Patents Issued in March 29, 2016
  • Patent number: 9297975
    Abstract: An optical communication cable includes a cable body having an outer surface, an inner surface, a channel defined by the inner surface and a longitudinal axis extending through the center of the channel. The outer surface of the cable body defines a profile feature such that the outer surface at the profile feature is asymmetric about the longitudinal axis. The profile feature having at least two peaks and at least one trough between the peaks, and the profile feature extends axially along at least a portion of the length of the outer surface of the cable body. The cable includes an optical transmission element located in the channel, and an ink layer positioned along an outer surface of the trough of the profile feature. The peaks are configured to limit contact of the ink layer with surfaces during installation and thereby act to protect the ink layer from abrasion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: CORNING OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Bradley Jerome Blazer, Dana Craig Bookbinder, David Wesley Chiasson, Andrew S Dodd, David Henry Smith, Kenneth Darrell Temple
  • Patent number: 9297976
    Abstract: An optical fiber connector and method for assembly and use are disclosed. The optical fiber connector is configured to have a small footprint so that the connector may be pushable or pullable through a conduit if use of a conduit may be needed. The connector may include a first number of connector components configured to fit through a conduit, and a second number of connector components that are configured to be installed to the first components, for example, after the connector is pushed or pulled through a conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Clearfield, Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Hill, Walter E. Power, II, Yuki Nishiguchi
  • Patent number: 9297977
    Abstract: A lens holder includes a pair of leg members inclined and extending to a lens housing from a support member that supports the lens holder at a predetermined position. A distance between pair of leg members is set such that the distance between lower end portions is equal to or larger than a width of the lens housing to be supported, and the distance between upper end portions is equal to or smaller than the width of the lens housing to be supported, and that the distance becomes gradually smaller from the lower end portions to the upper end portions of the legs. A lens optical component includes a lens housing holding a lens, and the lens holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, NTT Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Tsuzuki, Toshiki Nishizawa, Yuji Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 9297978
    Abstract: A first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) mounted with an image sensor, a holder member mounted on the PCB, a lens module directly mounted inside the holder member, an actuator arranged at an inside of the holder member, and an electronic circuit pattern formed on a surface of the holder member to conductibly connect the PCB and the actuator, where one end of the electronic circuit pattern is connected to the PCB, and the other end of the electronic circuit pattern is connected to the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Min Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9297979
    Abstract: A lens driving device includes a lens holder for holding a lens, a supporter portion for supporting the lens holder in a movable manner, a drive portion for driving the lens holder, and an elastic portion for supplying the lens holder with a force in a predetermined direction. The supporter portion includes a shaft engaging with a bearing of the lens holder, and the force in a predetermined direction includes a force in a direction perpendicular to the shaft and a force in a direction to rotate the lens holder about the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Harada, Tetsuo Nishidate, Toyoshi Nogami, Hiromasa Sasaoka
  • Patent number: 9297980
    Abstract: For an optical device as a transmission-type scanning optical microscope having a pinhole or a slit for limiting the amount of a detected light beam, a method of moving a scanning beam without moving an observation sample to be scanned is realized. A scanning beam from a beam scanning mechanism that has passed through an observation sample is focused onto a reflection plate, and is then returned back again to the observation sample. A light beam that has returned back from the sample is further fed back to the beam scanning mechanism, and then, the light beam that has been limited through a fixed pinhole or a slit is detected with a photodetector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI-LG DATA STORAGE, INC.
    Inventor: Shigeharu Kimura
  • Patent number: 9297981
    Abstract: A lens barrel having an image forming optical system including a first optical system and a second optical system which is moveable independently from the first optical system, a first driving portion which drives the first optical system during a magnification changing operation of the image forming optical system, and a second driving portion which drives the second optical system during the magnification changing operation, along with driving the second optical system during a focus adjustment of the image forming system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Fukino, Masaaki Kusano
  • Patent number: 9297982
    Abstract: A lens barrel of the present invention includes a first barrel member on which a first cam groove is formed and which is provided with a first cam follower, and a second barrel member on which a second cam follower to engage with first cam groove is formed, and which is provided with a second cam groove to engage with first cam follower, the second barrel member performing relative rotation and relative movement in an axis direction of the rotation with respect to the first barrel member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Shishido
  • Patent number: 9297983
    Abstract: An imaging lens including seven or fewer lenses which constitute an entire system of an optical system comprising, in order from an object side to an imaging side: a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a positive refractive power; and a third lens group having a negative refractive power, wherein the first lens group includes a lens having a negative refractive power and a lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop being disposed in the first lens group, the second lens group includes one lens having a negative refractive power and one lens having a positive refractive power, and the third lens group including one lens having a negative refractive power and a concave surface on the object side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Kubota
  • Patent number: 9297984
    Abstract: An image forming lens system includes an aperture stop, and an image-side lens unit group which is disposed on an image side of the aperture stop. The image-side lens unit group includes a first image-side lens unit having a negative refractive power, a second image-side lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a third image-side lens unit having a negative refractive power. Any one of the first image-side lens unit, the second image side lens unit, and the third image-side lens unit is a focusing lens unit which moves along the optical axis at the time of focusing, and the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied: 0.06<|ffo/f|<0.4??(1) where, f denotes a focal length of the image forming lens system at the time of focusing at an object at infinity, and ffo denotes a focal length of the focusing lens unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuteru Kawamura, Takashi Fujikura
  • Patent number: 9297985
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power, a rear lens group having a positive refractive power as a whole and including at least one lens unit. An interval between the first lens unit and the rear lens group at the telephoto end is smaller than that at the wide angle end. The first lens unit includes a first aspheric lens having a positive aspheric amount, and a second aspheric lens having a negative aspheric amount on the image side of the first aspheric lens. The predetermined conditional expressions are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigenobu Sugita
  • Patent number: 9297986
    Abstract: A wide angle lens system and an electronic apparatus including the same are provided. The wide angle lens system includes a first lens group having a negative refractive power, and a second lens group having a positive refractive power. The second lens group is spaced apart from the first lens group by a maximum air gap. The first lens group and the second lens group are sequentially arranged from an object side toward an image side. The second lens group includes a positive 2-1 lens group, a negative 2-2 lens group, and a positive 2-3 lens group, and focusing is performed by moving the 2-2 lens group along an optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuji Yoneyama
  • Patent number: 9297987
    Abstract: A wide field optically athermalized orthoscopic lens system includes, in order from object to image, a first lens having a negative power, a second lens having a positive power, a third lens group having a positive power, a fourth lens having a positive power and a fifth lens having a negative power. The third lens group includes two lenses having, in order, a first lens with positive power and a second lens with negative power. The powers, shapes, Abbe dispersion values and temperature coefficients of refractive indices of the lenses are selected such that the lens system is athermalized, orthoscopic and achromatized over a wide (e.g. >140° C.) temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Oskotsky, Shawn Reven, Michael J. Russo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9297988
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side toward an image side: a first lens unit having a positive refractive power and provided with a positive lens; a second lens unit having a negative refractive power; a third lens unit having a positive refractive power and provided with a diffraction plane of a diffraction optical element; a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power to perform focusing; and an aperture stop between the second lens unit and the third lens unit. According to a change of magnification from a short focal end to a long focal end, the first lens unit is stationary, the second lens unit is moved to the image side, the third lens unit is moved to the object side, and the fourth lens unit is moved, and the positive lens satisfies the following condition formulas: 1.45<nd<1.65;??[1] 60.0<?d<95.0; and??[2] 0.005<Pg,F?(?0.001802×?d+0.6483)<0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Sudoh
  • Patent number: 9297989
    Abstract: A zoom lens substantially consists of a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a positive third lens group; wherein the first lens group substantially consists of a two negative lenses with concave surfaces toward the image side and a positive lens with a convex surface toward the object side; the second lens group substantially consists of a stop; a positive lens with a convex surface toward the object side; a positive cemented lens, which is formed by a positive lens with a convex surface toward the object side and a negative lens with a concave surface toward the image side together; and a negative aspherical lens with a convex surface toward the image side; and the third lens group substantially consists of a positive lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuya Ori
  • Patent number: 9297990
    Abstract: A confocal microscope includes an illumination optical system configured to uniformly illuminate at least part of a first confocal stop with a light beam from a light source, a first collection optical system configured to collect a light beam passing through the first confocal stop onto a specimen, a second collection optical system configured to collect a light beam from the specimen onto a second confocal stop, a detection unit configured to detect a light beam passing through the second confocal stop, and a light intensity control member provided to at least one of the first collection optical system and the second collection optical system and having a transmittance of a first region including an optical axis that is lower than a transmittance of a second region around the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akira Eguchi
  • Patent number: 9297991
    Abstract: Standing wave-generating planar wave illumination units generate two light-wave planar waves using light from a light source assembly and irradiate a sample surface with a standing wave produced by interference of the planar waves on the sample surface. A bias planar wave illumination unit generates a bias planar wave using light from the light source assembly and irradiates the sample surface with the wave. The bias planar wave is synchronized with the standing wave to alternately oscillate to positive and negative with an equal electric field displacement irrespective of the position on the sample surface across a reference time specified in advance when the displacement of the standing wave has a value “0” at the respective positions on the sample surface, and oscillates at a bias amplitude specified in advance to raise the displacement of the standing wave on the sample surface to only a positive or negative displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION SHIZUOKA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Satoru Takahashi, Kiyoshi Takamasu, Ryota Kudo, Shin Usuki
  • Patent number: 9297992
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microscope illumination method, to a microscope illumination set, comprising a white light LED (4) and a correction filter (6), and to a corresponding microscope system (1) for analyzing a sample (10) alternately or simultaneously in transmitted light bright field illumination and in incident light fluorescence illumination, wherein a white light LED (4) is used for the transmitted light bright field illumination, and a correction filter (6) is activated at a location in the illumination beam path of the transmitted light bright field illumination both during transmitted light bright field illumination and during incident light fluorescence illumination, wherein the correction filter (6) has a spectral transmission profile which has a minimum in the wavelength range of at least one maximum of the spectrum of the white light LED (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Ganser, Albrecht Weiss
  • Patent number: 9297993
    Abstract: The invention relates to a ring illumination device (07) for a microscope objective (01), and a microscope objective (01) provided with such a ring illumination device (07). The ring illumination device (07) has at least two LED units (11) which are accommodated in an illumination ring (17) which can be connected to the microscope objective (01). According to the invention, the ring illumination device (07) has at least one lower entrance opening (08) and at least one upper outlet opening (09) for cooling air, for cooling the LED units (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Fahlbusch, Jan Buchheister, Georg Herbst, Max Funck, Uwe Wolf
  • Patent number: 9297994
    Abstract: There is provided an autofocus device for an imaging device which has an imaging lens system with a first focal plane, an object stage for holding an object and a first movement module for the relative movement of object stage and imaging lens system, wherein the autofocus device comprises an image-recording module with a second focal plane the position of which relative to the first focal plane is known, a second movement module for the relative movement of object stage and image-recording module, a focus module for producing a two-dimensional, intensity-modulated focusing image in a focus module plane which intersects the second focal plane and a control module which controls the image-recording module for focusing the imaging device, which then records a first two-dimensional image of the object together with the focusing image during a predetermined first exposure time, and wherein the control module, using the first two-dimensional image recorded by means of the image-recording module and taking into
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: Carl Zeiss SMS GmbH, Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Sascha Perlitz, Michael Arnz, Dirk Seidel
  • Patent number: 9297995
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automatic determination of slice thickness of an image stack in a computerized stereology system, as well as automatic quantification of biological objects of interest within an identified slice of the image stack. Top and bottom boundaries of a slice can be identified by applying a thresholded focus function to determine just-out-of-focus focal planes. Objects within an identified slice can be quantified by performing a color processing segmentation followed by a gray-level processing segmentation. The two segmentation processes generate unique identifiers for features in an image that can then be used to produce a count of the features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, STEREOLOGY RESOURCE CENTER, INC.
    Inventors: Kurt A. Kramer, Peter R. Mouton, Lawrence O. Hall, Dmitry Goldgof, Daniel T. Elozory, Om Pavithra Bonam, Baishali Chaudhury
  • Patent number: 9297996
    Abstract: In embodiments of laser illumination scanning, an imaging unit includes a linear array of spatial light modulators that direct light in a direction perpendicular to an imaging scan direction. The lasers each emit the light through a diffractive optic that uniformly illuminates the spatial light modulators, and a scanning mirror then scans the spatial light modulators to generate a two-dimensional image for display. The lasers can include red, green, and blue lasers for RGB illumination of the spatial light modulators, which can be implemented as reflective liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS), transmissive LCOS, or as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirrors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David D. Bohn, Rod G. Fleck
  • Patent number: 9297997
    Abstract: An optical module includes a fixed reflection film, a movable reflection film, a first driver having a plurality of sub-drivers that can be driven independently of each other via voltage application in a plan view, a second driver that changes the dimension of a gap between the fixed reflection film and the movable reflection film, and a voltage controller that applies first drive voltages to the sub-drivers and applies a second drive voltage to the second driver, and the voltage controller applies a first drive voltage set for each of the sub-drivers in accordance with parallelism between the fixed reflection film and the movable reflection film at the time when the dimension of the gap is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Sano
  • Patent number: 9297998
    Abstract: An electrowetting display device including an electrowetting element with a first support plate, a second support plate, a first fluid and a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid. A voltage may be applied between a first electrode and a second electrode. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a semiconducting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Pavel Novoselov, Sukhdip Sandhu
  • Patent number: 9297999
    Abstract: A synthetic focal plane imaging system senses electromagnetic radiation as a distribution of energy over time rather than as a distribution of energy over space. A spatial context independent of the energy detection is developed. The synthetic focal plane imaging system includes an aperture, a mask, an electromagnetic sensor, and a computer configured to receive sample energy data and shutter modeling data from the mask to generate hyperspectral images. The synthetic focal plane imaging system incorporates a spiral rotating mask to create theta-space rotational masking architectures resulting in simple cyclical linear equations that can be processed quickly and efficiently to generate the hyperspectral images. The system captures image content at multiple wavelengths, electronically processes the resulting data as an image cube with stacked layers of images. Each layer corresponds to a particular wavelength of the imaged object with the same physical locations arranged on top of each other to form the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Inventor: Jonathan K. George
  • Patent number: 9298000
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus. The apparatus includes a mirror module having a plurality of individually controllable mirror segments to reflect an incident beam having a variable incidence angle, and a controller configured to determine deflection profiles of the individually controllable mirror segments, and provide control signals to the individually-controllable mirror segments to adjust the deflection profiles, such that the individually controllable mirror segments collectively reflect the incident beam in a predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ralph Spickermann, Daniel A Tauber
  • Patent number: 9298001
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to optical systems in head worn computing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Osterhout Group, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Border, John D. Haddick
  • Patent number: 9298002
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to optical systems in head worn computing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Osterhout Group, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Border, John D. Haddick
  • Patent number: 9298003
    Abstract: The light source body of an optical scanner includes a main frame and a disc portion. The main frame is formed into a cylindrical columnar shape so as to irradiate the light beams from a front end thereof. The disc portion protrudes radially outward from a rear end side of the main frame. A side plate of the housing have a through-hole. The side plate includes a support member installed on the outer surface. The support member has an arc surface formed to extend along a edge portion of the through-hole. A pressing member is configured to press the disc portion of the light source body against the arc surface of the support member in such a state that the front end of the main frame is inserted into the through-hole and that an end surface of the disc portion makes contact with the side plate of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Tomioka
  • Patent number: 9298004
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a light source, a scanning member, a converging lens, a first aperture, a second aperture, and a support member. The first aperture is provided between the converging lens and the scanning member and includes a first opening portion configured to restrict a beam path width in a main scanning direction of the laser beams emitted from the light source. The second aperture is provided between the light source and the converging lens and includes a second opening portion and a cylindrical portion. The second opening portion is configured to restrict a beam path width in a sub scanning direction of the laser beams emitted from the light source, and is formed in the cylindrical portion. The support member includes a cylinder supporting portion that pivotably supports the cylindrical portion of the second aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Shingo Yoshida, Hideji Mizutani, Takayuki Kurihara
  • Patent number: 9298005
    Abstract: A scanning lens molded of resin includes: a lens portion having an elongate shape extending in a main scanning direction and having first and second longitudinal ends located opposite to and away from each other in the main scanning direction; and a flange portion extending outward in the main scanning direction from the first longitudinal end of the lens portion. The scanning lens has first and second sides located opposite to and away from each other in a sub-scanning direction, and a first protrusion is provided on the first side to protrude outward in the sub-scanning direction. The flange portion protrudes farther beyond the first longitudinal end in an optical axis direction of the lens portion. As viewed from the sub-scanning direction, the first protrusion is located at a position overlapping an interface between the lens portion and the flange portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuomi Jibu, Junji Fujitani
  • Patent number: 9298006
    Abstract: An algorithm may reconstruct defocus blur from a sparsely sampled light field. Light field samples are generated, using stochastic rasterization or ray tracing as examples. Then the samples are partitioned into depth layers. These depth layers are filtered independently and then combined together, taking into account inter-layer visibility. Since each layer corresponds to a smaller depth range, it results in more effective reconstruction filters than previous approaches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Karthik Vaidyanathan, Marco Salvi, Carl Jacob Munkberg, Franz Petrik Clarberg
  • Patent number: 9298007
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for imaging, recognizing, and tracking of a user's eye that is wearing a HWC. Aspects further relate to the processing of images reflected from the user's eye and controlling displayed content in accordance therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Osterhout Group, Inc.
    Inventor: John N. Border
  • Patent number: 9298008
    Abstract: A method and device is disclosed for converting a picture or a video located in front of a user into an immersive picture or video in real time. The picture can be a picture located in a book or newspaper. The video can be a movie presented on a computer display, TV screen or a theatre screen. The method and the device are also utilized for virtual reality applications presented on a computer display to convert the virtual reality into. The invention can be utilized in various educational, training, entertainment, and gaming applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Inventor: Cherif Atia Algreatly
  • Patent number: 9298009
    Abstract: A method of controlling a wearable display device according to one embodiment of the present specification can provide an optimized display in a manner of evaluating a front visual field of a wearer and a visual field of the wearer for a reference display area. And, in evaluating the front visual field of the wearer, it may provide the wearable display device capable of providing much more information as well as safer information in consideration of the reference display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Junseok Ham, Yoonho Shin, Sangrae Kim, Sungjae Chung, Jungah Park, Yoonseong Kim
  • Patent number: 9298010
    Abstract: A head-mountable optical display apparatus includes a visor frame and a first image display device. The visor frame includes an upper band, a lower band, an outer surface, and an inner surface. The upper band is configured to be proximate to a user's head. The lower band is configured to be distal to the user's head. The outer surface and the inner surface extend from the upper band to the lower band. The outer surface is configured to face away from the user's head. The inner surface extends is configured to face toward the user's head. At least a portion of the inner surface is transparent to the user. The first image display device is disposed along the lower band. The first image display device is configured to display optical images within line of sight of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Inventor: Marissa J. Sundquist
  • Patent number: 9298011
    Abstract: A wearable electronic eyewear display can include a head band member having two side portions which are connected together at rear portions thereof, for being worn in a generally horizontal orientation on a user's head. A display arm can extend forwardly from one of the side portions of the head band member and can have an active display device for positioning in front of one eye of the user for viewing. The two side portions of the head band member can have two pairs of ear capture structures on opposing top and bottom surfaces or edges of the head band member for engaging top portions of the user's ears with one of the two pairs of ear capture structures at a given time, and for allowing the head band member to be worn with the display arm extending in front of one eye or flipped over to be worn with the display arm extending in front of the other eye, while engaging the ears of the user in either orientation with a respective one pair of ear capture structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen A. Pombo
  • Patent number: 9298012
    Abstract: In embodiments of eyebox adjustment for interpupillary distance, a first optical lens receives light of an image at a projected orientation of the light, and deviates the light by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light. A second optical lens receives the deviated light of the image from the first optical lens at the deviation angle, and alters the deviated light back to the projected orientation of the light for viewing the image. Left and right eyeboxes align with respective left and right eyes that view the image, and a distance between the left and right eyeboxes approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes. The light of the image can be laterally shifted to increase or decrease the distance between the left and right eyeboxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David D. Bohn, Rod G. Fleck, Steven John Robbins
  • Patent number: 9298013
    Abstract: The image display device resolves inconsistency in the brightness of the image while effectively reducing local speckle noise that remains due to the laser scanning of which the scanning speed fluctuates. A waveform pattern (PT2) that includes an on period and an off period within the pixel displaying period (T2) is selected for the center pixel (P512). A waveform pattern (PT1) that includes an on period and an off period within the pixel displaying period (T1) that is longer than the pixel displaying period (T2) is selected for the side pixel (P1) or (P1023) that is scanned at a scanning speed slower than that for the center pixel (P512). Here, the on period in the waveform pattern (PT1) is segmented more than the on period in the waveform pattern (PT1), and the time ratio of the on period accounting for the waveform pattern (PT1) is smaller than the time ratio of the on period accounting for the waveform pattern (PT2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsuhiko Chikaoka
  • Patent number: 9298014
    Abstract: Imaging systems in which an undedicated optical component—i.e., a component that would be present in the system even in the absence of image stabilization—is configured to undergo corrective motion and/or other correction of image data, and thus to function as a stabilization component. The stabilization component may be a mirror and/or a lens, and a positioner may be provided to tilt, rotate, and/or otherwise precisely adjust the position and orientation of the stabilization component to improve image resolution, compensate for platform motions such as platform vibration, and/or improve image tracking. Because an undedicated optical component functions as the stabilization component, the stabilization occurs upstream, rather than downstream, from separation (if any) of the incoming image data into two or more beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford J. Luty, Bruce A. Dickerson, Bruce Ellison, John L. Miller
  • Patent number: 9298015
    Abstract: An image blur correction apparatus includes a lens unit configured to include at least one lens, and configured to be turnable in two different directions using, as supporting points, two axes that are orthogonal to an outer housing. The image blur correction apparatus also includes a fixed member configured to turnably support the lens unit in the two directions, a first drive unit configured to be attached to the fixed member, and configured to turn the lens unit in one of the two directions. The image blur correction apparatus further includes a second drive unit configured to be attached to the fixed member, and configured to turn the lens unit in another of the two directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuyuki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9298016
    Abstract: A lens driving apparatus comprises a lens portion having at least one lens (21), a first driving portion (39) to cause a movement of said lens portion relatively to a base portion (40) along a vertical direction of a light axis (L) of said lens portion, and a second driving portion (38) to cause a movement of said lens portion relatively to said base portion along said light axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: TDK TAIWAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chao-Chang Hu, Fu-Yuan Wu, Yi-Lang Chan
  • Patent number: 9298017
    Abstract: A lens holder driving device includes an auto-focusing lens holder driving portion moving a lens holder holding a lens barrel along an optical axis, and an image stabilizer portion stabilizing image blurred by moving the auto-focusing lens holder driving portion in first and second directions which are orthogonal to the optical axis and which are perpendicular to each other. The image stabilizer portion includes: a fixed portion disposed apart from the auto-focusing lens holder driving portion in the direction of the optical axis; a plurality of suspension wires having first end portions fixed to the fixed portion at outer regions thereof, extending along the optical axis, having second end portions fixed to the auto-focusing lens holder driving portion, and swingably supporting the auto-focusing lens holder driving portion in the first direction and the second direction; and a fracture preventing member preventing the suspension wires from fracturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sugawara, Akihiro Moriya, Keiichi Sato, Makoto Ariji, Satoshi Ajiki
  • Patent number: 9298018
    Abstract: Eyewear includes a set of lenses, a frame, and a pair of arms. A primary attachment feature facilitates attachment of the arms to the frames. A secondary attachment feature facilitates attachment of the arms to the frames in case the primary attachment feature becomes partially or wholly dysfunctional. A concealment feature at least partially conceals the secondary attachment feature. The concealment feature is detachable to permit use of the secondary attachment feature. In an example embodiment, the concealment feature is formed as an integral breakaway component of the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Julian Farnam
  • Patent number: 9298019
    Abstract: This invention discloses methods and apparatus for providing an ophthalmic lens with a textured pattern within an optic zone and an ophthalmic lens with a textured pattern within the optic zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall B. Pugh, Zohra Fadli, Sriram Natarajan, Kevin Cooper, Murty N. Vyakarnam
  • Patent number: 9298020
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods facilitating contact lenses that detect fatigue or emotional state of a wearer of the contact lenses are provided. In some aspects, a contact lens includes: a substrate; one or more sensors disposed on or within the substrate, wherein the one or more sensors senses fatigue and/or an emotional state of a wearer of the contact lens; and an antenna disposed on or within the substrate, that communicates information sensed by the one or more sensors. In various aspects, systems can include the contact lens, a reader that can process the information sensed and an alarm generation component that can generate an alarm based on the determined fatigue and/or emotional state of the wearer of the contact lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC
    Inventors: James Etzkorn, Nathan Pletcher, Babak Amirparviz
  • Patent number: 9298021
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and lenses for reducing asthenopia related symptoms associated with proprioceptive disparity. In certain aspects, lenses of the invention include a distance portion and a near portion, and a progressive increase in minus power from the distance portion to the near portion. Additionally, lenses of the invention may include a prism and a progressive reduction in optical power, in which the prism and the progressive reduction are varied independently. In one embodiment, a lens is provided that has a base-in prism and that provides an increase in minus power from the distance vision portion of the lens to a near vision portion of the lens (i.e., a progressive reduction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: EYEBRAIN MEDICAL, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Krall, Vance Thompson
  • Patent number: 9298022
    Abstract: A machine is presented for the cleaning of eyewear. The machine allows the manual or automatic cleaning of eyewear. Under both modes of operation, the eyewear is secured by a user to a support bracket inside a transparent, water-tight cylindrical wash chamber. When in manual mode, the user can direct the spray of wash fluid onto the eyewear by rotating the eyewear using a trackball. When used in automatic mode, the machine washes the eyewear during a preset washing cycle. For both modes, the washing cycle is followed by the drying cycle where a blower directs air onto the lenses for a set time period to blow off excess moisture. The drying cycle concludes with a blower venting the cylindrical wash chamber to remove residual moisture from the wash chamber and the eyewear. After the cleaning, the user removes the eyewear from the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: SHADE SAVER, INC.
    Inventor: Bryan K. Myers
  • Patent number: 9298023
    Abstract: Methods for tuning a transmitter to a selected wavelength are disclosed. A transmitter including a laser array comprising a plurality of lasers spatially offset from one another and each having a laser output having a unique wavelength. A first prism is positioned to impart a first angular shift to the laser outputs to produce and a second prism is positioned to impart a second angular shift opposite the first angular shift on the outputs. An index modulating element is coupled to one of the first and second prisms and a controller is electrically coupled to the index modulating element to control an angle of light output form the second prism. An optical spectrum reshaper may be positioned between the second prism and the lens and have at least one transmission edge aligned with the wavelength at least one of the lasers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FINISAR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kevin J. McCallion
  • Patent number: 9298024
    Abstract: A Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator made of semiconductor material and a method to drive the MZ-modulator are disclosed. The MZ-modulator includes a pair of arms to vary the phase of the optical beam propagating therein. One of the arms further provides the phase presetter that varies the phase of the optical beam by ?. The arms are driven by modulation signals complementary to each other but with the DC bias equal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Shingo Yamanaka