Patents by Inventor Timothy L. Wong
Timothy L. Wong 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: 12287481Abstract: An optical system for displaying first and second images to a viewer is provided. A reflective polarizer is disposed between the second display and the viewer and is oriented obliquely relative to the first display. An optical stack including a partial reflector and a retarder layer is disposed between the reflective polarizer and the second display. The reflective polarizer reflects at least 70% of the incident light having a first polarization state and transmits at least 60% of the incident light having an orthogonal second polarization state. The partial reflector reflects at least 70% of the incident light for each of the polarization states. For each of the first and second polarization states and for each of a blue-green wavelength and a green-red wavelength the reflective polarizer transmits at east 70% of the incident light and the partial reflector transmits at least 60% of the incident light.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2020Date of Patent: April 29, 2025Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: John D. Le, Timothy L Wong, Timothy J. Nevitt, Zhisheng Yun
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Patent number: 12276821Abstract: A reflective polarizing imaging lens includes at least one optical film having an active area that is curved in two orthogonal directions. Edges of the optical film are arranged to form seams between segments of the optical film in the active area of the reflective polarizing imaging lens.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2024Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Robert M. Jennings, Jo A. Etter, Susan L. Kent, Erin A. McDowell, Timothy L. Wong, Zhisheng Yun
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Publication number: 20250085524Abstract: An optical system for displaying an image to a viewer includes a partial reflector, a reflective polarizer, and a first retarder layer. A light ray propagates along the optical axis and passes through the plurality of optical lenses, the partial reflector, the reflective polarizer, and the first retarder layer without being substantially refracted. For a cone of light incident on the optical system from an object comprising a spatial frequency of about 70, 60, 50, 40, or 30 line pairs per millimeter and filling the exit pupil with a chief ray of the cone of light passing through a center of the opening of the exit pupil of the optical system and making an angle of about 20 degrees with the optical axis, a modulation transfer function of the optical system is greater than about 0.2.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2024Publication date: March 13, 2025Inventors: Zhisheng Yun, Timothy L. Wong, Erin A. McDowell
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Patent number: 12233613Abstract: An optical system includes a partial reflector having an average optical reflectance of at least 30% in a plurality of wavelengths, an image source disposed to emit image light toward the partial reflector, and a reflective polarizer disposed proximate the partial reflector. The reflective polarizer is curved about two orthogonal axes and can include at least one layer substantially optically uniaxial at at least one location. The image light may be transmitted by the reflective polarizer after it is first reflected by the reflective polarizer. Substantially any chief light ray having at least first and second wavelengths at least 150 nm apart in the plurality of wavelengths and emitted by the image source and transmitted by a stop surface or exit pupil of the optical system has a color separation distance of less than 1.5 percent of a field of view.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2023Date of Patent: February 25, 2025Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Timothy L. Wong, Zhisheng Yun, Erin A. McDowell, Gregg A. Ambur
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Patent number: 12233612Abstract: A display system includes an optical system and a curved display disposed to emit light toward the optical system. The optical system includes at least a first optical lens, a partial reflector and a reflective polarizer. The optical system has an optical axis such that a light ray propagating along the optical axis passes through the first optical lens the partial reflector and the reflective polarizer without being substantially refracted. At least one major surface of the optical system can be rotationally asymmetric about the optical axis. A major surface of the optical system may have a first portion defined by a first equation and a second portion adjacent the first portion defined by a different equation. The first optical lens may have a contoured edge adapted to be placed adjacent an eye of a viewer and substantially conform to the viewer's face.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2021Date of Patent: February 25, 2025Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Zhisheng Yun, Timothy L. Wong, Erin A. McDowell, Jo A. Etter, Robert M. Jennings
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Publication number: 20250042111Abstract: An optical system is substantially centered on an optical axis and includes a display panel configured to emit an image, where the optical system configured to display a virtual image of the emitted image emitted to a viewer; and an optical lens disposed between a partial reflector and a reflective polarizer. The partial reflector has an average optical reflectance of at least 30% in a desired plurality of wavelengths. The reflective polarizer is configured to substantially transmit light having a first polarization state and substantially reflect light having an orthogonal second polarization state. The reflective polarizer is curved about two orthogonal axes and disposed on a major surface of the optical lens. The reflective polarizer is substantially optically uniaxial at at least one location of the reflective polarizer. The emitted image is transmitted by the reflective polarizer after it is first reflected by the reflective polarizer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2024Publication date: February 6, 2025Inventors: Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Timothy L. Wong, Zhisheng Yun, Erin A. McDowell, Gregg A. Ambur
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Patent number: 12216262Abstract: An optical system including one or more optical lenses, at least one retarder layer, a reflective polarizer, and a partial reflector is provided. The at least one retarder layer may include first and second retarder layers having different wavelength dispersion curves. The at least one retarder layer may include a first retarder layer having a non-uniform fast axis orientation and/or a non-uniform retardance.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2021Date of Patent: February 4, 2025Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Michael L. Steiner, Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Timothy L. Wong, Zhisheng Yun, Jo A. Etter, Gilles J. Benoit, John D. Le, Erin A. McDowell
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Publication number: 20250029091Abstract: Methods and systems of managing payment cards are disclosed. A financial institution computing system includes a token database storing a plurality of tokens and token information, a network interface circuit enabling the financial institution computing system to exchange information over a network; and a token management circuit. The token management circuit enables a graphical user interface on a customer device over the network that can be used to generate new token requests, re-provision token requests, and management requests. The management requests enable and disable tokens, such that transactions against a payment card account using an enabled token are completed, and transactions against the payment card account using a disabled token are denied.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2024Publication date: January 23, 2025Applicant: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.Inventors: Michelle B. Techel, Peter Ho, Timothy R. Edge, Dorothy M. Scocci, Brenda L. Yost, Kathy Barris Dideum, Cheryl Lynn Wong, Khyati Soparkar, Steven E. Puffer, Stephanie S. Hellman, Brian M. Pearce, James D. Crowell
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Publication number: 20250021962Abstract: Methods and systems of managing payment cards are disclosed. A financial institution computing system includes a token database storing a plurality of tokens and token information, a network interface circuit enabling the financial institution computing system to exchange information over a network; and a token management circuit. The token management circuit enables a graphical user interface on a customer device over the network that can be used to generate new token requests, re-provision token requests, and management requests. The management requests enable and disable tokens, such that transactions against a payment card account using an enabled token are completed, and transactions against the payment card account using a disabled token are denied.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2022Publication date: January 16, 2025Applicant: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.Inventors: Michelle B. Techel, Peter Ho, Timothy R. Edge, Dorothy M. Scocci, Brenda L. Yost, Kathy Barris Dideum, Cheryl Lynn Wong, Khyati Soparkar, Steven E. Puffer, Stephanie S. Hellman, Brian M. Pearce, James D. Crowell
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Publication number: 20250020934Abstract: An optical system that allows a viewer to simultaneously see images created by an electronic display as well as real world objects includes a reflective polarizer as an image combiner for head-mounted displays and an absorptive polarizer deployed in the same combiner to reduce glare by minimizing ambient reflections from the reflective polarizer. To prevent the absorptive polarizer from blocking linearly polarized light sources from being transmitted through the combiner, a weak absorptive polarizer is provided to allow transmission of polarized sources while still minimizing glare.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2024Publication date: January 16, 2025Inventors: Timothy L. Wong, Timothy J. Lindquist
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Patent number: 12181649Abstract: An optical system for displaying an image to a viewer includes a partial reflector, a reflective polarizer, and a first retarder layer. A light ray propagates along the optical axis and passes through the plurality of optical lenses, the partial reflector, the reflective polarizer, and the first retarder layer without being substantially refracted. For a cone of light incident on the optical system from an object comprising a spatial frequency of about 70, 60, 50, 40, or 30 line pairs per millimeter and filling the exit pupil with a chief ray of the cone of light passing through a center of the opening of the exit pupil of the optical system and making an angle of about 20 degrees with the optical axis, a modulation transfer function of the optical system is greater than about 0.2.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2024Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Zhisheng Yun, Timothy L. Wong, Erin A. McDowell
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Publication number: 20240418920Abstract: An optical system for displaying an image to a viewer includes a pixelated display including a plurality of pixels emitting unpolarized image light; a partial reflector having an average optical reflectance of at least 30% in a predetermined wavelength range; a first retarder layer disposed between the pixelated display and the partial reflector; a second retarder layer disposed between the first retarder layer and the partial reflector; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the first and second retarder layers. The reflective polarizer is adapted to increase a brightness of a pixelated image emitted by the pixelated display and displayed to the viewer by recycling at least a portion of unpolarized image light emitted by the pixels; and receive an image ray reflected by the partial reflector and reflect the received image ray toward the viewer.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2024Publication date: December 19, 2024Inventors: Timothy L. Wong, David J.W. Aastuen, Takashi Fujita, Zhisheng Yun, Timothy J. Nevitt
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Publication number: 20240419009Abstract: A display system includes a pixelated display being curved about at least one axis and including a plurality of groups of pixels; a plurality of light redirecting elements where each light redirecting element corresponds to a different group of pixels in the plurality of groups of pixels; and an optical lens system adapted to receive light emitted by the pixelated display and transmitted by the plurality of light redirecting elements. The optical lens system transmits at least a portion of the received light. For at least one pixel in the plurality of groups of pixels, the light redirecting element corresponding to the pixel reduces an angle between a central light ray emitted by the pixel and a chief light ray emitted by the pixel.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2024Publication date: December 19, 2024Inventors: Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Timothy L. Wong, Erin A. McDowell, Zhisheng Yun, Gilles J. Benoit, Jo Anne Etter
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Patent number: 12153219Abstract: Optical systems for displaying an image are described. The optical systems include a first and second optical lenses separated by air. A partial reflector is disposed on and conforms to a major surface of the first optical lens where the major surface can have a best-fit spherical radius of curvature in a range from 20 mm to 200 mm. A reflective polarizer is disposed on and conforms to a major surface of the first optical lens where the major surface can have a best-fit spherical radius of curvature greater than about 500 mm. A retarder layer is disposed between the reflective polarizer and the partial reflector. The first optical lens can have an optical birefringence of less than 15 nm/cm and the second optical lens can have an optical birefringence of greater than 15 nm/cm. A method of fabricating an optical assembly is described.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2020Date of Patent: November 26, 2024Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Zhisheng Yun, Timothy L. Wong, Susan L. Kent, Erin A. McDowell, John D. Le, Jo A. Etter
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Patent number: 12130436Abstract: An optical system (200) that allows a viewer (10) to simultaneously see images created by an electronic display (20) as well as real world objects (30b) includes a reflective polarizer (41) as an image combiner for head-mounted displays and an absorptive polarizer (42) deployed in the same combiner to reduce glare by minimizing ambient reflections from the reflective polarizer. To prevent the absorptive polarizer (42) from blocking linearly polarized light sources from being transmitted through the combiner, a weak absorptive polarizer is provided to allow transmission of polarized sources while still minimizing glare.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2020Date of Patent: October 29, 2024Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Timothy L. Wong, Timothy J. Lindquist
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Patent number: 12099208Abstract: A display system includes a pixelated display being curved about at least one axis and including a plurality of groups of pixels; a plurality of light redirecting elements where each light redirecting element corresponds to a different group of pixels in the plurality of groups of pixels; and an optical lens system adapted to receive light emitted by the pixelated display and transmitted by the plurality of light redirecting elements. The optical lens system transmits at least a portion of the received light. For at least one pixel in the plurality of groups of pixels, the light redirecting element corresponding to the pixel reduces an angle between a central light ray emitted by the pixel and a chief light ray emitted by the pixel.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2021Date of Patent: September 24, 2024Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Timothy L. Wong, Erin A. McDowell, Zhisheng Yun, Gilles J. Benoit, Jo Anne Etter
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Patent number: 12099226Abstract: An optical system for displaying an image to a viewer includes a pixelated display including a plurality of pixels emitting unpolarized image light; a partial reflector having an average optical reflectance of at least 30% in a predetermined wavelength range; a first retarder layer disposed between the pixelated display and the partial reflector; a second retarder layer disposed between the first retarder layer and the partial reflector; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the first and second retarder layers. The reflective polarizer is adapted to increase a brightness of a pixelated image emitted by the pixelated display and displayed to the viewer by recycling at least a portion of unpolarized image light emitted by the pixels; and receive an image ray reflected by the partial reflector and reflect the received image ray toward the viewer.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2019Date of Patent: September 24, 2024Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANYInventors: Timothy L. Wong, David J. W. Aastuen, Takashi Fujita, Zhisheng Yun, Timothy J. Nevitt
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Publication number: 20240310630Abstract: An optical system includes an optical system axis, a display and at least one lens, the optical system forming a virtual image of an image emitted by the display for viewing by an eye, the eye having an optical eye axis, such that a first retinal image of the virtual image at a first virtual image location and an associated first field angle, the first field angle between about 5 degrees and about 30 degrees, has a first image resolution when the eye axis is substantially coincident with the system axis, and a second image resolution when the eye is rotated so that the eye axis is substantially coincident with a first field axis extending between the eye and the virtual image at the first field angle, wherein the second image resolution is greater than the first image resolution.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2022Publication date: September 19, 2024Inventors: Timothy L. Wong, John D. Le, David J.W. Aastuen
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Publication number: 20240288616Abstract: An optical component includes a first optical element having a curved first major surface; and an optical stack formed into a curved shape. The optical stack is bonded and conforms to the curved first major surface of the first optical element. The optical stack includes a reflective polarizer including a plurality of polymeric layers; and a non-adhesive flexible optical layer bonded to the reflective polarizer prior to forming the optical stack into the curved shape, such that the non-adhesive flexible optical layer bonded to the reflective polarizer improves a desired optical property of the reflective polarizer upon forming the optical stack into the curved shape relative to that of the reflective polarizer being formed into the curved shape without the non-adhesive flexible optical layer bonded to the reflective polarizer.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2024Publication date: August 29, 2024Inventors: Gregg A. Ambur, Jo A. Etter, Adam D. Haag, Carl A. Stover, Timothy J. Nevitt, Zhisheng Yun, Timothy L. Wong
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Publication number: 20240262059Abstract: A shaped reflective polarizer has different maximum sags in different directions and has an interior portion rotationally symmetric about a principle axis and a peripheral portion adjacent the interior portion and rotationally asymmetric about the principle axis. An optical system includes a partial reflector and an optical stack including an optical lens and the shaped reflective polarizer disposed on a curved major surface of the optical lens. The optical lens may have a contoured edge adapted to be placed adjacent an eye of a viewer and substantially conform to the viewer's face.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2024Publication date: August 8, 2024Inventors: Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Zhisheng Yun, Timothy L. Wong, Erin A. McDowell, Jo A. Etter, Robert M. Jennings