Patents Issued in June 21, 2016
  • Patent number: 9372308
    Abstract: Arrays of integrated analytical devices and their methods for production are provided. The arrays are useful in the analysis of highly multiplexed optical reactions in large numbers at high densities, including biochemical reactions, such as nucleic acid sequencing reactions. The integrated devices allow the highly sensitive discrimination of optical signals using features such as spectra, amplitude, and time resolution, or combinations thereof. The arrays and methods of the invention make use of silicon chip fabrication and manufacturing techniques developed for the electronics industry and highly suited for miniaturization and high throughput.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: PACIFIC BIOSCIENCES OF CALIFORNIA, INC.
    Inventors: Ravi Saxena, Michael Tzu Ru, Takashi Whitney Orimoto, Annette Grot, Mathieu Foquet, Hou-Pu Chou
  • Patent number: 9372309
    Abstract: A method for making a splice between optical fibers in a joint device suitable for housing the joint between a first electrical cable includes a first optical fiber and a second electrical cable including a second optical fiber. The joint device includes a sleeve having a cylindrical portion. The method includes (i) splicing the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber so as to form the splice and (ii) winding at least a portion of the excess length of the first optical fiber and at least a portion of the excess length of the second optical fiber around the cylindrical portion of the sleeve in a helix substantially coaxial with the cylindrical portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: PRYSMIAN S.P.A
    Inventors: Alberto Ferrari, Roberto Riolo, Fabio Abbiati
  • Patent number: 9372310
    Abstract: A method of free space fiber-to-fiber coupling includes providing a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber spaced apart from one another by a free space distance having a pair of spaced-apart achromatic collimating lenses within the free space distance. Essentially single mode light is launched from the first fiber at a wavelength ? or a range of ?s that provides at least a portion of its light at wavelength(s) below a cut-off wavelength for the first fiber. The first optical fiber and second optical fiber are both <50 m and sufficiently short to provide essentially single mode operation. The essentially single mode light after the launching propagates as free space light through said free space distance and is received by and propagates in the second optical fiber as essentially single mode light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Gooch and Housego PLC
    Inventors: Thomas Legg, Norman Fisher, Adrian Norman
  • Patent number: 9372311
    Abstract: A wavelength selective switch includes a wavelength dispersive element that divides a beam input from an input port, a beam director that deflects a wavelength component, and a free space optical system that optically couple a input/output unit, the wavelength dispersive element, and the beam director. The free space optical system converts a shape of the beam such that a size extending in a second plane is relatively smaller than a size extending in a first plane, and to have a long axis and a short axis in a third plane. The long axis is inclined with respect to the first direction. The beam director includes a beam directing region in which a plurality of beam directing elements are arranged. The beam directing region deflects the respective wavelength components toward the predetermined output port. The beam directing region is provided to correspond to the shape of the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehisa Tazawa, Kenichiro Takahashi, Manabu Shiozaki, Takafumi Ohtsuka, Masaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9372312
    Abstract: An optical device and a method of manufacturing an optical device. The optical device includes: a conversion means for converting propagation light propagating through an optical waveguide into parallel light and for outputting the parallel light; and a first lens means for focusing the parallel light outputted from the conversion means on a core of an optical fiber. The method includes: converting propagation light propagating through an optical waveguide into parallel light; outputting the parallel light; and focusing, using a first lens, the parallel light on a core of an optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoichi Taira
  • Patent number: 9372313
    Abstract: An optical coupling member includes an optical fiber (13), a holder (11) that holds the optical fiber inserted from an insertion hole (11a) formed at one end, and a lens such as a collimator lens (12) accommodated in an accommodation section (11c) formed at the other end of the holder (11), the optical coupling member performing positioning by causing at least one of the lens and the end face of the optical fiber (13) to come into contact with an abutting surface (11e1, 11e2) formed in the vicinity of the accommodation section (11c) by providing a recess (11e) on an outer circumference near the accommodation section (11c) of the holder (11), in which a plurality of the recesses (11e) are provided on an identical plane orthogonal to an insertion direction of the optical fiber (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI PENCIL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Hitoshi Suzuki, Naohiko Moriya, Kiyoshi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 9372314
    Abstract: An optical signal processor including: optical fibers arranged in a first direction, each optical fiber having a side surface; a flexible holding member covering the side surfaces of the optical fibers; a first optical connector having a first end face and a second end face; a second optical connector having a third end face and a fourth end face; a supporting block disposed under the first optical connector; and an optical integrated circuit including optical couplers facing the third end face of the second optical connector and optical waveguides, the optical couplers being optically coupled to the optical fibers. The optical fibers extend from the second end face in a second direction. The optical fibers extend from the fourth end face in a third direction that intersects with the second direction. The flexible holding member has a bending portion located between the first optical connector and the second optical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Furuya, Yasunori Murakami, Masahiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 9372315
    Abstract: A BOSA package comprising only one cylindrical TO package comprising a ROSA and a TOSA, and an optical port in optical communication with the ROSA and the TOSA. Also disclosed is a TO package comprising a TOSA for transmitting a first optical signal, a ROSA for receiving a second optical signal, an optical communication window, and a TFF positioned such that the first optical signal transmitted from the TOSA is reflected by the TFF toward the optical communication window and the second optical signal received from the optical communication window passes through the TFF and to the ROSA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rongsheng Miao, Yu Sheng Bai
  • Patent number: 9372316
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip having coupling elements that couple electromagnetic radiation having a frequency outside of the visible spectrum between a silicon substrate and a dielectric waveguide overlying the silicon substrate. In some embodiments, the integrated chip has a dielectric waveguide disposed within an inter-level dielectric (ILD) material overlying a semiconductor substrate. A first coupling element couples a first electrical signal generated by a driver circuit disposed within the semiconductor substrate to a first end of the dielectric waveguide as electromagnetic radiation having a frequency outside of the visible spectrum. A second coupling element couples the electromagnetic radiation from a second end of the dielectric waveguide to a second electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chewn-Pu Jou, Tien-I Bao
  • Patent number: 9372317
    Abstract: The optical includes a waveguide positioned on a base and an optical component positioned on the base. The optical component is a light sensor that includes an active medium or a modulator that includes an active medium. The waveguide is configured to guide a light signal through the component such that the light signal is guided through the active medium. The device includes one or more heat control features selected from the group consisting of: placing one or more thermal conductors over a lateral side of a ridge of the active medium; extending thermal conductors from within the active component to a location outside of the active component, and tapering the ridge of the active medium within the perimeter of the active component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Mellanox Technologies Silicon Photonics Inc.
    Inventor: Dazeng Feng
  • Patent number: 9372318
    Abstract: An optical fiber enclosure includes a generally rectangular housing including mounting tabs, the mounting tabs to secure the optical fiber enclosure to a rack; a plurality of trays slidable relative to the housing, the plurality of trays extendable from a front side of the housing; and a plurality of cable management clips along a front edge of a tray of the plurality of trays, the cable management clips arranged to retain optical fiber cables entering the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: THE SIEMON COMPANY
    Inventors: Anthony Veatch, David Hunkins, Charles Maynard, David Medeiros, Scott Nagel
  • Patent number: 9372319
    Abstract: A connection box includes a planar back section, outer sidewalls adjoining the planar back section with front edges being spaced apart from the back section in a depth direction that is perpendicular to the back section. A front door of the connection box is configured to be fixedly attached to the front edges so as to enclose an interior space of the connection box. The connection box further includes a cabling bridge arranged within the interior space. The cabling bridge includes a planar platform section that divides the interior space into first and second interior volumes, an opening in the platform section providing a conduit in the depth direction between the first and second interior volumes, and a protective collar arranged along a portion of the opening's perimeter. The protective collar extends from the platform section and towards the front edges in the depth direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: All Systems Broadband, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Dwayne Ray, Iuliu Cosmin Gordea
  • Patent number: 9372320
    Abstract: Datacenter connection systems for use in datacenter enclosures are disclosed. In one embodiment, a datacenter connection system includes a first module and a feed-through optical cable assembly. The first module includes a first faceplate having at least one first feed-through opening, a first surface, and at least one first module connector disposed on the first surface. The feed-through optical cable assembly includes an optical cable having at least one optical fiber, a first feed-through attach member coupled to the optical cable, and a first optical connector coupled to a first end portion of the at least one optical fiber. The at least one optical fiber passes through the first feed-through attach member, and the first feed-through attach member is disposed within the at least one first feed-through opening. The first optical connector is coupled to the at least one first module connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: CORNING CABLE SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventors: Mark Alan Bradley, Micah Colen Isenhour, Dennis Michael Knecht, James Phillip Luther
  • Patent number: 9372321
    Abstract: An optical element has a first surface, a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface, an optical surface, and a protruding part. The protruding part is held in a prescribed position by being in contact with a holding member. The protruding part comprises a first protruding part and a second protruding part. The first protruding part comprises a first contact part that is a convex circular arc shape on at least one longitudinal plane and partly comes into contact with the holding member. The second protruding part comprises a second contact part that is a convex circular arc shape on at least one longitudinal plane and partly comes into contact with the holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichiro Hara, Toshiyuki Majima, Hiroshi Takagi, Akihiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9372322
    Abstract: A lens module includes a lens holder having a top wall that has a bottom surface, and a lens unit received by the lens holder. The lens unit includes a first lens adjacent to the top wall and a second lens attached to the first lens. The first lens includes a first object-side surface abutting against the bottom surface and a side surface abutting against an inner surface of the lens holder. The second lens includes a second object-side surface engaging with the first lens, and a jointing surface keeping a distance from the inner surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: AAC Acoustic Technologies (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junjie Yan, Chuandong Wei, Liangwei Wan, Chunhuan Fang, Lei Zhang
  • Patent number: 9372323
    Abstract: Embodiments of a lens barrel may comprise an imaging optical system with a plurality of lenses, a cylindrical focusing manipulation component, a stationary frame, and a restrictor. The focusing manipulation component changes the focal position of the imaging optical system by turning operation around the optical axis of the imaging optical system and to set the distance up to a second imaging region that is at least partially different from a first imaging region, and to move at least some of the lenses of the imaging optical system to switch between first and second imaging states. The restrictor restricts the rotatable range of the focusing manipulation component. When the focusing manipulation component is turned, its rotatable range is switched from a first rotatable range to a second rotatable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Ikeo, Masahiro Inata, Hideo Onishi, Takayuki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9372324
    Abstract: An imaging lens barrel includes: a barrel body; a rotating body; a first magnetic sensor; a second magnetic sensor; a phase difference calculation section; a correction table memory that stores a plurality of correction tables which are obtained when the imaging lens is moved at different speeds and are used to correct a difference between the phase difference calculated by the phase difference calculation section and a design value of the phase difference; a phase difference correction section configured to correct the phase difference calculated by the phase difference calculation section, using a correction table corresponding to a moving speed of the imaging lens among the plurality of correction tables; and an absolute position calculation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Mamoru Miyashita
  • Patent number: 9372325
    Abstract: A photographic lens optical system. The photographic lens optical system includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, and a sixth lens that are sequentially arranged in a direction from an object toward an image sensor. The first lens has a negative (?) power, and the emission surface thereof may be convex toward the object. The second lens may have a positive (+) power, the third and fourth lenses have positive (+) powers, and the fifth lens has a negative (?) power. Furthermore, the sixth lens is an aspherical lens having a positive (+) power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: KOLEN CO., LTD
    Inventors: Jae Hoon Cho, Chi Ho Ahn, Ji Eun Kim, Se Jin Kim, Seong Hee Bae
  • Patent number: 9372326
    Abstract: An assembly of zoom lens module includes a main lens, plural associate lens and a rotator mechanism. The plural associated lens disposed around the mail lens and each associated lens has a shiftable lens element shifted by the rotator mechanism. When the rotator mechanism rotates, plural shiftable lens elements are shifted such that the zoom effects of the plural associate lens can be changed. Therefore, the assembly of zoom lens module may provide plentiful zoom effects without increasing the volume, particularly the total track length, and weight of the zoom lens assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: EVERREADY PRECISION IND. CORP.
    Inventors: Jyh-Long Chern, Chih-Ming Yen
  • Patent number: 9372327
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power. Each lens unit moves so that a distance between adjacent lens units changes during zooming. The third lens unit includes a positive lens G3i closest to the image side which has a concave meniscus surface on an image side. A conditional expression 0.03<R3i2/ft<0.25 is satisfied where R3i2 is a radius of curvature of a lens surface on the image side of the positive lens G3i, and ft is a focal length of the overall system at a telephoto end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Sakai
  • Patent number: 9372328
    Abstract: A projection system includes: a relay system that focuses light having exited through a first image plane on a second image plane; and an enlarging system that enlarges and projects an image focused on the second image plane on a third image plane, wherein the relay system includes a first lens element on which the light having exited through the first image plane is incident, the first lens element having positive refracting power, a reflective member that reflects a light having passed through the first lens element, the reflective member having positive refracting power, and a second lens element on which a light reflected off the reflective member is incident and which focuses the light reflected off the reflective member on the second image plane, the second lens element having positive refracting power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 9372329
    Abstract: In order to identify scan coordinate values (?n, ?n) for operating a scanning unit (28) of a confocal scanning microscope (20), spherical scan coordinate values (?n, ?n) are identified, as a function of Cartesian image coordinates (Xn, Yn) of image points of an image (60) to be created of a sample (32), with the aid of a coordinate transformation of the Cartesian image coordinate values (Xn, Yn) into a spherical coordinate system. The scanning unit (28) is operated as a function of the spherical scan coordinate values (?n, ?n).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventor: Holger Birk
  • Patent number: 9372330
    Abstract: An inverted microscope system includes an objective lens holding unit that holds an objective lens configured to collect at least observation light from a specimen, a tube lens configured to form an image using the observation light collected by the objective lens, a total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy optical system provided between the objective lens and the tube lens and configured to observe the observation light from the specimen using a total reflection illumination, and a disk scanning confocal optical system including a rotary disk on which a confocal opening is formed, the confocal opening being placed at a position substantially conjugate to a focus position of the objective lens. A relative distance between the focus position of the objective lens and the substantially conjugate position is changeable along an optical path of the observation light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Amano, Masayoshi Karasawa
  • Patent number: 9372331
    Abstract: The observation device 1 is a device capable of substantially simultaneously acquiring the fluorescence image and the interference image on the common observation plane in the observation object 90 mounted on slide glass 41, and has an excitation light source 11, a filter 12, a dichroic mirror 13, a lens 14, a dichroic mirror 15, an objective lens 16, a filter 17, a fluorescence imaging unit 18, an interference imaging light source 21, a filter 22, a dichroic mirror 23, a lens 24, a half mirror 25, an objective lens 26, a lens 27, a dichroic mirror 28, an interference imaging unit 29, a position detection light source 31, a light detection unit 32, the slide glass 41, an actuator 42, a reference mirror 43, an actuator 44, a control unit 51, and a display unit 52.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignees: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K. K., Mechanojenic Japan, K. K.
    Inventors: Toyohiko Yamauchi, Hidenao Iwai, Makoto Funaki
  • Patent number: 9372332
    Abstract: An image acquisition system 1 includes: a light source 3 which outputs illumination light; an optical scanner 7 which scans a sample S with the illumination light; an optical scanner control unit 9; a detection optical system 15, 17 which focuses fluorescence from the sample S; an imaging device 19 which has a light receiving surface 19c in which a plurality of pixel rows 19d are arranged, and an imaging control section 19b, and which can perform signal readout of each of the plurality of pixel rows 19d from the light receiving surface 19c; and a calculation unit 21 which calculates an interval of signal readout between adjacent pixel rows 19d, based on a moving speed of an illuminated region on the light receiving surface 19c; the imaging control section 19b controls signal readout of each pixel row 19d, based on the interval of the signal readout thus calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K
    Inventors: Eiji Toda, Takuo Kameyama
  • Patent number: 9372333
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microscope having an illumination beam path with wide field illumination of a sample and a first detection beam path having a spatially resolved surface receiver, which is reached by a first part of the detection light coming from the sample via the first detection beam path, or an image divider assembly for a microscope. In order to lengthen the optical path length, at least a second part of the detection light coming from the sample is masked out of the detection beam path and, via deflection means belonging to the detection beam path, is led into a second detection beam path and, preferably via further deflection means, is deflected back in the direction of the detection in such a way that detection light is applied to at least two partial regions beside one another on the surface receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Kalkbrenner, Michael Goelles
  • Patent number: 9372334
    Abstract: A microscope for fluorescence imaging microscopy, in particular for wide-field fluorescence microscopy, including a pulsed light source (1) and an imaging detector (11), is characterized in that means for gating are provided, and in that the gating causes the light source (1) and the detector (11) to be synchronized in order to suppress reflected/scattered light such that suitable fluorescence components are used for evaluation and unsuitable components are rejected. Furthermore, a method is used to perform fluorescence imaging microscopy using the microscope according to the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventor: Volker Seyfried
  • Patent number: 9372335
    Abstract: A finder optical system includes an image inverter optical member and an eyepiece lens system. The eyepiece lens system includes a first lens element, a positive biconvex second lens element, and a meniscus third lens element having a concave surface on the eyepoint side, in that order from the object side. A diopter adjustment operation is performed by moving the second lens element along the optical axis. Conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied: ?0.2<f/f3<0.2??(1), and 2.15<f(L3n?1)/L3b<3.00??(2), wherein f designates the focal length of the entire the eyepiece lens system at a diopter of ?1, f3 designates the focal length of the third lens element, L3n designates the refractive index at the d-line of the third lens element, and L3b designates the radius of curvature of the surface on the eyepoint side of the third lens element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Moriyasu Kanai
  • Patent number: 9372336
    Abstract: Provided is an endoscope objective optical system including, in order from an object side, an aperture stop, a front group having positive refractive power, and a rear group having positive refractive power, in which the rear group is formed by joining a single lens having positive refractive power and a single lens having negative refractive power and is joined to an imaging device; a joining surface between the single lenses has positive refractive power; and the endoscope objective optical system satisfies following Conditional Expression (1): 0.15<fF/fR<0.5,??(1) where fF indicates a focal length of the front group, and fR indicates a focal length of the rear group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keiji Murata
  • Patent number: 9372337
    Abstract: A movable substrate of a wavelength variable interference filter includes a movable portion and a groove which is provided outside of the movable portion, in a plan view when the movable substrate is seen from a substrate thickness direction, the groove includes a bottom surface having an even groove depth dimension and a side surface which is continued to the bottom surface, and the side surface is configured with arc-like first curved surface portion and second curved surface portion, in a cross-sectional view when the movable substrate is cut along the substrate thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuji Arakawa
  • Patent number: 9372338
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus relating to electromechanical display devices. In one aspect, a multi-stage interferometric modulator (IMOD) can include a movable reflector that can be moved to different positions to produce different reflected colors. The IMOD can include deformable elements that are coupled to a back side of the movable reflector and provide support to the movable reflector. The deformable elements can provide a restoring force that biases the movable reflector to a resting position. The IMOD can include one or more restoring force modifiers that are configured to increase the restoring force when engaged. The restoring force modifiers can be between the movable reflector and the deformable elements such that the deformable elements contact the restoring force modifiers when the movable reflector is displaced to a contacting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Teruo Sasagawa, Richard Yeh, Kostadin Dimitrov Djordjev, Hrishikesh Vijaykumar Panchawagh
  • Patent number: 9372339
    Abstract: A wavelength swept light source includes a sawtooth waveform as a main waveform and an exponential component of the sawtooth waveform to the controlled voltage of the electro-optic deflector. The controlled voltage is controlled so that, as an oscillation wavelength to be swept is swept towards a longer wavelength side, a change rate of the oscillation wavelength is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Communications
    Inventors: Seiji Toyoda, Kazunori Naganuma, Yuichi Okabe, Shogo Yagi, Kazutoshi Kato, Masahiro Ueno, Takashi Sakamoto, Tadayuki Imai, Jun Miyazu, Kazuto Noguchi, Shigeo Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 9372340
    Abstract: A ball joint gimbal imaging system includes on-gimbal optics that reimage a front optical aperture to a smaller back optical aperture that moves with the rotation of the inner ball. Relay optics are configured to relay the back optical aperture to an electro-optic component mounted on the platform, off-gimbal. Relay optics includes a first two-axis steering element (on or off-gimbal) that is positioned and sized to cover the range of motion of the beam from the back optical aperture across the range of gimbal motion. The first two-axis steering element is controlled to steer the optical beam passing through the back optical aperture into a second off-gimbal two-axis steering element that is controlled to tilt the optical beam to align light along the central axis of the electro-optic element with the central axis of the front optical aperture on the inner ball, which is coincident with the gimbal pointing axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Darin S. Williams
  • Patent number: 9372341
    Abstract: A comb drive includes a pivotable mirror element, a first and a second comb electrode, the second comb electrode being movable along an offset direction relative to the first electrode from a minimum into a maximum offset position, the second electrode being connected to the mirror element via a lever arm pivotable about a pivot axis, the first and second comb electrodes being interlockingly engaged so that a first comb tooth of the first electrode and a second comb tooth of the second electrode are situated adjacent to one another along a projection direction extending perpendicularly to the offset direction, the first comb tooth and/or the second comb tooth being configured so that an average distance between the first comb tooth and the second comb tooth along the projection direction extending perpendicularly to the offset direction decreases when moving the second electrode from the minimum into the maximum offset position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Hans Artmann, Jochen Reinmuth, Peter Sudy
  • Patent number: 9372342
    Abstract: Provided is an optical fingerprint acquisition apparatus. The fingerprint acquisition apparatus has an improved optical lens unit and can correct distortion of an image caused by a light refractor. The optical lens unit includes two cylindrical lenses disposed so that an optical axis of incident light does not coincide with a central axis of the lenses. The optical lens unit corrects an image that is distorted into a rectangle by a light refractor, thereby restoring a square shape. In particular, the fingerprint acquisition apparatus is useful in the simultaneous acquisition of multiple fingerprints as well as the acquisition of a single fingerprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: UNION COMMUNITY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yo-shik Shin, Geum-yong Kim
  • Patent number: 9372343
    Abstract: A head-up display including a casing, a control circuit board, a display panel, and a plate is provided. The control circuit board is disposed in the casing. The display panel is disposed in the casing and electrically connected to the control circuit board. The plate is fixed to the casing and covers the display panel. The transmittance of the plate is capable of being changed, so that an image displayed on the display panel is projected out through the plate, or external light is stopped from illuminating the display panel through the plate. A vehicle having the head-up display and a controlling method of the head-up display are provided as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Bing-Yen Lee, Shu-Hsiang Yang
  • Patent number: 9372344
    Abstract: A driving information display device includes a data generator for generating driving information of a vehicle and a display unit linked to the data generator for being supported at a desired location of the vehicle. The display unit provides visualizations regarding driving information to a driver during driving. These visualizations relates to driving data if the user is operating a motorized vehicle, GPS navigational information, etc. These visualizations are then provided at the driver's field of vision, which allows the driver to keep the eyes on the road while still being able to analyze the information. This allows the driver to operate the vehicle safely and in turn enjoy more fulfilled and enjoyable driving experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventor: TaiLai Ting
  • Patent number: 9372345
    Abstract: A head-mounted display device includes an image processing unit configured to perform processing for generating an image, an image display unit including an image-light generating unit configured to generate image light representing the image, the image display unit being configured to enable a user to visually recognize the virtual image and an external image, an image pickup unit provided in the image display unit and configured to pick up an image in a visual field direction of the user, and a position detecting unit configured to specify an external apparatus present in the picked-up image picked up by the image pickup unit and detect a position in the picked-up image of the external apparatus. The image processing unit generates an image in which information concerning the external apparatus is displayed in a position corresponding to the position detected by the position detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Fujimaki
  • Patent number: 9372346
    Abstract: An angular detection arrangement for a head mountable display (HMD) comprising a light source or reflective marking and an optical detector, one of the light source or reflective marking and the optical detector being disposed at the HMD and the other being disposed at a fixed point, the light source or reflective marking comprising a directional light source or reflective marking and a substantially non-directional light source or reflective marking such that the separation between the directional and non-directional light sources or reflective markings as detected at the optical detector is dependent upon the relative orientation of the HMD and the fixed point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Sharwin Winesh Raghoebardayal
  • Patent number: 9372347
    Abstract: A display system comprises an optical waveguide and a light engine. The light engine generates multiple input beams which form a virtual image. An incoupling grating of the waveguide couples each beam into an intermediate grating of the waveguide, in which that beam is guided onto multiple splitting regions. The intermediate grating splits that beam at the splitting regions to provide multiple substantially parallel versions of that beam. Those multiple versions are coupled into an exit grating of the waveguide, in which the multiple versions are guided onto multiple exit regions. The exit grating diffracts the multiple versions of that beam outwardly. The multiple input beams thus cause multiple exit beams to exit the waveguide which form a version of the virtual image. One or more surfaces of the intermediate grating comprise surface variations such that a visible banding effect is eliminated from the version of the virtual image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Tapani Levola, Tuomas Vallius, Pasi Saarikko
  • Patent number: 9372348
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of displaying an electronic video image using a head-worn near-to-eye display in a non-immersive fashion, such that the wearer can choose, through simple adjustments of their neck and eye angles, to either look at the displayed video image or their natural environment. The invention also relates to the incorporation of prescription lenses into the optical chain of the near-to-eye display. The invention also relates to the use of motion and position sensors incorporated into the head-worn device to enable automatic stabilization of the video image. The invention also relates to the use of motion and position sensors incorporated into the head-worn device to automatically adjust the vertical angle of either the camera or the electronic display or both, by sensing the vertical angular position of the user's head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: eSight Corp.
    Inventor: Robert G. Hilkes
  • Patent number: 9372349
    Abstract: A light field display for providing continuous 3D images to viewers at multiple views is provided. The light field display includes a pixel layer having a plurality of pixel layer elements, a resonant subwavelength lens layer having a plurality of resonant subwavelength lenses and a circuit board connected to the pixel layer and the resonant subwavelength lens layer. Each resonant subwavelength lens in the resonant subwavelength lens layer is integrated with an element in the pixel layer. The element may be either a pixel or a subpixel, such that each image view may be provided per pixel or subpixel in the pixel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: James A Brug, David A Fattal, Huei Pei Kuo
  • Patent number: 9372350
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cylindrical lens assembly, comprising a cylindrical lens array, a closed hood and a liquid storage tank. A to-be-filled chamber is formed between the cylindrical lens array and the closed hood. The to-be-filled chamber is connected with the liquid storage tank used for storing transparent liquid. The refractive index of the transparent liquid is the same as that of the cylindrical lens array. The transparent liquid can flow between the liquid storage tank and the to-be-filled chamber and fill up the to-be-filled chamber. The top of the closed hood is made of a transparent material. The present invention further provides a display device comprising above cylindrical lens assembly. The cylindrical lens assembly provided by the present invention is simple and easy to operate, and the display device comprising above cylindrical lens assembly can realize a switchover between flat panel display and stereoscopic display, with low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaoyi Zheng, Hongtao Lin
  • Patent number: 9372351
    Abstract: A circuit includes a front-end circuit, a receiver stage and a controller. An example front-end circuit includes a common base input device, a first current mirror and a second current mirror, where the common base input device has its emitter coupled to a photodiode, its collector coupled to an input of the first current mirror, and its base coupled to a reference voltage to reverse bias the photodiode and where an output of the first current mirror is input into the second current mirror. In another example, a voltage drop resistor is coupled to a cancellation signal output of the first current mirror and an operational transimpedance amplifier (OTA) has inputs coupled to the voltage drop resistor and to a reference voltage and an output coupled to a compensating impedance and to a control input of a variable current source designed to feed the emitter signal input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Theron Lee Jones, Richard Dean Davis
  • Patent number: 9372352
    Abstract: A lens driving device includes a lens barrel supporting a lens; an autofocusing driving unit disposed on one side of a plane perpendicular to an optical axis direction based on the lens barrel to thereby drive the lens barrel in the optical axis direction; and a hand-shake prevention driving unit disposed on sides of the plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction other than the one side on which the autofocusing driving unit is disposed, to thereby drive the lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soo Cheol Lim, Chul Jin Kim, Jae Hyuk Lee, Sung Ryung Park
  • Patent number: 9372353
    Abstract: A method for forming sunglass lenses with a predetermined optical gradient, namely a polarized gradient, transmissivity gradient or color gradient in which an ink jet printer is used to print a gradient pattern on an oriented sheet, with the ink jet printer being provided with a dye, in one embodiment a dichroic dye and in another embodiment an iodine dye. The printed oriented sheet is incorporated into a lens to provide the lens with the associated gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Distributed Polarization Inc.
    Inventors: Giorgio Trapani, Robert K. Tendler
  • Patent number: 9372354
    Abstract: An optical modulator uses an optoelectronic phase comparator configured to provide, in the form of an electrical signal, a measure of a phase difference between two optical waves. The phase comparator includes an optical directional coupler having two coupled channels respectively defining two optical inputs for receiving the two optical waves to be compared. Two photodiodes are configured to respectively receive the optical output powers of the two channels of the directional coupler. An electrical circuit is configured to supply, as a measure of the optical phase shift, an electrical signal proportional to the difference between the electrical signals produced by the two photodiodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS SA
    Inventor: Jean-Robert Manouvrier
  • Patent number: 9372355
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a curved display apparatus is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes forming a curved display panel including a plurality of pixels and a controller configured to respectively apply a plurality of electrical signals to the pixels. The method also includes arranging the curved display panel, a lens, and a camera such that the lens is interposed between the curved display panel and the camera and respectively applying, by the controller, the electrical signals to the pixels. The method further includes obtaining optical information with the camera while the electrical signals are applied to the pixels and setting the controller based at least in part on the obtained optical information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mincheol Kim
  • Patent number: 9372356
    Abstract: There are provided an image display device including a barrier cell, and a method of fabricating the same. The image display device includes: a display panel configured to display an image; and a barrier cell configured to block or transmit an image emitted from the display panel, wherein a pattern spacer for maintaining a cell gap of the barrier cell is disposed in correspondence to a white area of the barrier cell, and the white area transmits the image emitted from the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung-Ki Kim, Jung-Min Choi, Ho-Jae Kim
  • Patent number: 9372357
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a liquid crystal display including: a liquid crystal panel configured to display an image; a light unit configured to supply light to the liquid crystal panel; and a bottom chassis configured to accommodate the light unit and the liquid crystal panel, wherein the bottom chassis includes an accommodator configured to accommodate the light unit and the liquid crystal panel, and a flange formed outside the accommodator, and the flange is formed at the same position as a bottom surface of the bottom chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun Sik Yoon, Min-Gwan Hyun, Wan-Sang Kim