Patents Examined by Sharrief Broome
  • Patent number: 8830583
    Abstract: A position controller for a removable optical element in an optical system includes an advancing/retracting ring; a removable optical element holding member supported by the advancing/retracting ring and rotatable about a first rotational axis between an insertion position on the optical axis and a removed position; an insertion holder which holds the removable optical element holding member at the insertion position; a removal drive member supported by the advancing/retracting ring and rotatable about a second rotational axis between an insertion allowance position and a forced removing position; and an insertion/removal controller. A rotational radius from the second rotational axis to a contact point between the removable optical element holding member and the removal drive member is greater than a rotational radius from the first rotational axis to the contact point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Shinya Suzuka
  • Patent number: 8824059
    Abstract: A zoom lens system includes a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a positive third lens group, in that order from the object side. The second lens group constitutes a focusing lens group. The following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied: 0.4<|d12w/f1|<1.06??(1); and d12w<d23w??(2), wherein f1 designates the focal length of the first lens group, and d12w and d23w designate the air distances between the first and second lens groups, and the second and third lens groups respectively, at the short focal length extremity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Kato, Masakazu Saori
  • Patent number: 8817397
    Abstract: In a lens actuator according to an exemplary embodiment, wires that connect a holder and a base of a movable unit have diameters of 30 ?m or more and less than 70 ?m, and the wires have longitudinal elastic moduli of 100 GPa or more and less than 500 GPa. The wire is flexible even if a small amount of currents are passed through a plurality of OIS coils, and the lens actuator suitable to electric power saving can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kimiya Ikushima, Hidekazu Tanaka, Hiroyuki Togawa, Tatsuya Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8817357
    Abstract: This disclosure provides mechanical layers and methods of forming the same. In one aspect, an electromechanical systems device includes a substrate and a mechanical layer having an actuated position and a relaxed position. The mechanical layer is spaced from the substrate to define a collapsible gap. The gap is in a collapsed condition when the mechanical layer is in the actuated position and in a non-collapsed condition when the mechanical layer is in the relaxed position. The mechanical layer includes a reflective layer, a conductive layer, and a supporting layer. The supporting layer is positioned between the reflective layer and the conductive layer and is configured to support the mechanical layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Tao, Fan Zhong, Wilhelmus A. de Groot
  • Patent number: 8804244
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a diffraction grating comprises below steps. Firstly providing a substrate which having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. Then providing a first predetermined function associated with arrangement of the grooves of the first grating and a second predetermined function associated with arrangement of the grooves of the second grating. Thirdly transforming the first function into a first Fourier series and transforming the second function into a second Fourier series. Fourthly forming the first grating on the first surface of the substrate using a fast tool sever system according to the first Fourier series. Lastly forming the second grating on the second surface using the fast tool sever system according to the second Fourier series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jen-Tsorng Chang
  • Patent number: 8797627
    Abstract: An exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a variable reflectance mirror reflective element. A mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element includes a stack of thin films having at least two thin films. At least one of the thin films is formed of a material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×10?2 ohm·cm, and at least one of the thin films is a thin metal film. An electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity of the mirror reflective element and is bounded by a perimeter seal. A reflective perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of a front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate. The perimeter layer generally conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of the vehicle normally viewing the front substrate when the exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: Ian A. McCabe, Desaraju V. Varaprasad, Hamid Habibi, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 8797658
    Abstract: This invention provides a capturing lens system in order from an object side to an image side comprising: a first lens element with positive refractive power; a plastic second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, both the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric; and a plastic third lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, both the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric, and at least one inflection point is formed on at least one of the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof. Additionally, the central thickness of the second lens element is controlled favorably for the efficient spatial arrangement of the lens assembly and the simpler individual lens production while assuring suitable thickness of the second lens element, thereby assuring high image quality and improving yield rate of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Largan Precision Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Tsung-Han Tsai, Wei-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 8792190
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a lens, a substrate which has a recess in a first surface thereof is provided. A sacrificial material is provided in the recess which has shape in accordance with a first desired lens surface. A lens material is applied to the substrate and to the sacrificial material and cured so that the lens material has a shape in accordance with the first desired lens surface, and then the sacrificial material is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Jacques Duparré, Steven Oliver
  • Patent number: 8767298
    Abstract: An imaging lens with large aperture ratio, high-performance and low-cost is provided, which is applied to an imaging element of a small-size and high resolution, in which aberration is corrected satisfactorily and sufficient diffraction resolution is achieved. An imaging lens includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, and a fifth lens arranged in sequence from an object side, wherein both surfaces of each lens are formed from aspheric surface, a diffraction optics surface exerting chromatic dispersion function is arranged on a surface on an image side of the second lens, each lens is configured from plastic material, and an aperture ratio is equal to or smaller than F/2.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Kantatsu Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisanori Suzuki, Shingo Watanabe, Kenichi Kamada, Kazuo Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 8764193
    Abstract: A video oculography system for calculation and display of Corrective Secondary Saccades Analysis is disclosed. A method for Objective Diagnostics of at least one of traumatic brain injury, Internuclear Opthalmopligia, Ocular Lateral Pulsion, Progressive Supernuclear Palsy And Glissades comprises the steps of using a VOG system to calculate corrective saccades. The video oculography based system for the subject is configured to collect eye images of the patient in excess of 60 hz and configured to resolve eye movements smaller than at least 3 degrees of motion. The video oculography based system collects eye movement data wherein at least one fixation target is presented to the subject in a defined position configured to yield a voluntary saccadic eye response from at least one eye of the patient. The latency, amplitude, accuracy and velocity of each respective corrective saccade and totals latency and accuracy is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Neuro Kinetics
    Inventors: Alexander D Kiderman, Yakov Eydelman, Terri Evelyn Ives
  • Patent number: 8767315
    Abstract: An optical image capturing system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface. The second through seventh lens elements all have refractive power. The sixth lens element has an object-side surface and an image-side surface which are both aspheric. The seventh lens element has an object-side surface and an image-side surface which are both aspheric, its wherein the image-side surface of the seventh lens element changes from concave at a paraxial region thereof to convex at a peripheral region thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Largan Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung-Han Tsai, Hsin-Hsuan Huang
  • Patent number: 8743461
    Abstract: An optical module (colorimetry sensor) includes an interference filter, and a transparent substrate to which a first substrate of the interference filter is fixed, having a second thermal expansion coefficient which has a value different from a first thermal expansion coefficient. The interference filter is fixed to the transparent substrate through an adhesive layer made of gel-like resin, and the adhesive layer alleviates stress generated due to a difference in the thermal expansion coefficients between the interference filter and the transparent substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunori Sakurai
  • Patent number: 8736933
    Abstract: A method produces colored individualized holograms for use as security elements for documents, and to a device for producing individualized holograms. The method generates light formed of different colors, spatially modulates the light, color by color, in an individual manner, optically guides the modulated light such that the light is at least partially refracted and/or reflected on a holographic master and is superposed in a holographic recording material with the modulated non-refracted and/or reflected light, and records the hologram. The light is modulated, color by color and at the same time, by a plurality of spatial light modulators. Every color is associated with its own spatial light modulator and a plurality of monochrome modulated light beams of the plurality of colors is combined in a collinear manner prior to refraction and/or reflection on the holographic master and the superposition in the recording material to give a multicolor exposure light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Bundesdruckerei GmbH
    Inventors: André Leopold, Christian Kunath, Jens Ehreke, Gerhard Hochenbleicher, Christian Klepzig, Michael Langgassner
  • Patent number: 8730587
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes in order from an object side, a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having a positive refractive, and a last lens group having a positive refractive index, and at the time of zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, the first lens group is fixed, the second lens group moves toward a side of an image plane, the third lens group is fixed, and the fourth lens group moves, and at the time of focusing, the fourth lens group moves. The zoom lens satisfies the following conditional expression (101) 0.20<log(?34T/?34W)<0.9·log ???(101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Ryu Ota, Shinichi Mihara
  • Patent number: 8721094
    Abstract: A lens system comprising, in order from an object side: a first lens group G1; and a second lens group G2 having positive refractive power; the first lens group G1 including a sub-lens group GS11 having positive refractive power, and a sub-lens group GS12 having negative refractive power, the sub-lens group GS12 having negative refractive power including a meniscus lens having a convex surface facing the object side, given conditions being satisfied: an antireflection coating being formed on at least one optical surface in the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2, and the antireflection coating including at least one layer formed by a wet-process, thereby providing a lens system having high optical performance with excellently correcting various aberrations and suppressing ghost images and flare, and an optical apparatus equipped therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Issei Tanaka, Akihiko Obama
  • Patent number: 8717683
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: a zoom lens; an image pickup element having an image pickup surface which receives an image which has been formed by the zoom lens, and converts to an electric signal; a shading correction parameter storage section which stores a shading correction parameter which differs at a front-surface side and a rear-surface side with respect to a center of an image, which is for correcting asymmetric shading at the front-surface side and the rear-surface side of the zoom lens; and a shading correction section which carries out correction operation of an image which has been picked up by the image pickup element, based on the shading correction parameter of the shading correction parameter storage section. When an object having a uniform brightness is captured, at any state from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, the zoom lens satisfies conditional expression (A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Toyoda, Takeshi Hosoya, Masahito Watanabe, Tomoyuki Satori, Eiji Shirota
  • Patent number: 8670185
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side: a first lens unit having positive refractive power which does not move for varying magnification; a magnification-varying lens unit including at least two lens units which move for varying magnification; an aperture stop; and an imaging lens unit having positive refractive power which does not move for varying magnification, in which: the first lens unit includes, in order from the object side, a first sub-lens unit having positive refractive power, a second sub-lens unit having negative refractive power, and a third sub-lens unit having positive refractive power; the second sub-lens unit is driven to the object side so as to perform focus adjustment to an object at a short distance; and the following expression is satisfied: 0.07<f1/f11<0.35, where f1 represents a focal length of the first lens unit, and f11 represents a focal length of the first sub-lens unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Wakazono, Fumiaki Usui
  • Patent number: 8643960
    Abstract: An internal focus lens comprising sequentially from an object side a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a negative refractive power; and a third lens group having a positive refractive power. The second lens group is configured by a simple lens element and is moved along an optical axis to perform focusing. The internal focus lens satisfies condition expressions (1) 0.48<|f3|/f<0.73 and (2) 1.05<Fno×f1/f<1.42, where f3 is the focal length of the third lens group, f is the focal length of the entire optical system, f1 is the focal length of the first lens group, and Fno is the F number of the entire optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Tamron Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihide Hayashi, Naoki Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 8599495
    Abstract: An optical image capturing system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface. The second through fifth lens elements all have refractive power. The fifth lens element has a convex image-side surface. The sixth lens element with positive refractive power has both of the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric. The seventh lens element with negative refractive power has a concave image-side surface and both of the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric. The image-side surface of the seventh lens element changes from concave at a paraxial region to convex at a peripheral region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Largan Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung-Han Tsai, Hsin-Hsuan Huang
  • Patent number: 8582216
    Abstract: An image lens module includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, and an image plane and satisfies: FB/TTL>0.16, G1R1/F1>1.04, and D1/D2<4.47. FB is a distance between an apex of an image-side surface of the third lens and the image plane. TTL is a distance between an object-side surface of the first lens and the image plane. G1R2 is a curvature radius of an image-side surface of the first lens. F1 is focal length of the first lens. D1 is a distance between the end of the effective diameter of an image-side surface of the second lens and an optical axis of the image lens module in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. D2 is a distance between the end of the effective diameter of the image-side surface of the second lens and an apex of the image-side surface of the second lens along the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chun-Cheng Ko