Patents by Inventor W. Hudson Welch

W. Hudson Welch 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: 8687294
    Abstract: An optics block includes a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, the substrate being a first material, a plurality of through holes extending in the substrate between the first and second opposing surface, a second material, different than the first material, filling a portion of the through holes and extending on a portion of the first surface of the substrate outside the through holes, and a first lens structure in the second material and corresponding to each of the through holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Digitaloptics Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory J. Kintz, Michael R. Feldman, James E. Morris, Paul Elliott, David Keller, W. Hudson Welch, David Ovrutsky, Jeremy Huddleston, Mark Hiatt
  • Publication number: 20120294597
    Abstract: An assembly for an image capturing device may include a blade configured to pass light without modification when in a first position and, when in a second position, provide one of an aperture blocking a portion of the light, a low power lens, and a transparent film, and an actuator configured to move the blade between the first and second positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Gal SHABTAY, Ephraim GOLDENBERG, Alan D. KATHMAN, W. Hudson WELCH, Roman GUTIERREZ
  • Publication number: 20120229908
    Abstract: An optics block includes a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, the substrate being a first material, a plurality of through holes extending in the substrate between the first and second opposing surface, a second material, different than the first material, filling a portion of the through holes and extending on a portion of the first surface of the substrate outside the through holes, and a first lens structure in the second material and corresponding to each of the through holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: DigitalOptics Corporation East
    Inventors: Gregory J. Kintz, Michael R. Feldman, James E. Morris, Paul Elliott, David Keller, W. Hudson Welch, David Ovrutsky, Jeremy Huddleston, Mark Hiatt
  • Patent number: 8189277
    Abstract: An optics block includes a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, the substrate being a first material, a plurality of through holes extending in the substrate between the first and second opposing surface, a second material, different than the first material, filling a portion of the through holes and extending on a portion of the first surface of the substrate outside the through holes, and a first lens structure in the second material and corresponding to each of the through holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Digitaloptics Corporation East
    Inventors: Gregory J. Kintz, Michael R. Feldman, James E. Morris, Paul Elliott, David Keller, W. Hudson Welch, David Ovrutsky, Jeremy Huddleston, Mark Hiatt
  • Patent number: 8153957
    Abstract: An integrated optical imaging system includes a first substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, a second substrate having third and fourth opposing surfaces, a spacer between a substantially planar portion of the third surface of the second substrate and a substantially planar portion of the second surface of the first substrate, at least two of the spacer, the first substrate and the second substrate sealing an interior space between the third surface of the second substrate and the second surface of the first substrate, and an optical imaging system having n surfaces, where n is greater than or equal to two, at least two of the n surfaces of the optical imaging system are on respective ones of the first, second, third and fourth surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation East
    Inventors: Michael R. Feldman, Brian Harden, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch
  • Publication number: 20110222171
    Abstract: An optics block includes a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, the substrate being a first material, a plurality of through holes extending in the substrate between the first and second opposing surface, a second material, different than the first material, filling a portion of the through holes and extending on a portion of the first surface of the substrate outside the through holes, and a first lens structure in the second material and corresponding to each of the through holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Gregory J. KINTZ, Michael R. Feldman, James E. Morris, Paul Elliott, David Keller, W. Hudson Welch, David Ovrutsky, Jeremy Huddleston, Mark Hiatt
  • Publication number: 20080136955
    Abstract: A method for forming a camera including an integrated optical subsystem, includes aligning a plurality of second dies with a plurality of first dies, each first die having a second die aligned therewith, at least one of the plurality of first dies and the plurality of the second dies include a corresponding number of optical elements, securing aligned dies, and dividing secured aligned dies into a plurality of portions, a portion containing a first die, a second die and at least one optical element, thereby forming the integrated optical subsystem.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Alan D. KATHMAN, Michael R. FELDMAN, Brian HARDEN, W. Hudson WELCH
  • Publication number: 20080111058
    Abstract: An integrated optical imaging system includes a first substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, a second substrate having third and fourth opposing surfaces, a spacer between a substantially planar portion of the third surface of the second substrate and a substantially planar portion of the second surface of the first substrate, at least two of the spacer, the first substrate and the second substrate sealing an interior space between the third surface of the second substrate and the second surface of the first substrate, and an optical imaging system having n surfaces, where n is greater than or equal to two, at least two of the n surfaces of the optical imaging system are on respective ones of the first, second, third and fourth surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: MICHAEL R. FELDMAN, Brian Harden, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch
  • Patent number: 6522618
    Abstract: An integrated optical apparatus includes an optically transparent substrate with a light source and a detector mounted adjacent thereto. The substrate includes an optical element in a transmit path from the light source to a remote target. The optical element splits the light into more than one beam. A detector receives beams reflected by the target. All optical elements needed to create the more then one beam, direct the more than one beam onto the target and direct the more than one beam from the target to the detector are on the substrate and/or any structure bonded to the substrate. Preferably, the optical element provides sufficient separation between the more than one beam such that each beam is delivered to a unique respective light detecting element of the detector. The return path from the remote target to the detector may include an optical element for each beam or no optical elements. An additional substrate may be included and bonded to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Digital Optics Corp.
    Inventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch
  • Patent number: 6128134
    Abstract: A substrate having an optical element on an input surface thereof receives a light beam not having a desired beam shape and shapes the light beam into a predetermined intensity distribution. The substrate may further include a second optical element for providing a predetermined phase pattern to the light beam provided by the first optical element. The first optical element may, for example, circularize an elliptical light beam using a soft aperture for differential power attenuation or by altering the divergence of the light beam along the different axes of the light beam. When the divergence angles are altered and the collimating optical element is provided on the output surface, the thickness of the transparent substrate is determined in accordance with a resultant difference in the divergence and/or with the initial difference in beam size along each axis and with a required circularity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Digital Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch, Robert TeKolste
  • Patent number: 6104690
    Abstract: An integrated optical apparatus includes an optically transparent substrate with a light source and a detector mounted adjacent thereto. The substrate includes an optical element in a transmit path from the light source to a remote target. The optical element splits the light into more than one beam. A detector receives beams reflected by the target. All optical elements needed to create the more then one beam, direct the more than one beam onto the target and direct the more than one beam from the target to the detector are on the substrate and/or any structure bonded to the substrate. Preferably, the optical element provides sufficient separation between the more than one beam such that each beam is delivered to a unique respective light detecting element of the detector. The return path from the remote target to the detector may include an optical element for each beam or no optical elements. An additional substrate may be included and bonded to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Digital Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch
  • Patent number: 6075627
    Abstract: A diffusing function and a lens function are provided on a single surface. Such a structure may be formed from a computer generated hologram including free form regions having a phase shift associated therewith, i.e., the computer generated hologram being shifted within the free form regions by the phase shift relative to the computer generated hologram outside the free form regions. When the computer generated hologram includes zero and .pi. regions, the zero and .pi. regions may be transposed within the free form regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Digital Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Feldman, W. Hudson Welch, Robert Hutchins
  • Patent number: 6008941
    Abstract: A soft aperture allows gradual attenuation of a light beam dependent upon its location away from the center of a diffractive optical element. Such an optical element may be provided by decreasing a number of phase levels, increasing a number of phase levels, increasing a density of metal patches or diffractive gratings, or decreasing a blaze height and/or duty cycle, all radially from the center. Alternatively, the soft aperture may be defined by a photolithographic process. Such a soft aperture is particularly useful in aiding circularizing of an elliptical light beam. The soft aperture may be used alone or integrated with other optical elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Digital Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch, Robert Te Kolste
  • Patent number: 6005714
    Abstract: An optical element is formed as a body having two layers, at least on of which is transmissive to a selected wavelength of a light of illumination. One layer is formed with a first surface relief optical formation as a boundary thereof, and the other layer is formed on the boundary so as to have an adjacent boundary that is a second surface relief optical formation that is the conjugate of the first surface relief optical formation. The other layer also has further optical features on a surface opposite the adjacent boundary. The formation and features are preferably diffractive. The further optical features opposite the adjacent boundary is preferably a compensated conjugate of the formation at the adjacent boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Digital Optics Corporation
    Inventor: W. Hudson Welch
  • Patent number: 5912872
    Abstract: An integrated optical apparatus includes an optically transparent substrate with a light source and a detector mounted adjacent thereto. The substrate includes an optical element in a transmit path from the light source to a remote target. The optical element splits the light into more than one beam. A detector receives beams reflected by the target. All optical elements needed to create the more then one beam, direct the more than one beam onto the target and direct the more than one beam from the target to the detector are on the substrate and/or any structure bonded to the substrate. Preferably, the optical element provides sufficient separation between the more than one beam such that each beam is delivered to a unique respective light detecting element of the detector. The return path from the remote target to the detector may include an optical element for each beam or no optical elements. An additional substrate may be included and bonded to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: Digital Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch
  • Patent number: 5694230
    Abstract: A combiner for combining light traveling on two optical paths to permit coincident viewing of the light includes a light-transmissive substrate having first and second surfaces, the first surface having a first diffractive structure that is a computer-generated hologram formed thereon configured to correct aberrations in light travelling on the first optical path which may be incident on the first surface and a partially reflective coating on the first diffractive structure, the partially reflective coating being reflective in a narrow bandwidth only, the first diffractive structure and the partially reflective coating configured to provide corrected reflection to light travelling on the first optical path, the second surface having a second diffractive structure that is a computer-generated hologram formed thereon as a conjugate of the first diffractive structure, so that light travelling on a second optical path which may be incident on the second surface passes through the second and first diffractive stru
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1997
    Assignee: Digital Optics Corp.
    Inventor: W. Hudson Welch
  • Patent number: 5202775
    Abstract: A radially symmetric iterative discrete on-axis hologram has a high diffraction efficiency for a correspondingly small f-number. The radially symmetric hologram has a plurality of concentric constant radial phase fringes. Each fringe has a predetermined plurality of radial phase rings and each fringe corresponds to a predetermined plurality of radial phase transition points and a radial phase value between the radial phase transition points. The radially symmetric iterative discrete on-axis hologram also has radial phase fringes with a predetermined number of phase levels, at least two adjacent fringes have a phase level difference which is greater than one and less than the predetermined number minus one. The radially symmetric iterative discrete on-axis hologram is fabricated by determining a plurality of concentric fringes of constant phase with a plurality of radial phase transition points and radial phase values between the radial phase transition points for each concentric fringe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: University of North Carolina
    Inventors: Michael R. Feldman, W. Hudson Welch, James E. Morris