Patents Examined by Sharrief Broome
  • Patent number: 9573526
    Abstract: A mirror bracket supports a mirror. A mirror bracket includes a base and an attachment member for attaching the base to a vehicle. A member moves relative to the base. The member is movable in a rotational or linear direction. The member is urged opposite to the rotational or linear direction. The member includes a mirror receiver where the mirror is coupled to the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Quadratec, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas N. Kelly
  • Patent number: 9557623
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrophoretic display device which is suitable for passive matrix driving. The electrophoretic fluid may comprise two types of charged pigment particles wherein the two types of charged pigment particles carry opposite charge polarities, have contrasting colors and have different levels of charge intensity. Alternatively, there may be a third type of particles added to the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: E INK CALIFORNIA, LLC
    Inventors: Ming Wang, Craig Lin, Hui Du, HongMei Zang, Xiaojia Zhang
  • Patent number: 9557453
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a solar panel mirror unit (1) being shaped, such as curved, and having a sandwich structure, said sandwich structure comprising an outermost front reflecting layer (2), intended as the sun reflecting layer and therefore having a reflective coating, said outermost front reflecting layer (2) consisting of a first material having a first thermal expansion coefficient, an intermediate layer (4) having a honeycomb structure and being the core of the sandwich structure, and an innermost rear layer (5) consisting of a second material having a second thermal expansion coefficient, wherein said first and second thermal expansion coefficients are equal or substantially equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Carbonia Composites AB
    Inventor: Tobias Blomberg
  • Patent number: 9545883
    Abstract: An exterior rearview mirror assembly suitable for a vehicle includes an attachment portion and a casing portion having a variable reflectance mirror reflective element. A mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of a surface of a rear substrate of the reflective element. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films having at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film. The first metal thin film is formed of a metal material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×10?3 ohm·cm and the second metal thin film is formed of a metal material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×10?3 ohm·cm. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of a front substrate of the reflective element. An indicator is disposed rearward of the reflective element and, when actuated, illuminates through the reflective element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: DONNELLY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ian A. McCabe, Desaraju V. Varaprasad, Hamid Habibi, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 9539946
    Abstract: A vehicle mirror assembly has a mirror retention plate having two parallel free edges and a replaceable mirror plate having a first surface to which the mirror is attached and a second surface opposite said first surface. The second surface has two parallel edges which includes projections on one of said edges able to retain one of said edges of the retention plate. On the second edge of said second surface of the mirror plate is a releasable locking mechanisms engageable with the other of said free edges of the retention plate. This allows the mirror plate to be simply snapped into position and released by triggering the release mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Inventor: Michael Ferman
  • Patent number: 9529215
    Abstract: An optical network element has a light source which provides an optical signal that is fed to at least two modulators. Each modulator provides an optical carrier signal that is conveyed to a receiving unit. The receiving unit is configured to determine a deviation signal between the optical carrier signal and a carrier conveyed via an incoming signal and to feed the deviation signal to the modulator for adjusting the frequency and/or the phase of the optical carrier signal. Also, a corresponding method for processing data and a communication system with at least one optical network are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Xieon Networks S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Erich Gottwald, Harald Rohde
  • Patent number: 9503713
    Abstract: Stereo gaze tracking estimates a 3-D gaze point by projecting determined right and left eye gaze points on left and right stereo images. The determined right and left eye gaze points are based on one or more tracked eye gaze points, estimates for non-tracked eye gaze points based upon the tracked gaze points and image matching in the left and right stereo images, and confidence scores indicative of the reliability of the tracked gaze points and/or the image matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenyi Zhao, Brandon D. Itkowitz, George Mylonas, Gung-Zhong Yang
  • Patent number: 9492077
    Abstract: Optimized device for swept source optical coherence domain reflectometry and tomography. In the coherence-optical device, light, with the aid of an interferometer, is used for distance-measuring and imaging purposes on reflecting and scattering areas of the human eye. The optimized device according to the invention consists of includes a tunable light source, matched to the sought-after measurement region ZOCT, with a resonator length LR, an interferometric measurement arrangement, a data capturing unit for capturing the light portions scattered back from the sample and a data processing unit. Here the resonator length LR of the tunable light source is matched not only to the sought-after measurement region ZOCT, but also to the entire interferometric measurement arrangement such that disturbance points present in the interferometric measurement arrangement cannot create disturbance signals in the sought-after measurement region ZOCT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Ralf Ebersbach, Martin Hacker
  • Patent number: 9492076
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a dual focusing optical coherence imaging system. The dual focusing optical coherence imaging system includes: a light source unit for generating broadband light; a main optical distributor for distributing the light generated from the light source to allow the light to be propagated; an interference unit including first and second interference parts for forming interference signals with respect to different focused areas of an object to be detected using the light distributed from the optical distributor, and a common sample arm commonly connected to the first and second interference parts; an optical switch connected to the first and second interference parts to select at least one of the interference signals transmitted from the first and second interference parts; and a detection unit for converting the interference signal selected by the optical switch according to a preset mode into an electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Beop Min Kim, Hyun Woo Jeong, Sang Won Lee
  • Patent number: 9481302
    Abstract: Provided is a mirror for checking blind spot that achieves further thickness reduction while being provided with flame resistance. A single double-sided adhesive tape 2 in which both surfaces of a base sheet 7 are coated with adhesives 8, 9 is attached to a back surface of a Fresnel mirror 1 formed of a planar transparent resin plate 3. The base sheet 7 is formed of a resin into which a flame retardant is blended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Komy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sakae Komiyama, Yoshinori Koyama, Hisanaga Takeda, Yoshiyuki Iwata
  • Patent number: 9459379
    Abstract: Provided is an optical member, including: a substrate having an at least partially curved surface; a concave-convex structure at an outermost surface, the concave-convex structure being prepared by hydrothermal treatment of a layer formed by gas-phase deposition of at least one of simple aluminum and a compound containing aluminum on the substrate; and a dielectric layer formed by gas-phase deposition between the substrate and the concave-convex structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Hakuta, Shinichiro Sonoda, Shigenori Yuuya
  • Patent number: 9435986
    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, the second and the third lens elements all have refractive power. The fourth lens element with refractive power has both surfaces being aspheric. The fifth lens element with refractive power has both surfaces being aspheric. The sixth lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface having at least one convex shape at a peripheral region thereof and both surfaces being aspheric. The seventh lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface having at least one convex shape at a peripheral region thereof, wherein both surfaces being aspheric, and at least one surface has at least one inflection point thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: LARGAN PRECISION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsung-Han Tsai, Hsin-Hsuan Huang
  • Patent number: 9423529
    Abstract: An antireflection coating has a band ranging from the visible light range to the near infrared range. The antireflection coating has a deposition structure made up of twelve layers in which layers of a high refractive index material having a refractive index nH of 1.95 to 2.32 and layers of a low refractive index material having a refractive index of 1.35 to 1.46 are deposited alternately, wherein the reflectance of the antireflection coating is not higher than 1.5% in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 680 nm and not higher than 2.0% in the wavelength range of 680 nm to 1350 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Masanori Koyama
  • Patent number: 9395531
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator (SLM) module and methods of designing, manufacturing and using the same are provided. In one embodiment, the SLM module comprises a diffractive, diffractive SLM formed on a substrate, the SLM including a plurality of pixels each including a plurality of electrostatically deflectable actuators, and a driver including a number of drive channels each coupled to one of the plurality of electrostatically deflectable actuators. Each of the drive channels include at least one internal digital-to-analog converter (DAC) integrally formed on the same substrate as the SLM. In one embodiment, the DAC is a multi-slope charge integrating DAC. In other embodiments, the driver includes circuitry to test each of the drive channels, and a spare drive channel that can be switched in to replace a defective drive channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Silicon Light Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Yeung
  • Patent number: 9392937
    Abstract: An ophthalmic examination suite includes an instrument delivery stand, a base coupled with the instrument delivery stand and including a base plate, a carriage moveable on the base plate, and a chair supported by the carriage and configured to receive a seated patient thereon. The chair is laterally moveable with the carriage between an examination position and a stowed position. A space is created next to the chair when the chair is in the stowed position, and the space is configured to receive a wheelchair during an eye examination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Reliance Medical Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary G. Schwaegerle, Michael A. Carvajal, Deepak Sridhara
  • Patent number: 9395536
    Abstract: In an optical deflector including a mirror, a frame, torsion bars, first and second piezoelectric actuators coupled to both of the torsion bars, and first and second coupling bars, each of the first and second piezoelectric actuators is divided into first, second and third areas in accordance with a polarization polarity distribution obtained by performing a simulation upon the optical deflector where piezoelectric portions with no slits are hypothetically provided in the first and second piezoelectric actuators while a predetermined rocking operation is performed upon the mirror. First piezoelectric portions are formed in the first and third areas of the first piezoelectric actuator, and second piezoelectric portions are formed in the first and third areas of said second piezoelectric actuator. A first drive voltage applied to the first piezoelectric portions is opposite in phase to a second drive voltage applied to the second piezoelectric portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Yasuda, Masanao Tani
  • Patent number: 9383543
    Abstract: A lens control device incorporated in a lens device 10A is equipped with a first zoom position sending unit for sending a zoom position signal indicating a zoom position of the first lens device 10A to a lens device 10B; a second zoom position sending unit for sending an adjusted zoom position signal for zoom position adjustment of the lens device 10B to the lens device 10B; a zoom storage unit for storing zoom adjustment information in which a zoom position adjustment amount indicated by the adjusted zoom position signal is correlated with the zoom position of the lens device 10A; and a third zoom position sending unit for sending a zoom position signal for the lens device 10B on the basis of the zoom adjustment information in response to a zoom manipulation signal indicating a zoom manipulation on the lens device 10A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Terashima, Atsushi Misawa
  • Patent number: 9372288
    Abstract: In cube-corner retroreflective sheeting 3, cube-corner retroreflective elements in at least two mutually adjacent regions A and B rotate with each other around an axis perpendicular to the sheeting, in which cube-corner retroreflective elements 11 and 12 not in contact with boundaries between the regions A and B are cube-corner retroreflective elements having a hexagonal shape, and cube-corner retroreflective elements 11s, 12s, 11t and 12t in contact with the boundaries between the regions A and B are cube-corner retroreflective elements having a shape obtained by cutting parts of one or two reflective lateral surfaces of the cube-corner retroreflective element having a hexagonal shape where the partly cut reflective lateral surfaces are in contact with the boundaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: NIPPON CARBIDE INDUSTRIES CO., INC.
    Inventor: Ikuo Mimura
  • Patent number: 9366791
    Abstract: An Al film is formed so that film forming particles are incident at normal incidence to grating wall surfaces of a diffraction grating having multiple grating portions and are incident at oblique incidence to optical effective surfaces. After that, oxidation treatment is performed from a direction to be incident at normal incidence to the optical effective surface so that the Al layer on the optical effective surface is changed to Al2O3 layer. Hence, in the diffraction grating having the multiple grating portions, the Al2O3 layer is formed on the optical effective surface for transmitting light, and the Al layer is formed on the grating wall surfaces as a light shielding layer. Thus, flare of the diffractive optical element can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Iwata
  • Patent number: 9359511
    Abstract: The present invention provides a coating solution for producing an optical film and a method for producing the coating solution which has improved temporal stability and which is capable of preventing the occurrence of defects in a coating film when a magnesium fluoride film is formed by applying a coating solution containing magnesium fluorocarboxylate and then firing the coating solution. A coating solution for producing an optical film includes at least a magnesium compound represented by (CF3-X—COO)2Mg (wherein X represents a single bond or —CH2- which may be substituted by a fluorine atom), and a compound represented by general formula (1). A method for producing the coating solution is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tanaka, Motokazu Kobayashi