Patents Issued in April 14, 2015
  • Patent number: 9007662
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus operative to properly obtain an original area when one or a plurality of originals exists. The image processing apparatus decides an image data area of an original from read image data read thereby. The image processing apparatus has an extracting unit for extracting a plurality of image areas from the read image data and a discriminating unit for discriminating whether or not tilt angles of the image areas extracted by the extracting unit are equal. If one or more tile angles of the image areas are not equal as a result of the discrimination by the discriminating unit, it is determined that each of the image areas is an image data area of the original on the assumption that there are a plurality of originals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mizuki Hayakawa, Yuya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9007663
    Abstract: An light irradiation system for irradiating light a document face includes a light source; a light guiding member to guide light emitted from the light source; and a reflector to reflect a part of light exiting from the light guiding member to the document face. A direction that emission light intensity of the light emitted from the light source becomes the strongest is different from a direction extending from the light source to an irradiation area. The irradiation area is irradiated by a reflection light reflected by the reflector, and a direct light exiting from the light guiding member without reflection at the reflector. The light guiding member including an incidence surface, an exit surface, and a light guiding part including a total reflection face. Light quantity irradiated to the document face by reflection light is smaller than light quantity irradiated to the document face by direct light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Iwamatsu, Tsuyoshi Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9007664
    Abstract: A passport and identification card reader minimizes the time and effort required for an operator to read/scan a passport or piece of identification. An immigration official, for example, can slide a passport into place with one hand while tending to other important security activities with the other hand. Once in place, the passport will be automatically detected and read. Numerous passports bound together by a traveler with multiple visas can be held flat in place and accurately read, even with one hand, despite the natural tendency of the passport(s) to return to a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: MorphoTrust USA, LLC
    Inventors: James R. Queenan, John P. Sanroma, Mohamed Lazzouni
  • Patent number: 9007665
    Abstract: Documents in a large-format scanning system are scanned by coarsely recognizing longitudinal or transverse transition regions between a reflector roller and a document by the substeps of dividing the scanning image transversely into uniform image strips, determining statistical parameters for each image strip, examining the scanning image in the image strips with fixed threshold values for deviations such that, if a value of one the statistical parameters of an image strip exceeds the threshold value, this region is recognized as being a transverse transition region between the reflector roller and the document, and examining the image strips to determine the longitudinal transition region by line-by-line generation of an average value and determining sufficiently strong and steep edges, the image strips being rotated incrementally from the transverse of the document to an acute angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Roth + Weber GmbH
    Inventors: Simon Kaempflein, Burkhard Schoelpen
  • Patent number: 9007666
    Abstract: Erroneous determination of an image caused by color shift is prevented. Image data is divided in a sub-scanning direction into a first region where color shift hardly occurs and a second region where color shift easily occurs. There are detected a first color line drawing extending in a main-scanning direction in the first region, a second color line drawing extending in the main-scanning direction and having a width larger than that of the first color line drawing in the second region, and a third color line drawing extending in the sub-scanning direction in the image data. On the basis of the detected first, second, and third color line drawings, it is determined whether a document is a color document or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideo Sato
  • Patent number: 9007667
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image reader for reading an original image formed on a surface of a recording medium is disclosed. The image reader comprises an illumination unit configured to illuminate the surface with a white light source, a light receiving unit comprising a plurality of color image sensors each configured to receive light reflected from the surface to form a monochromatic image, and an image processing synthesis unit configured to process the monochromatic images from the light receiving unit to form a synthesized image. The image reader further comprises an operation unit configured to designate a specific color, and a control unit configured to control the image processing synthesis unit to exclude, from the synthesized image processing, the monochromatic image from the color image sensor that corresponds to the specific color designated in the operation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoya Koseki, Mitsuru Hatano, Sueo Ueno, Hiroyuki Shiraishi, Yusuke Hashizume, Katsuya Nagamochi
  • Patent number: 9007668
    Abstract: In an image reading system, when an automatic determination mode is designated as a color mode, a scanner does not determine the color of the read image but applies gamma correction to the image data of the image using the first correction characteristic. The scanner transmits the resultant image data to a PC. The PC determines the color of the image indicated by the received image data. When the determined color does not correspond to the first correction characteristic, the PC performs gamma correction of the received image data in accordance with the inverse characteristic of the first correction characteristic and then performs gamma correction using the second correction characteristic corresponding to the determined color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Jittou, Kouji Miyanishi
  • Patent number: 9007669
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a security element (12) for protecting valuable articles, having a thin-film element (30) that has a color-shift effect and that includes an absorber layer (36) having gaps (38) in the region of which no color-shift effect is perceptible, and a relief pattern (26) that is arranged only in gapped absorber layer regions (38) below the thin-film element (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Heim
  • Patent number: 9007670
    Abstract: Disclosed are injection moldings, an injection-molding apparatus and a method thereof. The injection-molding apparatus comprises: a cavity mold having a cavity; a core mold having a core surface to form a molding space for injection moldings when being joined to the cavity mold; a heating unit for heating the cavity mold or the core mold; a cooling unit for cooling the cavity mold or the core mold; and a patterning stamp having a micrometer or nanometer sized pattern and provided on an inner surface of the molding space. According to the injection-molding apparatus, a micrometer or nanometer sized pattern is formed on a surface of injection moldings so as to have a super-hydrophobic characteristic and an optical characteristic, and a micrometer or nanometer sized pattern of a complex structure can be implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyun-Woo Jun, Young-Bae Kim, Chang-Il Jung, Seok-Jae Jeong, Hyung-Pyo Yoon
  • Patent number: 9007671
    Abstract: The light-quantity control apparatus includes a base member having an opening allowing light to pass therethrough, a first aperture blade movable in a direction orthogonal to a light passing direction, a second aperture blade rotatable in a surface orthogonal to the light passing direction, and a driving lever to be rotated by a driver to drive the first and second aperture blades. The base member has a protruding portion engaging with a groove portion provided in the first aperture blade, the second aperture blade has a driving cam groove portion with which a driving pin provided in the driving lever slidably engages and a rotation center hole portion with which the protruding portion engages. The second aperture blade is rotated about the protruding portion by sliding of the driving pin with respect to the driving cam groove portion with rotation of the driving lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahito Yoshizawa, Kimio Handa
  • Patent number: 9007672
    Abstract: Disclosed is a transmitter optical module which includes an electro-absorption modulated laser modulating a light into an optical signal through a high-frequency electrical signal; a first sub-mount transferring the high-frequency signal to the electro-absorption modulated laser; and a second sub-mount receiving the high-frequency signal from the electro-absorption modulated laser to terminate the electro-absorption modulated laser. A length of a first wire connecting the first sub-mount and the electro-absorption modulated laser is different from a length of a second wire connecting the second sub-mount and the electro-absorption modulated laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Young-Tak Han, Oh Kee Kwon, Jang Uk Shin, Sang Ho Park, Yongsoon Baek
  • Patent number: 9007673
    Abstract: An electrochromic device includes: a first electrode unit including a first electrode layer, a plurality of spaced apart metal lines that are formed on the first electrode layer, and a plurality of insulator strips that cover the metal lines, respectively; a second electrode unit spaced apart from the first electrode unit and including a second electrode layer; and an electrochromic unit sandwiched between the first and second electrode units and including an electrochromic layer and an electrolyte layer. The electrochromic layer is formed on the first electrode layer. The electrolyte layer is disposed between the electrochromic layer and the second electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Leader Optronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Jen Tsai, Shyh-Haur Su
  • Patent number: 9007674
    Abstract: Electrochromic devices and methods may employ the addition of a defect-mitigating insulating layer which prevents electronically conducting layers and/or electrochromically active layers from contacting layers of the opposite polarity and creating a short circuit in regions where defects form. In some embodiments, an encapsulating layer is provided to encapsulate particles and prevent them from ejecting from the device stack and risking a short circuit when subsequent layers are deposited. The insulating layer may have an electronic resistivity of between about 1 and 108 Ohm-cm. In some embodiments, the insulating layer contains one or more of the following metal oxides: aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, silicon aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, tungsten oxide, nickel tungsten oxide, and oxidized indium tin oxide. Carbides, nitrides, oxynitrides, and oxycarbides may also be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: View, Inc.
    Inventors: Sridhar K. Kailasam, Robin Friedman, Dane Gillaspie, Anshu A. Pradhan, Robert Rozbicki, Disha Mehtani
  • Patent number: 9007675
    Abstract: In an optical modulation device, a first drive signal and a first bias signal are applied to a phase modulation unit, a second drive signal and a second bias signal are applied to a phase modulation unit, and a third bias signal is applied to a ?/2 phase shift unit. A control unit adjusts the third bias signal in a first adjustment period, adjusts the first drive signal and the first bias signal in a second adjustment period next to the first adjustment period, and adjusts the second drive signal and the second bias signal in a third adjustment period next to the second adjustment period. The control unit starts the second adjustment period before a gap between the current value of an adjustment reference signal and a target value is filled, and starts the third adjustment period before a gap in the second adjustment period is filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Optical Components Limited
    Inventors: Akihiro Toya, Tsuyoshi Morishita
  • Patent number: 9007676
    Abstract: An electrostatic display employing MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) technology is disclosed. The transition from white to black pixel color occurs as two cantilevers covering the pixel area are electrostatically turned from their position parallel to the substrate plane to the position normal to the substrate plane. Four electrode pixel control circuits are used to form row and column matrix. This matrix employs a bi-stability effect resulting from the difference in voltages needed to move the cantilever into an upright position and hold the cantilever in this position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Copytele, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Kastalsky, Anthony J. Campisi
  • Patent number: 9007677
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion element includes a core formed of a ferroelectric crystal having a periodically poled structure in which first and second domains having mutually inverted directions of spontaneous polarization are alternately aligned side by side, and a cladding covering all side surfaces of the core along a light propagation direction and having a uniform refractive index. Boundary surfaces of the first and second domains are arranged in a non-parallel manner with respect to the light propagation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 9007678
    Abstract: A monolithic fixed optical delay generator includes an optical substrate having a front face and a back face. A front coating is on the front face and a back coating is on the back face. The front coating is (i) highly reflective to a first wavelength and highly transmissive to a second wavelength while the back coating is highly reflective to the second wavelength, or (ii) the front coating is highly reflective to the second wavelength and is highly transmissive to the first wavelength while the back coating is highly reflective to the first wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Edward Miesak
  • Patent number: 9007679
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the active control of a wavelength-swept light source used to interrogate optical elements having characteristic wavelengths distributed across a wavelength range are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventor: Domino Taverner
  • Patent number: 9007680
    Abstract: An optical amplifier which amplifies a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal having a variable number of channels associated with different wavelengths and outputs the amplified WDM optical signal. The optical amplifier includes a first optical amplifier which amplifies the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal and outputs the first optical amplifier amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; a variable optical attenuator which controls a level of the first optical amplifier amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal and outputs the controlled wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; a second optical amplifier which amplifies the controlled wavelength division multiplexed optical signal and outputs the amplified, controlled wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; and a controller which controls the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to be amplified with a constant gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yasushi Sugaya, Susumu Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9007681
    Abstract: A double-clad (DC) multicore (MC) Erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) for dense-wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) is disclosed. The DC-MC-EDFA comprises a length of DC-MC Erbium-doped fiber (EDF) that is core-matched spliced to a MC tapered signal-pump fiber combiner (TFC). For some embodiments, the optical signals are coupled into the DC-MC-EDF by the MC-TFC, and the pump energy is also coupled into the DC-MC-EDF by the MC-TFC. For some embodiments, the optical signals are also transmitted out of the DC-MC-EDF through the MC-TFC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventor: Benyuan Zhu
  • Patent number: 9007682
    Abstract: A controller is configured to determine a first amount of current associated with a first power level. The controller is configured further to generate a digital pulse signal based on the first amount of current, where the digital pulse signal may have a second power level and an associated duty cycle. The controller is configured further to convert the digital pulse signal into a second amount of current and output the second amount of current as a pulse signal based on the duty cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Shia, Yan Han
  • Patent number: 9007683
    Abstract: A passively athermalized infrared imaging system includes an object side meniscus lens that forms at least one aspheric surface, and an image side meniscus lens that forms two aspheric surfaces. Each of the meniscus lenses are formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a chalcogenide glass, germanium, silicon, gallium arsenide, zinc selenide and glass. An optical power of the image side meniscus lens is at least 1.6 times an optical power of the object side meniscus lens such that an effective focus position of the imaging system is athermalized over a range of 0 to +40 degrees Celsius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: FiveFocal LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Scott Kubala, Robert Matthew Bates
  • Patent number: 9007684
    Abstract: A microscope includes: a first epi-illumination light-source unit to perform fluorescence observation; a second transmitted-illumination light-source unit to perform transmission observation, the second transmitted-illumination light-source unit including a light source provided with a light emitting element that emits excitation light and a fluorescent substance that emits fluorescence upon irradiation with the excitation light; and an incidence limiting section configured to limit an incidence of light on the light source from an outside of the second light source unit during a light-off period of the light emitting element. The incidence limiting section is configured to remove an incidence limitation of the light from the outside while the light emitting element is being lit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9007685
    Abstract: A polarization separation device includes a first end surface on which incident light is incident, a polarization separation surface that reflects an s-polarized light component and transmits a p-polarized light component, a second end surface that is arranged to be opposed to the first end surface, converts the p-polarized light component transmitted through the polarization separation surface to the s-polarized light component, and reflects the converted light component to an optical axis direction which is the same as the incident light, a third end surface from which the s-polarized light component reflected by the polarization separation surface without transmitting through the polarization separation surface is output, and a fourth end surface that is arranged to be opposed to the third end surface and from which the s-polarized light component reflected by the second end surface and the polarization separation surface is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9007686
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the creation of a diffractive element that has a high degree of wavefront flatness. The diffractive element has a flat functional substrate with a first side, whereby a fine structure is arranged on or in this first side, and whereby the first side of this functional substrate is arranged on a flat carrier substrate, whereby the carrier substrate has a higher degree of rigidity than the functional substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Ernst-Bernhard Kley, Uwe Detlef Zeitner
  • Patent number: 9007687
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a tunable absorption-emission band in a wavelength selective device are disclosed. A device for selectively absorbing incident electromagnetic radiation includes an electrically conductive surface layer including an arrangement of multiple surface elements. The surface layer is disposed at a nonzero height above a continuous electrically conductive layer. An electrically isolating intermediate layer defines a first surface that is in communication with the electrically conductive surface layer. The continuous electrically conductive backing layer is provided in communication with a second surface of the electrically isolating intermediate layer. When combined with an infrared source, the wavelength selective device emits infrared radiation in at least one narrow band determined by a resonance of the device. In some embodiments, the device includes a control feature that allows the resonance to be selectively modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Irina Puscasu, Edward A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 9007688
    Abstract: A flexible sheet-form optical system, referenced to as a light redirecting fabric, which has a fabric-like behavior and light redirecting properties. The light redirecting fabric comprises a soft and flexible sheet of optically transmissive material, such as plasticized polyvinyl chloride. A surface of the flexible sheet includes a plurality of parallel slits having spaced-apart walls configured to reflect light by means of a total internal reflection. At least a portion of daylight incident onto the sheet is internally redirected at angles other than the angle of incidence which is exploited to enhance daylight harvesting and illumination of a building interior. Disclosed also are a method and apparatus for making the light redirecting fabric. The method includes steps of mechanical slitting of the flexible sheet with a blade, elastic stretch-elongation of the sheet along a direction perpendicular to the slits, and making at least a portion of the sheet elongation irreversible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: SVV Technology Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Sergiy Vasylyev
  • Patent number: 9007689
    Abstract: Disclosed are method and apparatus for forming multiple images of an object comprising a plurality of depth segments. An optical system comprises an infinity optical subsystem and a multi-image optical subsystem. The infinity optical subsystem is configured to receive light from the object and form a first image focussed at infinity. A multi-image optical subsystem is configured to receive the first image and form multiple images via multiple focussing lenses. Each multiple image can correspond to a different depth segment. A portion of the light from the first image can also be filtered before entering a focussing lens. Multiple images under different filtering conditions, corresponding to different depth segments or to the same depth segment, can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gil Abramovich, Kevin George Harding, Robert William Tait, Mark Marshall Meyers, Qingying Hu
  • Patent number: 9007690
    Abstract: A lens array is provided in which the edges of concave-shaped lens faces can be formed with high accuracy and the accuracy of position measurement of the lens faces can be improved. Outer peripheral edge portions 7a of a plurality of lens faces 7 are formed in positions further towards face apex portion sides than a predetermined surface 2 with cylindrical stepped surfaces 12 for each lens face 7 therebetween, one end of the stepped surfaces 12 being the outer peripheral edge portions 7a and another end being a plurality of opening portions 2a formed on the predetermined surface 2 such as to respectively face the outer peripheral edge portions 7a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventor: Kazutaka Shibuya
  • Patent number: 9007691
    Abstract: An object is to provide an image display sheet capable of realizing a smooth pseudo moving image and observing the image with reduced in discomfort. A configuration is provided in which a lenticular sheet composed of an arrangement of a plurality of cylindrical lenses 1a and an image forming layer 3 are laminated, and the image display sheet is formed capable of observing an image formed on the image forming layer 3 from the convex shape side of the cylindrical lenses 1a of the lenticular sheet, as a virtual image with movement, or movement and deformation. The image forming layer 3 is formed repeatedly with a plurality of images 3 for displaying virtual images in association with the cylindrical lenses 1a so as to correspond to the cylindrical lenses 1a, respectively, one-on-one, and difference between an arrangement pitch length A of the cylindrical lenses 1a and a pitch length B of the repeatedly formed images 3a formed on the image forming layer 3 is in a range of 0% to 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Grapac Japan Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihide Yumoto, Kazushi Omori
  • Patent number: 9007692
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a lens array includes a first lens and a second lens. The first lens includes a plurality of lens elements arrayed in a main scanning direction and configured to condense, with an emission surface, light made incident on an incident surface from an object point. The second lens includes a plurality of lens elements arrayed in the main scanning direction. The lens elements condense again, with an emission surface, light made incident on an incident surface. When the light from the object point is made incident on the incident surface of the first lens and emitted from the emission surface of the second lens, a distance between two points of emission positions on outermost sides on the emission surface of the second lens is substantially the same in the main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 9007693
    Abstract: An exemplary video wall includes two display panels and a polygonal mullion elimination lens. Each of the display panels includes a main body and a bezel surrounding the main body. The polygonal mullion elimination lens includes a central first concave surface configured to reflect internal light incident thereon, two flat surfaces respectively attached to the main bodies of the display panels, a central second concave surface opposite to the first concave surface, and two lateral surfaces each connecting between a corresponding one of the flat surfaces and the second concave surface. Portions of light emitted by the main bodies of the display panels can enter the mullion elimination lens via the flat surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Han-Lung Lee, Shan-Fu Huang, Ho-Chiang Liu
  • Patent number: 9007694
    Abstract: A display apparatus including a display unit, a first reflector, a second reflector, a third reflector and a lens unit is provided. The display unit emits an image beam. The first reflector is disposed on a transmission path of the image beam. The second reflector is disposed on the transmission path of the image beam from the first reflector. The third reflector is disposed on the transmission path of the image beam from the second reflector. The lens unit is disposed on the transmission path of the image beam from the third reflector. The image beam emitted from the display unit passes through a space defined between the second reflector and the third reflector and is transmitted to the first reflector. Afterward, the image beam is sequentially reflected by the first reflector, the second reflector and the third reflector, and then passes through the lens unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Fu-Ming Chuang, Chih-Chieh Yu, Chih-Meng Wu
  • Patent number: 9007695
    Abstract: A spectral image sensor device comprises a first optical system 47 and 48 including an objective lens, a luminous fluxes selecting member 55 for allowing a part of the luminous fluxes to pass via the first optical system selectively, an optical member 58 where the luminous fluxes selecting member is disposed so as to be at focal position on an object side or approximately at focal position on an object side, and an interference membrane is formed, and wavelength range of the luminous fluxes for passing through the luminous fluxes selecting member is selected, depending on position of the luminous fluxes selecting member, a second optical system 49 for guiding the luminous fluxes toward the optical member, and an image sensor 52 for receiving a light in wavelength range as selected by the optical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Masayuki Momiuchi, Kazuki Osaragi, Hitoshi Otani
  • Patent number: 9007696
    Abstract: In part, the invention relates to a lens assembly. The lens assembly includes a micro-lens; a beam director in optical communication with the micro-lens; and a substantially transparent film. The substantially transparent film is capable of bi-directionally transmitting light, and generating a controlled amount of backscatter. In addition, the film surrounds a portion of the beam director.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Lightlab Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Petersen, Stephen M. McCartin, Joseph M. Schmitt, Joel M. Friedman
  • Patent number: 9007697
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes: a first lens group having a negative refractive power; and a second lens group having a positive refractive power, provided in this order from an object side. The first lens group includes a first lens having a negative refractive power and a second lens, which is plastic, having a positive refractive power. The zoom lens satisfies the following conditional formulae, when Nd1n is the refractive index of the first lens with respect to the d line, Nd1p and ?d1p are the refractive index and the Abbe's number of the second lens with respect to the d line, respectively, d2 is the spatial distance between the first lens and the second lens along an optical axis, and fw is the focal length of the entire system at the wide angle end: 1.48<Nd1n<1.71 (1); 1.60<Nd1p<1.65 (2); 18<?d1p<25 (3); and 0.2<d2/fw<0.5 (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Daiki Kawamura
  • Patent number: 9007698
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes: a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a negative refractive power; a third lens group having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power provided in this order from an object side. All of the lens groups move along an optical axis such that the distance between the first lens group and the second group gradually becomes greater, the distance between the second lens group and the third lens group gradually becomes smaller, and the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group gradually becomes greater when changing magnification from a wide angle end to a telephoto end. The fourth lens group practically includes a lens having a positive refractive power, a lens having a negative refractive power, and a lens having a positive refractive power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Michio Cho
  • Patent number: 9007699
    Abstract: A lens position adjustment apparatus includes: a transmission unit that is displaced in a first direction oriented from one end point toward the other end point or a second direction oriented from the other endpoint toward the one endpoint to transmit power of a drive source; a conversion unit that moves a lens by using the power supplied from the transmission unit; a drive control unit that controls the drive source; a position detection unit that detects a current position of the transmission unit; and a storage unit that stores a registered position and a registered direction, wherein the drive control unit controls the drive source in such a way that a final displacement direction is the second direction in case that the registered position is within a predetermined amount of displacement from the one end point, and that the final displacement direction is the registered direction otherwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 9007700
    Abstract: A thin-type wide-angle imaging lens assembly comprises a fixing diaphragm and an optical set including four lenses. An arranging order from an object side to an image side is: a first lens; a second lens; a third lens; a fourth lens; and the fixing diaphragm disposed between an object and the second lens. By the concatenation between the lenses and the adapted curvature radius, thickness/interval, refractivity, and Abbe numbers, the assembly attains a big diaphragm with ultra-wide-angle, a shorter height, and a better optical aberration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ability Opto-Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuo-yu Liao
  • Patent number: 9007701
    Abstract: An optical lens assembly for image pickup, sequentially arranged from an object side to an image side along the optical axis, comprising: the first lens element with negative refractive power has a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface; the second lens element with positive refractive power has bi-convex surfaces; and the third lens element with negative refractive power, made of plastic, and which has a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface with at least one thereof is aspheric. By such arrangements, the optical lens assembly for image pickup satisfies conditions related to shorten the total length and to reduce the sensitivity for use in compact cameras and mobile phones with camera functionalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Largan Precision Co.
    Inventors: Chih-Wen Hsu, Ming-Ta Chou
  • Patent number: 9007702
    Abstract: A five-piece optical lens system comprises, in order from the object side to the image side: a first lens element with a negative refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a second lens element with a negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface; a third lens element with a positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a stop; a fourth lens element with a positive refractive power having a convex image-side surface; a fifth lens element with a negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface, each of the second, third, fourth and fifth lens elements has at least one aspheric surface. Thereby, such a system has a wide field of view and can improve the yield rate when being applied to biomedicine, car recorder, camera or other electronic products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Newmax Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fei-Hsin Tsai
  • Patent number: 9007703
    Abstract: An imaging lens SL comprising, in order from an object side: a first group G1 having positive refractive power; an aperture stop S; a second group G2 having positive refractive power; and a third group G3 having negative refractive power; upon focusing from infinity to a close object, the first group and the second group moving independently along an optical axis toward the object side, the first group including, in order from the object side, a front group having negative refractive power, and a rear group having positive refractive power, and the front group consisting of, in order from the object side, a positive lens and a negative lens, thereby providing an imaging lens capable of obtaining excellent optical performance upon focusing from infinity to a close object, with downsizing the optical system with a simple lens construction, an optical apparatus and a method for manufacturing the imaging lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Motohisa Mouri, Issei Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9007704
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a fixed cylinder configured to hold a plurality of lens units that constitute a main optical system, an extender configured to be rotatably held by the fixed cylinder and disposed between the plurality of lens units, a first shaft configured to rotate the extender around a first axis that is parallel to an optical axis of the main optical system so that the extender is inserted into or retracted from an optical path of the main optical system, a second shaft configured to rotate around a second axis that is parallel to the optical axis so as to transmit a rotation to the first shaft, and an exterior member attached to the fixed cylinder, the second shaft is attached to the exterior member, the exterior member is attached to the fixed cylinder, and the rotation of the second shaft is transmitted to the first shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigehiro Torii
  • Patent number: 9007705
    Abstract: This lens barrel includes a first frame, a second frame, a third frame, an annular portion, and a bayonet portion. The bayonet portion protrudes to both sides beyond the width of the rectilinear guide portion in the peripheral direction, and is divided by a plurality of slits. The bayonet portion is supported on the second frame at two or more places including both sides of the rectilinear guide portion in the peripheral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Uno
  • Patent number: 9007706
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes performing synchronization between a source disk and a target disk. The performing includes reading data, in a first read, with a first size from a source disk, writing the data from the first to a target disk, reading data, in a second read, with the first size from the source disk, determining if the data from the first read is equal to the data from the second read, reducing the first size if the data from the first read is not equal to the data in the second read and repeating the reading data in the first read, the writing, the reading data in the second read and the determining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Maksim Vazhenin, Sergey Storozhevykh, Ilya Volzhev, Vadim Agarkov
  • Patent number: 9007707
    Abstract: Systems and method relating generally to data processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for utilizing multiple data streams for data recovery from a storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Lu Lu, Haitao Xia
  • Patent number: 9007708
    Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a magnetic disk apparatus includes a disk, a random number generator, a determination module, and a refresh module. The disk includes a plurality of tracks. A random number generator generates a random number within a range of N integers in accordance with writing to a first area of a first track of the plurality of tracks. A determination module determines whether the generated random number includes a predetermined number. A refresh module refreshes a second area of a second track near the first track based on a result of determination of the determination module. The second area corresponds to the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hiroaki Inoue
  • Patent number: 9007709
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system for selecting an optimum tape layout to store data on a tape medium may include a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being configured to: select a family of data set layouts based on parameters associated with at least a tape drive and the tape medium, compute a set of all minimum distances for the selected family of data set layouts, calculate a first performance metric associated with each possible set of parameters, select a best first performance metric from all calculated first performance metrics and store a set of parameters associated with the best first performance metric, and select a data set layout algorithm which utilizes the set of parameters associated with the best first performance metric, wherein the data set layout algorithm and a rewrite layout algorithm combine to form an optimum tape layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roy D. Cideciyan, Robert A. Hutchins, Thomas Mittelholzer
  • Patent number: 9007710
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for performing a rewrite operation on recording bands of a data storage medium. In some embodiments, data may be read from a target band including a plurality of tracks, and modified. A portion less than all of the modified data is stored to a nonvolatile memory, and all of the modified data is written to the target band. In some embodiments, modified data corresponding to the first two tracks of the target band is stored to the nonvolatile memory, and modified data corresponding to the third track of the target band is written back to the first physical track. Each track may be written in order, ending with the modified data corresponding to the first two tracks. The result may be that data for each track in the band has shifted up two tracks, with data for the first two tracks moved to the end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology
    Inventors: Xiong Liu, Brian T Edgar, Feng Shen, WenXiang Xie, ThanZaw Thein
  • Patent number: 9007711
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes apparatuses and techniques of improved sequential-access of storage media. In some aspects an indication that a storage media interface failed to access a block of storage media is received during a sequential-access of the storage media and the storage media interface is caused to attempt to read a next block of the sequential-access subsequent the sector failed to be accessed during the same sequential-access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell International
    Inventors: Jitendra Kumar Swarnkar, Vincent Wong