Patents by Inventor Stephan J. Pankratz
Stephan J. Pankratz 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: 11921299Abstract: A display system includes a display panel configured to emit a polarized image light having a first polarization state and at least one emission spectrum having a full width at half maxima (FWHM). The display system includes a reflective polarizer configured to receive and reflect the polarized image light as a first reflected polarized image light. For a first light incident at a first predetermined angle, the reflective polarizer has an average reflectance of greater than about 60% across the at least one emission spectrum for the first polarization state, a transmittance of at least about 50% for at least wavelength outside the FWHM of the at least one emission spectrum for the first polarization state, and an average total transmittance of greater than about 70% across a visible wavelength range including the FWHM of the at least one emission spectrum for an orthogonal second polarization state.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Adam D. Haag, Stephan J. Pankratz, Matthew B. Johnson, William F. Edmonds
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Publication number: 20230393410Abstract: A display system includes a display panel configured to emit a polarized image light having a first polarization state and at least one emission spectrum having a full width at half maxima (FWHM). The display system includes a reflective polarizer configured to receive and reflect the polarized image light as a first reflected polarized image light. For a first light incident at a first predetermined angle, the reflective polarizer has an average reflectance of greater than about 60% across the at least one emission spectrum for the first polarization state, a transmittance of at least about 50% for at least wavelength outside the FWHM of the at least one emission spectrum for the first polarization state, and an average total transmittance of greater than about 70% across a visible wavelength range including the FWHM of the at least one emission spectrum for an orthogonal second polarization state.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2021Publication date: December 7, 2023Inventors: Adam D. Haag, Stephan J. Pankratz, Matthew B. Johnson, William F. Edmonds
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Publication number: 20230302901Abstract: An optical system includes an image projector having a light source. A reflective polarizer receives light emitted by the light source at a first incident angle greater than 30 degrees and reflects a portion of the light as a first reflected light. A spatial light modulator receives the first reflected light at a second incident angle greater than 5 degrees and transmits a portion of the first reflected light as a projected image light. A first mirror receives the projected image light at a third incident angle and reflects a portion of the projected image light as a second reflected image light which is received by a second mirror at a fourth incident angle, reflecting a portion of the second reflected image light as a third reflected image light having the viewable image. The light source and spatial light modulator are disposed on a same side of the reflective polarizer.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2021Publication date: September 28, 2023Inventor: Stephan J. Pankratz
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Publication number: 20230256820Abstract: A display system includes a display panel configured to emit polarized light having a first polarization state and substantially distinct blue, green and red emission spectra having respective blue, green and red full widths at half maxima (FWHMs). The display system includes a reflective polarizer configured to reflect the polarized image light as a first reflected polarized image light. For substantially normally incident light and for the first polarization state, the reflective polarizer has a reflectance of greater than about 60% across each of the blue and red FWHMs, and a transmittance of at least about 50% for at least a first wavelength between the FWHMs of the blue and green emission spectra, and for at least a second wavelength between the FWHMs of the green and red emission spectra.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2021Publication date: August 17, 2023Inventors: Adam D. Haag, Stephan J. Pankratz
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Publication number: 20230134930Abstract: A heads-up display for viewing by an eye of a passenger of a vehicle includes a windshield with a reflective polarizer disposed adjacent to a first outermost glass surface of the windshield, a display configured to emit an image toward the windshield, the windshield reflecting between 15% and 85% of the emitted image toward the passenger, and a phase retarding plate disposed in an optical path between the display and the windshield. The windshield is configured to receive the image emitted by the display after the image has been transmitted by the phase retarding plate and to reflect at least a portion of the received image as a reflected image toward the eye of the passenger. The phase retarding plate modifies a polarization state of the reflected image to improve a viewing characteristic of the reflective image depending on a viewing angle of the eye of the passenger.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2022Publication date: May 4, 2023Inventors: Stephan J. Pankratz, Matthew B. Johnson, William F. Edmonds, Jan Thomas Krapp
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Publication number: 20230081054Abstract: A heads up display (HUD) includes a display source for emitting an emitted image, a windshield and an absorbing polarizer. For substantially normally incident light, the absorbing polarizer substantially transmits the incident light polarized along a pass direction, and substantially absorbs the incident light polarized along a block direction. The emitted image includes at least one image ray that is received and transmitted by the absorbing polarizer toward the windshield at a first location of the absorbing polarizer. The transmitted image ray is received and reflected by the windshield at a second location of the windshield. A first normal line of the absorbing polarizer at the first location is substantially parallel to a projection of the transmitted image ray onto the windshield. Further, the pass direction of the absorbing polarizer at the first location is substantially parallel to a second normal line of the windshield at the second location.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2021Publication date: March 16, 2023Inventor: Stephan J. Pankratz
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Publication number: 20230017066Abstract: An optical system includes a display system including a display having first and second display pixels interspersed with each other across the display. The first and second display pixels emit superimposed different respective first and second images polarized along the first direction. The display system includes a patterned retarder having pluralities of first and second retarder pixels aligned and registered with the respective first and second display pixels in one-to-one correspondence. The first retarder pixels are configured to receive and transmit the first emitted image as the first output image polarized along the first direction. The second retarder pixels are configured to receive, change the polarization direction, and transmit the second emitted image as the second output image polarized along the second direction. A reflective polarizer is configured to receive the first and second output images and substantially transmit the first output image and substantially reflect the second output image.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2020Publication date: January 19, 2023Inventors: Stephan J. Pankratz, Nathaniel K. Naismith
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Publication number: 20230013999Abstract: An optical system includes a display including an active display region configured to emit an image. The active display region includes a predetermined region including a display center. A windshield of a vehicle includes an embedded reflective polarizer. The reflective polarizer reflects between about 20% to about 40% of incident light polarized along a first direction, and transmits at least 60% of the incident light polarized along a second direction. The reflective polarizer receives the image emitted by the active display region and reflects a portion toward the eye. For at least one first location within the predetermined region, the emitted image includes an image cone having an emitted central image ray emitted from the first location. The emitted central image ray is polarized along a third direction when incident on the windshield in an incident plane. The first and third directions are substantially parallel to the incident plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2021Publication date: January 19, 2023Inventor: Stephan J. Pankratz
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Publication number: 20220413286Abstract: A heads-up display includes a windshield (10) with a standardized wedge profile and an embedded reflective polarizer (20) for p-polarised light and a display (40). The reflective polarizer is disposed between, and spaced apart from, opposing outermost first and second major glass surfaces (11, 12) of the windshield. The heads-up display forms a virtual image for viewing by the eye of a passenger. An image emitted by the display may include a first image ray emitted from a predetermined region of the display and incident on the outermost first major glass surface of the windshield at an angle of incidence greater than about 60 degrees, with at least 90% of the incident first emitted image ray polarized in a plane of incidence of the first emitted image ray. A heads-up display includes windshield (10) with a standardized wedge profile and an embedded reflective polarizer (20) for p-polarised light and a display (40).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2020Publication date: December 29, 2022Inventors: Stephan J. Pankratz, William F. Edmonds, Matthew B. Johnson, John F. VanDerlofske, III
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Publication number: 20220350154Abstract: An optical system includes a display including an active display region having a maximum lateral dimension D and configured to emit an image for viewing by an eye of a viewer, the active display region including a display center and a predetermined region including the display center, the predetermined region having a largest lateral dimension d, such that d/D?0.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2020Publication date: November 3, 2022Inventor: Stephan J. Pankratz
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Publication number: 20220057632Abstract: An optical system, including a reflective polarizer, and a display and a mirror disposed on a same side of, and generally facing, the reflective polarizer. The reflective polarizer may transmit at least 80% of incident light having a first polarization state and may reflect at least 80% of incident light having a second polarization state, and the mirror may reflect at least 80% of the incident light for each of the first and second polarization states. The central locations of the display, reflective polarizer, and mirror may define a midplane which includes first, second, and third regions, such that the first region includes portions of the image rays that pass at least once across the region, the second region includes portions of the image rays that pass at least twice across the region, and the third region includes portions of the image rays that pass three times across the region.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2019Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: Zhisheng Yun, Hao Wu, Stephen J. Willett, Craig R. Schardt, Stephan J. Pankratz, Gilles J. Benoit
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Publication number: 20220050287Abstract: A glass laminate (100) including first and second glass layers (102,104), a reflective film (110) having opposed first and second major surfaces and disposed between the first and second glass layers (102,104) with the first and second major surfaces facing the respective first and second glass layers (102,104), a first adhesive layer (117) disposed between and bonding together the first glass layer (102) and the reflective film (110), and a second adhesive layer (119) disposed between and bonding together the second glass layer (104) and the reflective film (110) is described. The second adhesive layer (119) is thicker than the first adhesive layer (117) such that the first major surface of the reflective film (110) is separated from an outermost major surface of the first glass layer (102) by distance d1, the second major surface of the reflective film (110) is separated from an outermost major surface of the second glass layer (104) by a distance d2, and 0.05<d1/d2<0.9.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2019Publication date: February 17, 2022Inventors: John F. VANDERLOFSKE, III, Eileen M. FRANEY, Stephan J. PANKRATZ, Matthew B. JOHNSON, Brianna N. WHEELER, Adam D. HAAG, Kristy A. GILLETTE, Jonah SHAVER
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Publication number: 20210349248Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a multi-layer film and display system. The multi-layer film and display system includes a birefringent film, wherein the birefringent film substantially reduces a visibility of a regular optical pattern generated on the multi-layer film and display system when an at least partially polarized light is incident on the multi-layer film and display system.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2019Publication date: November 11, 2021Inventors: Eileen M. Franey, Stephan J. Pankratz, John F. VanDerlofske, III, Matthew B. Johnson
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Patent number: 7289202Abstract: A method includes providing a polymerized optical film structure having a microstructured surface, forming a scratch having a length on the microstructured surface to form a scratched optical film, illuminating the scratched optical film to form an illuminated scratch, measuring a plurality of scratch contrast ratio values along the length of the illuminated scratch with a detector, and determining a maximum scratch contrast ratio from the plurality of scratch contrast ratio values along the length of the scratch.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2004Date of Patent: October 30, 2007Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Michael S. Groess, Stephan J. Pankratz
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Patent number: 7253809Abstract: A frontlit touch panel for use with a reflective light valve, comprising a front light guide having at least one light input face that supplies light to the guide, a viewing face, a light output face opposite the viewing face, and at least one component of a touch-sensitive transducer, the light output face having a light extraction layer thereon having a substantially flat light exit face and containing buried reflective facets that extract supplied light from the guide through the light exit face. The touch panel can be used with a light source, reflective light valve and suitable control electronics to form a compact, efficient illuminated touch panel display assembly.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2004Date of Patent: August 7, 2007Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Gary T. Boyd, Stephan J. Pankratz
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Patent number: 6738051Abstract: A frontlit touch panel for use with a reflective light valve, comprising a front light guide having at least one light input face that supplies light to the guide, a viewing face, a light output face opposite the viewing face, and at least one component of a touch-sensitive transducer, the light output face having a light extraction layer thereon having a substantially flat light exit face and containing buried reflective facets that extract supplied light from the guide through the light exit face. The touch panel can be used with a light source, reflective light valve and suitable control electronics to form a compact, efficient illuminated touch panel display assembly.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2001Date of Patent: May 18, 2004Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Gary T. Boyd, Stephan J. Pankratz
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Patent number: 6592234Abstract: An illuminated frontlit display includes a front light guide having at least one light input face that supplies light to the guide, a viewing face, and a light output face opposite the viewing face, the light output face having a light extraction layer thereon, the extraction layer having a substantially flat light exit face and containing buried reflective facets that extract supplied light from the guide through the light exit face to a reflective light valve and back through the viewing face of the guide to a viewer.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2001Date of Patent: July 15, 2003Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Kenneth A. Epstein, Robert P. Wenz, Gary T. Boyd, Stephan J. Pankratz
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Publication number: 20020149925Abstract: An illuminated frontlit display includes a front light guide having at least one light input face that supplies light to the guide, a viewing face, and a light output face opposite the viewing face, the light output face having a light extraction layer thereon, the extraction layer having a substantially flat light exit face and containing buried reflective facets that extract supplied light from the guide through the light exit face to a reflective light valve and back through the viewing face of the guide to a viewer.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2001Publication date: October 17, 2002Inventors: Kenneth A. Epstein, Robert P. Wenz, Gary T. Boyd, Stephan J. Pankratz
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Publication number: 20020145593Abstract: A frontlit touch panel for use with a reflective light valve, comprising a front light guide having at least one light input face that supplies light to the guide, a viewing face, a light output face opposite the viewing face, and at least one component of a touch-sensitive transducer, the light output face having a light extraction layer thereon having a substantially flat light exit face and containing buried reflective facets that extract supplied light from the guide through the light exit face. The touch panel can be used with a light source, reflective light valve and suitable control electronics to form a compact, efficient illuminated touch panel display assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2001Publication date: October 10, 2002Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Gary T. Boyd, Stephan J. Pankratz