Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7545446 | Offner relay for projection system A projection system includes a modulator and an Offner relay. The modulator is to modulate light in accordance with sub-frames of a frame of image data. The Offner relay is to differently aim, in accordance with each sub-frame, the light as modulated. ... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7400438 | Micro-electro mechanical device, micro-electro mechanical device array, light modulation device, micro-electro mechanical light modulation device, micro-electro mechanical light modulation device array and image forming apparatus using the same A transition time is a time from a state where a movable portion has been rotationally displaced in the first direction and stopped to a state where driving portions apply the physical action forces to the movable portion to rotationally displace the movable portion... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7377653 | Color display apparatus having virtual single light origin A color display apparatus having a virtual single light origin is disclosed. The color display apparatus includes an illumination lens system, a combining system, a Fourier filter and a projection system. The illumination lens system converts a plurality of light be... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7370976 | Projection type image display device The device has flexure correcting means for operating to rotate a first eccentric cam provided at a central part of a first side of a reflecting mirror, thereby moving up and down the central part of the first side to correct the flexure of the reflecting mirror, to... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7372613 | Method and device for multistate interferometric light modulation A multi-state light modulator comprises a first reflector. A first electrode is positioned at a distance from the first reflector. A second reflector is positioned between the first reflector and the first electrode. The second reflector is movable between an undriv... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7372620 | Micromirror and micromirror device There is provided a micromirror which includes a holding unit, a mirror that is held by the holding unit to be pivotable about a rotation axis of the mirror, a first fixed electrode group including a plurality of electrodes fixed to the holding unit, a second fixed ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7362493 | Micromirror and post arrangements on substrates A micromirror of a micromirror array of a spatial light modulator used in display systems comprises a mirror plate attached to a hinge that is supported by two posts formed on a substrate. Also the mirror plate is operable to rotate along a rotation axis that is par... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7310185 | Double pass illumination system A display device is disclosed, wherein the display device comprises a light source configured to emit light, a projection lens configured to transfer the light to a display surface, at least one other optical element, and a lens disposed optically between the light ... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7196740 | Projection TV with improved micromirror array In order to minimize light diffraction along the direction of switching and more particularly light diffraction into the acceptance cone of the collection optics, in the present invention, micromirrors are provided which are not rectangular. Also, in order to minimi... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7187487 | Light modulator with a light-absorbing layer A spatial light modulator includes a first region and a second region. A light-absorbing layer contacts at least a portion of the second region. The light absorbing layer includes a first layer and a second layer, the second layer having a reflectivity less than abo... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7167297 | Micromirror array In order to minimize light diffraction along the direction of switching and more particularly light diffraction into the acceptance cone of the collection optics, in the present invention, micromirrors are provided which are not rectangular. Also, in order to minimi... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7123222 | Method of improving the luminous efficiency of a sequential-color matrix display The present invention relates to a method of improving the luminous efficiency of a sequential-colour matrix display, the display being driven using an addressing method of the pulse width modulation (PWM) type. This method comprises, for each pixel of a subframe, t... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7118226 | Sequential color recapture for image display systems A method for transmitting light in an image display system includes generating a beam of light from a light source. The beam of light is directed at a first segment of an electronically-switchable filter. A first portion of the beam of light is accepted by the first... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7081928 | Optical system for full color, video projector using single light valve with plural sub-pixel reflectors A full color video projector system using a light source and a single light valve. The output of the light source passes through a condenser lens. The lens is directed toward a splayed array of red, green, and blue dichroic reflector color filters. The reflected thr... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7075506 | Spatial-temporal multiplexing A method and system for performing spatial temporal multiplexing using a multi-threshold mask. A mask generator (404) outputs a threshold value for each pixel of a display. The mask generator typically creates a blue noise mask for a given pixel array that is... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7075702 | Micromirror and post arrangements on substrates A micromirror of a micromirror array of a spatial light modulator used in display systems comprises a mirror plate attached to a hinge that is supported by two posts formed on a substrate. Also the mirror plate is operable to rotate along a rotation axis that is par... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7071908 | Digital backplane The present invention provides a various methods, systems and devices for controlling light modulating elements and/or spatial light modulators. In some embodiments of the present invention, a recursive feedback method is used to control light modulating elements an... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7023606 | Micromirror array for projection TV In order to minimize light diffraction along the direction of switching and more particularly light diffraction into the acceptance cone of the collection optics, in the present invention, micromirrors are provided which are not rectangular. Also, in order to minimi... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7012731 | Packaged micromirror array for a projection display In order to minimize light diffraction along the direction of switching and more particularly light diffraction into the acceptance cone of the collection optics, in the present invention, micromirrors are provided which are not rectangular. Also, in order to minimi... | 03/14/2006 |
| 7006275 | Packaged micromirror array for a projection display In order to minimize light diffraction along the direction of switching and more particularly light diffraction into the acceptance cone of the collection optics, in the present invention, micromirrors are provided which are not rectangular. Also, in order to minimi... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6975366 | Digital display system using pulsed lasers An image projection system comprises a laser source that generates a series of periodic pulses having substantially uniform energy content, a spatial light modulator, and a modulator driver synchronized with the laser pulses so that transition intervals of the modul... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6953275 | System and method for providing a uniform source of light A system for providing a uniform source of light. The system includes a light pipe having an input surface for receiving light from a light source and an output surface for transmitting the light. The system also includes an optical element having an entrance surfac... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6671005 | Digital micromirror stage lighting system A light display system for projecting digitally generated light beams onto a stage display, comprising a housing rotatable about at least one axis, a deformable mirror device (DMD) having a surface comprising an array of deformable mirror cells, the DMD b... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6601959 | Projector device wherein the incidence angle of the illumination light is made variable depending on whether the projector device is in a used or unused state The thickness of the projector device can be reduced by making the direction of irradiation of a digital micromirror device (DMD) with illuminating light by an illuminating optical system variable depending on whether the projector device is used or not u... | 08/05/2003 |
| 6573951 | Non-terminating pulse width modulation for displays A method for using pulse-width modulation in displays. A series of PWM sequences is established. Each subsequent sequence clears the previous sequence before it, eliminating the need for a separate clearing reset at the end of the previous sequence. This ... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6480177 | Blocked stepped address voltage for micromechanical devices A method of addressing an array of spatial light modulator elements. The method divides the array into blocks of elements, provides reset lines (MRST) to each of the block of elements, separate from the other blocks of elements, as well as address voltage... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6188426 | Printer with micromirror device and exposure method therefor An exposure method for a printer with a micromirror device as a spatial light modulator. In an exposure sequence of one color, each micromirror of the mirror array of the spatial light modulator is driven by N-bit mirror drive data sequentially from most ... | 02/13/2001 |
| 6188427 | Illumination system having an intensity calibration system An illumination system (10) having an automated calibration system (62) for adjusting the light intensity of individual elements (14) of an array of light emitting elements (12). An optical sensor (30) can be positioned in several locations (A,B,C) to sen... | 02/13/2001 |
| 6008929 | Image displaying apparatus and method An image displaying apparatus and method is provided which can provide a satisfactory display with a gradation of intensity even with a spatial light modulator which provides a binary light modulation. A light from a light source 1 is modulated by a spati... | 12/28/1999 |
| 5926309 | Light valve target comprising electrostatically-repelled micro-mirrors A high intensity light modulator includes a micro-mirror light valve target with electrostatically-repelled micro-mirror elements. Each micro-mirror of the target array comprises a base electrode and an overlying micro-mirror element. In operation, charge... | 07/20/1999 |
| 5903323 | Full color sequential image projection system incorporating time modulated illumination A system and technique for directing intensity modulated electromagnetic energy. The inventive system (10) includes an intensity modulated source of electromagnetic energy (12). Individual elements (22) in an array of energy directing elements (15) are ac... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5867302 | Bistable microelectromechanical actuator A bistable microelectromechanical (MEM) actuator is formed on a substrate and includes a stressed membrane of generally rectangular shape that upon release assumes a curvilinear cross-sectional shape due to attachment at a midpoint to a resilient member a... | 02/02/1999 |
| 5768009 | Light valve target comprising electrostatically-repelled micro-mirrors A high intensity image projection system includes a micro-mirror light valve target with micro-mirror elements repulsively pivotally-actuable. Each micro-mirror of the target array comprises a fixed base electrode joined to an overlying micro-mirror eleme... | 06/16/1998 |
| 5764208 | Reset scheme for spatial light modulators A method for causing a micromechanical spatial light modulator to display data for a period less than its settling time. The modulator elements receive a first pulse (40) that causes them to release from their previous state, a bias voltage is removed and... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5745193 | DMD architecture and timing for use in a pulse-width modulated display system It is possible to replace a standard tuning unit in a television with spatial light modulator circuitry to improve the resolution seen by the viewer. The invention herein provides a system architecture, individual part of the system and techniques for min... | 04/28/1998 |
| 5729243 | Multi-frame-rate operation of digital light-modulators A matrix display of light reflecting elements is capable of displaying images represented by data codes received from a variety of different sources at different respective frame rates. The codes are stored at whatever frame rate they are received, but ar... | 03/17/1998 |
| 5696619 | Micromechanical device having an improved beam An electrically addressable, integrated, monolithic, micromirror device (10) is formed by the utilization of sputtering techniques, including various metal and oxide layers, photoresists, liquid and plasma etching, plasma stripping and related techniques ... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5668611 | Full color sequential image projection system incorporating pulse rate modulated illumination A system and technique for directing intensity modulated electromagnetic energy. The inventive system (10) includes an intensity modulated source of electromagnetic energy (12). Individual elements (22) in an array of energy directing elements (15) are ac... | 09/16/1997 |
| 5608468 | Method and device for multi-format television A spatial light modulator with hexagonal elements or pixels. The elements include a reflective hexagonal surface supported by flexible hinges. The hinges are in turn supported by support posts away from a substrate. On the substrate are control or address... | 03/04/1997 |
| 5600383 | Multi-level deformable mirror device with torsion hinges placed in a layer different from the torsion beam layer A bistable deformable mirror device (DMD) pixel architecture is disclosed, wherein the torsion hinges are placed in a layer different from the torsion beam layer. This results in pixels which can be scaled to smaller dimensions while at the same time main... | 02/04/1997 |
