Patents by Inventor Marek W. Kowarz
Marek W. Kowarz 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).
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Patent number: 7274454Abstract: An imaging apparatus has input optics for obtaining a multispectral image bearing light and a programmable spectral switching section. The programmable spectral switching section has a first lens for directing light toward a dichroic separator that separates the multispectral image bearing light into a plurality of discrete spectral bands, each directed to an optical switch. Each optical switch is selectively enabled to redirect its corresponding spectral band back through the first lens as switched spectral band light. A light path selector element directs switched spectral band light toward an image forming section that has a sensor lens for directing switched spectral band light toward an image sensor. The image sensor forms image data according switched spectral band light from each optical switch. A control logic processor communicates with optical switches and with the sensor, providing instructions for enablement of optical switches and obtaining sensor data.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2005Date of Patent: September 25, 2007Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Marek W. Kowarz, James G. Phalen, J. Daniel Newman
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Patent number: 7249853Abstract: An optical sub-system has an optical element having a curved surface featured with a plurality of recurring surface tooling marks. The depth of any surface tooling mark is less than 0.2 wavelengths, whereby light is diffracted on the curved surface. A spatial filter blocks the diffracted light and passes the undiffracted light.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2005Date of Patent: July 31, 2007Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Laura A. Weller-Brophy, Jayson J. Nelson, Marek W. Kowarz, John C. Brazas, James G. Phalen
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Patent number: 7119936Abstract: A display system (10) with reduced speckle has a light source (70) providing an illumination beam and a linear light modulator (85) having at least one linear array of light modulating devices for forming a modulated beam. The modulated beam has a plurality of orders of diffracted light. An obstructing element (82r,82g,82b) blocks a zeroeth order reflected light from the modulated beam. An angle-transforming optical assembly (30) anamorphically conditions the modulated beam. A scanning element (77) scans the modulated beam toward a display surface (90) for forming a two-dimensional image thereon.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2004Date of Patent: October 10, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Marek W. Kowarz, Farouk H. Bonilla, Brian E. Kruschwitz, James G. Phalen
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Patent number: 7111943Abstract: A display apparatus for providing an image on a curved display surface includes a line image generation apparatus for generating a modulated line image, where the line image generation apparatus includes a laser light source for providing an illumination beam, a linear spatial light modulator for modulating the illumination beam to provide a modulated line image as at least one diffracted order of the illumination beam, a projection lens for directing the modulated line image toward a line image scanner for scanning the modulated light beam to form a two-dimensional image on the curved display surface, wherein the line image scanner is optically disposed near the center of curvature of the curved display surface.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2003Date of Patent: September 26, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: John A. Agostinelli, David Kessler, Marek W. Kowarz
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Patent number: 7061661Abstract: An electromechanical display panel that includes at least two spatially separated plates. Between the at least two spatially separated plates is a suspended porous movable film having a pore area, wherein the pore area comprises less than 50% of surface area of the porous movable film. The electromechanical display panel also includes a means for moving the porous movable film between the at least two spatially separated plates to cause selective light modulation.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2003Date of Patent: June 13, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Marek W. Kowarz, Marcus S. Bermel, Robert F. Cournoyer
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Patent number: 7046446Abstract: A method for displaying an image including: forming at least three light beams by diffraction at a single linear light modulator, wherein the at least three light beams have substantially equal intensity and are substantially the same color; projecting the at least three light beams toward a display surface to form an image line; and, scanning the image line across the display surface to form an image thereby.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2004Date of Patent: May 16, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Marek W. Kowarz, Farouk H. Bonilla, Brian E. Kruschwitz, James G. Phalen
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Patent number: 7012585Abstract: An array having a plurality of column electrodes and a plurality of rows of individually addressable OLED pixels, each row including a commonly shared electrode wherein at least one OLED pixel in each row has a current limiting component and an organic electroluminescent diode and such at least one OLED pixel is connected between the commonly shared electrode and one of the plurality of column electrodes for conducting current therebetween, and wherein the at least one organic electroluminescent diode is connected in series with the current limiting component.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2004Date of Patent: March 14, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: John A. Agostinelli, Marek W. Kowarz, Fitzroy H. Crosdale
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Patent number: 6967986Abstract: An apparatus for providing modulated light, that includes: a VCSEL array for generating an illumination beam from a plurality of emissive elements within the VCSEL array; a linear array of electromechanical grating devices for modulating the illumination beam to provide a plurality of diffracted orders; an obstructing element for blocking at least one of the plurality of diffracted orders; and means for conditioning the illumination beam to provide a suitable aspect ratio for incidence onto the linear array of electromechanical grating devices and/or remove unwanted spatial content.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2002Date of Patent: November 22, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Marek W. Kowarz, John A. Agostinelli, Keith B. Kahen
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Patent number: 6947459Abstract: An organic vertical cavity laser light producing device (10) comprises a substrate (20). A plurality of laser emitters (200) emits laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate. Each laser emitter within the plurality of laser emitters has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and the first axis. Each laser emitter comprises a first mirror provided on a top surface of the substrate (20) and is reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths. An organic active region (40) produces laser light (350). A second mirror is provided above the organic active region and is reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths. A pumping means excites the plurality of laser emitters.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2002Date of Patent: September 20, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Andrew F. Kurtz, Marek W. Kowarz, Brian E. Kruschwitz, Keith B. Kahen
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Patent number: 6919983Abstract: An electrostatic micromechanical device with continuously variable displacement, that includes: a movable member having a first electrode; an opposing surface having a second electrode; a channel separating the movable member from the opposing surface; a liquid situated in the channel, wherein the liquid has a sufficiently high dielectric constant so as to enable continuously variable and stable control of a displacement of the movable member over a travel range spanning at least half of the channel; the displacement being a result of a voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode; and at least one solid dielectric layer physically situated between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2004Date of Patent: July 19, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Marek W. Kowarz
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Patent number: 6844960Abstract: An electrostatic micromechanical device with continuously variable displacement, that includes: a movable member having a first electrode; an opposing surface having a second electrode; a channel separating the movable member from the opposing surface; a liquid situated in the channel, wherein the liquid has a sufficiently high dielectric constant so as to enable continuously variable and stable control of a displacement of the movable member over a travel range spanning at least half of the channel; the displacement being a result of a voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode; and at least one solid dielectric layer physically situated between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2002Date of Patent: January 18, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Marek W. Kowarz
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Patent number: 6829089Abstract: A monocentric arrangement of optical components providing stereoscopic display of a virtual image, electronically generated, line by line, from an electromechanical grating light modulator (85) and projected, as a real intermediate image, near the focal surface (22) of a curved mirror (24) by means of a scanning ball lens assembly (100). To form each left and right intermediate image component, a separate image generation system (70) comprises a scanning ball lens assembly (100) comprising a spherical lens (46) for wide field of view and a reflective surface (102). A monocentric arrangement of optical components images the left and right scanning ball lens pupil at the corresponding left and right viewing pupil (14) of the observer (12) and essentially provides a single center of curvature for projection components.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2004Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: John A. Agostinelli, Marek W. Kowarz
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Patent number: 6807010Abstract: A color display apparatus for forming, on a display surface, a color image of superimposed color images, the display apparatus having a first color modulation channel for forming a first color two-dimensional image using a laser light source for providing a first color source beam, a linear spatial light modulator for modulating the first color source beam, and a scanning element for scanning the modulated light beam to form a first color two-dimensional image. A second color modulation channel forms a second color two-dimensional image using an incoherent light source for providing a second color source beam to an area spatial light modulator for modulating the second color source beam to form a second color two-dimensional image. A projection lens then projects a superimposed color image of the first color two-dimensional image and the second color two-dimensional image and any third color two-dimensional image.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2003Date of Patent: October 19, 2004Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Marek W. Kowarz
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Patent number: 6802613Abstract: An improved imaging apparatus having an expanded color gamut defined by more than three vertex colors for forming a color image on a display surface, that includes: a light source including at least one dichroic combiner for transmitting a first vertex color and reflecting a second vertex color toward a color combining element that directs, along an illumination axis, a colored illumination beam having, at any one time, any one of at least four different vertex colors; a linear array of electromechanical grating devices for receiving the colored illumination beam along the illumination axis; an obstructing element for blocking a zeroth order light beam reflected from the linear array of electromechanical grating devices from reaching the display surface; a projection lens cooperating with a scanning element, and a logic control processor.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2002Date of Patent: October 12, 2004Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: John A. Agostinelli, Marek W. Kowarz, Louis S. Horvath
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Publication number: 20040179264Abstract: A monocentric arrangement of optical components providing stereoscopic display of a virtual image, electronically generated, line by line, from an electromechanical grating light modulator (85) and projected, as a real intermediate image, near the focal surface (22) of a curved mirror (24) by means of a scanning ball lens assembly (100). To form each left and right intermediate image component, a separate image generation system (70) comprises a scanning ball lens assembly (100) comprising a spherical lens (46) for wide field of view and a reflective surface (102). A monocentric arrangement of optical components images the left and right scanning ball lens pupil at the corresponding left and right viewing pupil (14) of the observer (12) and essentially provides a single center of curvature for projection components.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2004Publication date: September 16, 2004Inventors: John A. Agostinelli, Marek W. Kowarz
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Patent number: 6779892Abstract: A substantially monocentric arrangement of optical components providing a multicolor stereoscopic display having an expanded color gamut. A virtual image is electronically generated by an image generation system (70) having four or more color light sources (20) and is projected, as a real intermediate image, near the focal surface (22) of a curved mirror (24) by means of a scanning ball lens assembly (100). To form each left and right intermediate image component, a separate image generation system (70) comprises a scanning ball lens assembly (100) that uses a spherical lens (46) for wide field of view and a reflective surface (102). A monocentric arrangement of optical components images the left and right scanning ball lens pupil at the corresponding left and right viewing pupil (14) of the observer (12) and essentially provides a single center of curvature for projection components.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2002Date of Patent: August 24, 2004Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: John A. Agostinelli, Marek W. Kowarz, Louis S. Horvath
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Patent number: 6768585Abstract: A monocentric arrangement of optical components providing stereoscopic display of a virtual image, electronically generated, line by line, from an electromechanical grating light modulator (85) and projected, as a real intermediate image, near the focal surface (22) of a curved mirror (24) by means of a scanning ball lens assembly (100). To form each left and right intermediate image component, a separate image generation system (70) comprises a scanning ball lens assembly (100) comprising a spherical lens (46) for wide field of view and a reflective surface (102). A monocentric arrangement of optical components images the left and right scanning ball lens pupil at the corresponding left and right viewing pupil (14) of the observer (12) and essentially provides a single center of curvature for projection components.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2002Date of Patent: July 27, 2004Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: John A. Agostinelli, Marek W. Kowarz
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Publication number: 20040101008Abstract: An organic vertical cavity laser light producing device (10) comprises a substrate (20). A plurality of laser emitters (200) emits laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate. Each laser emitter within the plurality of laser emitters has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and the first axis. Each laser emitter comprises a first mirror provided on a top surface of the substrate (20) and is reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths. An organic active region (40) produces laser light (350). A second mirror is provided above the organic active region and is reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths. A pumping means excites the plurality of laser emitters.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2002Publication date: May 27, 2004Applicant: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Andrew F. Kurtz, Marek W. Kowarz, Brian E. Kruschwitz, Keith B. Kahen
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Publication number: 20040090599Abstract: An apparatus for providing modulated light, that includes: a VCSEL array for generating an illumination beam from a plurality of emissive elements within the VCSEL array; a linear array of electromechanical grating devices for modulating the illumination beam to provide a plurality of diffracted orders; an obstructing element for blocking at least one of the plurality of diffracted orders; and means for conditioning the illumination beam to provide a suitable aspect ratio for incidence onto the linear array of electromechanical grating devices and/or remove unwanted spatial content.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2002Publication date: May 13, 2004Applicant: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Marek W. Kowarz, John A. Agostinelli, Keith B. Kahen
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Publication number: 20040090679Abstract: A color display apparatus for forming, on a display surface, a color image of superimposed color images, the display apparatus having a first color modulation channel for forming a first color two-dimensional image using a laser light source for providing a first color source beam, a linear spatial light modulator for modulating the first color source beam, and a scanning element for scanning the modulated light beam to form a first color two-dimensional image. A second color modulation channel forms a second color two-dimensional image using an incoherent light source for providing a second color source beam to an area spatial light modulator for modulating the second color source beam to form a second color two-dimensional image. A projection lens then projects a superimposed color image of the first color two-dimensional image and the second color two-dimensional image and any third color two-dimensional image.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2003Publication date: May 13, 2004Applicant: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Marek W. Kowarz