Patents by Inventor Yasumasa Sawai
Yasumasa Sawai 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: 8864315Abstract: An image projector has a light source emitting blue, green, and red illumination light, a digital micromirror device forming blue, green, and red images, and a projection system enlarging the images, and fulfills the formula FP?1/(2·sin {sin?1[1/(2·FI)]+?}), where, when mirror surfaces forming pixels are referred to as pixel surfaces, mirror-reflected light on the pixel surface along the illumination axis is referred to as mirror-reflected light, and angles between, of the diffracted light produced as a result of the rays along the illumination axis being diffracted, the part traveling in a direction closest to the mirror-reflected light and the normal line to the image display surface is defined as diffraction angles ?B, ?G, and ?R, then ? represents the largest of the angles ?B, ?G, and ?R, FI represents f-number of illumination light, and FP represents f-number of projection system.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2012Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa Sawai
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Patent number: 8770760Abstract: The rotation axis of each mirror of a DMD (4) defines an angle of 45° with respect to long and short sides of a rectangular image display area. A polarization conversion optical system (24) makes a polarization direction of light from a light source (1) arranged in one direction and projects the arranged light, and after total reflection from the critical surface (31b) of a TIR prism (3), the light is guided to the DMD (4). When the incident surface of the critical surface (31b) and the mirror incident surface of the DMD (4) are in parallel with each other, a PBS prism array of the polarization conversion optical system (24) carries out the polarization and separation of the light from the light source (1) in a direction corresponding to the long side direction of the image display area of the DMD (4) in the case of the separation of the light from the light source (1) into two linear polarizations having different polarization directions.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2009Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa Sawai
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Patent number: 8696133Abstract: A projection optical system (6) comprises a relay optical system (61), a PBS prism (71), and two projection lenses (81). The image light beam from a DMD (5) enters the PBS prism (71) via the relay optical system (61), is polarization-split there, and is directed to a screen by means of the two projection lenses (81). Displaying an image by means of the DMD (5) is controlled while the polarized states of the light beams produced by the polarization split by means of the PBS prism (71) are controlled. Thereby, a three-dimensionally viewable image and a high-resolution image created by pixel-offset can be projected. Since the relay optical system (61) is provided, the lens backs of the projection lenses (81) can be shortened, and the projection lenses (81) and further the projection optical system (6) can be made compact.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2009Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventors: Masayuki Imaoka, Kohtaro Hayashi, Jun Ishihara, Yasumasa Sawai
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Patent number: 8408709Abstract: First and second light sources emit first and second light beams, respectively. A light condensing system condenses the beams, and a polarization separation system separates each of the beams into first and second polarization components. A ½ phase plate converts the polarization state of the first polarization component to one equal to that of the second polarization component, and a rod integrator uniformizes spatial energy distribution of the beams condensed by the light condensing system. A relay system forms an image of an exit face of the rod integrator on a region to be illuminated. The light condensing system condenses the first and second polarization components onto first and second regions, respectively, of an entrance face of the rod integrator; and the ½ phase plate is placed at the first region of the entrance face of the rod integrator or at a position conjugate with the first region.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2010Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventors: Yasumasa Sawai, Iwao Adachi
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Publication number: 20120194787Abstract: An image projector has a light source emitting blue, green, and red illumination light, a digital micromirror device forming blue, green, and red images, and a projection system enlarging the images, and fulfills the formula FP?1/(2·sin {sin?1[1/(2·FI)]+?}), where, when mirror surfaces forming pixels are referred to as pixel surfaces, mirror-reflected light on the pixel surface along the illumination axis is referred to as mirror-reflected light, and angles between, of the diffracted light produced as a result of the rays along the illumination axis being diffracted, the part traveling in a direction closest to the mirror-reflected light and the normal line to the image display surface is defined as diffraction angles ?B, ?G, and ?R, then ? represents the largest of the angles ?B, ?G, and ?R, FI represents f-number of illumination light, and FP represents f-number of projection system.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2012Publication date: August 2, 2012Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa SAWAI
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Patent number: 8228443Abstract: A video projection device includes: a video display element, a projection lens, a converter lens, and a video processing part. The video display element displays a video by an electrical video signal. The projection lens projects on a screen the video displayed on the video display element. The converter lens is attachably and detachably provided for the projection lens. The video processing part outputs different video signals to the video display element in accordance with whether or not the converter lens is attached.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2008Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa Sawai
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Publication number: 20120170001Abstract: The rotation axis of each mirror of a DMD (4) defines an angle of 45° with respect to long and short sides of a rectangular image display area. A polarization conversion optical system (24) makes a polarization direction of light from a light source (1) arranged in one direction and projects the arranged light, and after total reflection from the critical surface (31b) of a TIR prism (3), the light is guided to the DMD (4). When the incident surface of the critical surface (31b) and the mirror incident surface of the DMD (4) are in parallel with each other, a PBS prism array of the polarization conversion optical system (24) carries out the polarization and separation of the light from the light source (1) in a direction corresponding to the long side direction of the image display area of the DMD (4) in the case of the separation of the light from the light source (1) into two linear polarizations having different polarization directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2009Publication date: July 5, 2012Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa Sawai
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Publication number: 20120170000Abstract: A projection optical system (6) comprises a relay optical system (61), a PBS prism (71), and two projection lenses (81). The image light beam from a DMD (5) enters the PBS prism (71) via the relay optical system (61), is polarization-split there, and is directed to a screen by means of the two projection lenses (81). Displaying an image by means of the DMD (5) is controlled while the polarized states of the light beams produced by the polarization split by means of the PBS prism (71) are controlled. Thereby, a three-dimensionally viewable image and a high-resolution image created by pixel-offset can be projected. Since the relay optical system (61) is provided, the lens backs of the projection lenses (81) can be shortened, and the projection lenses (81) and further the projection optical system (6) can be made compact.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2009Publication date: July 5, 2012Inventors: Masayuki Imaoka, Kohtaro Hayashi, Jun Ishihara, Yasumasa Sawai
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Publication number: 20120162615Abstract: Assuming that a normal line of an image display surface of a DMD is a normal line Ax of the image display surface, that a direction in which a light beam specularly reflected by a mirror is outputted is a specular reflection direction R, and that an angle that the specular reflection direction R forms with respect to the normal line Ax of the image display surface is denoted by ?, an image projection apparatus satisfies the following conditional expression: ?(2·k?1)?2·???(2·k)??(2·k+1), where ?(2·k?1) and ?(2·k+1) represent a diffraction angle of an odd-order diffracted light, and ?(2·k) represents a diffraction angle of an even-order diffracted light.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2011Publication date: June 28, 2012Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa Sawai
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Patent number: 8159123Abstract: In a light emitting module arranging therein a plurality of LEDs, each LED includes: an LED chip; and an anode connected to the LED chip. The anode includes: a support surface supporting the LED chip; and an extending part extending with respect to the support surface, and the extending parts in the plurality of LEDs separate from each other.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2007Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventors: Kenji Konno, Yasumasa Sawai
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Patent number: 8061855Abstract: A projection apparatus including an image display element for modulating illumination light, an illumination optical system for irradiating the illumination light onto the image display element, a projection optical system for projecting the modulated light by the image display element onto a projection surface, and an optical system changing section for changing the illumination optical system, wherein the illumination optical system includes a light source, a condensing optical system, a rod integrator and an illumination relay optical system wherein the projection optical system includes a projection variable-aperture diaphragm whose aperture diameter can be adjusted, and wherein the optical system changing section changes, when the aperture diameter of the projection variable-aperture diaphragm is made smaller, the illumination optical system such that an amount of light passing through the projection variable-aperture diaphragm with that aperture diameter increases.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2008Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa Sawai
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Publication number: 20110141438Abstract: First and second light sources emit first and second light beams, respectively. A light condensing system condenses the beams, and a polarization separation system separates each of the beams into first and second polarization components. A ½ phase plate converts the polarization state of the first polarization component to one equal to that of the second polarization component, and a rod integrator uniformizes spatial energy distribution of the beams condensed by the light condensing system. A relay system forms an image of an exit face of the rod integrator on a region to be illuminated. The light condensing system condenses the first and second polarization components onto first and second regions, respectively, of an entrance face of the rod integrator; and the ½ phase plate is placed at the first region of the entrance face of the rod integrator or at a position conjugate with the first region.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2010Publication date: June 16, 2011Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventors: Yasumasa SAWAI, Iwao Adachi
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Publication number: 20110128503Abstract: A stereoscopic image projector is provided with a display device, a characteristic-differentiation member, an optical-path separation member, an optical-path combining member, and a single projection lens. The display device displays a left-eye image which is a left parallax image and a right-eye image which is a right parallax image on different regions of an image display surface. The characteristic-differentiation member gives projection light beams each carrying a different one of images displayed on the display device optical characteristics that are different from each other. By using the difference in optical characteristic, the optical-path separation member separates optical paths of the left-eye and right-eye images from each other, and the optical-path combining member coaxially combines the separated optical paths together.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2010Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventors: Yasumasa SAWAI, Jun ISHIHARA
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Patent number: 7943893Abstract: An illumination optical system has: a light source, a diffusion member, and a rod integrator, and illuminates an image display surface of a display element. The light source emits an illumination beam having a flat cross section. The diffusion member isotropically diffuses the illumination beam. The rod integrator uniformizes spatial energy distribution of the illumination beam put into a diffused state by the diffusion member.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2008Date of Patent: May 17, 2011Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa Sawai
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Patent number: 7920331Abstract: An anamorphic converter includes, from a projected-surface side, a first group and a second group. The first group includes one or more lens elements and has a negative power at least in a main magnification direction. The second group includes one or more lens elements and has a positive power at least in the main magnification direction. Of optical surfaces, a last surface of the first group and a first surface of the second group: [1] have a power in both main magnification and sub-magnification directions; [2] are convex toward the projected-surface side in both main magnification and sub-magnification directions in a region having an area that is ¼ or more of an optical effective region area including a center portion of each of the last and first optical surfaces; and [3] at least one of the last and first optical surfaces is a free curved surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2009Date of Patent: April 5, 2011Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventors: Kazuhiko Inoue, Yasumasa Sawai
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Publication number: 20110019109Abstract: A projection type image display apparatus (1) comprises a focus correction system (30). The system includes a temperature detection mechanism (16) for measuring temperature in the vicinity of a projection lens group (13), a correction amount calculation unit (18) for calculating a correction amount for correcting the focus shift caused by a temperature change, and a driving signal generation unit (19) for generating, based on the correction amount, a driving signal for driving a focus adjustment mechanism (15). If the user performs a focus adjustment using a focus operation input unit (23), a focus operation determination unit (21) determines that a focus adjustment has occurred independently of the focus correction system and changes a correction condition stored in a memory (20).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2009Publication date: January 27, 2011Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventors: Norio Maeda, Kohei Wataru, Kazuhiko Inoue, Masahiro Terada, Takashi Ohta, Yasumasa Sawai
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Patent number: 7850314Abstract: A light-emitting module has: a single reflector having a plurality of concave reflection surfaces; and light emitters in a same number as a number of the concave reflection surfaces. Each of the concave reflection surface has an outer shape partially notched at a boundary thereof with the adjacent concave reflection surface. Each of the light emitters emits light toward the concave reflection surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2007Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventors: Yasumasa Sawai, Kenji Konno
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Patent number: 7784950Abstract: An image projecting apparatus has an integrator for generating plural secondary-light-source images for generating illumination light with a uniform intensity; and a variable stop mechanism arranged at or near a position conjugate with the secondary-light-source images. The variable stop mechanism has a base plate having a fixed aperture; and a stop blade which moves across the aperture for changing a quantity of light. The change in the quantity of light passing through said variable stop caused by the movement of said stop blade is greater than a change in a size of an effective region of a stop aperture.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2006Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa Sawai
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Publication number: 20090303607Abstract: An anamorphic converter includes, from a projected-surface side, a first group and a second group. The first group includes one or more lens elements and has a negative power at least in a main magnification direction. The second group includes one or more lens elements and has a positive power at least in the main magnification direction. Of optical surfaces, a last surface of the first group and a first surface of the second group: [1] have a power in both main magnification and sub-magnification directions; [2] are convex toward the projected-surface side in both main magnification and sub-magnification directions in a region having an area that is ¼ or more of an optical effective region area including a center portion of each of the last and first optical surfaces; and [3] at least one of the last and first optical surfaces is a free curved surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2009Publication date: December 10, 2009Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventors: Kazuhiko INOUE, Yasumasa Sawai
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Publication number: 20090168041Abstract: A projection apparatus including an image display element for modulating illumination light, an illumination optical system for irradiating the illumination light onto the image display element, a projection optical system for projecting the modulated light by the image display element onto a projection surface, and an optical system changing section for changing the illumination optical system, wherein the illumination optical system includes a light source, a condensing optical system, a rod integrator and an illumination relay optical system wherein the projection optical system includes a projection variable-aperture diaphragm whose aperture diameter can be adjusted, and wherein the optical system changing section changes, when the aperture diameter of the projection variable-aperture diaphragm is made smaller, the illumination optical system such that an amount of light passing through the projection variable-aperture diaphragm with that aperture diameter increases.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2008Publication date: July 2, 2009Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.Inventor: Yasumasa SAWAI