Patents by Inventor John C. Howell

John C. Howell 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: 11006090
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally related to capturing a scene and projecting a virtual window to one or more observers. A virtual window may mimic the experience a viewer has when looking through a real window. In some embodiments, for a single observer looking at a digital display or digital screen, a head-tracking camera on the same side of the screen as the observer can determine the position of the observer relative to the screen. The camera may be a 3D camera, stereoscopic camera, a wide angle lens camera, or an array of cameras (e.g., two or more). A camera on the other side of the screen can then image the view on the other side of the screen and software can determine the correct portion of the view that should be displayed on the screen to the observer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: John C. Howell, Joseph Spencer Howell
  • Patent number: 10983244
    Abstract: Methods of scanning an object using a pendulum gravimeter are disclosed. The pendulum gravimeter may include an interferometer, such as a Sagnac interferometer, to determine a displacement on the pendulum by way of a mirror attached to the pendulum. Scanning of the object may be performed in 1D, 2D, or 3D, and may result in an image of the object. In another aspect, a mass may be tracked while in motion using a pendulum gravimeter to detect the gravitational attraction of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: University of Rochester
    Inventors: Andrew N. Jordan, John C. Howell
  • Patent number: 10739111
    Abstract: Digital cloaking is a method for practical cloaking, where space, angle, spectrum and phase are discretized. At the sacrifice of spatial resolution, a good approximation to an ideal cloak can be achieved—a cloak that is omnidirectional, broadband, and operational for the visible spectrum, three-dimensional (3D), and phase-matching for the light field, among other attributes. One example of a digital cloak is an active cloak that uses lenticular lenses, similar to integral imaging for 3D displays. With the continuing improvement in commercial digital technology, the resolution limitations of a digital cloak may be minimized, and a wearable cloak can be implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: Joseph S. Choi, John C. Howell
  • Patent number: 10591632
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention may be generally related to methods, devices, and systems which measure a gravitational field. The methods and devices may utilize an interferometer to measure tilt of a pendulum, where the tilt of the pendulum is due to a gravitational force associated with a target object. In some embodiments, the interferometer may be a displaced, even parity, Sagnac interferometer. Additionally, the interferometer may be operated in the inverse weak value domain. In some embodiments, the pendulum and interferometric readout may measure relative gravitational fields that are transverse to Earth's gravitational field. In at least some embodiments, methods and devices may have shot noise limited sensitivity sufficient to detect one kilogram 25 meters away and may have a 1 nGal resolution after mere seconds of integration. Embodiments disclosed may be used to gravitationally map density fluctuations in a target object, including the human body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: John C. Howell, Christopher Mullarkey, Julian Martinez-Rincon
  • Patent number: 10496238
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally related to three-dimensional displays and methods for displaying three-dimensional images. Some embodiments may be related to zooming for 3D image capture and display in real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: Joseph S. Choi, John C. Howell
  • Publication number: 20190230332
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally related to capturing a scene and projecting a virtual window to one or more observers. A virtual window may mimic the experience a viewer has when looking through a real window. In some embodiments, for a single observer looking at a digital display or digital screen, a head-tracking camera on the same side of the screen as the observer can determine the position of the observer relative to the screen. The camera may be a 3D camera, stereoscopic camera, a wide angle lens camera, or an array of cameras (e.g., two or more). A camera on the other side of the screen can then image the view on the other side observer is relative to the window of the screen and software can determine the correct portion of the view that should be displayed on the screen to the observer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: University of Rochester
    Inventors: John C. Howell, Joseph Spencer Howell
  • Publication number: 20190196053
    Abstract: Methods of scanning an object using a pendulum gravimeter are disclosed. The pendulum gravimeter may include an interferometer, such as a Sagnac interferometer, to determine a displacement on the pendulum by way of a mirror attached to the pendulum. Scanning of the object may be performed in 1D, 2D, or 3D, and may result in an image of the object. In another aspect, a mass may be tracked while in motion using a pendulum gravimeter to detect the gravitational attraction of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew N. Jordan, John C. Howell
  • Publication number: 20190141315
    Abstract: A system for displaying one or more images in three dimensions. The system has a three dimensional illumination volume containing a gas that emits one or more types of visible light when at certain multi-photon excited states. The system includes lasers (e.g. lasers with beams outside of the visible wavelengths) that can be directed to intersect in the illumination volume to excite particles of the gas to a multi-photon excited state to emit visible light. Scanning the beam intersection (or multiple beam intersections) through the illumination volume generates three dimensional images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: Curtis J. Broadbent, John C. Howell
  • Publication number: 20190041544
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention may be generally related to methods, devices, and systems which measure a gravitational field. The methods and devices may utilize an interferometer to measure tilt of a pendulum, where the tilt of the pendulum is due to a gravitational force associated with a target object. In some embodiments, the interferometer may be a displaced, even parity, Sagnac interferometer. Additionally, the interferometer may be operated in the inverse weak value domain. In some embodiments, the pendulum and interferometric readout may measure relative gravitational fields that are transverse to Earth's gravitational field. In at least some embodiments, methods and devices may have shot noise limited sensitivity sufficient to detect one kilogram 25 meters away and may have a 1 nGal resolution after mere seconds of integration. Embodiments disclosed may be used to gravitationally map density fluctuations in a target object, including the human body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: University of Rochester
    Inventors: John C. Howell, Christopher Mullarkey, Julian Martinez-Rincon
  • Publication number: 20180292179
    Abstract: Digital cloaking is a method for practical cloaking, where space, angle, spectrum and phase are discretized. At the sacrifice of spatial resolution, a good approximation to an ideal cloak can be achieved—a cloak that is omnidirectional, broadband, and operational for the visible spectrum, three-dimensional (3D), and phase-matching for the light field, among other attributes. One example of a digital cloak is an active cloak that uses lenticular lenses, similar to integral imaging for 3D displays. With the continuing improvement in commercial digital technology, the resolution limitations of a digital cloak may be minimized, and a wearable cloak can be implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: Joseph S. Choi, John C. Howell
  • Publication number: 20180267326
    Abstract: A system for displaying one or more images in three dimensions. The system has a three dimensional illumination volume containing a gas that emits one or more types of visible light when at certain multi-photon excited states. The system includes lasers (e.g. lasers with beams outside of the visible wavelengths) that can be directed to intersect in the illumination volume to excite particles of the gas to a multi-photon excited state to emit visible light. Scanning the beam intersection (or multiple beam intersections) through the illumination volume generates three dimensional images. In some embodiments, the system includes lasers that can be directed to intersect in the illumination volume to excite particles to an intermediate state that absorbs at least a portion of the emitted radiation from particles excited to a multi-photon excited state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: Curtis J. Broadbent, John C. Howell
  • Publication number: 20180052584
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally related to three-dimensional displays and methods for displaying three-dimensional images. Some embodiments may be related to zooming for 3D image capture and display in real-time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: Joseph S. Choi, John C. Howell
  • Patent number: 9557547
    Abstract: A paraxial cloaking device provides a cloaking volume in which an item can be hid from view. A cloaking device includes an optical input receiving light rays and an optical output from which a continuous range of directions of the received light rays exit the paraxial cloaking device. The cloaking volume being disposed between the optical input and the optical output. For received light rays having incoming directions non-parallel to the reference optical axis up to a first angle, each of the received light rays exits the cloaking device substantially aligned with the respective received light ray and does not pass through the cloaking volume. The paraxial cloaking device has a unity magnification factor. In some instances, the paraxial cloaking device includes a phase matching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: University of Rochester
    Inventors: Joseph S. Choi, John C. Howell
  • Publication number: 20160025956
    Abstract: A paraxial cloaking device provides a cloaking volume in which an item can be hid from view. A cloaking device includes an optical input receiving light rays and an optical output from which a continuous range of directions of the received light rays exit the paraxial cloaking device. The cloaking volume being disposed between the optical input and the optical output. For received light rays having incoming directions non-parallel to the reference optical axis up to a first angle, each of the received light rays exits the cloaking device substantially aligned with the respective received light ray and does not pass through the cloaking volume. The paraxial cloaking device has a unity magnification factor. In some instances, the paraxial cloaking device includes a phase matching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: Joseph S. Choi, John C. Howell
  • Publication number: 20040042512
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhancing the production of polarisation-entangled multiphoton states from a laser pumped parametric down-converting crystal. The pump beam and initial down-converted photons are returned by retro mirrors, in phase to the down-converting crystal where they stimulate the emission of further polarisation-entangled states. The efficiency of the process is increased by including in the path of the returning down-converted photons a crystal of the same substance and thickness as the down-converting crystal to provide spatial and temporal walk-off compensation. Further, the phase of the returning pump beam is adjusted and optimised by control of the retro-mirror while monitoring the rate of production of polarisation-entangled photon pairs. Maximising the rate of production of photon pairs also maximises the rate of production of higher-order states, such as four-photon states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Antia Lamas-Linares, John C. Howell, Dik Bouwmeester