...Chester Carlson was a patent agent who tired of having to make multiple copies of patent applications using the only duplication method available at the time: carbon paper. In 1959 he came up with a new copying system and took it to IBM for evaluation. The "experts" at IBM determined potential sales to be only 5,000 units because people wouldn't want to use a bulky machine when they had carbon paper. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, the company founded on the system is Xerox.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7589879 | Method and apparatus for attaching part, light scanning apparatus and image forming apparatus A method for attaching a part, including preparing an optical part-holding member for holding an optical part and a housing member having a bottom wall and mountable the optical part-holding member, identifying a plurality of part-attaching portions forming nodal po... | 09/15/2009 |
| 7586662 | Three-dimensional light ray input apparatus A three-dimensional input apparatus includes a lens L1 for converting angular information about light rays from a object, a focusing element L3 for focusing the light rays from the object to the vicinities of an array R of photoelectric elements, and a... | 09/08/2009 |
| 7443554 | Tilted plate dither scanner An optical apparatus and a method of using an optical instrument comprising providing to a primary optical axis of the instrument a plate tilted so as not to be perpendicular to the primary optical axis and continuously rotating the plate about the primary optical a... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7433110 | Three-dimensional light ray input apparatus A three-dimensional input apparatus includes a lens L1 for converting angular information about light rays from a object, a focusing element L3 for focusing the light rays from the object to the vicinities of an array R of photoelectric elements, and a... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7425074 | Display device and display method A concept of improving a resolution by using human's visual characteristics is provided. A display device includes an image forming unit forming an image by using an emitted light and an inputted image signal, a projection unit projecting the image formed by the ima... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7411711 | High speed, high efficiency optical pattern generator using rotating optical elements An optical pattern generator includes one or more multi-faceted rotating optical elements that introduce an offset that is rotation insensitive. The component that generates the offset is rotationally symmetric around the rotational axis of the optical element. Thus... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7349166 | Optical member holding device, and optical scanning device provided with the same A device for holding a laser diode (LD) and a collimate lens. A laser unit includes an LD supporting section supporting the LD, and a lens supporting section supporting the lens positioned opposite to the LD, A connecting portion connects the lens supporting section... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7339604 | Videoconferencing arrangement having multi-purpose digital still camera A videoconferencing system uses a modular terminal that includes a conventional digital still camera coupled to the input port of the videocommunicator, such as a set top box. There are various features provided by this arrangement, including using the digital still... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7319565 | Silicone rubber surfaces for biometric print TIR prisms Molded silicone rubber sheets with optical quality surfaces and methods for making the same. The silicone rubber sheets are made by molding liquid silicone rubber in a mold. In embodiments, the mold forms parallel optical quality flat surfaces. In one embodiment, a ... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7300157 | Pixel-shifting projection lens assembly to provide optical interlacing for increased addressability A projection display system includes a projection lens assembly that has multiple projection lens elements that are configured to receive light imparted with display information by a pixelated display device. The projection lens elements project the light toward a d... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7290884 | Display device having resolution improving apparatus for project-type display device A concept of improving a resolution by using human's visual characteristics is provided. Bu the present invention, an image can be displayed at a more improved resolution than an actual physical resolution, thereby obtaining the same effect that the resolution is ph... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7283291 | High speed beam steering/field of view adjustment The use of spatial light modulators to steer light beams and/or vary a field of view is disclosed. A dual frequency liquid crystal spatial light modulator can be controlled so as to form a blazed phase grating thereon that effects desire deflection of incident light... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7270417 | Display device and display method in which resolution improving apparatus is provided for project-type display device A concept of improving a resolution by using human's visual characteristics is provided. An image can be displayed at a more improved resolution than an actual physical resolution, thereby obtaining the same effect that the resolution is physically improved. An imag... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7265884 | High speed, high efficiency optical pattern generator using rotating optical elements An optical pattern generator includes one or more multi-faceted rotating optical elements that introduce an offset that is rotation insensitive. The component that generates the offset is rotationally symmetric around the rotational axis of the optical element. Thus... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7253949 | Stereo microscope A stereo microscope includes two oculars mounted at one end of a housing and an objective lens mounted at an opposite end of the housing. Between the opposite ends of the housing is a rotatably mounted lens magnification changer with three series of bores extending ... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7231097 | Lens defect correction Methods and systems related to: (a) capturing a primary image of a subject with a lens at a primary position, the lens having at least one deviation that exceeds a first tolerance for a target optical property; (b) capturing another image of the subject with the len... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7227115 | Method of and system for detecting and correcting mode switching in diffractive-based laser scanning systems A diffractive-based laser scanning system of the present invention monitors portions of the laser light beams generated by a laser light source (e.g., VLD) employed therein to generate a mode switching signal indicative of a shift in the characteristic wavelength of... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7182463 | Pixel-shifting projection lens assembly to provide optical interlacing for increased addressability A projection display system includes a projection lens assembly that has multiple projection lens elements that are configured to receive light imparted with display information by a pixelated display device. The projection lens elements project the light toward a d... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7123394 | System and method for the laser beam deflection for optical measuring systems A system for the laser beam deflection for optical measuring systems includes an optical element for the deflection of an incident laser beam and a driving unit for generating a rotational movement between the optical element and the incident laser beam in order to ... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7104652 | Image display device and projector To provide an image display device and a projector having a brightness or an excellent utilization efficiency of the light by improving the display performance of a moving picture. A projector includes a light source for emitting illumination light, a liquid crystal... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7103284 | Light-emitting module A light-emitting module according to the present invention contains a Peltier element driver, and a signal processor for controlling the Peltier element driver. The Peltier element driver is mounted on a first substrate, which directly attaches to the inner bottom s... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7038821 | Scanning apparatus A scanning apparatus comprises two rotatable bodies (1, 10 or 40) arranged to rotate in opposite directions. The first body being a polarizer (10) and the second being a mirror (1) or a second polarizer (40). The apparatus is arran... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7027639 | High speed optical image acquisition system with extended dynamic range A high-speed image acquisition system includes a source of light; a sensor for acquiring a plurality of images of the target; a system for determining relative movement between the source and the target; and an image processor for processing the acquired images to g... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7005596 | Cover member for illuminated pushbutton switch An illuminated pushbutton switch cover member has a key seat and a resin key top. An indicator portion provided in the resin key top is illuminated with light from an internal light source provided below the key seat, and the light is emitted from the inside to the ... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6993165 | System having a rotating optical system and a non-planar prism that are used to obtain print and other hand characteristic information A rotating optical system includes an optical element and a measuring device for locating and/or scanning a full palm print and/or full palm and fingerprint for a hand positioned on a non-planar surface of an optical element. The hand is placed on the non-planar sur... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6979585 | Micro-electromechanical system A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device is created by forming mechanical structures supported by a substrate having a bond ring area laterally spaced from the mechanical structures and having a sacrificial layer surrounding the mechanical structures. A bond ri... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6937375 | Scanning device A scanning apparatus includes a radiation source for emitting a light beam, a rotatable prism for deflecting the light beam, and a lens arrangement for projecting the light beam onto a scene to be scanned. The path length that is traversed by the light beam from the... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6905068 | Focusing arrangement and method in electro-optical readers Focusing in an electro-optical reader for reading indicia is obtained by moving one prism relative to another prism. An outgoing laser beam directed to indicia for reflection therefrom and/or return light reflected from the indicia is focused by the moving prism. | 06/14/2005 |
| 6901204 | Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) variable optical attenuator Disclosed is an MEMS variable optical attenuator comprising a substrate having a planar surface, optical fibers having an optical signal transmitting end and an optical signal receiving end, respectively, coaxially arranged on the substrate, a micro-electric actuato... | 05/31/2005 |
| 6895190 | Switchable bandwidth lowpass filter A novel transceiver is provided which allow for either a transmitter or receiver to be dynamically switched between two different frequency bands by use of a novel switchable lowpass filter. ... | 05/17/2005 |
| 6885485 | Multibeam scanning device A multibeam scanning device includes a deflecting system that deflects a plurality of beams, which are emitted by a light source, in a main scanning direction. On a first imaging optical system, the dynamically deflected beams are incident. A plurality of optical pa... | 04/26/2005 |
| 6836364 | Beam steering and scanning device A beam steerer/scanner (50) includes a dynamically balanced bi-index rotating element (52). The element is comprised of a pair (52A, 52B) of transparent hemispheres which are of the same size and shape, are made from two materials of equa... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6791729 | Adjusting imaging position of optical beam spot in main and sub-scanning directions by individually and/or collectively adjusting position(s) of temperature-compensating lens(es) The imaging position of an optical beam spot in an optical scanning device is adjusted. The imaging position of the optical beam spot is adjusted in both a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction. The imaging position of the optical beam spot in the mai... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6781693 | System and method for optical multiplexing and/or demultiplexing Improved methods and systems for routing and aligning beams and optical elements in an optical device include a multiplexing device and/or a demultiplexing device, which includes an optical alignment element (OAE). The OAE can be configured to substantially compensa... | 08/24/2004 |
| 6735003 | Method and apparatus for reducing artifacts in an imaging system A method and apparatus for reducing artifacts in an imaging system by directing a stream of air onto the beam deflection assembly of the imaging system. An air displacement system, such as a fan assembly or the like, is oriented to direct, a stream of air onto the r... | 05/11/2004 |
| 6639698 | Optical scanning unit with rotatable hologram disc An optical scanning unit with a rotatable hologram disc, including a light source, a rotatable hologram disc provided with a plurality of holograms, the holograms being formed concentrically along a radial direction to diffract a beam emitted from the lig... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6639704 | Scanning optical apparatus, and image forming apparatus using the same A scanning optical apparatus which includes incident optical system for causing at least one light beam emitted by light source onto a deflector, and image forming optical system, having at least one diffraction surface, for imaging the at least one light... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6626547 | Method of using a spectral dispersion device A spectral dispersion device includes a transmission member formed of a translucent material and formed with an image surface, a reflection surface, and a dispersion surface. The image surface includes an image that receives a ray of visible light thereth... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6624919 | Light scanner with cylindrical lenses A scrolling scan optical band scanner is provided having a scrolling scan optic with a scan function that inherently deviates from an ideal imaging function over wide apertures. Compensation optics are provided to correct the scrolling scan optic performa... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6575963 | Laser scanning apparatus and method The present invention provides a method for scanning material with a laser beam including directing a laser beam (20) through a scanning means, wherein said scanning means includes a first lens (11) and a second lens (12) separated by a distance (16) appr... | 06/10/2003 |