the luminance peak value (Ip) of the image is 50% of the upper limit (Imax) thereof, a gain-adjusting amount AG is doubled. In this case, an illuminating light volume of a light valve (44a) has to be reduced to 50%, which is achieved by light-attenuation by a light-source lamp (21) and an open/close light shield (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Momose, Atsushi Miyazawa, Keijiro Naito
  • Patent number: 7048380
    Abstract: A projection apparatus including a polarization conversion system to convert light having a first polarization component; a color recycling system, which separates the light into first and second color lights, to transmit and reflect the first and second color lights; an image forming system including a first reflective panel and a second reflective panel, which respectively modulate the first and second color lights, and a third reflective panel, which modulates the third color light; and an optical path conversion system, which splits the optical paths of fourth and fifth color lights incident from the color recycling system such that the first color light in the fourth color light is directed to the first reflective panel, the second color light in the fifth color light is directed to the second reflective panel, and the third color light in the fourth and fifth color light is directed to the third reflective panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kirill Sokolov
  • Patent number: 7048387
    Abstract: An image projection system includes a light source for generating a light beam, a reflective housing, and an invisible-light reflector. The reflective housing includes an opening and forms an accommodating space for accommodating the light source so that the light beam can emit from the opening along an optical path. The invisible-light reflector, whose normal is arranged to form an acute angle with the optical path, is installed at a reflecting position intersecting with the optical path outside the opening of the reflective housing. The invisible light of the light beam will be reflected back to the accommodating space by the invisible-light reflector without any destruction caused by the invisible light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: BenQ Corporation
    Inventors: Hung-Jen Wei, Chih-Chang Chou, Ming-Kuen Lin
  • Patent number: 7044609
    Abstract: A light source device includes: a light-emitting tube including a light-emitting portion that generates a light beam by an electric discharge between electrodes and sealing portions provided on both sides of the light-emitting portion; a reflector including a neck portion provided with an insertion hole to which the light-emitting tube is inserted, and a reflecting portion integrally formed with the neck portion and having an ellipsoidal curved reflecting surface that irradiates forward the light beam emitted by the light-emitting portion and aligns the light beam in a predetermined direction. The light-emitting tube has a sub-reflection mirror that covers substantially front half of the light-emitting tube. The insertion hole has a diameter that is enlarged from the base end thereof toward the distal end in a light irradiation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shohei Fujisawa, Takeshi Takezawa
  • Patent number: 7040762
    Abstract: An image projector comprises a discharge lamp, image projecting means for displaying an image on a screen by emitting light from the discharge lamp, electric power regulating means for regulating the electric power supplied to the discharge lamp, a cooling fan for reducing the temperature of the discharge lamp or the image projecting means, a cooling fan controlling means for controlling the rotation of the cooling fan, and a sensor for detecting a temperature of the discharge lamp or the image projecting means, wherein the rotation of the cooling fan is stopped when the image projector is in a standby mode. In the standby mode, the cooling fan controlling means controls the rotation speed of the cooling fan based on the detected temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoshi Yasuda
  • Patent number: 7040766
    Abstract: The illumination optical system for guiding a light emitted from a light source to an object to be illuminated along an optical path includes a first reflecting mirror reflecting a part of a light which is moving in a forward direction along the optical path to move away from the light source and a second reflecting mirror reflecting a part of a light which is reflected from the first reflecting mirror and moving in a reverse direction along the optical path to approach the light source. The first reflecting mirror has an opening facing a light-entering surface of the object to be illuminated, and the second reflecting mirror has a window that allows the light emitted from the light source to pass therethrough, whereby an optical cavity is constituted by the first and second reflecting mirrors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taketoshi Hibi, Shinji Okamori
  • Patent number: 7040760
    Abstract: In order to provide a liquid crystal projector that prevents the image burn-in phenomenon or image sticking in a liquid crystal projector of ferroelectric liquid crystal, and moreover, that provides a bright projected image, the polarization directions of linearly polarized light beams that are irradiated upon a liquid crystal display device are switched in synchronization with the alternate reversal of the polarity of the liquid crystal display device, whereby a negative image, which could not be displayed in the prior art, can be converted to a positive image and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Nakanishi, Atsushi Kato
  • Patent number: 7033030
    Abstract: An illuminating optical system for focusing a radiant light of a light source (1) onto a reflecting light valve (6) and a projection lens (7) for magnifying and projecting a reflected light from the reflecting light valve (6) onto a screen are provided, a diaphragm (31) is disposed at a substantially conjugate position of an entrance pupil of the projection lens (7) on an optical path of the illuminating optical system, the diaphragm (31) has an opening whose area is changed by a light-shielding member, and a shape of a shielded portion of the diaphragm (31) shielded by the light-shielding member is rotationally asymmetric to an optical axis (12) of the illuminating optical system. Accordingly, shielding of necessary light can be better avoided compared with a diaphragm for changing the light-shielding area in a rotationally symmetric manner, for example, a diaphragm for narrowing the opening concentrically, making it possible to improve contrast performance while minimizing brightness reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Sannohe, Hideki Ishinaga, Takamasa Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 7033031
    Abstract: A light guiding member (40) for reflecting therein light entering through a light entering surface (40a) several times to cause light having a uniform illumination distribution to outgo from a light outgoing surface (40b) is inserted into an optical path between a lamp source (10) and a reflection type display device (80). The light outgoing surface (40b) of the light guiding member (40) is formed in a dissimilar shape with an image display region of the reflection type display device (80), and a region irradiated with light in the image display region of the reflection type display device (80) is formed smaller than the image display region. This prevents a whitening phenomenon in a projected image undisplay region and improves video effects given to viewers as well as effectively utilizing light emitted from a light source for images to be projected to display projected images brightly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidehiko Hori
  • Patent number: 7029122
    Abstract: A projector for projecting an image to an external screen in which an optical unit, includes rectangular liquid crystal panels disposed such that the short sides thereof are substantially parallel with a plane including principal light beams of the respective color light beams to be composited by a prism. Transmission cables are drawn out from the short sides of the respective liquid crystal panels, and a cooling fan is disposed such that the direction of cooling air is approximately parallel with the long sides of the liquid crystal panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hirohisa Ishino
  • Patent number: 7029124
    Abstract: A modular and scalable seamless tiled display apparatus includes multiple display devices, a screen, and multiple lens assemblies. Each display device is subdivided into multiple sections, and each section is configured to display a sectional image. One of the lens assemblies is optically coupled to each of the sections of each of the display devices to project the sectional image displayed on that section onto the screen. The multiple lens assemblies are configured to merge the projected sectional images to form a single tiled image. The projected sectional images may be merged on the screen by magnifying and shifting the images in an appropriate manner. The magnification and shifting of these images eliminates any visual effect on the tiled display that may result from dead-band regions defined between each pair of adjacent sections on each display device, and due to gaps between multiple display devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew B. Dubin, Brent D. Larson, Aleksandra Kolosowsky
  • Patent number: 7029128
    Abstract: A table type display device, in which a high resolution display with an unremarkable connection is realized at the time of large screen display by using a screen with a composition having few bending is described. In a table type display device comprising plural M of projectors 1L, 1R for projecting luminous flux to form an image, plural N of reflection mirrors 2L, 2R for bending optical paths of luminous fluxes projected from respective plural M of projectors 1L, 1R, screen 3 of horizontal installation type for projecting luminous fluxes for which optical path is bent, by the plurality N of reflection mirrors 2L,2R onto the predetermined region, respectively, the screen comprises a transparent base member 7 for reducing flexure of the screen, optical sheet 9 substantially for making luminous fluxes projected respectively from the plural M of projectors 1L,1R uniform, and a diffusing screen for imaging the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Nishio, Ikuharu Sadano, Atsutoshi Yokota, Takanori Ishizawa
  • Patent number: 7021774
    Abstract: The invention provides a projector arrangement (1) in which an objective cover unit (6) for covering a light exit portion or surface (4e) of an objective unit (4) is adapted to serve as a support or bearing (8) for a projector unit (3) of a projector arrangement (1) in an operation mode. Additionally or alternatively, said projector arrangement (1) comprises a surface region (2a) to be rested on in an operation or projection mode, so as to realize distinct positions and/or orientations for the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: SONY International (Europe) GmbH
    Inventors: Evangelos Zoidis, Frederic Ludley
  • Patent number: 7021765
    Abstract: An illumination optical system is disclosed, which provides a luminous flux with a small incident angle on an illumination surface in one axis direction on a section of the luminous flux. The illumination optical system can suppress a reduction in light amount by a mask provided for a polarization conversion element. The illumination optical system has a light source and an optical integrator. The optical integrator uses a lens array to perform splitting of a luminous flux from the light source. The illumination optical system has the polarization conversion element including a polarization beam splitter array, a plurality of ½ wave plates, and a mask. The light source is a discharge gas exciting arc tube of a DC drive type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Koide
  • Patent number: 7018055
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image projecting device for projecting projecting light corresponding to image information by projecting means. The image projecting device includes at least scanning monitoring means for monitoring entrance of an entering object into a projecting area on which the projecting light is projected. The scanning monitoring means monitors at least a part of outer edges of the projecting area on which the projecting light from the projecting means is projected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Toru Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7018053
    Abstract: A projector includes circuitry configured to generate an image; a lens for projecting the image; a housing for the circuitry; and a mechanism for moving the lens with respect to the housing or with respect to a viewing surface to direct a projected image in a desired direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Dan Dwyer, Susan Nakashima, Corrina Alison Beanor Hall
  • Patent number: 7018050
    Abstract: A system and method corrects luminance non-uniformity caused by images being obliquely projected onto a screen. A camera is used to record the geometry of the obliquely displayed image. Utilizing this recorded geometry, a homography is then derived that maps pixels between the projector's coordinate system and the screen's coordinate system. Utilizing the homography, the projector pixel that attends to the largest projected area on the screen is identified. Next, the ratio of each pixel's projected area to the largest projected area is computed. These ratios are then organized into an attenuation array that is used to produce “corrected” luminance information from input image data. The projector is then driven with the “corrected” luminance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert Alan Ulichney, Rahul Sukthankar