Patents by Inventor Cynthia Bell

Cynthia Bell 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).

  • Publication number: 20180203231
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a display device including substantially transparent substrates, a lenslet array including substantially transparent lenslets disposed between the plurality of transparent substrates, and light sources disposed between the substantially transparent substrates. The light sources are operable to emit light towards respective lenslets of the lenslet array, and the lenslet array is configured to render a digital image by reflecting the emitted light towards the light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Eliezer GLIK, Cynthia BELL, Bernard C. KRESS
  • Patent number: 9664905
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for optimizing a near-eye display using a waveguide. A first waveband for a first color narrower than the full spectral bandwidth for the first color and a second waveband for a second color adjacent to the first color in the visible spectrum are generated in image light of an image generation unit like a microdisplay. The first waveband and the second waveband are coupled into a same layer of a diffractive waveguide. An input grating of the same layer of the waveguide has a grating wavelength band approximately matching a waveband extensive with the first waveband and the second waveband. A converted green light emitting diode (LED) may be used for obtaining a first waveband centered around 515 nm in some examples. One of more of the wavebands may be obtained using filters, for example filters using dichroic mirrors, quantum dots or a combination of these.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David D. Bohn, Ned Nestorovic, Rod G. Fleck, Cynthia Bell
  • Patent number: 9626936
    Abstract: The technology provides a dimming module for a near-eye display (NED) device that controls an amount of ambient light that passes through the transmissive near-eye display to a user. The dimming module includes at least one electrochromic cell that enables variable density dimming so that the NED device may be used in an augmented reality (AR) and/or virtual reality (VR) application. The electrochromic cell may be a monochrome electrochromic cell having stacked layers of, a monochrome electrochromic compound layer and insulator sandwiched between a pair of transparent substrates and conductors. A current may be applied to the conductor layers to control the amount of dimming in response to a dimming value. A NED device having a dimming module may be included in a visor, or other type of head-mounted display (HMD). The dimming module may be flat and supported by a flat waveguide mount in the user's field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Cynthia Bell
  • Publication number: 20160055822
    Abstract: The technology provides a dimming module for a near-eye display (NED) device that controls an amount of ambient light that passes through the transmissive near-eye display to a user. The dimming module includes at least one electrochromic cell that enables variable density dimming so that the NED device may be used in an augmented reality (AR) and/or virtual reality (VR) application. The electrochromic cell may be a monochrome electrochromic cell having stacked layers of, a monochrome electrochromic compound layer and insulator sandwiched between a pair of transparent substrates and conductors. A current may be applied to the conductor layers to control the amount of dimming in response to a dimming value. A NED device having a dimming module may be included in a visor, or other type of head-mounted display (HMD). The dimming module may be flat and supported by a flat waveguide mount in the user's field of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventor: Cynthia Bell
  • Patent number: 9232149
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is a method of generating a final exposure setting, including, (a) selecting one of a number of predetermined exposure settings as a current exposure setting for a solid state camera having a camera imager, (b) generating a captured scene by the camera imager using the current exposure setting, (c) selecting according to an automated search methodology another one of the exposure settings to be the current setting in response to the captured scene being underexposed or overexposed, and, (d) repeating (b) and (c) until the captured scene is neither underexposed or overexposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Edward P. Tomaszewski, Kannan Raj, Amy E. Hansen, Cynthia Bell
  • Patent number: 8943898
    Abstract: Some embodiments include an apparatus for testing flexible displays. The apparatus can include: (a) a first clamp configured to receive a first end of the flexible display; (b) a second clamp configured to receive a second end of the flexible display, wherein the second end of the flexible display is opposite the first end of the flexible display; and (c) a test column. Other embodiments and methods are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents, a body corporate of the State Arizona, Acting for and on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, Terry L. Alford, Roy Stephen Rednour, Mark Richards
  • Publication number: 20150002528
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for optimizing a near-eye display using a waveguide. A first waveband for a first color narrower than the full spectral bandwidth for the first color and a second waveband for a second color adjacent to the first color in the visible spectrum are generated in image light of an image generation unit like a microdisplay. The first waveband and the second waveband are coupled into a same layer of a diffractive waveguide. An input grating of the same layer of the waveguide has a grating wavelength band approximately matching a waveband extensive with the first waveband and the second waveband. A converted green light emitting diode (LED) may be used for obtaining a first waveband centered around 515 nm in some examples. One of more of the wavebands may be obtained using filters, for example filters using dichroic mirrors, quantum dots or a combination of these.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: David D. Bohn, Ned Nestorovic, Rod G. Fleck, Cynthia Bell
  • Patent number: 8860940
    Abstract: A method and system of aligning color filter array are disclosed. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents, a body corporate of the State of Arizona, Acting for and on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, John Stowell, Donald E. Adams
  • Publication number: 20140160313
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is a method of generating a final exposure setting, including, (a) selecting one of a number of predetermined exposure settings as a current exposure setting for a solid state camera having a camera imager, (b) generating a captured scene by the camera imager using the current exposure setting, (c) selecting according to an automated search methodology another one of the exposure settings to be the current setting in response to the captured scene being underexposed or overexposed, and, (d) repeating (b) and (c) until the captured scene is neither underexposed or overexposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Inventors: Edward P. Tomaszewski, Kannan Raj, Amy E. Hansen, Cynthia Bell
  • Publication number: 20140132481
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of mobile devices having plural displays. In some embodiments a mobile computing device comprises a body comprising a front side, a rear side, and four lateral sides, a main display on the front side of the body, and a secondary display on one of the four lateral sides of the body. An edge of the secondary display can be adjacent to an edge of the main display and the adjacent edges can positioned in contact with each other, can be joined together with an adhesive, and/or can be joined together with a compliant gasket. The main display and the secondary display can be controlled independently of each other based on predetermined display preference logic. The device can further comprise a cover layer that covers and protects both the main display and the secondary display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, William Jefferson Westerinen, Tao Liu
  • Patent number: 8665519
    Abstract: A method and system of aligning color filter array are disclosed. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents, a body corporate of the State of Arizona, Acting for and on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, John Stowell
  • Publication number: 20130044319
    Abstract: A method and system of aligning color filter array are disclosed. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: Arizona Board of Regents, a body corporate of the State of Arizona Acting for and on behalf of Ariz.
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, John Stowell, Donald E. Adams
  • Publication number: 20120147468
    Abstract: A method and system of aligning color filter array are disclosed. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: Arizona Board of Regents,a body corporate of the State of AZ Acting for & on behalf of Ariz.State U
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, John Stowell
  • Publication number: 20120067134
    Abstract: Some embodiments include an apparatus for testing flexible displays. The apparatus can include: (a) a first clamp configured to receive a first end of the flexible display; (b) a second clamp configured to receive a second end of the flexible display, wherein the second end of the flexible display is opposite the first end of the flexible display; and (c) a test column. Other embodiments and methods are disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicants: Arizona State University
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, Terry L. Alford, Roy Stephen Rednour, Mark Richards
  • Patent number: 7477246
    Abstract: A lamp synchronization signal may be used in an LCOS imaging environment, such as a projection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Winer, Kenneth E. Salsman, Cynthia Bell, Michael O'Connor
  • Patent number: 7397506
    Abstract: A method to reduce the effect of noise on a pixel sensor element includes accumulating charge during an image capture operation (the accumulated charge representing a combination of noise and image), and discharging the accumulated charge for a predetermined time to generate a pixel sensor signal. The act of discharging may be passive or active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, Kannan Raj
  • Publication number: 20060221267
    Abstract: A projection display system may use a microdisplay that has pixels that are dedicated to only one narrow wavelength band. A suitable optical filter for each primary display color may be formed from a small number of optical layers, taking advantage of both the rounded profile and narrow range of the emission peaks in a typical projection light source. Thus, groups of pixels may be dedicated to each wavelength band of the display. A planarization layer may be coated on dichroic filter elements that are applied to a cover glass to provide the dedicated wavelengths for each pixel. The planarization layer may smooth out any surface irregularities resulting from the deposition of the dichroic layers on the cover glass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, Thomas Willis, Paul Winer, Anders Grunnet-Jepsen
  • Patent number: 7106372
    Abstract: An integrated circuit including a pixel sensor array having a set of pixel sensors arranged in a set of rows and a set of columns, the set of pixel sensors having a set of first color pixel sensors, a set of second color pixel sensors, and a set of third color pixel sensors. Each set of color pixel sensors is configured to allow independent integration times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Tonia Bell, Cynthia Bell
  • Publication number: 20060187414
    Abstract: A single panel display may have discrete, dedicated segments associated with each of the primary colors. The segments may not be equally sized in some embodiments. The light from a light source may be split into color portions that are adjusted to accommodate to the differently sized segments dedicated to different colors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Cynthia Bell, Martin Randall
  • Publication number: 20060132066
    Abstract: A lamp synchronization signal may be used in an LCOS imaging environment, such as a projection system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Paul Winer, Kenneth Salsman, Cynthia Bell, Michael O'Connor