Quotables
"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"
David Sarnoff, American radio pioneer ; 1921
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 |
| 8143562 | Autofocus device enabling real-time follow-AF, method of controlling the same, and microscope system using the same An autofocus device, comprises: a stage for mounting a sample; an objective lens; a focusing unit driving stage or the objective lens in an optical axis direction in order to control the position relative to each other of the stage and the objective lens; a lighting... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8106341 | Laser annealing apparatus and method The irradiation unevenness caused by drift occurring in a beam short-axis direction is reduced without adding a new beam shaping unit and affecting the propagation characteristic of a beam in an optical resonator. A position deviation detector for detecting a positi... | 01/31/2012 |
| 7989745 | Solid-state imaging device with focus detection and electronic camera with focus adjustment A solid-state imaging device comprises a plurality of pixels disposed in a two-dimensional pattern and each equipped with a photoelectric conversion unit that generates and accumulates a signal charge corresponding to a subject image formed with light entering from ... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7982169 | Apparatus and method for detecting the focal position of an optical system and opthalmological treatment apparatus An apparatus and a method are presented for detecting the focal position of an optical system (10) with a radiation source (12), a focusing imaging system (16), an at least partially reflective surface (18) on the focus (18a... | 07/19/2011 |
| 7977616 | Microscope equipped with automatic focusing mechanism and adjustment method thereof Provided is a microscope equipped with an automatic focusing mechanism, comprising an illumination light source; an objective lens for focusing first light emitted from the illumination light source onto an object to be detected; an illumination light source for ima... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7964833 | Multi-focal intraocular lens system and methods The invention pertains to methods, components, and operations of multi-focal intraocular lens systems, including range finding for driving same and for discriminating between multiple objects and varying brightness conditions. The invention also pertains to intraocu... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7910868 | Autofocus device detecting focus point with liquid crystal lens Predetermined voltage is applied to a liquid crystal lens by a liquid crystal lens driver. Image signals are generated based on an optical image passed through the liquid crystal lens during transient response operation caused by application of the predetermined vol... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7897899 | Method and apparatus for driving a liquid lens A liquid lens driver 10 has DC-DC converter 12, oscillator 14, pulse width modulator 16, and control logic circuit 18. The output buffer circuit 30 divides converter output voltage Vs of a prescribed amplitude (vo... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7847226 | Focus detection device and method with honeycomb lens array and imaging device A light detection device includes a lens array of a plurality of lenses arranged in the form of a honeycomb; and a photoelectric device array of a plurality of photoelectric devices for each of the plurality of lenses. The plurality of photoelectric devices is arran... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7825360 | Optical apparatus provided with correction collar for aberration correction and imaging method using same This is an optical apparatus provided with an objective with a correction collar for correcting aberration due to an error in the optical thickness of a piece of cover glass comprising a focusing mechanism for changing a distance between the objective and the sample... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7812295 | Optical system and method for multi-range and dual-range imaging An imaging system is presented for use in multi-range imaging of an object scene by incoherent light. The imaging system comprises aligned a phase mask section, a single focus lens section, and a pixel detector array (PDA). The phase mask section has a generally non... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7791008 | Single spot focus control The present invention discloses methods and systems for improved focusing of imaging systems for the acquisition of high-quality focused tissue image data. A light emitter (L) aims a focusing light beam (FLB) towards an object of interest (O) so that the focusing li... | 09/07/2010 |
| 7781710 | Image pickup apparatus, control method, and program with autofocus selection An image pickup apparatus, a control method and a program are provided. The image pickup apparatus includes an imaging module which takes an image; a display module which displays the image taken by the imaging module; a touch panel configured integrally with the di... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7767946 | Focus detection device and image pick-up device A focus detection device includes a micro lens array having a plurality of micro lenses, a light receiving element array having a plurality of light receiving elements for each micro lens and that receives light rays from a plurality of partial areas in which pupils... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7737386 | Focus detection optical system having a plurality of focus detection areas, and imaging apparatus incorporating the same The invention relates to a focus detection optical system used with the so-called autofocus (AF) system mounted on single-lens reflex cameras (SLRs) or the like, and an imaging apparatus incorporating it. The focus detection optical system comprises at least n focus... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7723657 | Focus detection apparatus having extended detection range An extended range focus sensor is provided. In various embodiments, the focus sensor may include a relay lens assembly to image a plane between an objective lens and the relay lens arrangement to a plane near an entrance pupil of a focus detector arrangement of the ... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7718938 | Spatial information detection system including a plurality of detection devices with nonoverlapping light projection periods A spatial information detection system, which is capable of, even when detecting spatial information from a common target space by use of a plurality of detection devices, achieving accurate detection without causing interference between the detection devices. Each ... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7714259 | Video projector having a power transmission mechanism between a drive wheel and a zoom ring A video projector (1) comprises a projection lens (18) which projects an image on a screen (S), a zoom ring (19) which varies a magnification ratio of the projection lens (18), a drive wheel (32) which is partially protruded from a... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7700903 | Method and apparatus for the auto-focussing infinity corrected microscopes The invention is directed at a method and apparatus for auto-focusing an infinity corrected microscope. Light beams are directed and then converged towards a specimen of interest and at least one image is formed from the reflected light. The image, or images, are th... | 04/20/2010 |
| 7687752 | Focus detection device having a plurality of focusing points and controlling the output of data from the focusing points The present invention discloses a focus detection device capable of reading a plurality of focus detection outputs in parallel. As an exemplary structure, the focus detection device includes a focus detection sensor having a plurality of output terminals for outputt... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7667169 | Image sensor with simultaneous auto-focus and image preview Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a plurality of light sensor cells disposed in a substrate in a shared pixel arrangement. Common readout circuitry is used to simultaneously read out image information from a group of light sensor cells. The image ... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7663078 | Focusing method for the high-speed digitalisation of microscope slides and slide displacing device, focusing optics, and optical rangefinder A focusing method is provided for the high speed digitalization of microscope slides using an imaging device, wherein the slide is divided into fields of view according to the imaging device and focusing is performed. During rough focusing, several images are captur... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7645971 | Image scanning apparatus and method An image scanning apparatus comprises a time delay integration sensor for obtaining first image information from a target and a scan device for causing relative motion between the time delay integration sensor and the target. The image scanning apparatus is characte... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7633041 | Apparatus for determining optimum position of focus of an imaging system Fast on-line electro-optical detection of wafer defects by illuminating with a short light pulse from a repetitively pulsed laser, a section of the wafer while it is moved across the field of view of an imaging system, and imaging the moving wafer onto a focal plane... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7622696 | Optical head device, optical information recording/reproducing apparatus and operation method of optical information recording/reproducing apparatus An optical head device is provided with an objective lens (5) for collecting light emitted from a light source on an optical recording medium (6); a diffraction optical element (8a) for diffracting the reflection light of the emitted ligh... | 11/24/2009 |
| 7619189 | Imaging apparatus with autofocus function, imaging method, storage medium, and integrated circuit An imaging apparatus executes AF control without affecting a video signal and prevents video signal qualities in an in-focus state from decreasing. An optical path separation unit 2 separates light from a subject into first and second light beams. A first ima... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7605353 | Method and apparatus for creating high-quality digital images Methods and apparatus for increasing the quality of digital images produced by systems using uncorrected lenses where in-focus elements in the image space of the lens are detected and recorded as directed by data in a lookup table that specifies where light from add... | 10/20/2009 |
| 7595471 | Auto focusing of a workpiece using an array detector each with a detector identification Provided is a method and system for auto focusing a workpiece in the Z-axis using a position sensitive focus detector. A focus detection beam is measured using a focus detector, the focus detector having an array of sensors, each sensor of the array of sensors havin... | 09/29/2009 |
| 7586072 | Correlation operation method, correlation operation device, focus detection device and imaging device A correlation operation method includes: first processing executed to match a signal level of an AC component contained in a first signal data string made up with a plurality of sets of first signal data with a signal level of an AC component contained in a second s... | 09/08/2009 |
| 7582854 | Focus detection apparatus for detecting a relative positional relationship between a pair of object images A focus detection apparatus comprising a focus detection unit adapted to employ a photoelectric conversion element to detect a relative positional relationship between a pair of object images corresponding to a focus detection field; and wherein the focus detection ... | 09/01/2009 |
| 7573011 | Zoom module using actuator and lead screw with translating operation An optical module includes a first optics group, a second optics group, and an image sensor, wherein the first optics group and second optics group are configured to provide an image having a focus and a magnification to the image sensor. In some embodiments of the ... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7564012 | Method for automatically focusing in photographic module and electronic device thereof A method for automatically focusing in a photographic module is disclosed. The focus action has two stages. In the first stage, a photographic module and a controller electrically connected to the photographic module are provided. When the lens group of the photogra... | 07/21/2009 |
| 7547866 | Laser irradiation method and method for manufacturing semiconductor device including an autofocusing mechanism using the same The present invention is to provide a laser irradiation method for performing homogeneous laser irradiation to the irradiation object even when the thickness of the irradiation object is not even. In the case of irradiating the irradiation object having uneven thick... | 06/16/2009 |
| 7547867 | Positioning device and positiioning method A positioning method for positioning a movable member so as to maximize a detection output of a position detecting means whose detection output varies corresponding to positions of the movable member, comprising: performing a wobbling control when the detection outp... | 06/16/2009 |
| 7528354 | Method and device for position sensing of an optical component in an imaging system A light beam is used to illuminate a spot on a lens element which is shifted along the optical axis of an imaging system for auto-focus or optical zoom purposes. The light beam is arranged such that the reflected light beam from the lens element encounters a spot on... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7514660 | Focusing apparatus, focusing method, and inspection apparatus A focusing apparatus includes a first sensor and a second sensor configured to receive an optical image of a target workpiece to be inspected and convert it photoelectrically, a first optical system configured to make the optical image be focused on the first sensor... | 04/07/2009 |
| 7488923 | Focus detection device, optical system and focus detection method A focus detection device comprises a micro lens array disposed near an estimated focal plane of an image forming optical system and formed by arraying a plurality of micro lenses, a light receiving device provided in correspondence to each of the plurality of micro ... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7485834 | Method and apparatus for estimating an in-focus position A method is provided of estimating an in-focus position of a target in an image scanning apparatus. A first part of the target is scanned at a nominal focus level so as to obtain corresponding image information. One or more further parts of the target are scanned at... | 02/03/2009 |
| 7473877 | System and method for utilizing an autofocus feature in an automated microscope The invention relates to a method for adjusting focus in an automated microscope. The method may comprise the steps of: providing an optical detector for image acquisition, wherein the optical detector comprises an array of sensor pixels; designating a region of int... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7442908 | Method for optically detecting deviations of an image plane of an imaging system from the surface of a substrate A microlithographic projection illumination system has a focus-detection system for optically detecting deviations of the image plane of a projection lens from the upper surface of a substrate arranged in the vicinity of its image plane. The focus-detection system h... | 10/28/2008 |
