Patents Issued in April 1, 2014
  • Patent number: 8684495
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes: a plate base material; and an actuator; wherein the plate base material has: ejection holes having recessed portions; and an ejection face having ejection openings. The recessed portions include pairs each constituted by two recessed portions located side by side and at least one of which has the ejection openings. A shortest line segment of a certain pair is equal to or shorter than that of another pair, an average value of lengths of the respective recessed portions constituting the certain pair is not larger than that of lengths of the respective recessed portions constituting another pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hikaru Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 8684496
    Abstract: A printhead module includes a plurality of rows of printhead nozzles, at least some of the rows including at least one displaced row portion, the displacement of the row portion including a component in a direction normal to that of a pagewidth to be printed, wherein the displaced row portions of at least some of the rows are different in length than the displaced row portions of at least some of the other rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuo Sakaida, Takeshi Asano, Atsushi Hirota
  • Patent number: 8684498
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head including a nozzle plate having a nozzle array constructed of multiple nozzles from which liquid droplets are ejectable; a channel plate in which grooves that form part of multiple pressure chambers respectively communicating with the multiple nozzles are provided with partition walls interposed therebetween, a wall member that covers the grooves to form part of walls of the pressure chambers, and multiple first through-holes formed in the channel plate to connect the nozzles and the pressure chambers, respectively. The multiple first through-holes are provided with partition walls interposed therebetween, and each of the multiple first through-holes has a first opening and a second opening. The second opening is offset from the first opening in a direction in which the nozzle arrays extend. Each of the multiple first through-holes further has a portion between the first and second openings to change a direction of flow of liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Kuwata
  • Patent number: 8684499
    Abstract: A method enables multiple inkjet printhead dies to be manufactured by bonding a single wafer to a single polymer layer. Multiple die sites on the single wafer are arranged in a predetermined pattern that corresponds to the pattern in which a plurality of aperture arrays are arranged in the polymer layer. The die sites on the wafer and the aperture arrays in polymer layer are aligned, the wafer and polymer layer are bonded, and the bonded wafer and polymer layer are cut to form a plurality of inkjet printhead dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Andrews, Thomas E. Orlowski
  • Patent number: 8684500
    Abstract: Diaphragms for electrostatic actuators for inkjet printers and methods for manufacturing are provided. The method includes electroplating a first layer on a mandrel, and applying a photoresist to the first layer. The method also includes electroplating a second layer on the first layer adjacent the photoresist, such that the first and second layers form a substantially homogenous structure, and separating the photoresist from the first and second layers to expose one or more flexure recesses where the photoresist was positioned, with the diaphragm having a reduced stiffness proximal the flexure recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Peter J. Nystrom
  • Patent number: 8684501
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a thin film heater resistor portion having a heater resistor, and a two-layer structure disposed over the heater resistor. The two-layer structure includes a top layer and a bottom layer, with the top layer having a hardness that is at least 1.5 times greater than the hardness of the bottom layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: James E. Abbott, Jr., Samuel Ajayi, Sadiq Bengali, Stephen Horvath, Greg S. Long, Satya Prakash, Alfred I-Tsung Pan, Mohammed S. Shaarawi, Roberto A. Pugliese
  • Patent number: 8684502
    Abstract: A liquid-discharging head including a reservoir for a spray liquid, a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles from which the spray liquid reserved in the reservoir can be discharged, and a vibration generating unit having a vibrating surface facing the nozzle plate, wherein the reservoir is divided into a plurality of liquid chambers, wherein the vibration generating unit has elongated convex portions in a plurality of rows, the elongated convex portions being made of a piezoelectric element, wherein each of the liquid chambers is provided so as to correspond to one of the elongated convex portions, and wherein the liquid-discharging head is used in a method for producing particles, and the method comprises periodically discharging liquid droplets of the spray liquid from the nozzles and solidifying the liquid droplets so as to form particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohgaki
  • Patent number: 8684503
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead having at least one internal electrode in contact with ink in use, wherein region(s) of the electrode surface are covered by an electrically insulating organic material that has been deposited thereon by electrophoresis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Xennia Technology Limited
    Inventors: Jonathan Andrew Barker, Olivier Morel
  • Patent number: 8684504
    Abstract: A continuous ink jet printer has a line (69a) for venting at least some of the air that has been sucked along the gutter line (17), and a line (69b) for recirculating back to the printhead (25) at least some of the air that has been sucked down the gutter line (17). Preferably the relative proportions of vented air and recirculated air can be varied, so as to reduce solvent loss during normal operation but allow increased solvent loss if the ink is over-dilute. Preferably the air recirculated to the printhead is connected directly into the flow path from the gutter orifice to the source of gutter suction, without opening into the space containing the ink jet. This reduces the tendency of solvent in the recirculated air condense on the printhead electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Linx Printing Technologies Ltd.
    Inventor: Anthony Hill
  • Patent number: 8684505
    Abstract: In one example, a structure for supporting a printhead includes: a substrate having a first side and a second side; multiple inlets each protruding from the first side of the substrate through which liquids may be introduced into the structure from the outlets of liquid containers that can be attached to the structure; multiple openings through the substrate from the first side to the second side, each opening positioned near one of the inlets at a location exposed to the outlet of a corresponding one of the containers when the container is attached to the structure; and an air channel on the second side of the substrate connecting each of one or more of the openings to another opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Iain Campbell-Brown, William Scott Osborne, Eugene Cahill, Ivor Cummins, Anoop Haridasan
  • Patent number: 8684506
    Abstract: An ink removal system includes a drip bib and a flexible member. The drip bib collects melted ink flowing down the face of a printhead and the flexible member captures ink dropping from the drip bib after an ink receptacle has received most of the ink collected by the drip bib. When the ink receptacle returns to the position where the receptacle catches melted ink from the drip bib, the receptacle also bends the flexible member and releases the captured ink, which falls into the ink receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Laurence S. Barker, Michael Quoc Lu, John R. Uchal
  • Patent number: 8684507
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head comprising, a plurality of nozzle openings, a first flow passage, a circulation flow passage, a filter chamber, and a bypass flow passage, an inner diameter of the bypass flow passage is larger than a diameter of the hole of the filter, the inner diameter of the bypass flow passage is larger than a diameter of the nozzle opening, and a flow passage resistance of the bypass flow passage is larger than a flow passage resistance of the circulation flow passage from a branch point where the bypass flow passage branches from the supply passage to a junction point where the bypass flow passage merges into the collection passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Haruhisa Uezawa
  • Patent number: 8684508
    Abstract: There is provided a treatment solution used for ink-jet recording, including: quaternary alkylammonium hydroxide represented by general formula (1); an acid including at least one of dicarboxylic acid and tricarboxylic acid; and water; wherein the quaternary alkylammonium hydroxide is neutralized, to be a quaternary alkylammonium salt, by the at least one of the dicarboxylic acid and the tricarboxylic acid to have a degree of neutralization which is not less than 50% and not more than 110%; wherein each of R1, R2, R3 and R4 is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; the alkyl group is a substituted alkyl group or an unsubstituted alkyl group, and is a straight chain alkyl group or a branched chain alkyl group; and the R1 to R4 are same with or different from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuji Kato, Junichiro Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 8684509
    Abstract: An ink jet ink contains a polyurethane polymer and a pigment. The polyurethane polymer has units derived from a polyisocyanate, a polyether polyol having no acid group, and a diol having an acid group. The pigment is dispersed using a polymer other than the polyurethane polymer. The ratio of the percentage of the urethane bond in the polyurethane polymer to the percentage of the urea bond in the polyurethane polymer is 85.0/15.0 or more and 98.5/1.5 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kousuke Yamasaki, Hiromitsu Kishi, Daiji Okamura, Kenji Moribe, Kouichirou Okumura, Kenichi Shiiba
  • Patent number: 8684510
    Abstract: A drying device includes a drying unit configured to carry out a drying process on a recording medium by blowing heated air from a discharge port formed at a location partway along the conveyance path of the recording medium as the medium is conveyed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction. A drying zone is disposed on the downstream side of the drying unit in the conveyance direction over the front face of the recording medium so that the air blown from the discharge port is retained in the drying zone. An upper surface of the drying zone is defined by an extended surface portion of an outer surface of a housing of the drying unit, the extended surface portion extending from the discharge port toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction to cover the conveyance path from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuko Miyamoto, Satoru Shiohara, Hiroshi Mikyazawa
  • Patent number: 8684511
    Abstract: Gloss is controlled in UV ink jet printing within a printing system. Controlled pinning energy is used to adjust the amount of ink interaction between drops, substrate, and ink layers, resulting in virtual elimination of gloss banding and control of the finished gloss level from a gloss level of approximately 85 to a gloss level of approximately 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics for Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph A. Lahut, Dwight Cram, John Duffield, Peter Heath
  • Patent number: 8684512
    Abstract: An ink drying apparatus is provided with a gas passage through which a printed material to which ink is attached passes. Further, a flow applying unit configured to create a flow of gas in the gas passage in a predetermined direction, a heating unit configured to heat the gas in the gas passage, and a solvent removing unit configured to remove a solvent in the ink from the gas passage are provided. In the ink drying apparatus, the heating unit and the solvent removing unit are associated with each other such that heat can transfer from the solvent removing unit to the heating unit by a heat transmission unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Nakazawa, Yoshimasa Araki
  • Patent number: 8684513
    Abstract: A recording method is for recording on a recording medium with a photocuring liquid substance by discharging droplets from a discharge head onto the recording medium while displacing the discharge head and the recording medium relative to each other. While the discharge head and the recording medium are displaced relative to each other, a droplet discharge step of discharging the droplets from the discharge head toward a predetermined section of the recording medium, and a radiation step of radiating the light toward the droplets discharged on the recording medium, are performed n (n being an integer of 2 or greater) times on the predetermined section to complete recording on the predetermined section, and the recording rate in the nth discharge step is lowered below 100%/n.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiko Tsunoya
  • Patent number: 8684514
    Abstract: A media drying system removes a moistening liquid from a moistened medium. A liquid reservoir containing a heating liquid heated above a moistening-liquid boiling point. A rotatable liquid-blocking member has a liquid-blocking layer with an inner surface and an outer surface. A media-transport system transports the moistened medium so it contacts or is entrained around the liquid-blocking member in a path zone so that the moistened medium is brought into contact with the outer surface of the liquid-blocking layer. A porous material absorbs heating liquid from the liquid reservoir and brings the absorbed heating liquid into contact with the inner surface of the liquid-blocking layer for at least a portion of the path zone. Heat is transferred through the liquid-blocking layer from the absorbed warmed heating liquid to the moistening liquid, vaporizing the moistening liquid and removing it from the moistened medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Alan Richard Priebe, Donald Saul Rimai, Christopher J. White, Kevin Edward Spaulding
  • Patent number: 8684515
    Abstract: A radiation curable inkjet printing method for producing printed flexible foils and plastic bags wherein a web-like polymeric substrate having a maximum value for Tan ? between 40° C. and 110° C. and a surface energy Ssub is printed upon using a single pass inkjet printer with a non-aqueous radiation curable inkjet liquid having a surface tension SLiq, wherein SLiq is smaller than Ssub by at least 4 mN/m, and curing the radiation curable liquid on the substrate at a surface temperature equal or higher than the temperature of the maximum value for Tan ? and smaller than the melting point of the polymeric recording medium. A single pass inkjet printer is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Agfa Graphics NV
    Inventors: Geert Van Dyck, Etienne Van Thillo, Peter Bracke
  • Patent number: 8684516
    Abstract: A substrate support apparatus for a printer is described. The apparatus includes a table having a support surface for supporting a substrate during printing, the support surface including a plurality of substrate apertures. A negative pressure can be applied to the substrate apertures to hold the substrate to the table during printing. The apparatus further includes a plurality of mask apertures, and a negative pressure can be applied to the mask apertures to hold a mask to the support surface. By arranging for the pressure to be applied to the substrate apertures and mask apertures independently, the mask can be held to the table during loading and unloading of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Inca Digital Printers Limited
    Inventor: William Ronald Stuart Baxter
  • Patent number: 8684517
    Abstract: The invention provides, as an aspect thereof, an inkjet printer that connects a vacuum fan on the printer case side and a vacuum platen on the cover side through a short vacuum path. The platen moves in conjunction with the cover of the roll paper compartment. The platen is a vacuum platen having vacuum regions, suction holes, and a platen-side air path on the platen side, and a vacuum fan and a vacuum duct that connects the vacuum fan to the suction unit of the platen on the printer case side. The vacuum duct is disconnected from the suction unit of the platen when the platen moves in conjunction with the cover, and the length of the vacuum duct can therefore be short, corresponding to the distance between the intake opening of the vacuum fan and the suction unit of the platen when the cover is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Oya, Hironori Maekawa
  • Patent number: 8684518
    Abstract: An elastic miniaturized hinge used in eyeglasses. A first element fixed to the front portion of eyeglasses, and a second element fixed to a temple of the eyeglasses, said first and second elements are rotatably fixed to each other by means of a shaft. A first end portion of the shaft rotatingly fixed to the first element, a portion of the shaft adjacent to the first end portion housed in a through hole made in the second element. A second portion of the shaft is housed in the internal space of a helical elastic and fixed to the shaft, so that the rotation of the shaft and therefore of the second element with respect to the first element is counteracted by the action of the helical elastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: IDEAL S.R.L.
    Inventor: Michela Gasparetto
  • Patent number: 8684519
    Abstract: Embodiments herein provide dual eyeglasses including a first set of eyeglasses and a second set of eyeglasses rigidly coupled to each other at the earpieces. The first and second sets of eyeglasses may be coupled together in an opposing arrangement, so that when one set of eyeglasses is worn on the face of a user, the other set is disposed behind the user's head. Some embodiments may include an eyeglass connector that may be used to rigidly couple two sets of eyeglasses together. Other embodiments may include a set of eyeglasses having a coupling mechanism integrated into the earpieces for rigidly coupling the eyeglasses to another set of eyeglasses. In yet other embodiments, the two sets of eyeglasses may be permanently coupled together. For example, the two sets of eyeglasses may be of a single construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Inventor: Harry E. Coleman
  • Patent number: 8684520
    Abstract: A lens is provided that is capable of preventing or slowing the progression of myopia when worn by a person. The lens has a power profile that reduces on-axis and off-axis hyperopic defocus created by the optics of the eye by creating on-axis and off-axis myopic defocus. The on-axis and off-axis myopic defocus is created by providing light rays that pass through a central vision region of the optical portion and light rays that pass through a peripheral region of the optical portion an increase in positive (plus) power. The overall effect is to prevent or slow the progression of myopia without any perceptible degradation in the person's central vision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Lindacher, Ming Ye, Rick Edward Payor, Gregor F. Schmid
  • Patent number: 8684521
    Abstract: A set of toric contact lenses, where each lens in the set includes a posterior surface and an anterior surface. For each lens in the set, at least one of the posterior and anterior surfaces includes a toric optical zone. Each lens in the set has a common effective base curve and a common overall diameter, but a different cylindrical correction. Lenses in the set have a peripheral zone and a blend zone disposed between the peripheral zone and the toric optical zone. In lenses of such a set, the width of said blend zone at a common location on at least two of the lenses are selected to be different so that the thicknesses at a common position on the lenses are substantially the same for all lenses in the set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
    Inventor: Timothy Green
  • Patent number: 8684522
    Abstract: A progressive-power lens having an eyeball-side surface including a distance portion and a near portion having different values of dioptric power and an intermediate portion that connects the distance portion and the near portion to each other, and an object-side surface including a spherical first region having a first curvature and extending along a principal meridian, a spherical second region having a second curvature equal to the first curvature and facing the distance portion, and a third region located outside the first region and below the second region and having a third curvature smaller than the first curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Lens Manufacturing Philippines Inc.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Kato, Yohei Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8684523
    Abstract: A spectacle lens includes a first region which is located in at least part of a portion of a lens where a pivotal angle of an eyeball of a wearer ranges from 20 to 60 degrees and in which correcting astigmatism has priority over correcting average power based on prescribed power, and a second region which is formed inside the first region and in which correcting the average power has priority over correcting the astigmatism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Lens Manufacturing Philippines Inc.
    Inventors: Osamu Wada, Tadashi Kaga, Hiroshi Asami
  • Patent number: 8684524
    Abstract: The invention relates to a photochromic optical article with reduced thermal dependency, comprising: (a) a transparent substrate, (b) a saturated photochromic layer having, in the activated state and at a temperature of 20° C. or greater, a relative transmission factor of less than 1% in the visible range, and (c) an anti-UV coating of plastic material at least partially covering the saturated photochromic layer, the said anti-UV coating containing at least one agent which absorbs UV radiation (anti-UV agent) and is distributed in a pattern consisting of a multitude of points, each having a surface area of less than 0.15 mm 2, the average distance between two neighboring points lying between 0.5 and 2 mm and the ratio of the overall surface area of all the points to the total surface area of the anti-UV coating being such that the relative transmission factor of the optical article in the visible range in the activated state and at 20° C. or greater is at least equal to 5%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Essilor International (Compagnie Generale d'Optique)
    Inventors: Samuel Archambeau, Christian Bovet, Jean-Paul Cano, Anthony Saugey
  • Patent number: 8684525
    Abstract: A machining method for an eyeglass lens blank in which a bock piece is connected, by way of a connecting material, to a first side of the eyeglass lens blank for holding and supporting the eyeglass lens blank in a processing machine, wherein to this end a cavity is made between the block piece and the first side, at least using a sealing or supporting means, wherein the sealing or supporting means has an inner diameter Dd, Ds and sits against the first side in a sealing manner, the connecting material is filled into the cavity or connecting material is provided in the cavity and then the connecting material is cured, the eyeglass lens blank is placed into a milling and/or turning or grinding machine by way of the block piece cast on by way of the connecting material, wherein the eyeglass lens blank is supported on the first side by the connecting material across a diameter Dv that corresponds to the diameter Dd, Ds and wherein the blank and the connecting material are worked off in one of the following machin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Schneider GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gunter Schneider, Helwig Buchenauer, Klaus Krämer, Stephan Huttenhuis
  • Patent number: 8684526
    Abstract: A binocular vision apparatus allows a patient to view objects through the apparatus with polychromatic light and monochromatic aberration correction, such that the chromatic aberration of the eye can be combined with the monochromatic aberration correction, so as to provide a more accurate determination of vision quality. The binocular vision apparatus provides left and right viewing optics that can substantially maintain the line of sight of each eye, such that objects can be viewed in a room with 3D depth perception corresponding to the distance of the object from the patient. As both near and far objects can be viewed with binocular aberration correction, the patient can alternate binocular viewing between near and far vision with chromatic aberration so as to evaluate a proposed treatment such as a presbyopia correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: AMO Wavefront Sciences, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel R. Neal
  • Patent number: 8684527
    Abstract: An eye simulation system for testing wavefront sensor systems, the eye stimulation system comprising a housing having a chamber with an opening for allowing light to enter said chamber, a fluid located in the chamber, said fluid having a known index of refraction, a lens positioned relative to said housing such that light entering the opening of the chamber passes through said lens, and a rotatable imaging surface positioned in said chamber such that light passing through said lens propagates through said fluid and is incident on said rotatable imaging surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Essilor International (Compagnie Generale d'Optique)
    Inventors: Laurence Warden, Andreas W. Dreher, Gary D. Mills, Shui T. Lai, William G. Foote, David G. Sandler, Keith J. Dillon
  • Patent number: 8684528
    Abstract: A fundus analyzing apparatus 1 performs OCT measurements of a fundus Ef and generates multiple tomographic images that each depict layer structures of the fundus Ef. Each formed tomographic image is stored in a storage 212. Based on the pixel values of the pixels of each tomographic image, the layer-region identifying part 233 identifies the layer region corresponding to the pigment layer of the retina. Based on the shape of the layer region, the curve calculator 234 obtains a convex standard curve in the direction of depth of the fundus Ef. Based on the layer region and the standard curve, a protrusion-region identifying part 235 identifies protrusion regions where the layer region protrudes in the opposite direction from the direction of depth of the fundus Ef. A morphological-information generating part 236 generates morphological information representing the morphology (number, size, distribution, etc.) of the protrusion regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Takashi Fujimura, Hiroyuki Aoki
  • Patent number: 8684529
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the reliability of visual field test results are presented. In one embodiment, images of the eye are recorded during the presentation of visual stimuli and are displayed to the user to provide information on eye motion, eye position relative to trial lens, and eyelid closure during the test. Individual or combined images can be displayed for individual stimuli, specific test points, or points in the gaze trace in various embodiments of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
    Inventors: Göran Anders Johansson, Thomas K. Fitzmorris, Vincent Michael Patella
  • Patent number: 8684530
    Abstract: A camera crane has a telescoping arm on a mobile base. The mobile base has a drive motor assembly at each corner of a chassis. The drive motor assemblies may have an electric motor linked to an axle via gearing, and two or more wheels attached to the axle. The wheels can be set to free wheel, so that the mobile base may be pushed or towed, without back driving the electric motor. The wheels may also be linked to the axle, so that the electric motor can provide torque to each of the wheels. The electric motors may be separately controlled to propel and steer the mobile base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard T. Chapman
  • Patent number: 8684531
    Abstract: An image signal storing unit stores an image signal provided from the outside. An image processing unit appropriately processes the image signal stored in the image signal storing unit in accordance with the instruction from an adjusting unit. A projecting unit projects, onto a display area, light corresponding to an image created by the image processing unit. A display size determination unit computes the display size of the picture plane displayed on a screen based on an image captured by the camera provided adjacent to the projection-type video-image display device. The display size determination unit then determines whether or not the display size of the picture plane is equal to or larger than a predetermined upper-limit size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Vision3D Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Masutaka Inoue, Hideyuki Kanayama, Takashi Ikeda, Takahisa Ando, Kazuhiro Arai, Ryuhei Amano
  • Patent number: 8684532
    Abstract: A system for, and method of, generating multicolor scan lines and a multicolor projection video display (PVD) incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) light sources that emit light of different colors at different emission locations and (2) first and second lenses having lenticular arrays associated therewith and configured to receive the light of the different colors and generate multicolor scan lines therefrom, the emission locations separated by different distances from the first lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Patrick R. Destain
  • Patent number: 8684533
    Abstract: A locally dimmed display has a spatial light modulator illuminated by a light source. The spatial light modulator is illuminated with a low resolution version of a desired image. The illumination may comprise a series of lighting elements that vary smoothly from one element to another at the spatial light modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lorne A. Whitehead, Gregory John Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Helge Seetzen
  • Patent number: 8684534
    Abstract: A cooling system for cooling a heat source and a projection apparatus having the same are disclosed. The cooling system includes a heat dissipating device and a thermoelectric cooler (TEC). The heat source is disposed on the side of the heat dissipating device. The TEC is disposed on the other side of the heat dissipating device corresponding to the heat source. The TEC is initiated as the temperature of the heat source is greater than the first value, while the TEC is shut off as the temperature of the heat source is lower than the second value. Therefore, the cooling system economizes the energy by controlling the operation of the TEC according to the temperature of the heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Jui Lin, Kuo-Ching Chang
  • Patent number: 8684535
    Abstract: A cooling unit is provided which cools effectively a plurality of heat sources which are accommodated within small-sized electronic equipment such as a projector. There is provided a cooling unit in which a plurality of base plates 81a, 130a are disposed adjacent closely to each other, each of the base plates 81a, 130a has flat plate-shaped radiating fin 81b, 130b which is erected on rear sides thereof, each of the radiating fin 81b, 130b erected on the base plates 81a, 130a has extending portions 81d, 130d which extends over the rear sides of the base plates 81a, 130a which are adjacent to each other, and one or a plurality of heat sources are heat connected to front sides of the base plates 81a, 130a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Ohta
  • Patent number: 8684536
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus for a liquid crystal image display having a liquid crystal unit includes an incident-side polarizing plate, a liquid crystal panel and an exit-side polarizing plate. The incident-side polarizing plate, the liquid crystal panel and the exit-side polarizing plate are disposed side by side with a gap therebetween to have the same in-plane direction. A first cooling unit feeds an air stream in an orientation of the in-plane direction, and a second air cooling unit feeds an air stream in the in-plane direction in a different orientation from the air stream by the first air cooling unit. The first air cooling unit and the second air cooling unit are set such that the first and second air stream collide with each other between the incident-side polarizing plate and the liquid crystal panel and/or between the liquid crystal panel and the exit-side polarizing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventor: Motoyasu Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 8684537
    Abstract: To provide a light source unit enabling a stable projection without a luminescent material heating and a projector, a projector of the invention including a light source unit, a display device, a light guiding optical system, a projection side optical system and a light source control device. The light source unit includes an excitation light shining device, a luminescent wheel emitting a luminescent ray of a green wavelength band and a light source optical system collecting rays from the luminescent wheel and respective light sources on a predetermined plane. The light source control device controls the excitation light shining device, each light source device of red and blue so that a period of time required for turning-on once of the excitation light shining device, and each light source device of red and blue becomes a non-integral multiple of a period of time required for one rotation of the luminescent wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8684538
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a method for projecting at least one light beam is provided. The method may include providing at least one light beam; and setting a time base of a processor configured to control the at least one light beam as a function of a deflection of the at least one light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: OSRAM Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventors: Jan Oliver Drumm, Christian Gammer, Jens Richter
  • Patent number: 8684539
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor light source device including a plurality of semiconductor light source elements connected in series, a drive circuit configured to drive the semiconductor light source elements, a plurality of resistors, each of which is connected in parallel with one of the semiconductor light source elements, respectively, and a determination unit configured to determine the number of elements short-circuited in the semiconductor light source elements based on voltages applied to the resistors when driving of each of the semiconductor light source elements is being stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8684540
    Abstract: An optical projection apparatus includes a first light source, a second light source, and an imaging element, which is illuminated by the first light source and the second light source during operation. The light source includes a light-emitting diode chip that emits red light during operation. The second light source includes a first light-emitting diode chip, which emits green light during operation. A second light-emitting diode chip emits blue light during operation. The second light-emitting diode chip is arranged on the first light-emitting diode chip at a radiation exit surface of the first light-emitting diode chip. Electromagnetic radiation generated in the first light-emitting diode chip during operation passes through the second light-emitting diode chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Grötsch, Simon Kocur, Matthias Sabathil
  • Patent number: 8684541
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus used for a projection type display is provided, which can change the incident ray volume to an optical modulation device without changing the optical output intensity of the lamp, and can exhibit excellent effects in expressive power of an image and adaptability to the use environment. The lighting apparatus of the present invention comprises; a light source, two fly-eye lenses constituting a uniform lighting device, and a shading plate arranged between these fly-eye lenses and constituting a dimming device for adjusting the amount of light of the outgoing light from the light source. The angle of inclination of the shading plate is controlled based on an image signal supplied to the optical modulation device, thereby enabling adjustment of the amount of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidehito Iisaka, Shoichi Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8684542
    Abstract: The invention provides a projection display that achieves continuous light amount control with ease and without causing unevenness of illumination of light applied to a light valve responsive to a video signal, thereby allowing constant image display with satisfactory contrast. The projection display of the invention includes a light valve (2); a light source (3a) generating light applied to the light valve (2); an integrator lens (4) provided on an optical path between the light source (3a) and the light valve (2) and making uniform the illumination distribution of light applied from the light source (3a) to the light valve (2); and a light amount control system (9) provided on the optical path and including a turning mechanism (9a) which turns like a set of double doors in order to adjust the amount of light applied from the light source (3a) to the light valve (2). The turning mechanism (9a) is bent into a V shape in a direction to reduce the amount of light (to block the light).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamada, Tomohiro Bessho, Akira Daijogo, Motoo Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8684543
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit, a shutter unit located at a front surface at a subject side of the image pickup unit, a first optical member disposed at a subject side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, a second optical member disposed at the image pickup unit side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, and a vibration applying vibration member disposed on at least one of the first optical member and the second optical member, and vibrating the first optical member or the second optical member at a position outside a region where a subject light transmits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventor: Koji Sakatani
  • Patent number: 8684544
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a retroreflective member that can improve the visibility further. The retroreflective member includes a reflective layer and transparent microscopic beads 13. The retroreflective member gives a phase difference corresponding to a visible light wavelength to at least a part of incident light and recombines, emphasizes a light component having the visible light wavelength by interference, and returns coherent light having a visible light wavelength depending on the incident angle in the traveling direction of the incident light. The reflective layer includes a light-transmissive interference layer 14, and the interference layer 14 each has an optical layer thickness of 100 to 600 nm so as to generate an interference color having a visible light wavelength depending on the incident angle of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Marujin Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Kobayashi, Shojiro Amemori
  • Patent number: 8684545
    Abstract: An optical device is disclosed including: a non-imaging secondary concentrator having an entry aperture and an exit aperture, and configured to receive light focused by a primary focusing element from a source onto the entry aperture. The non-imaging secondary concentrator includes: a first portion proximal the entry aperture which is rotationally symmetric about an optic axis; and a second portion proximal the exit aperture which is not rotationally symmetric about the optic axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Roland Winston, Weiya Zhang, Kevin Michael Balkoski