Patents by Inventor James Andrew West

James Andrew West 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: 11644609
    Abstract: A transparent illumination system and related light guide plate is provided. The system is configured to facilitate total internal reflection propagation of light through the light guide plate despite low index of refraction differences between the glass material of the light guide layer and the adjacent layer. The system includes a light source, such as a laser diode, and an optical element to fan out light from the light source in the plane of the light guide plate. The light guide plate includes internal light extraction features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Venkatesh Botu, Roni Daniel Levi, Christian Alexander Rothenbach Stacey, Andrew Joseph Sullivan, James Andrew West
  • Publication number: 20230032209
    Abstract: A display device that includes: a glass substrate comprising a refractive index (nsubstrate); a display device structure coupled to the substrate to collectively define a viewing area; and a black mask structure surrounding the display device structure that is coupled to the substrate and comprises a black ink layer and at least one glossy layer between the black ink layer and the glass substrate. The viewing area is characterized by (a) a reflectance from 0.5% to 2.5% as measured at 8 degrees from normal in the visible spectrum, (b) a brightness in the CIE colorimetry system such that 5<L*<17 for the specular component included (SCI), and (c) a brightness in the CIE colorimetry system such that 0<L*<3 for the specular component excluded (SCE). Further, the at least one glossy layer comprises a refractive index (nglossy) such that |nglossy?nsubstrate|>0.1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Keith James Becken, Byung Yun Joo, Kevin Paul Klubek, Arpita Mitra, Maricela Trejo-Moore, James Andrew West
  • Publication number: 20220244446
    Abstract: An apparatus includes first, second, and third glass portions, with the third glass portion between the first and the second, where the first, second, and third glass portions are configured in spaced relation from each other. The third glass portion is substantially parallel to the first glass portion. A light source emits light into the third glass portion via an edge of the third glass portion. Light-scattering structures scatter at least a portion of the light emitted by the light source into the third glass portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to a primary face of the third glass portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Bertin-Mourot, James Gregory Couillard, Byung Yun Joo, James Andrew West
  • Publication number: 20210405278
    Abstract: A transparent illumination system and related light guide plate is provided. The system is configured to facilitate total internal reflection propagation of light through the light guide plate despite low index of refraction differences between the glass material of the light guide layer and the adjacent layer. The system includes a light source, such as a laser diode, and an optical element to fan out light from the light source in the plane of the light guide plate. The light guide plate includes internal light extraction features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Venkatesh Botu, Roni Daniel Levi, Christian Alexander Rothenbach Stacey, Andrew Joseph Sullivan, James Andrew West
  • Patent number: 11130701
    Abstract: A method for laser processing a transparent workpiece includes forming a contour line that includes defects, by directing a pulsed laser beam output by a beam source through an aspheric optical element positioned offset in a radial direction from the beam pathway and into the transparent workpiece such that the portion of the pulsed laser beam directed into the transparent workpiece generates an induced absorption within the transparent workpiece that produces a defect within the transparent workpiece. The portion of the pulsed laser beam directed into the transparent workpiece includes a wavelength ?, an effective spot size wo,eff, and a non-axisymmetric beam cross section having a minimum Rayleigh range ZRx,min in an x-direction and a minimum Rayleigh range ZRy,min in a y-direction. Further, the smaller of ZRx,min and ZRy,min is greater than F D = ? ? ? w 0 , eff 2 ? , where FD is a dimensionless divergence factor comprising a value of 10 or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Ravindra Kumar Akarapu, Garrett Andrew Piech, Sergio Tsuda, James Andrew West
  • Patent number: 11022745
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are light guide plates (100, 100?, 100?) comprising a transparent substrate (110) having an edge surface (150), a light emitting first major surface (160), and an opposing second major surface (170); and a polymeric film (120) disposed on at least one of the first (160) and second (170) major surfaces of the transparent substrate, wherein the polymeric film (120) comprises a plurality of microstructures (130) and/or a plurality of light extraction features. At least one light source (140) may be coupled to the edge surface (150) of the transparent substrate (110). Display and lighting devices comprising such light guide plates are further disclosed, as well as methods for manufacturing such light guide plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Dana Craig Bookbinder, Steven S Rosenblum, Natesan Venkataraman, Robert Stephen Wagner, James Andrew West, Nathaniel David Wetmore
  • Patent number: 11014845
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to systems for laser cutting at least one glass article comprising a pulsed laser assembly and a glass support assembly configured to support the glass article during laser cutting within the pulsed laser assembly, wherein the pulsed laser assembly comprises at least one non-diffracting beam (NDB) forming optical element configured to convert an input beam into a quasi-NDB beam; and at least one beam transforming element configured to convert the quasi-NDB beam into multiple quasi-NDB sub-beams spaced apart a distance of about 1 ?m to about 500 ?m; wherein the pulsed laser assembly is oriented to deliver one or more pulses of multiple quasi-NDB sub-beams onto a surface of the glass article, wherein each pulse of multiple quasi-NDB sub-beams is operable to cut a plurality of perforations in the glass article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: James Andrew West
  • Patent number: 10921607
    Abstract: A diffraction element can be employed in a surface display unit to provide diffraction peaks in a manner that reduces or eliminates a screen door effect that is prevalent in pixelated displays that does not have sufficient pixel density. The parameters of the diffraction element can be selected such that the diffraction peaks provide appearance of a larger pixel area than a corresponding physical pixel size. For example, first order diffraction peaks can be placed at a distance of about ? of a nearest subpixel-to-sub-pixel distance. The surface display unit can be employed for any image display application to enhance image quality. For example, a virtual reality headset to remove the screen door effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jacques Gollier, James Andrew West
  • Patent number: 10899661
    Abstract: A glass article having a low level of grainy appearance that can appear to have a shift in the pattern of the grains with changing viewing angle of a display, or “sparkle.” The glass article—which, in some embodiments, is a transparent glass sheet—has small-angle-scattering properties and/or distinctness-of-reflected-image (DOI), leading to improved viewability in display applications, especially under high ambient lighting conditions. In some embodiments, the antiglare surface of the glass sheet is an etched surface, with no foreign coating present on the antiglare surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jacques Gollier, Shandon Dee Hart, Kelvin Nguyen, Alan Thomas Stephens, II, James Andrew West, Lu Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200399175
    Abstract: A method for making a glass article comprising contacting a first surface of a glass substrate with a laser to produce a plurality of light extraction features having a diameter and a depth, wherein the light extraction features produce a color shift ?y of extracted light where ?y<0.01 per 500 mm of length. A glass article as described can comprise a first surface and an opposing second surface, wherein the first surface comprises a plurality of laser induced light extraction features, and wherein the plurality of laser induced light extraction features produces a color shift ?y<0.01 per 500 mm of length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Robert Stephen Wagner, James Joseph Watkins, James Andrew West
  • Publication number: 20200331793
    Abstract: A method for laser processing a transparent workpiece includes forming a contour line that includes defects, by directing a pulsed laser beam output by a beam source through an aspheric optical element positioned offset in a radial direction from the beam pathway and into the transparent workpiece such that the portion of the pulsed laser beam directed into the transparent workpiece generates an induced absorption within the transparent workpiece that produces a defect within the transparent workpiece. The portion of the pulsed laser beam directed into the transparent workpiece includes a wavelength ?, an effective spot size wo,eff, and a non-axisymmetric beam cross section having a minimum Rayleigh range ZRx,min in an x-direction and a minimum Rayleigh range ZRy,min in a y-direction. Further, the smaller of ZRx,min and ZRy,min is greater than FD?w0,eff2/?, where FD is a dimensionless divergence factor comprising a value of 10 or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Ravindra Kumar Akarapu, Garrett Andrew Piech, Sergio Tsuda, James Andrew West
  • Patent number: 10730783
    Abstract: A method for laser processing a transparent workpiece includes forming a contour line that includes defects, by directing a pulsed laser beam output by a beam source through an aspheric optical element positioned offset in a radial direction from the beam pathway and into the transparent workpiece such that the portion of the pulsed laser beam directed into the transparent workpiece generates an induced absorption within the transparent workpiece that produces a defect within the transparent workpiece. The portion of the pulsed laser beam directed into the transparent workpiece includes a wavelength ?, an effective spot size wo,eff, and a non-axisymmetric beam cross section having a minimum Rayleigh range ZRx,min in an x-direction and a minimum Rayleigh range ZRy,min in a y-direction. Further, the smaller of ZRx,min and ZRy,min is greater than F D ? ? ? ? w 0 , eff 2 ? , where FD is a dimensionless divergence factor comprising a value of 10 or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Ravindra Kumar Akarapu, Garrett Andrew Piech, Sergio Tsuda, James Andrew West
  • Patent number: 10663791
    Abstract: A material system for a surface display unit that includes a first side (i.e., a proximal side) that faces a viewer of the surface display unit and a second side (i.e., a distal side) facing away from the viewer. The material system provides at least three appearance states, including a generally opaque first appearance state when the surface display unit is “off” (i.e., not used to display images), a second appearance state in which the material system is illuminated from the first (i.e., proximal) side to display a first image (e.g., information and/or decoration) that is perceptible to the viewer, and a third appearance state in which the material system is illuminated from the second (i.e., distal) side to display a second image (e.g., information and/or decoration) that is perceptible to the viewer. Surface display units, systems, and methods comprising the material system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jacques Gollier, Dmitri Vladislavovich Kuksenkov, William James Miller, Daniel Aloysius Nolan, Charlene Marie Smith, James Andrew West
  • Patent number: 10613340
    Abstract: A transparent substrate having an antiglare surface with reduced display sparkle. The transparent substrate has a roughened antiglare surface and a diffraction element below the antiglare surface. The diffraction element reduces sparkle by filling gaps between sub-pixels in a pixelated display with orders of diffraction. A display system comprising the transparent substrate and a pixelated display is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Nicholas Francis Borrelli, Jacques Gollier, Ellen Marie Kosik Williams, James Andrew West
  • Publication number: 20190339440
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are light guide plates (100, 100?, 100?) comprising a transparent substrate (110) having an edge surface in (150), a light emitting first major surface (160), and an opposing second major surface (170); and a polymeric film (120) disposed on at least one of the first (160) and second (170) major surfaces of the transparent substrate, wherein the polymeric film (120) comprises a plurality of microstructures (130) and/or a plurality of light extraction features. At least one light source (140) may be coupled to the edge surface (150) of the transparent substrate (110). Display and lighting devices comprising such light guide plates are further disclosed, as well as methods for manufacturing such light guide plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Dana Craig Bookbinder, Steven S Rosenblum, Natesan Venkataraman, Robert Stephen Wagner, James Andrew West, Nathaniel David Wetmore
  • Patent number: 10429553
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes a transparent substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface. The transparent substrate includes one or more damage layers disposed between a first non-damage layer and a second non-damage layer. Elongated laser-induced damage tracks are disposed within the damaged layer(s) to form at least one area pattern so that light directed toward the transparent substrate at an angle that exceeds a predetermined viewing angle (?) is scattered by the plurality of laser-induced damage tracks. Alternatively, if light is directed toward the transparent substrate at an angle that is less than the predetermined viewing angle (?), it is transmitted by the transparent substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Dana Craig Bookbinder, Garrett Andrew Piech, James Andrew West
  • Publication number: 20190248703
    Abstract: A glass article having a low level of grainy appearance that can appear to have a shift in the pattern of the grains with changing viewing angle of a display, or “sparkle.” The glass article—which, in some embodiments, is a transparent glass sheet—has small-angle-scattering properties and/or distinctness-of-reflected-image (DOI), leading to improved viewability in display applications, especially under high ambient lighting conditions. In some embodiments, the antiglare surface of the glass sheet is an etched surface, with no foreign coating present on the antiglare surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Jacques Gollier, Shandon Dee Hart, Kelvin Nguyen, Alan Thomas Stephens, II, James Andrew West, Lu Zhang
  • Patent number: 10353214
    Abstract: Optical stacks including a grating structure that generates diffraction in two in-plane dimensions. The optical stacks may include two gratings, which may be one-directional or two-directional. The optical stacks are suitable for reducing sparkle in displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignees: 3M Innovative Properties Company, Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Brett J. Sitter, Marc D. Radcliffe, Thomas R. Hoffend, Jr., Daniel W. Hennen, Michael L. Steiner, Lan H. Liu, Jacques Gollier, James Andrew West, Ellen Marie Kosik Williams
  • Publication number: 20190185367
    Abstract: A backlight unit comprising a first optical component having a first major face and a second major face, a second optical component laminated having a third major face and a fourth major face, wherein the first and third major faces oppose each other, and a discontinuous bonding material deposited between the first and third major faces, the bonding material laminating the first and second optical components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Sergey Anatol'evich Kuchinsky, Shenping Li, Steven S Rosenblum, James Andrew West
  • Publication number: 20190146140
    Abstract: A glass article comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, wherein the first surface comprises a plurality of light extraction features (220), ones of the plurality of light extraction features (220) having scattering particles and binder material, wherein the plurality of light extraction features produces a color shift Ay<0.01 per 500 mm of length, and wherein a difference in Fresnel reflections at the first surface at 45 degrees measured within the respective glass article at 450 nm and 630 nm is less than 0.015%. A light extracting ink is also provided comprising scattering particles and a binder material, wherein Fresnel reflections between the binder material and an adjacent substrate are substantially invariant with respect to wavelength. A light extracting ink is also provided comprising scattering particles and a binder material, wherein the binder material has an index of refraction equal to that of an adjacent substrate at a single wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Byungyun Joo, Timothy Edward Myers, Steven S Rosenblum, James Andrew West