Patents by Inventor Mark B. Spitzer

Mark B. Spitzer 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: 6384982
    Abstract: A head-mountable image display system provides an image to a user's eye separate from ambient light. The system includes an optical relay having an optical pathway to receive light from a display element. The optical relay also permits passage of ambient light toward the user's eye. An eyepiece assembly is disposed to redirect light on the optical pathway to the user's eye. The system is highly compact, allowing the integration of the display system with eyeglasses, a face mask, such as a diver's mask, a head set, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: The Microoptical Corporation
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20020030767
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of fabricating pixel electrodes (44) for active matrix displays including the formation of arrays of transistor circuits in thin film silicon (10) on an insulating substrate and transfer of this active matrix circuit onto an optically transmissive substrate (24). An array of color filter elements can be formed prior to transfer of the active matrix circuit that are aligned between a light source for the display and the array of pixel electrodes to provide a color display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 1997
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventors: PAUL M. ZAVRACKY, DUY-PHACH VU, BRENDA DINGLE, MATTHEW ZAVRACKY, MARK B. SPITZER
  • Patent number: 6356392
    Abstract: A head-mountable image display system provides an image to a user's eye separate from ambient light. The system includes an optical relay having an optical pathway to receive light from a display element. The optical relay also permits passage of ambient light toward the user's eye. An eyepiece assembly is disposed to redirect light on the optical pathway to the user's eye. The system is highly compact, allowing the integration of the display system with eyeglasses, a face mask, such as a diver's mask, a head set, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: The Microoptical Corporation
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 6353503
    Abstract: An off-axis optical display system is provided. The system comprises an eyeglass lens assembly having a first lens section having a first surface, at least a portion of the first surface having a first curvature, and a second lens section having a second surface, at least a portion of the second surface having a second curvature. An interface is located between the first surface and the second surface. The interface comprises an optical layer and conforms to the first curvature of the first surface and the second curvature of the second surface. An image source is located off-axis with respect to the interface to transmit light along an optical path that reflects off the optical reflective surface of the interface toward an eye of a user. A portion of the optical path may be through air, and refraction is provided at the interface between air and the first lens. An aberration correction element is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: The Micropitical Corporation
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, John O. Crawford
  • Patent number: 6349001
    Abstract: An eyeglass interface system is provided which integrates interface systems within eyewear. The system includes a display assembly and one or more audio and/or video assemblies mounted to an eyeglass frame. The display assembly is mounted to one temple and provides an image which can be viewed by the user. The audio or video assembly is mounted to the other temple and is in communication with the display assembly. The audio or video assembly may comprise a camera assembly and/or an audio input or output assembly, such as a microphone and/or speakers. The camera assembly is placed on the temple to record the visual field observed by the user. A head-tracking assembly may be provided to track the position of the user's head. A number of applications can be provided with the present system, such as a telephone system, pager system, or surveillance system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: The Microoptical Corporation
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 6317175
    Abstract: A display panel is formed using a single crystal thin-film transistors that are transferred to substrates for display fabrication. Pixel arrays form light valves or switches that can be fabricated with control electronics in the thin-film material prior to transfer. The resulting circuit panel is then incorporated into a projection display system with a light emitting or liquid crystal material to provide the desired light valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Jack P. Salerno, Paul M. Zavracky, Mark B. Spitzer, Brenda Dingle
  • Patent number: 6204974
    Abstract: A head-mountable image display system provides an image to a user's eye separate from ambient light. The system includes an optical relay having an optical pathway to receive light from a display element. The optical relay also permits passage of ambient light toward the user's eye. An eyepiece assembly is disposed to redirect light on the optical pathway to the user's eye. The system is highly compact, allowing the integration of the display system with eyeglasses, a face mask, such as a diver's mask, a head set, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: The Microoptical Corporation
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 6140980
    Abstract: A head-mounted display system including a high resolution active matrix display which reduces center of gravity offset in a compact design. The active matrix display can be either a liquid crystal display or a light emitting display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Ronald Gale, Jeffrey Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 6091546
    Abstract: An eyeglass interface system is provided which integrates interface systems within eyewear. The system includes a display assembly and one or more audio and/or video assemblies mounted to an eyeglass frame. The display assembly is mounted to one temple and provides an image which can be viewed by the user. The audio or video assembly is mounted to the other temple and is in communication with the display assembly. The audio or video assembly may comprise a camera assembly and/or an audio input or output assembly, such as a microphone and/or speakers. The camera assembly is placed on the temple to record the visual field observed by the user. A head-tracking assembly may be provided to track the position of the user's head. A number of applications can be provided with the present system, such as a telephone system, pager system, or surveillance system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: The Microoptical Corporation
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 6072445
    Abstract: A head mounted display device includes a high resolution active matrix display which reduces center of gravity offset in a compact design. The display panel may be formed using a single crystal thin-film material that is transferred to substrates for display fabrication. Pixel arrays form light valves or switches that can be fabricated with control electronics in the thin-film material prior to transfer. The resulting circuit panel is then incorporated into a color display panel with a light emitting or liquid crystal material to provide the desired light valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Ronald P. Gale, Jeffrey Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 6043800
    Abstract: A head mounted liquid crystal display system includes a high resolution active matrix display which reduces center of gravity offset in a compact design. The display system further includes an optically transparent substrate, a circuit panel, which comprises transistors and electrodes, and a adhesive layer between the substrate and circuit panel. A driver circuit formed in the circuit panel is connected to an array of pixel circuits and drives the display system to generate images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Ronald P. Gale, Jeffrey Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 6023372
    Abstract: The present invention provides a compact, remountable display device for attachment to eyewear having a head-borne frame to provide an image from an image display superposed on the ambient image. The display device includes a housing assembly which removably mounts to the head-borne frame at a location outside of a user's field of view. An electronic imaging assembly is supported by the housing assembly outside of the user's field of view and in communication with circuitry within the housing assembly to produce an image. An optical element is provided comprising a transparent fixture supporting an eyepiece assembly in front of a user's eye. The transparent fixture is located to receive the image from the electronic imaging assembly and relays the image to the eyepiece assembly, which directs the image to the user's eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: The Microoptical Corporation
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Mark H. Olson
  • Patent number: 5886822
    Abstract: An optical system combines a first image formed by a main lens with a second image provided by an electronic display, slide, or other image source. The image combining system includes one or more inserts such as a set of reflecting image combiners to redirect light on an optical pathway within the main lens to the user's eye. The image combining system is highly compact, allowing the integration of a display system with eyeglasses or a face mask, such as a diver's mask. A number of implementations of the optical system make possible other types of image integration including uses in image acquisition systems such as cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: The Microoptical Corporation
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 5861929
    Abstract: A color active matrix display system including a plurality of active matrix arrays that are stacked around a liquid crystal material, vertically aligned and interconnected to provide a high resolution color display system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventor: Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 5705424
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of fabricating pixel electrodes for active matrix displays including the formation of arrays of transistor circuits in thin film silicon on an insulating substrate and transfer of this active matrix circuit onto an optically transmissive substrate. An array of color filter elements can be formed prior to transfer of the active matrix circuit that are aligned between a light source for the display and the array of pixel electrodes to provide a color display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Zavracky, Duy-Phach Vu, Brenda Dingle, Matthew Zavracky, Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 5664859
    Abstract: A portable docking station system for a liquid crystal display assembly using an arc lamp and a compact optical assembly to project video or data onto a viewing screen. The system includes a color sequential operating system to convert a monochrome liquid crystal display into a high-speed, high resolution, high brightness, color projection display. Video generating and receiving systems as well as an audio system can be incorporated into the docking station to provide a portable presentation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Jack P. Salerno, Ronald Gale, Mark B. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 5666175
    Abstract: An optical and projection system for viewing images produced on an active matrix slide is disclosed. An embodiment of the viewing system includes a graphic user interactive system in which images generated by a computer are controlled by a remote and are viewed on a viewing surface. The remote can be incorporated into the protective endcap of the active matrix slide. The light absorbed by the thin-film transistors of the active matrix can be reduced by tilting the more heavily shielded side of the thin-film transistors towards the light source. The invention further comprises an active matrix having an array of microlenses positioned to receive light from a light source. Each microlens converges and delivers light in a uniform or desired distribution to a corresponding pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Stephen Offsey, Jeffrey Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 5661371
    Abstract: A display panel is formed using a single crystal thin-film material that may be transferred to substrates for display fabrication. Pixel arrays form light valves or switches that can be fabricated with control electronics in the thin-film material prior to transfer. The resulting circuit panel is then incorporated into a display panel with a light emitting or liquid crystal material to provide the desired display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Jack P. Salerno, Mark B. Spitzer, Jeffrey Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 5654811
    Abstract: A display panel is formed using a single crystal thin-film material that is transferred to substrates for display fabrication. Pixel arrays form light valves or switches that can be fabricated with control electronics in the thin-film material prior to transfer. The resulting circuit panel is then incorporated into a color display panel with a light emitting or liquid crystal material to provide the desired light valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Jack P. Salerno, Brenda Dingle, Jeffrey Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 5583335
    Abstract: An eye tracking system is disclosed which is comprised of an eye tracking module formed of a display joined to a photodetector array. Each pixel in the display is aligned with a corresponding photodetector. An image generated by the display is projected onto a viewing screen or toward a viewer. Axial light rays from the display pixels are reflected by the eye and detected by a respective photodetector which generates an electrical signal indicative of eye position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Mark B. Spitzer, Jeffrey Jacobsen