Filters Patents (Class 348/835)
  • Patent number: 11989872
    Abstract: One variation of an optical inspection kit includes: an enclosure defining an imaging volume; an optical sensor adjacent the imaging volume and defining a field of view directed toward the imaging volume; a nest module defining a receptacle configured to locate a surface of interest on a first unit of a first part within the imaging volume at an image plane of the optical sensor; a dark-field lighting module adjacent and perpendicular to the nest module and including a dark-field light source configured to output light across a light plane and a directional light filter configured to pass light output by the dark-field light source normal to the light plane and to reject light output by the dark-field light source substantially nonparallel to the light plane; and a bright-field light source proximal the optical sensor and configured to output light toward the surface of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Instrumental, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Bruce Weiss, Anna-Katrina Shedletsky
  • Patent number: 11981256
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a passenger display with a switchable view protection device that is actively switched in predetermined operating states so that display contents shown on the passenger display cannot be seen from the seating area of the driver. The vehicle includes a shading device having an illuminant oriented toward the passenger display and is controlled by a control unit and which, in order to prevent moving residual fragments that can still be detected from the driver's seat despite a view protection device which is switched to shading, externally illuminates the passenger display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Benjamin Burger, Steffen Klapper
  • Patent number: 9476438
    Abstract: An exterior vehicle mirror assembly including an housing with a mirror glass disposed in the housing. A glass clamp connects the mirror glass and the housing. The glass clamp is slidably carried on both the mirror glass and the housing for moving between a locked position in which the glass clamp secures the mirror glass to the housing in a friction fit arrangement to resist movement of the mirror glass in the housing, and an unlocked position in which the clamp is free to be removed from the housing and mirror glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
    Inventors: Alexandre Petroff, Andreas Enz
  • Patent number: 9319648
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide for a modular video projector system having a light engine module and an optical engine module. The light engine module can provide narrow-band laser light to the optical engine module which modulates the laser light according to video signals received from a video processing engine. Some embodiments provide for an optical engine module having a sub-pixel generator configured to display video or images at a resolution of at least four times greater than a resolution of modulating elements within the optical engine module. Systems and methods for reducing speckle are presented in conjunction with the modular video projector system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: RED.COM, INC.
    Inventors: James H. Jannard, Stuart J. English, Gregory Alan Prior, Edmund Sandberg, Ryan Newham
  • Patent number: 8907231
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a display panel having a length, a width and a depth; and a film including a first portion, extending along a surface of the display panel defined by the length and the width, and a second portion, extending at least partially along the depth, coupled to an electronic device housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Vicente Calvo Alonso
  • Patent number: 8730404
    Abstract: In an embodiment, the present invention includes a latch circuit having a first input to receive a data signal and a second input to receive a clock signal. This latch circuit may have a first pair of transistors including a first transistor gated by the data signal and a second transistor gated by an inverted data signal and a second pair of transistors including third and fourth transistors gated by the clock signal. The first transistor may be coupled to the third transistor at a first inter-latch node and the second transistor coupled to the fourth transistor at a second inter-latch node. A reset circuit may be coupled to the latch circuit to maintain the first and second inter-latch nodes at a predetermined voltage level when the clock signal is inactive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Clayton Daigle, Abdulkerim L. Coban
  • Patent number: 8670079
    Abstract: A video display device displays an image of an input video signal. In the video display device, the video signal is supplied to a frequency component analyzing device, and the frequency component analyzing device extracts a frequency of each of frequency bands from video information of one screen with respect to the image. An image quality control circuit of the video display device performs an image quality control of the image based on the extracted frequencies of the respective frequency bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignees: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd., ATRC Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Adachi
  • Patent number: 8500289
    Abstract: A projector is provided which can reduce power consumption while preventing the deterioration of a luminescent material by heat by controlling a luminescent wheel to rotate or stop rotating. The projector of the invention includes a light source unit having an excitation light source, a luminescent wheel on which a luminescent material layer is laid circumferentially which becomes luminous using light emitted from the excitation light source as excitation light and a wheel motor for driving the luminescent wheel, a display device, a light guiding optical system which guides light emitted from the light source unit to the display device, a projection side optical system which projects projection light generated in the display device, and a motor control part which determines whether to stop or drive the wheel motor in such a state that excitation light is shone on to the luminescent material layer by the excitation light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mamoru Shibasaki
  • Patent number: 8499479
    Abstract: A portable advertising system well suited for outdoor advertising at night includes a body adapted to be secured to a transportation vehicle and may include a universal attachment system for that purpose. An advertisement may be displayed on an advertising surface mounted on the body. An illumination source is directed towards the advertising surface and may be integrated into an electronic display unit or may be directed at an advertising sheet such as a vinyl sheet. When the advertising sheet is used, a sheet tension system typically maintains tension on the sheet, and an openable protective cover may protect the sheet when not in use. The illumination source may be controlled based on environmental light conditions, sheet tension and/or position of the protective cover. The body may be part of a cargo container such as an ISO container suited for securing to a railroad car or other vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Freight Train Media LLC
    Inventor: Theodore C. Johnson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8436949
    Abstract: An image display system comprises a first liquid crystal projector which projects a counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form an image containing specific visual information on a screen and a second liquid crystal projector which projects a clockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form a white image on the same screen. When viewed with the naked eye, a combination of the two images projected on the screen appears totally white. A viewer wearing a dedicated viewing device equipped with an optical filter which allows counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light to pass through can selectively see the image projected by the first liquid crystal projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Hirakata, Jun Koyama, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 8437124
    Abstract: A video display includes a housing, a screen and a protective cover. The housing includes a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. The screen is disposed on the first side of the housing. The protective cover is rotatably connected to the housing and coverable on the screen. The protective cover is capable of being held in any position in the process of rotating from the first side to the second side, as the driving force is removed. A car using the video display is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Lung Dai
  • Patent number: 8306351
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for filtering noise in an image signal are provided. The apparatus includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a first filter, and a second filter. The ADC receives the image signal and converts the image signal into a digital signal. The first filter receives the digital signal and filters a first noise portion of the digital signal to generate a first signal. The second filter coupled to the first filter receives the first signal and filters a second noise portion of the first signal, wherein the first noise portion is a sampled-based impulse noise, and the second noise portion is a line-based impulse noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Hsin-I Lin
  • Patent number: 8260075
    Abstract: A two-dimensional filter arithmetic device comprises a picture memory, a line memory, a vertical filtering unit which includes nine first filter modules installed in parallel, a buffer for timing adjustments, and a horizontal filtering unit which includes four second filter modules installed in parallel. From the line memory, the pixel values of nine full pels per line are inputted in parallel to the vertical filtering unit, nine vertically-filtered values of half pels are generated and inputted to the horizontal filtering unit; thereby, four two-dimensionally-filtered values of half pels are generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko Inoue, Tokuzo Kiyohara
  • Patent number: 8172402
    Abstract: The invention relates to a projection system for displaying at least one visual image based on three primary colors, comprising a signal processing unit for converting said visual image into at least a visual image based on four primary colors, a frequency band being associated to each color primary, first display means for displaying three first primary colors of said visual image on a screen and second display means for displaying at least the fourth primary color of said visual image on said screen. According to the invention, the system further comprises optical filtering means that are adapted to enhance the separation between the frequency spectrum of the first three primary colors of the first display means and the frequency spectrum of the at least fourth primary color of the second display means. Application to anti-camcorder systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Jean-Ronan Vigouroux, Pascal Bourdon, Didier Doyen, Jean-Jacques Sacre, Patrick Morvan, Sylvain Thiebaud
  • Patent number: 8122628
    Abstract: The portable advertising system of the present invention comprises a body having a first end and a display support, at least one universal attachment system adapted for securing the body to a vehicle proximate the first end, at least one exterior wall arranged to display an advertisement, and the display support securing an illumination source directed towards the at least one exterior wall. The at least one exterior wall and the illumination source may be integrated into an electronic display unit. The at least one exterior wall may also be an advertising sheet composed of vinyl and the illumination source may be a plurality of light emitting diodes. The portable advertising system may include a railroad car arranged to receive the at least one universal attachment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Freight Train Media LLC
    Inventor: Theodore C. Johnson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8031969
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for selecting appropriate anisotropic filtering levels for images. An image is obtained, that image is Fourier transformed into its frequency components, and then those frequency components are normalized. The Fourier transformed into its frequency components are assigned to Fourier buckets (or bins) having dimensions selected in accord with the number of available anisotropic filtering levels. A predetermined threshold value is used to select one of the Fourier buckets by comparing the predetermined threshold value with the contents of the Fourier buckets. The selected Fourier bucket is used to determine an appropriate anisotropic filtering level for the image. Some embodiments of the present invention can provide for an automatic selection and setting of the appropriate anisotropic filtering level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey T. Kiel
  • Patent number: 7980705
    Abstract: A projector includes a light source unit for emitting white light, a color wheel, a display device, a cooling fan, a light source side optical system for guiding light from the light source unit to the display device, a projection side optical system for projecting an image emitted from the display device onto a screen and a projector control unit for controlling the light source and the display device, wherein the color wheel has a plurality of segment areas, and on each segment area, a coating which transmits light of a wavelength band of a complementary color is applied to one side, while a coating which transmits light of a wavelength band of a primary color is applied to part of the other side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7773160
    Abstract: An image display system comprises a first liquid crystal projector which projects a counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form an image containing specific visual information on a screen and a second liquid crystal projector which projects a clockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form a white image on the same screen. When viewed with the naked eye, a combination of the two images projected on the screen appears totally white. A viewer wearing a dedicated viewing device equipped with an optical filter which allows counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light to pass through can selectively see the image projected by the first liquid crystal projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Hirakata, Jun Koyama, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 7375464
    Abstract: An organic light emitting display having red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow color modulation layers. The organic light emitting display includes a substrate, a first electrode arranged on the substrate, a second electrode arranged on the first electrode, an organic functional layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, the organic functional layer comprises at least an emission layer, and red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow color modulation layers separated from each other, wherein one of the first electrode and the second electrode is transparent and is arranged between each color modulation layer and the emission layer. Accordingly, it is possible to maintain white balance even for an aged display while having enhanced color reproducibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-Doo Chin, Min-Chul Suh, Mu-Hyun Kim, Hye-Dong Kim
  • Patent number: 7290883
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for projecting video onto a screen. A video unit (10) may comprise a color wheel (14), a light source (12) configured to project light through the color wheel (14) during a spoke time, and a digital micromirror device (18) configured to reflect the projected light (30) onto a screen (26). The method may comprise the acts of shining a generally white light (28) through a region on a color wheel (14) to create a colored light (30), the region comprising two color filters, reflecting the colored light (30) off of a micromirror disposed on a digital micromirror device (18), and projecting the reflected colored light (34) onto a screen (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: TTE Tchnology, Inc.
    Inventor: Brent William Hoffman
  • Patent number: 7187420
    Abstract: An image display system comprises a first liquid crystal projector which projects a counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form an image containing specific visual information on a screen and a second liquid crystal projector which projects a clockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form a white image on the same screen. When viewed with the naked eye, a combination of the two images projected on the screen appears totally white. A viewer wearing a dedicated viewing device equipped with an optical filter which allows counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light to pass through can selectively see the image projected by the first liquid crystal projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Hirakata, Jun Koyama, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 7064892
    Abstract: A bandpass filter containing specific combinations of the dyes to yield filters which are adapted to selectively transmit predetermined primary color wavelengths of an electromagnetic spectrum as well as selectively absorb wavelengths other than the predetermined primary color wavelengths. The multiple bandpass filters are employed to improve the images on CRT screens and plasma display panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Chia-Chi Teng, Suk Youn Suh, George Malinoski
  • Patent number: 7006141
    Abstract: A method for modifying the spectrum of light rays passing through an objective lens to an electronic camera that includes providing an interference type filter within the objective lens. The interference type filter may be a coating on a separate optical element added to the objective lens or on a normal optical component of the objective lens. The interference filter coating is located along the optical axis where the light rays are substantially collimated and have a minimum light ray incidence angle with respect to the coating surface, which angle should not exceed 15 degrees for any of the light rays passing therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Panavision, Inc.
    Inventors: Iain A. Neil, John J. Galt
  • Patent number: 6954185
    Abstract: A display device is provided for making images of a movie, a TV or the like invisible to a driver while the vehicle is traveling, but at the same time visible to a passenger riding in a front passenger seat. A viewing angle control shutter 20 using a liquid crystal is disposed facing a front surface of a liquid crystal display panel 19. When the vehicle is in a stopping state, the viewing angle control shutter 20 is set to off, thereby making the image that is displayed on the display panel 19 visible from the driver's seat side and the front passenger seat side. While the vehicle is traveling, the viewing angle control shutter 20 is driven such that the driver can watch an image produced by the navigation device 13, but cannot watch an image reproduced by a DVD reproduction device 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Takayuki Ogino
  • Patent number: 6912017
    Abstract: There is disclosed a display device using a color wheel having a color filter Cw, in addition to normal color filters corresponding to the three primary colors. The filter Cw has almost flat spectral transmission characteristics. Brightness information included in a color image signal is quantized with (n+m) bits. Information corresponding to the lower-order n bits is displayed by light transmitted through the filter Cw. Information corresponding to the upper-order n bits is displayed by light transmitted through the normal color filters. Only brightness information to which the human eye is visually sensitive is reproduced by the filter Cw having a lower transmissivity. This can eliminate a lack of the number of gray levels due to a constraint on the minimum switching speed of a light valve. Furthermore, the brightness little deteriorates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Minami, Yoshiteru Suzuki, Kohei Teramoto, Hiroaki Sugiura, Shinsuke Shikama
  • Patent number: 6846083
    Abstract: A TV screen cover includes a cover member for reducing glare and volumes of light emitted from a TV. The TV screen cover further includes a housing positionable on top of a TV and securable thereto by a plurality of fastening members. The housing includes an elongated shaft with the cover member releasably wound thereabout. The housing has a slot disposed at a lower surface thereof and in front of a TV screen. The housing further includes a second elongated shaft adjacent the slot for guiding the cover member forwardly and downwardly through the slot. The cover member includes a rod connected to the bottom portion thereof and for assisting a user to uniformly move the cover member between wound and unwound positions. The TV screen cover further includes an attaching mechanism for selectively maintaining the cover member at an unwound position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Mylar
  • Patent number: 6833665
    Abstract: A flat display panel comprising a flat display panel main body, and a front protective plate which comprises an antireflection layer, a translucent electrically conductive layer, containing a metal having an electromagnetic wave shielding property and a near infrared ray shielding property, a highly rigid transparent substrate made of a tempered glass or a semi-tempered glass and an adhesive layer laminated in this order, bonded to the viewer's side surface of the flat display panel main body by means of the adhesive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Wachi, Ken Moriwaki, Takeomi Miyako
  • Patent number: 6674489
    Abstract: In an image display which reproduces a color image by using lights color-separated into four or more colors through color filters, the objects of the invention are to effectively utilize the energy of light from a light source and to reduce the effect that a slight shift of the spectral transmittance characteristics of the color filters exerts on the spectral distributions of the lights after color separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Kagawa, Hiroaki Sugiura, Kohei Teramoto, Shinsuke Shikama, Yoshiteru Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6608652
    Abstract: An image display system comprises a first liquid crystal projector which projects a counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form an image containing specific visual information on a screen and a second liquid crystal projector which projects a clockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form a white image on the same screen. When viewed with the naked eye, a combination of the two images projected on the screen appears totally white. A viewer wearing a dedicated viewing device equipped with an optical filter which allows counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light to pass through can selectively see the image projected by the first liquid crystal projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Hirakata, Jun Koyama, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 6598977
    Abstract: A color wheel having a bonding apparatus consists of a carrier and a filter set. The carrier is a circular disk and has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The first surface has a bulged rim formed thereon. The carrier has a plurality of apertures formed thereon between the bulged rim and the perimeter thereof. The filter set is mounted onto the first surface of the carrier. Adhesive is injected and filled into the apertures from the second surface such that the filter set is bonded to the first surface of the carrier to form the color wheel of the invention. The color wheel thus made has evenly coated adhesive without increasing the thickness thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Progressive Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jason Chen
  • Patent number: 6555955
    Abstract: The present invention provides to a front panel for a display in which the light transmittance of the front panel at a wavelength of 450 nm is higher than the light transmittance at a wavelength of 525 nm and the light transmittance at the wavelength of 525 nm is higher than the light transmittance at a wavelength of 630 nm. The front panel for a display of the present invention improves image contrast and color reproducibility of the display, when it is installed at the front side of a projection television receiver, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventor: Satoshi Honda
  • Publication number: 20030007227
    Abstract: A display device is provided for making images of a movie, a TV or the like invisible to a driver while the vehicle is traveling, but at the same time visible to a passenger riding in a front passenger seat. A viewing angle control shutter 20 using a liquid crystal is disposed facing a front surface of a liquid crystal display panel 19. When the vehicle is in a stopping state, the viewing angle control shutter 20 is set to off, thereby making the image that is displayed on the display panel 19 visible from the driver's seat side and the front passenger seat side. While the vehicle is traveling, the viewing angle control shutter 20 is driven such that the driver can watch an image produced by the navigation device 13, but cannot watch an image reproduced by a DVD reproduction device 14.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventor: Takayuki Ogino
  • Patent number: 6330040
    Abstract: A television system performs beam convergence in video displays. The system is implemented through one or more convergence sensors, which are exposed to two distinct convergence test patterns. The output signals from the sensors when exposed to the two test patterns are used in beam convergence calculations. The test patterns are selected to reduce the dynamic range requirement for an A/D converter in the television system supplied with the sensor output signals. A low-pass filter circuit with selectable characteristics is also used to reduce the dynamic range requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronic, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Kawashima
  • Patent number: 6268693
    Abstract: In a cathode ray tube us a glass panel having a difference in thickness between a central region and a peripheral region of a face portion, the glass panel having an outer surface with a colored film formed thereon, the colored film being thin in film thickness in an area corresponding to a thick part of the face portion of the glass panel and thick in film thickness in an area corresponding to a thin part of the face portion of the glass panel so as to reduce the difference in transmittance resulting from the difference in thickness between the central region and the peripheral region of the face portion of the glass panel. As another embodiment, the colored film comprises a film having a light color tone in an area corresponding to a thick part of the face portion of the glass panel and a dark color tone in an area corresponding to a thin part of the face portion of the glass panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Miwa, Tsutomu Imamura
  • Patent number: 6262843
    Abstract: The privacy system apparatus and method of the present invention allow users of a publicly accessible terminal to privately access information displayed on a visual monitor of the terminal. In one embodiment, the privacy system 10 is implemented with a terminal 20 having a visual monitor 22 being disposed within a user area 50. The user area 50 provides a space for users 2 to privately access the terminal 20 and is at least partially separated from an external area 30 by a barrier assembly 40. A first filter 60 receives radiation 24 from the visual monitor 22 and transmits linearly polarized radiation 62 into the user area 50. A second filter 44 disposed between the user area 50 and the external area 30 transmits linearly polarized radiation 46. By selecting first and second filters, 60 and 44, respectively, with orthogonal transmission axes, radiation 24 emitted by the visual monitor 22 is substantially blocked from transmission to the external area 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Qwest Communications Int'l, Inc.
    Inventor: Adam N. Marx
  • Patent number: 6151084
    Abstract: A television receiver having an integral design without spoiling the external appearance includes a panel sheet (4) on which an operation unit (6) corresponding to the operation unit arranged in the cabinet, a filter unit (7) corresponding to the light sensor unit, and a sound output unit (8) corresponding to the sound output unit which are formed integrally and is attached to the cabinet of the television receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Nissho Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Goto, Katsutoshi Oshima
  • Patent number: 6144479
    Abstract: A low reflectivity, variable attenuation contrast enhancement filter having a total visible light reflectance of less than about 2.0% when measured with light incident to the first outer major surface. The contrast enhancement filter has a first layer(s) for providing antireflection, the first layer(s) defining the first outer major surface; a variable attenuation element interposed between the first major outer surface and the second major outer surface; element(s) for providing fixed attenuation interposed between the variable attenuation element and the first major outer surface; and at least one substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Paul S. Lugg, Kenton D. Budd, John E. Bailey, Matthew H. Frey, Scott G. Theirl
  • Patent number: 5990984
    Abstract: An article comprising a transparent or translucent polymer substrate and a transparent or translucent coating applied thereto in which the refractive index of the coating material substantially matches the refractive index of the polymer substrate. The invention also relates to a method for making an article comprising a polymer substrate and a coating in which the refractive index of the coating substantially matches the refractive index of the polymer substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Viratec Thin Films, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Meredith, Jr., Bradway F. Phillips, Jeffrey L. Kokoschke
  • Patent number: 5959762
    Abstract: A flexible panel is provided that is easily and conformingly applied to a curved display screen of a VDU to afford, in a lightweight manner, variably adjustable contrast enhancement of the VDU while simultaneously providing a decrease in the amount of ambient light reflected from the curved display screen. The flexible panel is a glass microsheet layered, on one side thereof, with an antireflection coating and, on the other side, with an electrochromic device. The electrochrmic device allows for variable adjustment of the contrast of the VDU as a function of the voltage applied across the electrochromic device. The flexible glass microsheet dually possesses the advantages of conventional rigid glass panels, such as excellent optical performance, high durability, capability of being coated with various optical coatings under extreme temperature, pressure and chemical conditions and the additional benfeit of physical flexibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Bandettini, Lindsey Brown, Bryant P. Hichwa, Michael J. Cumbo, J. Gordon H. Mathew, Nada A. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 5922401
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for producing a color filter for liquid crystal display device by applying inks to a base by an ink-jet printing system to arrange colorants on the base, which comprises the steps of applying inks, which each comprise a homopolymer of a monomer represented by the formula (I) ##STR1## or of the formula (II) ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1 is H or CH.sub.3, and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are independently H or an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and/or a copolymer of the monomer with another vinyl monomer and can be cured by light or heat, directly onto the base or onto a resin layer provided on the base by the ink-jet printing system, thereby arranging colorants contained in the inks; and then curing the thus-applied inks by light exposure or heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Kashiwazaki, Katsuhiro Shirota, Koichiro Nakazawa, Shoji Shiba, Masashi Hirose
  • Patent number: 5852513
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical filter including a flexible, transparent substrate coated with a novel combination of optical coatings, and a frame system designed for mounting the optical filter to a television or other visual display screen. A neutral density contrast enhancement is included within the composition of a flexible substrate, or is coated on either the front, the rear, or both of the surfaces of the substrate. A silicone anti-glare hardcoat is applied to both the front and rear surfaces of the substrate. An anti-reflection coating is added to the front surface of the substrate, preferably via sputtering, and designed to reflect a specific color at a preferred brightness measurement. The combination of a front surface anti-reflection coating, front and rear surface anti-glare coatings, and a neutral density contrast enhancement, eliminates the need for an anti-reflection coating on the rear surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. McDole, Donald L. Keehn, John Morse Huish, Orville Larry Creech, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5811923
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for enhancing the performance of visual display units which utilize plasma display panels. More specifically, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for providing an optically enhancing/noise suppressing device for positioning in front of the viewing surface of a plasma display panel. The device also increases the impact resistance of the PDP. The device of the present invention is manufactured separately from the PDP. The device may be provided with attachment means for securing the device to the surface of the visual display unit in a position in front of the viewing surface of the PDP or may be designed to be free-hanging, i.e., suspended, or otherwise positioned in front of the viewing surface of the PDP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Zieba, James W. Seeser, Michael Cumbo, William T. Beauchamp, Robert Scanlon, Curtis Hruska
  • Patent number: 5754259
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical filter for visual display terminals, comprising a filter proper with a shape corresponding to a screen of the visual display terminal to have the filter mounted, and a frame for holding the filter proper, and can be mounted onto visual display terminals irrespective of the kind thereof, without giving any feeling of incompatibility. In the optical filter, the frame comprises a frame proper with a predetermined depth and a front shape corresponding to the main body of the visual display terminal, for holding the filter proper, and side frame members connected to be able to be horizontally adjusted in relative position against the frame proper. Also in the optical filter, the frame comprising a front frame with a shape corresponding to the main body of the visual display terminal, a top plate and side plates connected to the front frame tiltably at any optional positions, and corner members for connecting the top plate with the side plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Osamu Nakamatsu, Hiroshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 5627606
    Abstract: A computer screen filter assembly includes a filter and a frame for receiving the filter. The frame has a pair of generally longitudinally disposed sawtooth surfaces. One of the sawtooth surfaces is disposed adjacent one side of the filter and the other of the sawtooth surfaces is disposed adjacent the other side of the filter. A pair of brackets are slidably attached to the frame adjacent the upper corners of the frame. The brackets each have a horizontally disposed support adapted to engage the top surface of a computer monitor so that the filter is disposed over the computer screen. The brackets each have a pawl capable of engaging and disengaging a respective sawtooth surface so that the frame and the filter can be adjusted to a variety of vertical locations with respect to the computer screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Interex, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary L. Pember, Robert R. Deines, R. Reed Hinkel
  • Patent number: 5619286
    Abstract: An eye protective glass with its position adjustable in all directions has a glass body fixed with a frame surrounding the glass body. The frame is provided with a vertical hole each in two vertical sides for installing a support rod of each of two adjusting units, which enable the frame with the glass body to move up and down to alter its position vertically. A support rod base is additionally provided to have an upper curved-up cap and a base disc rotatably combined with the upper cap for fitting movably the horizontal portion of each support rod in a straight semicircular groove in the upper cap. Then the support rod can be moved forward of backward to alter the position of the frame with the glass body. And the upper cap can be rotated relative to the base disc, enabling the support rod to be moved right and left to alter the position of the frame with the glass body to the right and to the left.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Inventor: Chien-Charn Ho
  • Patent number: 5570141
    Abstract: A molded frame for fixing optical elements in a liquid crystal shutter including a registration portion configured similar to a 35 mm slide frame for precisely registering the elements relative to one another and a mounting portion configured to mate with the outer surface of a CRT and couple the frame thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric R. Sirkin, Joseph J. Curry
  • Patent number: 5543863
    Abstract: An eye protecting mask of a video display comprises a frame and an adjustment device. The frame is provided centrally in the top side thereof with a recessed portion which is provided respectively in the inner walls of two sides thereof with a predetermined number of retaining slots and with an opening adjacent to the retaining slots. The adjustment device comprises a base and a pivoting member capable of swiveling on a pivot and corresponding in location to the recessed portion of the frame. The pivoting member is provided respectively at both ends thereof with a retaining portion and a cut adjacent to the retaining portion. The pivoting member is fitted into the recessed portion of the frame such that the two retaining portions of the pivoting member are engaged with the retaining slots of the frame so as to locate properly the eye protecting mask in front of the video display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Three Soma Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jui-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 5528319
    Abstract: A privacy filter (20) for a display device includes at least two spaced-apart, generally parallel grids (22 and 24). Each grid includes an array of strips (26 and 30) or blocking members having transparent space (28 and 32) therebetween. The strips or blocking members are formed aligned such that an image (37) displayed on the display device may be viewed through the filter at an angle of incidence within a predetermined range of angles but is not discernable at angles outside of the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Photran Corporation
    Inventor: R. Russel Austin
  • Patent number: 5526065
    Abstract: An apparatus for displaying a television image on a television monitor applicable to a vehicle passenger compartment. In the television image displaying apparatus, the television monitor is installed on a center console of a vehicle passenger compartment. A liquid crystal filter is arranged on a television monitor screen which has variable transmittance according to a voltage applied across a whole surface electrode thereof. The liquid crystal filter serves to limit an angle of visible field around a driver's seat position with a front passenger seat position being provided a high image transmittance. In addition, a louver type filter is arranged between the TV monitor screen and liquid crystal filter. The louver type filter generally has a plurality of fine louvers, each elongate direction of the louvers being aligned in the horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Company, Limited
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Todoriki
  • Patent number: 5523802
    Abstract: A dual-mode image display apparatus includes a black-and-white image display device and a selective filter. The selective filter is caused to assume a first mode in which it sequentially serves as red, green and blue filters, and a second mode in which it transmits all the color components. Thus, the image display apparatus can selectively perform color display or black-and-white display. The selective filter may include variable optical retarders and may be caused to selectively assume the first mode or the second mode through control over the variable optical retarders. The selective filter may alternatively be moved by a motor between a first position in which the filter is in the path of light from the display device to the viewer, and a second position in which the filter is out of the path of light. A power supply controller is also used to conserve power by turning unneeded parts of a color image processing circuit OFF when the display apparatus is in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shouichi Sugihara, Masaki Yamakawa