Patents by Inventor Paul Christian Thomas

Paul Christian Thomas 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: 20220050230
    Abstract: Compact lens systems that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include a master lens with two or more lens elements arranged along an optical axis and having refractive power, and an optical actuator located on the object side of the master lens that may provide autofocus (AF) and/or optical image stabilization (OIS) functionality for the camera. An aperture stop for the camera may be included in the optical actuator, for example between a substrate and a flexible optical element of the optical actuator. Including the aperture stop in the optical actuator rather than in the lens stack may allow the optical actuator to be smaller in the X-Y dimensions (perpendicular to the optical (Z) axis) than it would be in a similar camera with the aperture stop located in the lens stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Christian Thomas Fuller, Iain A. McAllister, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 11163096
    Abstract: Compact lens systems that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include a master lens with two or more lens elements arranged along an optical axis and having refractive power, and an optical actuator located on the object side of the master lens that may provide autofocus (AF) and/or optical image stabilization (OIS) functionality for the camera. An aperture stop for the camera may be included in the optical actuator, for example between a substrate and a flexible optical element of the optical actuator. Including the aperture stop in the optical actuator rather than in the lens stack may allow the optical actuator to be smaller in the X-Y dimensions (perpendicular to the optical (Z) axis) than it would be in a similar camera with the aperture stop located in the lens stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Christian Thomas Fuller, Iain A. McAllister, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20190170914
    Abstract: Compact lens systems that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include a master lens with two or more lens elements arranged along an optical axis and having refractive power, and an optical actuator located on the object side of the master lens that may provide autofocus (AF) and/or optical image stabilization (OIS) functionality for the camera. An aperture stop for the camera may be included in the optical actuator, for example between a substrate and a flexible optical element of the optical actuator. Including the aperture stop in the optical actuator rather than in the lens stack may allow the optical actuator to be smaller in the X-Y dimensions (perpendicular to the optical (Z) axis) than it would be in a similar camera with the aperture stop located in the lens stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Christian Thomas Fuller, Iain A. McAllister, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 6856283
    Abstract: A power system for a phased-array radar system powers an antenna array with a single multiphase transformer. A plurality of AC/DC converters are connected in parallel between the single multiphase transformer and a common bus. The common bus is balanced with respect to chassis ground reducing noise and improving operating safety of the antenna. The AC/DC converters each has a multi-sloped characteristic which enables the converters to share power by modifying output impedance as a function of load without external control signals. The system also has several layers of fault detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Boris Solomon Jacobson, John McGinty, Paul Christian Thomas
  • Publication number: 20040257271
    Abstract: A power system for a phased-array radar system powers an antenna array with a single multiphase transformer. A plurality of AC/DC converters are connected in parallel between the single multiphase transformer and a common bus. The common bus is balanced with respect to chassis ground reducing noise and improving operating safety of the antenna. The AC/DC converters each has a multi-sloped characteristic which enables the converters to share power by modifying output impedance as a function of load without external control signals. The system also has several layers of fault detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Boris Solomon Jacobson, John McGinty, Paul Christian Thomas