Patents Issued in July 15, 2014
  • Patent number: 8777383
    Abstract: A pressure purging device for an inkjet recording apparatus includes a back pressure tank 21, a distribution tank 12, ink opening/closing electromagnetic valves 13, and recording heads 14, and in which the distribution tank 12 is connected to the back pressure tank 21 via an ink supply path 24, the ink opening/closing electromagnetic valves 13 are attached to the distribution tank 12 while being connected to the recording heads 14 via the distribution supply pipe 15, the ink opening/closing electromagnetic valves 13 are directly attached to the distribution tank 12, and there is provided an air switching three-port electromagnetic valve 61 connected to an upper part inside of the back pressure tank 21 via an air path 63 while being connected to a compressed air supply path 62.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Miyakoshi Printing Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Izawa, Akira Ishikawa, Wataru Itabashi
  • Patent number: 8777384
    Abstract: This disclosure discloses an ink cartridge comprises a housing; a reservoir portion disposed so that an end portion on one side in a thickness direction contacts the housing; a detection plate that is supported with respect to the housing at a lower end portion, comes in contact with the other side of the reservoir portion in the thickness direction, and rotates in accordance with an ink volume, thereby executing a display in accordance with the ink volume by that rotational position; and a collapse prevention rib that creates a predetermined gap between an end portion on one side in the thickness direction and a left wall portion of the housing, extends above the detection plate, and causes the upper portion of the reservoir portion to be inserted through the gap, thereby suppressing the displacement of the reservoir portion to the other side in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8777385
    Abstract: A liquid ink container having mating features for self alignment with an ink delivery station. The ink delivery station includes a receiver with an actuated puncture ring. The liquid ink container includes a cap that is punctured by the ring to allow fluid flow from the container. The receiver and container also include means for introducing pressurized gas into the container to facilitate evacuation of liquid ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics for Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Laramie, Paul Duncanson
  • Patent number: 8777386
    Abstract: A solid ink stick enables identification of the ink stick in a variety of different orientations, while preventing the ink stick from being inserted into an ink loader in an orientation in which the ink stick cannot be identified. The ink stick includes two polygon end surfaces opposite one another. Each edge of the end surfaces has a first and a second identifier, which are identical to one another to enable the ink stick to be inserted into an ink loader without regard to the orientation of the edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Brent R. Jones, Frederick T. Mattern, Brian W. Aznoe
  • Patent number: 8777387
    Abstract: A printhead includes a jetting module, deflection mechanism, and catcher. The jetting module includes a nozzle array extending along a length of the jetting module and forms drops travelling along a first path from liquid jets emitted from the nozzles. The deflection mechanism causes selected drops to deviate from the first path to a second path. The catcher intercepts drops travelling along one of the paths, includes a drop contact surface and a liquid removal conduit connected in fluid communication by a Coanda surface including a radial surface having an array of grooves. The array of grooves extends in the same direction as that of the nozzle array. For a given groove, the groove includes a depth that varies along the radial surface as viewed relative to the drop contact surface and a liquid removal conduit surface adjacent to the Coanda surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas W. Palone, Kathleen M. Vaeth, Kam C. Ng
  • Patent number: 8777388
    Abstract: A fluid distribution system for a printhead, the system having a fluid container fluidically interconnected with the printhead via a closed fluid flow loop, a bypass fluid path bypassing the printhead on the closed loop, a gas vent on the closed loop and a four-way valve on the closed loop for selectively allowing fluid flow along the closed loop via the printhead and the bypass path and venting of gas in the closed loop via the gas vent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Zamtec Ltd
    Inventors: Jeff Borra, Ryan Root, Jon Lucas, Tom Alesi, Neal Cekalski, Bob Mallory, Robert Rosati, Raul Perez
  • Patent number: 8777389
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a head tank, an exhaust unit, and a suctioning device. The head tank has liquid chambers with exhaust ports. The exhaust unit includes an exhaust channel connected to the suctioning device to exhaust air from the head tank, an exhaust chamber connected to the ports of the liquid chambers, a valve member to collectively open and close the ports, a valve driving chamber communicating with the exhaust channel and having a flexible member forming a wall face thereof, a valve driving member disposed at the flexible member to open and close the valve member, and a choke channel communicating the exhaust chamber with the valve driving chamber. When the suctioning device suctions air through the exhaust channel with the liquid being in the choke channel, a volume of the valve driving chamber contracts and the valve member opens the ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomomi Katoh
  • Patent number: 8777390
    Abstract: A fluid dispensing system for ink-jet printing can comprise an ink-jet ink including anionic dye colorant and from 0.05 wt % to 1.0 wt % of an anionic dispersant polymer, and a fixer composition including a cationic crashing agent that is with a component of the ink-jet ink. The fixer composition can be stored separately from the ink-jet ink, and the fluid dispensing system can be configured for overprinting or underprinting the fixer composition with respect to the ink-jet ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul Bruinsma, Dennis P. Parazak, Lidia Calvo Garcia
  • Patent number: 8777391
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming method for forming an image on fabric including a treatment step of applying a treatment agent on fabric, an image printing step of printing an image on a treatment agent-applied area with an ink, and a heat-fixing step of heat-fixing the ink on the fabric. The treatment agent used in the treatment step includes at least one of the following component A and the following component B: Component A: a diallyldimethylammonium chloride-sulfur dioxide copolymer Component B: a mixture of an allylamine-diallylamine copolymer and sodium chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Goro Okada, Reiko Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8777392
    Abstract: Provided is an inkjet ink including at least water, a pigment, a resin, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a surfactant, wherein the resin consist of a copolymer resin synthesized from only a (meth)acrylic monomers, and the copolymer resin has an acid value of not less than 50 mgKOH/g and not more than 200 mgKOH/g, a glass transition temperature (Tg) not less than 20 and not more than 100° C., and a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) not less than 20,000 and not more than 100,000, and as a result, a high-quality image is formed in that abrasion resistance and adhesiveness on a non-absorptive recording medium are high, glossiness is high, and there is no ink mixing, and ejection performance is good and recovery through maintenance is excellent. Also provided is an inkjet recording method that uses the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hidenobu Ohya, Manabu Kaneko
  • Patent number: 8777393
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes ejecting at least two color ink compositions onto a recording medium so as to be deposited one on another. When one ink composition is deposited to form a first image and then another ink composition is deposited to form a second image on the first image, the ink composition forming the second image has a higher yield value than the ink composition forming the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Okada, Masaru Kumagai, Takamasa Ikagawa
  • Patent number: 8777394
    Abstract: A method of producing a print on paper includes drying a selected region of the paper to a moisture content not to exceed that of the paper equilibrated to 20% RH. Hydrophilic liquid is deposited in a selected fluid pattern on the selected region of the paper within 15 seconds after the completion of drying. The paper is charged so that a charge pattern of charged and discharged areas is formed on the paper, and the discharged areas correspond to the selected fluid pattern. Charged dry ink having charge of the same sign as the charge in the charged areas is on the paper is deposited onto the paper in a dry ink pattern corresponding to the selected fluid pattern in the selected region. The dry ink is fixed to the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Patent number: 8777395
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a carriage that has a head ejecting liquid cured by receiving the irradiation of light and moves in a movement direction intersecting a transportation direction of a medium; a first irradiation section; a second irradiation section; and a controller that forms the image on the medium through performing an ejection operation ejecting the liquid from the head while moving the carriage in the movement direction and a transportation operation that transports the medium in the transportation direction, and performs control of the irradiation intensity of the light of the first irradiation section at the time of the ejection operation to regulate the surface condition of the image and to change the irradiation intensity of the light of the second irradiation section according to the irradiation intensity of the light of the first irradiation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toyohiko Mitsuzawa
  • Patent number: 8777396
    Abstract: An aqueous inkjet printer is configured to evaluate and adjust multiple components within the printer with reference to image data of the surface of a rotating member obtained at different times during a single print cycle. The print cycle can be performed in a multiple pass manner to enable a single optical sensor to be used for generation of the image data. Alternatively, the print cycle can be performed in a single revolution of the rotating member and multiple optical sensors positioned about the rotating member to generate the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Howard A. Mizes, Jeffrey J. Folkins, Paul J. McConville, David A. Mantell, Anthony S. Condello, Chu-heng Liu
  • Patent number: 8777397
    Abstract: A conveyor device includes a drive roller that conveys a tray or a sheet through a conveying path, a rotating shaft that rotates between a first position and a second position, a spur roller that moves between a fourth position, in which the spur roller approaches the drive roller, and a fifth position, in which the spur roller separates from the drive roller at a distance greater than a thickness of the tray, an elastic shaft that supports the spur roller and urges the spur roller toward the drive roller, a first contacting portion that contacts one surface of the tray passing through the conveying path when the rotating shaft is in the second position; and a second contacting portion that deforms the elastic shaft and that moves the spur roller to the fifth position when the rotating shaft rotates from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shota Iijima, Iwane Sano
  • Patent number: 8777398
    Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a platen in which a plurality of plate members configuring a support surface supporting a roll paper are disposed at a predetermined interval so that suction grooves are formed between the plate members, a recording unit for performing a recording process on the roll paper placed on the support surface, a pressure chamber disposed at the back side of the platen and communicating with the suction grooves, and a suction mechanism for sucking up the roll paper disposed on the support surface through the suction grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Toya
  • Patent number: 8777399
    Abstract: A method of printhead registration in a duplex printer enables process direction registration of a first group of printheads and a second group of printheads in a single print zone that print first and second sides of a print medium concurrently. The first group of printheads is registered to a first reference printhead based on the process direction locations of a first plurality of marks printed by the first group of printheads at a first time between printed images on the first side of the print medium. The second group of printheads is registered to a second reference printhead based on the process direction locations of a second plurality of marks printed by the second group of printheads at a second time between printed images on the second side of the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Song-Feng Mo
  • Patent number: 8777400
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a transport unit, a medium support unit and a liquid ejection head. The medium support unit includes a plurality of first recesses and a plurality of second recesses arranged on a medium support surface along a width direction orthogonal to a transport direction. The first and second recesses are configured and arranged to be imparted with negative pressure. A width dimension of an opening of the first recess in the width direction is larger on the downstream side than on an upstream side. A width dimension of an opening of the second recess in the width direction is smaller than the width dimension of the opening of the first recess in the width direction on the downstream side with respect to the transport direction. The second recesses are configured and arranged to accept the liquid ejected toward the ejection medium from the liquid ejection head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Yamamoto, Hirotaka Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8777401
    Abstract: A recording medium transfer apparatus is provided with: an endless belt; a plurality of transfer rollers, which intermittently rotate the endless belt; a slide unit, which can freely move back and forth between the initial position and the end position of the endless belt; a driving device, which returns the slide unit to the initial position from the end position; a linear encoder, which detects a transfer amount of the slide unit; a calculation unit, which calculates a transfer amount of the recording medium on the basis of the detection results obtained from the linear encoder; and a control unit, which controls the transfer amount of the recording medium on the basis of the transfer amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Matsui
  • Patent number: 8777402
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes a carriage including a print head for firing ink droplets onto a recording medium from a nozzle; a carriage driving unit configured to drive the carriage; an openable cover configured to cover a moving area of the carriage; a cover lock member configured to lock the cover to a housing; a lock control unit configured to control lock and release of the lock of the cover by the cover lock member; a lock releasing unit configured to request the lock control unit to release the lock; and a carriage power control unit configured to control opening and closing of a power supplying path to the carriage driving unit. The lock control unit causes the cover lock member to release the lock if the lock releasing unit is operated and the carriage power control unit opens the power supplying path to the carriage driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Hiroshi Koichi
  • Patent number: 8777403
    Abstract: An assembly of an optical lens and an eyeglass frame is revealed. The assembly mainly includes a fastener mounting into and locked between a middle part of the eyeglass frame and a middle part of the optical lens, where the eyeglass frame and the optical lens mounted with each other. Moreover, a stopping plate is mounted into the eyeglass frame at the position corresponding to the fastener. By the stopping plate locked with the fastener, the fastener will not separate from the eyeglass frame. Therefore the connection between the eyeglass frame and the optical lens becomes more firmly and stably by the fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Inventor: Chih-Chang Huang
  • Patent number: 8777404
    Abstract: A temporary eyeglass frame for securing left and right corrective lenses for wearing in front of a person's eyes includes a nosepiece assembly has a bridge area formed to rest on the bridge of a person's nose, and a left lens clamp on a left side of the central area for securing a portion of a left corrective lens and a right lens clamp on a right side of the central area for securing a portion of a right corrective lens. A left temple assembly has a left temple lens clamp for securing an opposite end of the left corrective lens and a temple extending rearwardly therefrom for supporting engagement with wearer's left ear, and a right temple assembly has a right temple lens clamp for securing an opposite end of the right corrective lens and a temple extending rearwardly therefrom for supporting engagement with wearer's right ear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Inventor: Luis Herrera
  • Patent number: 8777405
    Abstract: A device for the stimulation of the visual system includes a body having a pair of spaced lobes configured to conform to the periocular region. The body has a first side and an opposed second side. The body second side has an adhesive layer for securing the body to the periocular region. A light emitting source disposed within each of the pair of lobes to selectively illuminate the periocular region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Inventor: David Joseph Anschel
  • Patent number: 8777406
    Abstract: Provided is a device-mounting support member (100) for mounting a wearable device (W) onto an eyeglass frame, including: an eyeglass attachment portion (101) having a first pressing portion (101a) to be pressed against a temple portion (T) of the eyeglass frame; a support frame portion (102) to be attached with the wearable device (W) which extends from the eyeglass attachment portion (101) substantially parallel to the temple portion (T); and a head abutment portion (103) which is coupled to the support frame portion (102) and to be abutted to a head of a wearer, in which: the support frame portion (102) is arranged on the outside of the temple portion (T); the head abutment portion (103) is arranged on the inside of the temple portion (T); and the support frame portion (102) and the head abutment portion (103) are coupled to each other via a support bridge portion (104).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Ryohei Sugihara, Seiji Tatsuta, Yoichi Iba
  • Patent number: 8777407
    Abstract: A progressive-power lens includes an eyeball-side surface including a distance portion and a near portion having different values of dioptric power. An intermediate portion connects the distance portion and the near portion to each other. An object-side surface of the progressive-power lens includes a first region extending along a principal meridian and having a spherical shape having first curvature, a second region facing the distance portion and having a spherical shape having second curvature equal to the first curvature, and a third region located outside the first region and below the second region and having third curvature greater than the first curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Lens Manufacturing Philippines Inc.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Kato, Yohei Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8777408
    Abstract: Adjustable focus eyeglasses where the range of adjustment can be moved. That is, if a pair of adjustable focus eyeglasses have a range of 0 diopters to 2.75 diopters (to provide a 2.75 D ADD for reading for an emmetrope), this invention could, for example, permit the user to move the range from 0 D to 2.75 D to 2.00 D to 4.75 D so as to accommodate a short term change in the user's distance vision requirement. Each eye can be adjusted independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Zoom Focus Eyewear, LLC
    Inventor: Stephen Kurtin
  • Patent number: 8777409
    Abstract: A system and method of forming surfaces on eyeglass lenses is described. In some examples, the surface is a spherical, cylindrical or spherocylindrical surface at a center of the lens and an aspherical surface at a periphery of the lens. In some examples, forming the surface on the lens reduces the thickness of the lens at the periphery of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Digital Vision, Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon Keane, John Thompson
  • Patent number: 8777410
    Abstract: A fundus photographing apparatus with wavefront compensation, includes: a fundus photographing optical system for capturing a fundus image by receiving a reflected light from fundus of an examinee's eye; a wavefront compensation device placed in an optical path of the fundus photographing optical system to compensate a wavefront aberration of the examinee's eye by controlling an incident light wavefront; a wavefront aberration detection optical system for projecting a measurement light on the fundus of the examinee's eye to detect a reflected light of the measurement light from the fundus using a wavefront sensor; and a controller for controlling an effective region formed on the wavefront compensation device so as to correct a difference between the effective region formed on the wavefront compensation device where an aberration correction control is effective and a wavefront measurement region of the wavefront aberration detection optical system where the wavefront aberration is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Nidek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaaki Hanebuchi
  • Patent number: 8777411
    Abstract: A fundus examination device aiding in gaze fixation and image focusing includes a light projecting device for projecting an examination light to illuminate an examinee's fundus; an illuminating system for transmitting the examination light to the examinee's eye and receiving a fundus image; an imaging system for showing the fundus image; and a focusing and gaze-fixation device located in the illuminating system and including a focus mask formed in a focusing zone, on which the examinee's eye focuses. The focus mask includes a split image screen surrounded by a light-penetrable structure, and gaze fixation devices for forming gaze-fixation images at examinee's eye focusing positions within the focusing zone, such that the split image screen and the gaze-fixation images are located at different focal positions corresponding to the examinee's eye curvature. Therefore, when a split image focusing is completed, the gaze-fixation images are also located at clearly recognizable focal positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Crystalvue Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Che Liang Tsai, Chung Ping Chuang, Yen Jen Chang
  • Patent number: 8777412
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present inventive concept provide optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems for integration with a microscope. The OCT system includes a sample arm coupled to the imaging path of a microscope. The sample arm includes an input beam zoom assembly including at least two movable lenses configured to provide shape control for an OCT signal beam; a scan assembly including at least one scanning mirror and configured for telecentric scanning of the OCT signal beam; and a beam expander configured to set the OCT signal beam diameter incident on the microscope objective. The shape control includes separable controls for numerical aperture and focal position of the imaged OCT beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Bioptigen, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric L. Buckland, Nestor O. Farmiga, Robert H. Hart, Andrew Murnan, Christopher Saxer
  • Patent number: 8777413
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an ophthalmic wavefront sensor for use with an ophthalmic microscope to provide continuous measurements of the refractive state of an eye. The wavefront sensor operates in both parallel sampling and lock-in detection mode by synchronizing the pulsing of the light source with a multiple number of position sensing devices/detectors used for detecting the centroid position of the sampled sub-wavefronts. Other embodiments include a beam scanner to sample selected portions of the wavefront and a live image sensor and a tracking deflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Clarity Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Zhou, William Shea, Phil Baker
  • Patent number: 8777414
    Abstract: A method of determining an ophthalmic prescription (Rx) for a patient's eye, includes obtaining a wavefront measurement of the patient's eye; determining a first Rx for the patient's eye from the wavefront measurement, the first Rx corresponding to a maximum value of a merit function calculated from the wavefront measurement of the patient's eye for a first size of the pupil of the patient's eye; determining one or more additional Rx's of the patient's eye for one or more additional pupil sizes different from the first pupil size, wherein each additional Rx is determined for a corresponding size by calculating a value of the merit function for the previously-calculated Rx at the corresponding size and searching for an Rx at the corresponding size that provides a larger value of the merit function than the previously-calculated Rx at the corresponding size; determining a final Rx based on the first Rx and the additional Rx's; and outputting the final Rx.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Vision Inc.
    Inventors: Ray Steven Spratt, Timo Kratzer, Jesús-Miguel Cabeza-Guillén
  • Patent number: 8777415
    Abstract: Multifocal contact lenses and methods and uses are described. The multifocal contact lenses include an optic zone. The optic zone has an aspheric power profile that provides a near vision refractive power and a distance vision refractive power, and provides an Add power that corresponds to the difference between the near vision refractive power and the distance vision refractive power. The multifocal contact lenses can improve binocular vision of presbyopic subjects by being prescribed such that the non-dominant eye contact lens is over-corrected for distance vision, and both multifocal contact lenses are under-corrected for the Add power requirement of the subject. Batches and sets of multifocal contact lenses are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: CooperVision International Holding Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Arthur Back
  • Patent number: 8777416
    Abstract: The polarization beam splitting element splits an entering beam according to polarization directions. The element includes, in order from a beam entrance side, an entrance side multi-layered film layer constituted by laminated multiple dielectric films, and a one-dimensional grating structure having a grating period smaller than a wavelength of the entering beam and formed of a metal. When a medium existing on the beam entrance side further than the entrance side multi-layered film layer is referred to as an entrance medium, the multiple dielectric films constituting the entrance side multi-layered film layer include at least one dielectric film having a higher refractive index than that of the entrance medium and at least one dielectric film having a lower refractive index than that of the entrance medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Rie Ishimatsu
  • Patent number: 8777417
    Abstract: A high-pressure discharge lamp comprising an arc tube, the arc tube including: a light-emitting part which is substantially ellipsoidal; and sealing parts which extend from either end of the light-emitting part and in which bases of electrodes are sealed, the arc tube enclosing 0.2 mg/mm3 to 0.4 mg/mm3 of mercury, the high-pressure discharge lamp having a power rating greater than 355 W and not greater than 600 W, wherein 5.4?D?5.8 and 3.1?X?D?2.3 when 355<P?380, 5.8?D?6.2 and 3.1?X?D?2.7 when 380<P?450, and 6.2?D?6.6 and 3.1?X?D?3.3 when 450<P?600, where P denotes the power rating in watts of the high-pressure discharge lamp, D denotes an inside diameter in millimeters of the light-emitting part 104 with reference to a midpoint between the electrodes 101, and X denotes a wall thickness in millimeters of the light-emitting part 104 with reference to the midpoint between the electrodes 101.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Ogawa, Jun Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 8777418
    Abstract: A projector system includes an image generator and at least one projector for receiving an image from the image generator and projecting the image onto a screen to provide a final projected image. A computer generates correction data based on a calibration process that includes comparing an uncorrected image projected by the at least one projectors with a geometrically correct image. Wherein the at least one projector maps incoming pixel locations from the image generator to corrected pixel locations in the final projected image based on the correction data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Wright, Greg Clancy
  • Patent number: 8777419
    Abstract: A projection apparatus and a location method for determining a position of a light point on a projection image of the projection apparatus are provided. The projection apparatus comprises a lens, a light detector, a light guide module and a processing circuit. The light guide module is configured to receive the light point via the lens, and to guide the light point into the light detector. The light detector outputs a detection signal to the processing circuit according to the light point within a detection period. The processing circuit determines the position of the light point on the projection image according to the detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: June-jei Huang
  • Patent number: 8777420
    Abstract: An image processing device for a projector including an image formation section that emits light of an image, and a projection system that projects the emitted light onto a projection surface. The image processing device has a distortion correction technique for images displayed on the projection surface. The image processing device has a target display area determination section that determines, in a display area serving as a reference on the projection surface, based on a current value of a parameter, any of target display areas set for values possibly taken by the parameter within an allowable range to be targeted on a distortion-free image for display on the projection surface; a reference formation area determination section that determines a reference formation area to be formed with a virtual distorted image and a correction application section that generates corrected image data for supply to the image formation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shiki Furui
  • Patent number: 8777421
    Abstract: A projection optical system includes first and second optical systems. The first optical system includes a transmissive-refractive element and the second optical system includes a reflective-refractive element. An image formed by a spatial light modulator is projected by the projection optical system on a projection surface. A light beam that travels along an optical path that leads from the second optical system to the projection surface in an optical path between a center of the image formed by the spatial light modulator and the projection surface is projected at an angle with respect to a normal to the projection surface. An optical axis of the first optical system is folded to a folded position by an optical path deflecting unit in an area of the first optical system where the light beam entering the optical path deflecting unit is a converging light beam or a substantially parallel light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Takaura, Kazuhiro Fujita, Issei Abe, Akihiro Yamakage, Osamu Nagase, Yoshitsugu Kohno
  • Patent number: 8777422
    Abstract: An illumination optical system includes: a light source device including: a red light-emitting device that emits red light; a blue light-emitting device that emits blue light; and a fluorescence plate comprising a green fluorescence region and a light transmission region, wherein the green fluorescence region is excited by the blue light to emit green light, and the light transmission region transmits the blue light; a light guide including a dichroic layer therein, wherein the dichroic layer is arranged to intersect a center axis of the light guide at about 45 degree to transmit the blue light while reflecting the green light and the blue light; a mirror group and a lens group. The blue light transmitted through the light transmission region is incident on an end surface of the light guide, and the red light and the green light are incident on a side surface of the light guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8777423
    Abstract: A projector includes a projection light source, a light-off detector that detects that the projection light source is shut off, and a relighting controller that carries out a relighting process for relighting the projection light source based on the detection performed by the light-off detector as a trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Okada
  • Patent number: 8777424
    Abstract: A projection display having at least one light source and also regularly-disposed optical channels. The optical channels comprise at least one field lens, to which respectively one object structure to be imaged and also at least one projection lens are assigned. The distance of the projection lenses from the assigned object structures corresponds to the focal distance of the projection lenses while the distance of the object structures to be imaged from the assigned field lens is chosen such that a Köhler illumination of the assigned projection lens is made possible. Then the individual projections are superimposed to form the total image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Peter Schreiber, Marcel Sieler, Erik Foerster
  • Patent number: 8777425
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a projection-type display apparatus, which can address or realize a reduction in weight and size, a reduction in power consumption, and a reduction in noise, and address or realize a reduction in price, and a control method for the projection-type display apparatus, as well as a control program for the projection-type display apparatus. The projection-type display apparatus includes a solid-state light source that emits light, a mirror device that controls an emitting direction of the incident light to thereby subject the incident light to temporal modulation, and a projecting device that projects the modulated light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunaga Miyazawa, Hiroshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8777426
    Abstract: A projection type display includes an optical system that includes a focus lens and is configured to project an image, a driver configured to move the focus lens along an optical axis, a phase difference sensor configured to receive light of the image that has been projected, and a controller configured to calculate a phase difference based on an output of the phase difference sensor, to calculate an in-focus position based on the phase difference that has been calculated, and to move the focus lens via the driver to the in-focus position for a focus control of the optical system, wherein the controller provides the focus control while a current position of the focus lens is located within an allowable range that is previously set in a movable range over which the focus lens can move along the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Ishida
  • Patent number: 8777427
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an outer dome configured to provide protection and optical correction to a system of projection optics and the output thereof. More particularly, an optical projection system having an optical offset of greater than 100% is comprised within a projector housing having an outer dome comprised of an optically active material mounted onto an opening approximately coinciding with the optical projection system's exit pupil. The outer dome is configured to be decenterized from the exit pupil (e.g., the center of the dome is offset from the exit pupil in one or more of an x, y, and z direction) such that it provides optical correction to a projected image. Therefore, an outer dome is configured to provide protection to optical elements provided therein and improvement of projected image quality (e.g., reduced image distortion, reduced aberration).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick Rene Destain, James Hallas, Steve Smith
  • Patent number: 8777428
    Abstract: A vehicle mirror assembly having a housing and dome-type mirror lens. The lens has a first base footprint portion with a constant radius of curvature and a diameter, and a second base footprint portion comprised of an elliptical portion with a base major axis and a base minor axis. The mirror lens includes a first surface portion having a first surface radius and conforming to the first base footprint portion. The lens additionally includes a second surface portion conforming to the second base footprint portion. The second surface portion is comprised of a second surface major radius of curvature corresponding to a major surface axis and a second surface minor radius of curvature corresponding to a minor surface axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Rosco, Inc.
    Inventors: William Schmidt, Daniel M. Swain
  • Patent number: 8777429
    Abstract: A blind spot mirror configured to attach to an automobile, thereby providing an enhanced view, comprising a base having a flat rear surface configured to couple to an automobile mirror. The blind spot mirror also includes a mirror housing pivotally coupled to the base through a ball and socket coupling member, wherein the ball and socket coupling member is coupled to the mirror housing substantially off-center on the mirror housing. The ball and socket coupling member is disposed substantially off-center to the mirror housing, 60/40 respectively. The blind spot mirror further includes a mirror disposed within the mirror housing and coupled thereto through a hook and groove coupling device. The mirror is inset into a receiving portion around the perimeter of the mirror housing and secured to the hook and groove coupling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Inventor: Harry Snegg
  • Patent number: 8777430
    Abstract: A mirror reflector sub-assembly for a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element having a glass substrate with first and second surfaces. The mirror reflective element has a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion. The auxiliary reflector portion of the mirror reflective element includes a curved recess established at the second surface of the glass substrate by at least one of grinding and ablating. A reflector is established at the curved recess and a principal mirror reflector is established at the principal reflector portion. The mirror reflective element is supported at a side of a mirror back plate and an opposing side of the mirror back plate is configured for attaching the mirror back plate to a mirror actuator. The opposing side of the mirror back plate includes an attaching portion that snap attaches to the mirror actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventor: Mingtang Zhao
  • Patent number: 8777431
    Abstract: An integrated automotive compass suitable for use in a vehicle includes an application specific integrated circuit that includes at least first and second magnetoresponsive sensing elements. The first and second magnetoresponsive sensing elements and at least a portion of associated circuitry are established on a common semiconductor substrate using CMOS technology. When powered via a vehicle power source, the application specific integrated circuit, at least in part, generates a compass directional heading of the vehicle. The directional heading of the vehicle is determined, at least in part, responsive to a sensing of a magnetic field by the magnetoresponsive sensing elements. Automatic compensation for a deviating magnetic field during operation of the vehicle is achieved, at least in part, via an algorithm processed by a processor of application specific integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: Rodney K. Blank, Kenneth L. Schierbeek, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 8777432
    Abstract: A first light source arranged behind a display field and configured to generate an elementary color or a secondary color from red, green and blue elementary colors for increasing safety of a display device having an optical display field, wherein the first light source is connected to an activation module which is configured to activate the first light source based on the desired color. A second light source is arranged behind the display field and configured to generate the elementary color or the secondary color from the red, green and blue elementary colors. The second light source is connected to the activation module which is configured to activate the second light source based on the desired color of the first light source, and a monitor is provided which is configured to identify an error or a fault on one of the light sources and to shutdown the faulty light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Mayer