Did You Know...
...that on Dec. 15, 1836, the Patent Office was completely destroyed by fire? Lost were some 7,000 models, 9,000 drawings, and 230 books plus all records of patent applications and grants.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6714351 | Illumination apparatus with polarizing elements for beam shaping Illumination apparatus includes a light source which directs a polarized source beam in a downstream direction along an optical axis and desirably focuses the beam. A polarization-altering element downstream from the source alters the polarization in a portion or po... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6714350 | Double sided wire grid polarizer A wire grid polarizer (100) for polarizing an incident light beam (130), comprising a substrate (505) having a first surface (410) and a second surface (510); and a first array of parallel, elongated wires disposed on the first sur... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6710901 | Method and apparatus for two-photon, volumetric spatially resolved holographic data storage in photosensitive glass A method for the generation of volume spatially-resolved holographic data storage within a photosensitive glass sample that incurs changes of optical properties in response to two-photon absorption, the method including directing non-ultraviolet pulsed laser radiati... | 03/23/2004 |
| 6707967 | Efficient sampled bragg gratings for WDM applications Techniques for designing efficient gratings with multiple frequency response channels based on sampled patterns based predominantly on phase modulation of the underlying grating structure. Each period of the phase sampled patterns may include contiguous, discrete ph... | 03/16/2004 |
| 6707610 | Reducing the susceptibility of titanium nitride optical layers to crack In a titanium nitride-based optical coating, the structural stability of the coating is enhanced by providing a damage-retardation base layer between the titanium nitride layer and a substrate. Where the optical coating is to provide solar control, the titanium nitr... | 03/16/2004 |
| 6707609 | Extrinsically athermalized optical filter devices A thermally stabilized optical filter device includes a multilayer optical bandpass filter on a transparent substrate, with the transparent substrate being composed of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion. An encasement surrounds the transparen... | 03/16/2004 |
| 6704129 | Optical scanning apparatus capable of reducing variations in shading and improving light usage An optical scanning apparatus reduces shading and variations in light intensity and significantly increases light usage during an optical scanning process using a simple construction in which a laser beam from a light source is deflected by a light deflec... | 03/09/2004 |
| 6700716 | Optical element with a microprism structure for deflecting light beams An optical element (10, 10', 10") for deflecting light beams (18, 19), which enter and re-emerge from the latter, in such a way that their angle of emergence (γ) is limited, in particular for use as a luminaire-cover, having a plate-like core (11, 11', 1... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6700704 | System comprising a device necessitating the reception of linearly polarized beams and corresponding method A system including a first polarization element configured to linearly polarize at least one beam in open space, a processing device configured to receive linearly polarized beams at an input, downline from the first polarization element, a first polariza... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6695458 | High-reflectance silver mirror and reflecting optical element A high-reflectance silver mirror has a high-reflectance film comprising a silver layer formed on a base material made of phosphorus-containing glass. The high-reflectance film is formed by a wet film-forming process on an acid-resistant protection film co... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6695455 | Fabrication of micromirrors on silicon substrate A process for fabricating micro-mirrors on a silicon substrate is disclosed, which can markedly improve the flatness of micro-mirrors, reduce the scattering of incident light, and increase S/N ratio. The fabrication process comprises the steps of: forming... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6690514 | Single crystal polarizing prism and method of manufacturing thereof An anisotropic single-crystal polarizing prism for separation of the non-polarized beam into two orthogonally-polarized beams with minimal optical losses. The prism has a tetrahedral shape and is formed by four base planes having a predetermined angular o... | 02/10/2004 |
| 6690521 | Light-selective prism, projection display apparatus using the same, and method of manufacturing light-selective prism A red-reflecting film and a blue-reflecting film are formed in a substantially X shape on joint surfaces defined by the respective side faces of four columnar prisms or right-angle prisms. The red-reflecting film is continuously formed without separating ... | 02/10/2004 |
| 6687055 | Method of temperature compensation for interleaver The invention provides a simple temperature insensitive optical retarder (waveplate) having a first and a second wedge shaped birefringent crystals, and a crystal mount comprising a first material having a low thermal expansion coefficient and a second ma... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6687031 | Holographic display element and method of making the same A holographic display element for three-dimensionally displaying a three-dimensional model and a plane image, for example, in a superimposed manner, which is prevented from causing a change in color or a reduction in contrast of the foreground pattern at ... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6676263 | Performance improvements of symmetry-breaking reflector structures in nonimaging devices A structure and method for providing a broken symmetry reflector structure for a solar concentrator device. The component of the optical direction vector along the symmetry axis is conserved for all rays propagated through a translationally symmetric opti... | 01/13/2004 |
| 6678082 | Electro-optical component including a fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) protective coating and related methods A method for applying a protective coating to an electro-optical component includes positioning the electro-optical component in a chamber and applying a coating composition to at least one surface of the electro-optical component to form the protective c... | 01/13/2004 |
| 6661576 | Method and apparatus for controlling dispersion forces An article and method for controlling the sign (repulsion or attraction) and magnitude of dispersion forces, such as the Casimir force. In accordance with one embodiment of the present teachings, dispersion forces are controlled by selectively reflecting ... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6657764 | Very large angle integrated optical scanner made with an array of piezoelectric monomorphs A micromachined mirror scanning system having plural benders of morphs and support arms between a mirror surface of silicon and a surrounding frame. Electrical energization of the morphs with a DC voltage under the control of a computer provides a large r... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6657756 | Method and apparatus for increasing the effective efficiency of holograms A method is disclosed for reconstructing an image from a total internal reflection hologram that includes the steps of arranging the hologram in relation to the first face of a coupling body, generating a substantially collimated illumination beam, direct... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6657759 | Bistable micromirror with contactless stops A microstructure for steering light is provided that mitigates stiction. A substrate is provided on which a structural linkage is connected to support a structural film. The structural film includes a reflective coating. A hold electrode is connected with... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6648482 | Polygon mirror and method of manufacturing the same, optical scanner and electrophotograph A polygon mirror that can be manufactured at low cost and high productivity and a method of manufacturing the same, a polygon mirror that can be manufactured at low cost and presents little variations in reflectance in a wide range of angles of incident, ... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6650473 | Method of manufacturing polarized spectacle lens A film of a plastic material fusible with a lens-forming material and having a high light transmissivity is bonded and laminated, with an adhesive, to a polarizing sheet having a polarization coefficient of 99.0% or higher and a light transmissivity of 40... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6650476 | Image processing utilizing non-positive-definite transfer functions via fractional fourier transform Fractional Fourier transform properties of lenses or other elements or optical environments are used to introduce one or more positive-definite optical transfer functions outside the Fourier plane so as to realize or closely approximate arbitrary non-posi... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6644818 | Retroreflective prismatic retro-reflectors without visually disturbing seams A method and apparatus for making retro-reflective articles are described which can be made without visually disturbing seam lines, In one embodiment molds having retro-reflective elements have serrated edges along boundary lines of retro-reflective eleme... | 11/11/2003 |
| 6643078 | Aluminum reflecting mirror and method of making the same Within a chamber in a vacuum atmosphere, SiO is deposited on a glass substrate so as to form a first layer as a protective film, Al is deposited on the first layer so as to form a second layer as an aluminum reflective film, MgF2 is deposited o... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6641270 | Retroreflective sheeting containing a validation image and methods of making the same This invention relates to retroreflective sheeting which has an image, such as an image. More specifically, the image has varying appearance at different angles of view. The retroreflective sheeting has a layer of transparent microsphere lenses, a transpa... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6639723 | Variable optical attenuator with polarization compensation An optical attenuator for attenuating an incident optical beam comprises at least two attenuating devices, each having a polarization dependent attenuation characteristic with a preferred orientation. The attenuating devices are arranged in the optical be... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6637900 | Mirror assembly and method for assembling the same A mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a visor which houses a mirror main body (a mirror), a stay cover provided between the visor and the vehicle, and a base which is assembled so as to pass through the stay cover. In the present invention, in a state ... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6636349 | Reflection and refraction optical system and projection exposure apparatus using the same An imaging optical system includes a polarization beam splitter, a quarter waveplate, a reflection mirror and polarization state changing unit. The beam from an object plane is projected by way of the polarization beam splitter and the quarter waveplate t... | 10/21/2003 |
| 6633433 | Beam shaping for optical scanners A beam generator, or beam shaping system, for example for use in an optical scanner, creates a non-Gaussian beam which provides improved indicia-reading characteristics. In one embodiment, diffractive optical elements are used to create a Bessel-Gaussian ... | 10/14/2003 |
| 6631023 | Electrochromic display device with power leads insulated from the electrochromic medium Electrochromic display device comprising a pair of glass or plastic plates or plastic films of which at least one plate or film or both plates or films is/are provided on one side each with an electrically conducting coating. At least one plate or film an... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6631032 | Renewable liquid reflection grating A renewable liquid reflection grating. Electrodes are operatively connected to a conducting liquid in an arrangement that produces a reflection grating and driven by a current with a resonance frequency. In another embodiment, the electrodes create the gr... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6631033 | Multilayer optical filters Optical filters (1) designed in pairs, which are essentially colourless in their individual general appearance designed to take on a strong coloration when viewed together in transmission, said filters being particularly, useful for identification of coun... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6624915 | Holographic recording and micro/nanofabrication via ultrafast holographic two-photon induced photopolymerization (H-TPIP) A process and photoactive media for holographic recording and micro/nanofabrication of optical and bio-optical structures via the simultaneous absorption of two-photons by the photoactive media to induce a simultaneous photochemical change in regions of c... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6619805 | Latent heat actuated non-fogging shower mirror A condensation free mirror to be used in a shower environment consisting of a mirror substrate and a means for detachably mounting the mirror to a shower wall. The mirror assembly is designed for optimum heat retention in order to provide a condensation f... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6618174 | In-line holographic mask for micromachining An optically made, high-efficiency in-line holographic mask (ILHM) for in-line holographic patterning of a workpiece, and apparatus and methods for performing same. The ILHM combines the imaging function of a lens with the transmission properties of a sta... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6614344 | Optical sensor for an adjustable vehicle seating system An optical sensor device that allows a driver to verify his or her respective eye position in a driver's compartment of a vehicle. The optical device includes a plurality of channels. The device has a first channel with an illuminated base that is positio... | 09/02/2003 |
| 6614602 | Method of manufacturing lens cap for transistor outline package A method of manufacturing a lens cap (40) for a transistor outline package includes the steps of: (a) providing a main part (2) of the lens cap; (b) providing an upper and lower molds (51, 52) and putting the main part into the molds; (c) closing the mold... | 09/02/2003 |
| 6611377 | Micromechanical diffraction phase grating A micromechanical reflection phase grating may be formed of spring-like ribbon reflectors that are secured to a transparent cover positioned over a substrate such as a silicon substrate. The ribbon reflectors are formed independently of the silicon substr... | 08/26/2003 |
