Patents by Inventor Akira Kurozuka

Akira Kurozuka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8319762
    Abstract: A scanning image display apparatus (20) includes a light source (11) and a biaxial scanning mirror (12) two-dimensionally scans a scanning surface (23) with the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Kurozuka
  • Publication number: 20120280956
    Abstract: A display apparatus that displays an image on a retina of a user, the display apparatus comprising: an image output unit (100) which includes a light source (101, 110), a wavefront shape change unit (102, 109), and a scan unit (103, 108) and is configured to output display light for displaying the image; and a deflection unit (104, 107) configured to deflect, toward an eye of the user, the display light outputted by the image output unit (100). The deflection unit (104, 107) has a deflection characteristic of suppressing image distortion caused by a change in relative position of the deflection unit (104, 107) with respect to a pupil of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Kakuya YAMAMOTO, Kenichi Kasazumi, Tatsuo Itoh, Akira Kurozuka, Keiji Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20120250306
    Abstract: A transmissive display device includes: a light source which outputs light; a display part which receives the light from the light source and generates display light representing an image; a deflecting element which changes a direction of the display light emitted from the display part; and a transmissive reflector which reflects, towards a user, light of a wavelength included in the display light emitted from the display part, and transmits light of other wavelengths. An angle formed by a straight line, which extends between an upper edge of an incident area of the display light on the transmissive reflector and a lower portion of an eyebox which is defined as a visible range of the reflected light from the transmissive reflector, with respect to a horizontal line is smaller than a difference between an emission angle and an incident angle of the display light at the transmissive reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Keiji Sugiyama, Kenichi Kasazumi, Kakuya Yamamoto, Akira Kurozuka, Tatsuo Itoh, Shinichi Shikii
  • Publication number: 20120242724
    Abstract: A transmissive display apparatus includes a transparent display panel, a display unit which projects a display light toward a display area of the transparent display panel, a ratio change unit which is provided to the display area, is configured to be capable of changing a light transmittance, and is configured to be capable of changing a ratio of a light quantity of a rear face reflected light reaching a viewpoint relative to a light quantity of a front face reflected light reaching the viewpoint, and a control unit which alternately switches the ratio change unit between a first state and a second state. The ratio change unit lowers, in the first state, the ratio by reducing the light quantity of the rear face reflected light that reaches the viewpoint in comparison to the second state. The light transmittance increases in the second state in comparison to the first state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventors: Akira KUROZUKA, Shinichi KADOWAKI, Kakuya YAMAMOTO, Kenichi KASAZUMI, Keiji SUGIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20120236046
    Abstract: A display apparatus, includes: a display light emission unit which includes a light source, forms an image, and emits display light corresponding to formed image; a deflection unit which deflects the display light; a narrow band reflection unit which has characteristics of reflecting only light in a reflected wavelength range and transmitting light of wavelengths other than the reflected wavelength range, and reflects the display light incident from the deflection unit towards a viewpoint; and a control unit which changes an incidence angle at which the display light is incident on the narrow band reflection unit, in accordance with change in a wavelength of the light, wherein the narrow band reflection unit is configured such that the reflected wavelength range changes when an incidence angle of light changes, and the control unit changes the incidence angle such that a wavelength of the light is included within the reflected wavelength range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventors: Keiji SUGIYAMA, Kenichi Kasazumi, Kakuya Yamamoto, Akira Kurozuka, Shinichi Shikii
  • Patent number: 8269692
    Abstract: An image display apparatus includes: a left-eye light source (101) that outputs a left-eye image constituting an original image in whole or in part; a left-eye deflection unit (104) that deflects, toward a left eye of the user, the left-eye image outputted by the left-eye light source (101); a right-eye light source (110) that outputs a right-eye image constituting the original image in whole or in part; a right-eye deflection unit (107) that deflects, toward a right eye of the user, the right-eye image outputted by the right-eye light source (110); and a control unit (105, 111) that controls the left-eye light source (101) and the right-eye light source (110) such that the left-eye image and the right-eye image are outputted which are different from each other in at least one of pixel position, image shape, image size, image resolution, and display frame rate so that the user can recognize the original image from the left-eye image and the right-eye image by an image fusion effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Sugiyama, Kakuya Yamamoto, Akira Kurozuka
  • Patent number: 8251521
    Abstract: A multipurpose projector is provided with a fiber bundle including a plurality of cores fixedly arranged on an input plane and an output plane, laser beam sources for emitting laser beams having directivities, an optical guide unit for modulating the laser beams emitted from the laser beam sources and guiding the modulated laser beams to the input plane of the fiber bundle, a projection lens for enlarging and projecting the laser beams emerging from the output plane of the fiber bundle to a display space, and a projection angle adjusting mechanism disposed on the side of the output plane of the fiber bundle for adjusting projection angles of the laser beams projected from the projection lens. Thus, the projector can have its projection space freely operated and enlarged to extend its application not only to image display, but also to illumination and decoration with colored light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuro Mizushima, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Akira Kurozuka, Kakuya Yamamoto, Keiji Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8246170
    Abstract: A display apparatus that displays an image on a retina of a user, the display apparatus comprising: an image output unit (100) which includes a light source (101, 110), a wavefront shape change unit (102, 109), and a scan unit (103, 108) and is configured to output display light for displaying the image; and a deflection unit (104, 107) configured to deflect, toward an eye of the user, the display light outputted by the image output unit (100). The deflection unit (104, 107) has a deflection characteristic of suppressing image distortion caused by a change in relative position of the deflection unit (104, 107) with respect to a pupil of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kakuya Yamamoto, Kenichi Kasazumi, Tatsuo Itoh, Akira Kurozuka, Keiji Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8238223
    Abstract: For a recording and playback optical head used for a dual layer disc, it is difficult to reduce the size and the cost due to the need to correct spherical aberration caused by a difference in thickness of a light-transmitting layer. A reflection mirror having a reflection surface on which light is reflected and provided with a member having ferromagnetism at the center, and a switching device that switches between a deformed state and a non-deformed state of the reflection mirror using a magnetic force are provided. The switching device includes a hard magnetic member, and a magnetizing member that magnetizes and demagnetizes the hard magnetic member. When light is concentrated on a first recording layer farther from the light-incident surface, the reflection mirror is used as a plane mirror, and when light is concentrated on a second recording layer closer to the light-incident surface, the reflection mirror is deformed in the shape of a concave surface by means of the switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Kurozuka, Yoshihiro Mushika
  • Publication number: 20120169752
    Abstract: A scanning type image display apparatus including a light source, a frame buffer, a scanning mirror, a drive controller which outputs a drive signal to the scanning mirror, and a display controller which reads out pixel data from the frame buffer, generates display data for modulating an intensity of a laser beam using the readout pixel data, and causes the light source to emit an intensity-modulated laser beam based on the display data. The display controller calculates a scanning position of the laser beam on the display screen by the scanning mirror based on information relating to the drive signal inputted from the drive controller, reads out pixel data corresponding to the calculated scanning position on the display screen by executing a burst access to the frame buffer, and implements interpolation to generate the display data corresponding to the scanning position of the laser beam on the display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Inventor: Akira Kurozuka
  • Patent number: 8182093
    Abstract: An image projection apparatus according to the present invention includes a light source for outputting laser light and a mirror section for reflecting and projecting the laser light having been output from the light source, and displays an image with at least a portion of the projected laser light. The image projection apparatus includes a detection section for detecting at least a portion of the laser light returning from a projection direction of the laser light, and a calculation section for determining an image displayable region based on the detected light. The mirror section reflects at least a portion of the laser light returning from the projection direction of the laser light so as to be led into the detection section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Kurozuka, Hironori Tomita, Osamu Kajino, Hiroshi Obi, Masanari Mohri
  • Patent number: 8149491
    Abstract: A scan unit according to the present invention is a scan unit including: a reflecting portion for reflecting laser light; and an enclosure portion having a movable object enclosed within a hollow, characterized in that the movable object moves in accordance with an angular velocity of the scan unit, thereby changing a reflecting state of the reflecting portion with respect to the laser light. In one embodiment, the movable object moves in accordance with the angular velocity of the scan unit to cover at least a part of the reflecting portion. In one embodiment, the movable object moves in accordance with the angular velocity of the scan unit to deform the reflecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Obi, Hironori Tomita, Akira Kurozuka, Osamu Kajino
  • Publication number: 20110267361
    Abstract: A scanning image display apparatus includes a light source unit (1) that emits a laser beam, a scanning mirror (3) that two-dimensionally scans the laser beam in a first direction and in a second direction that crosses the first direction at predetermined scanning frequencies, respectively, a frame buffer (5) that temporarily stores image data corresponding to images to be displayed on a display screen frame by frame, and a display controller (4) that generates display data used to modulate an intensity of the laser beam at a predetermined frame frequency using the read image data and causes the light source unit to emit the laser beam intensity-modulated based on the display data. The frame buffer is so configured that the respective image data of a plurality of different frames can be temporarily stored therein and read therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventor: Akira Kurozuka
  • Patent number: 8031578
    Abstract: An optical head device according to the present invention includes: a light source for outputting laser light; an optical system for allowing the laser light to be radiated onto an optical disk medium; and an aberration correction section for correcting an aberration of the laser light. The aberration correction section includes: a plurality of mirror sections for reflecting the laser light; a plurality of mirror driving sections for displacing the plurality of mirror sections; and a detection section for detecting a physical condition within the optical head device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Obi, Hironori Tomita, Akira Kurozuka, Osamu Kajino
  • Patent number: 7972011
    Abstract: An image projector according to the present invention includes a light source for emitting a laser beam, of which the intensity has been modulated in accordance with a modulation signal representing an image to be projected, and a beam deflection section for deflecting the laser beam two-dimensionally such that the image is produced by repeatedly scanning a screen with the laser beam in a predetermined pattern. The predetermined pattern has a repetitive frequency that is lower than a frame rate of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Kurozuka, Hironori Tomita
  • Publication number: 20110122101
    Abstract: A scanning image display apparatus includes a light source section that emits a laser beam, a scan mirror that scans the laser beam two-dimensionally in a first direction and a second direction which intersects the first direction, and a control section that drives the scan mirror. Herein, the control section drives the scan mirror such that a scan frequency in the first direction becomes higher than a scan frequency in the second direction, and changes the scan frequency in the first direction in synchronization with a period of the scan frequency in the second direction to change a scan amplitude in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventor: Akira KUROZUKA
  • Publication number: 20110102874
    Abstract: A scanning type image display apparatus includes a light source unit for emitting a laser beam, a scanning mirror for scanning the laser beam two-dimensionally in a first direction and a second direction that intersects the first direction, and a control unit for controlling driving of the scanning mirror. The control unit drives the scanning mirror such that a scanning frequency in the first direction is higher than a scanning frequency in the second direction, and varies a scanning amplitude in the first direction by varying the scanning frequency in the first direction in synchronization with a period of the scanning frequency in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Keiji Sugiyama, Kakuya Yamamoto, Tatsuo Itoh, Kenichi Kasazumi, Akira Kurozuka
  • Patent number: 7923894
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a bi-axial pivoting type actuator having a first movable section, a second movable section supporting the first movable section, and backlining. A first conductive portion and a second conductive portion for independently applying a driving voltage to each of the first movable section and the second movable section are provided on the second movable section, in a state of being split by isolation trenches and being stabilized by the backlining provided under the second movable section. By providing such backlining, mutual stabilization of the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion in an electrically isolated state, and simplification of the production steps for the actuator are realized. By providing a mirror on the first conductive portion of the actuator of the present invention as such, it becomes possible to provide a bi-axial pivoting type mirror device through a simple production process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Obi, Hironori Tomita, Akira Kurozuka
  • Patent number: 7914154
    Abstract: An image projector according to the present invention includes a first light source that emits visible light and a second light source that emits invisible light and projects the visible light and the invisible light onto a screen. The screen includes a material, at least one of the visible light reflectance, transmittance and absorbance of which changes when irradiated with the invisible light projected. The image projector further includes a modulating section for modulating the intensities of the visible light and invisible light based on an image signal and a control section for controlling the modulating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Obi, Hironori Tomita, Akira Kurozuka, Osamu Kajino
  • Publication number: 20110012874
    Abstract: A scanning image display apparatus (20) includes a light source (11) and a biaxial scanning mirror (12) two-dimensionally scans a scanning surface (23) with the laser beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventor: Akira Kurozuka