Did You Know...
...that Robert Adler has the dubious distinction of being the Father of the Couch Potato? Back in 1955 Adler was employed by what was then Zenith Radio Corp., where he was charged to invent something that would allow viewers to turn down the TV volume without leaving their chairs. After a series of flops (such as a wired contraption that people tripped over), Adler hit on the idea of using sound waves. Thus the Remote Control was born...
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7405857 | Light emitting diode (LED) device and method of making same A light managing screen may provide a rear projection screen, front projection screen or component thereof. The screen may comprise a polymeric composition including a first polymeric material, and a second polymeric material disposed as a plurality of elongated str... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7215455 | Inner drum exposure apparatus The inner drum exposure apparatus records an image by scanning a recording material held on an arcuate inner peripheral surface of a support with a light beam that is emitted from a light source and modulated in accordance with image information and deflected by a t... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7203344 | Biometric imaging system and method A method and system of obtaining a ten-print plain impression fingerprint includes scanning a print image, processing the scanned image, separating the processed image into individual fingerprint images, and determining how many print images have been scanned. The m... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7202985 | Inner drum exposure apparatus An exposure process is executed by multi-beams divided by polarizing and combining laser beams (La, Lb) modulated based on an image signal so as to be emitted by a light source side optical system by using a polarized light beam splitter, and by converting the laser... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7190496 | Enhanced environment visualization using holographic stereograms Hologram production techniques can combine source data representing realistic information describing an environment with source data providing representational information describing a feature of the environment and/or some object interacting with the environment. T... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7171069 | Remotely configurable add/drop for wavelength division multiplexing and method of operating the same Novel architectures of integrated optical add/drop wavelength division multiplexers and FTIR switches are disclosed. In one embodiment, an add/drop includes: (1) a primary refracting body having a total internal reflecting surface and capable of transmitting optical... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7123399 | Micro-support structures A MEM device in accordance with the invention comprises one or more movable micro-structures which are preferably ribbon structures or cantilever structures. The ribbon structures or cantilever structures are preferably coupled to a substrate structure through one o... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7088487 | Modifiable assembly of microscopic apertures The invention concerns a modifiable assembly of microscopic apertures comprising several plates (100, 110) coated with an opaque deposition except on transparent parts, for example (101, 114, 115), capable of sliding relative to one another, separated ... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7088883 | Beam combination using interleaved optical plates In a system and method, the emitted beams of multiple diode bar array assemblies are combined to achieve an increase in the resulting power density in the combined output beam, while addressing the need for heat distribution in each of the individual assemblies. The... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7046318 | Polarized light source system comprising meshing prism plates and liquid crystal display using the same A polarized light source system (20) includes a light guide plate (22), a light source (24), a lamp cover (25), a quarter wave plate (23), an upward prism plate (26) and a downward prism plate (28). The light guide pl... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7014326 | Wavelength blocker A wavelength blocker including an input port for launching an input beam of light, first dispersing means for dispersing the input beam of light according to wavelength, an array of independently addressable elements for selectively blocking a portion of the dispers... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6968258 | Residual feedback to improve estimator prediction A system and method 100 of using residual feedback in a control loop in a manner that substantially eliminates the steady state error in the predicted states that results from the mismatch in gain between the plant and the model. The control effort used by th... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6891658 | Wide viewing angle reflective display A reflective display having a plurality of approximately hemispherical high refractive index (η1) transparent hemi-beads substantially covering and protruding inwardly from a transparent sheet's inward surface. The transparent sheet, which has an outward... | 05/10/2005 |
| 6885496 | Wide viewing angle reflective display A reflective display having a plurality of approximately hemispherical high refractive index (η1) transparent hemi-beads substantially covering and protruding inwardly from a transparent sheet's inward surface. The transparent sheet, which has an outward... | 04/26/2005 |
| 6879307 | Method and apparatus for reducing driver count and power consumption in micromechanical flat panel displays A micromechanical panel display driver is shown in which only one driver and control bus are needed for each color. Furthermore, the elements are made with uniform film thicknesses, thereby minimizing the number of steps needed to fabricate the display. Here 6 bits ... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6865011 | Self-stabilized electrophoretically frustrated total internal reflection display An image display has a transparent front sheet with a prismatically microstructured inward surface and a rear sheet substantially parallel to and spaced from the front sheet. An electrophoretic suspension fills the space between the sheets. The suspension is formed ... | 03/08/2005 |
| 6846088 | Shock protectors for micro-mechanical systems The present invention is directed towards shock protectors for a pedestal suspended over a lower surface by a plurality of gimbal springs. Each gimbal spring is connected to a linkage arm that attaches to an actuator. A stop located below the bottom of the pedestal ... | 01/25/2005 |
| 6843576 | Continuously variable analog micro-mirror device A micro-mirror device includes a substrate, a reflective element spaced from the surface of the substrate, a pair of electrodes disposed adjacent to the surface of the substrate, spaced apart from each other, and disposed adjacent to opposite ends of the reflective ... | 01/18/2005 |
| 6733144 | Shock protectors for micro-mechanical systems The present invention is directed towards shock protectors for a pedestal suspended over a lower surface by a plurality of gimbal springs. Each gimbal spring is connected to a linkage arm that attaches to an actuator. A stop located below the bottom of the pedestal ... | 05/11/2004 |
| 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 |
| 6665461 | Total internal reflection optical switch and method of operating the same Novel architectures of optical switches and N×N cross bar optical switches are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical switch includes: (1) a primary refracting body having a total internal reflecting surface and capable of transmitting optical energy t... | 12/16/2003 |
| 6644820 | Temperature stabilized mirror for switching optical signals A temperature stabilized optical mirror is disclosed. A rotatable mirror for switching optical light signals between optical fibers is mounted on a support structure. One or more PTC (Positional Temperature Coefficient) resistors are mounted to the suppor... | 11/11/2003 |
| 6574025 | Optical switching by controllable frustration of total internal reflection An optical switch for controllably switching an interface between a reflective state in which incident light undergoes total internal reflection and a non-reflective state in which total internal reflection is prevented. In one such switch a cell contains... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6453100 | Display device and method for producing the same A large number of display components are arranged and fixed, for example, in a matrix configuration on a first principal surface of a large optical guide plate to construct a main display device body. A substance having a light-transmitting property adjus... | 09/17/2002 |
| 6438284 | Optical switching device with reduced insertion loss The invention provides an optical deflection switch having reduced insertion loss. The device includes a switching block having a reflective surface and a transmissive face, a second block having a first and a second face, and a switch for selectively swi... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6438282 | Optical switching device and image display device An optical switching device comprises: a light guide including a total reflection plane capable of totally reflecting light thereby transmitting the light; a switching part capable of, at a position where its extraction plane is in close contact with the ... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6433911 | Frustrated total internal reflection-based micro-opto-electro-mechanical modulator/demodulator A micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) modulator based on the phenomenon of frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR). The modulator effects amplitude and phase modulation at the boundary of a waveguide. Wavelength-specific switching is achieve... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6381381 | Optical switching device and image display device An optical switching device comprises: a light guide including a total reflection plane capable of totally reflecting light thereby transmitting the light; a switching part capable of, at a position where its extraction plane is in close contact with the ... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6377233 | Micromechanical display and fabrication method A display device, in accordance with the present invention includes a transparent substrate and an array of pixels formed on the substrate, each pixel comprises a transparent electrode and a deformable member electrically actuated between a first state an... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6377383 | Optical switching by controllable frustration of total internal reflection An optical switch for controllably switching an interface between a reflective state in which incident light undergoes total internal reflection and a non-reflective state in which total internal reflection is prevented. In one such switch an elastomeric ... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6304365 | Enhanced effective refractive index total internal reflection image display The invention provides an image display for viewing images in a preferred viewing direction. The display has parallel, macroscopically planar, structured surface, non-light absorptive light deflecting and reflecting portions which are longitudinally symme... | 10/16/2001 |
| 6283601 | Optical mirror system with multi-axis rotational control An optical mirror system with multi-axis rotational control is disclosed. The mirror system includes an optical surface assembly, and at least one leg assembly coupled to the optical surface assembly. The at least one leg assembly supports the optical sur... | 09/04/2001 |
| 6116740 | TIR window A window for utilization in the receiving of intelligence from a modulated beam of collimated light, with the window being configured to restrict the field of view of the optical system used therewith, and employing the phenomenon of total internal reflec... | 09/12/2000 |
| 6078605 | Track-changing utilizing phase response of resonators A device and method of track changing an optical signal beam in response to the frequency selective phase characteristics of a resonator. The resonator is side-coupled to a single optical beam and only affects that beam's phase, without disturbing its amp... | 06/20/2000 |
| 6028978 | Display device having a colored layer disposed between a displacement transmitting section and an optical waveguide plate Disclosed is a display device comprising an optical waveguide plate for introducing light thereinto, and a driving section provided opposingly to the back surface of the optical waveguide plate and including a number of actuator elements arranged correspo... | 02/22/2000 |
| 5999307 | Method and apparatus for controllable frustration of total internal reflection A method and apparatus for facilitating controllable switching an interface between a reflective state in which light incident upon the interface undergoes total internal reflection, and a non-reflective state in which total internal reflection is prevent... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5986794 | Laser optics and diode laser The invention relates to novel laser optics for shaping at least one laser eam which has a linear or strip-shaped cross section which extends in the first axial direction (X-axis) perpendicular to the beam axis (Z-axis), with at least two optical shaping e... | 11/16/1999 |
| 5917641 | Frustrated total internal reflection device having a spacer and an endplate A device for processing an optical signal includes a refractor with a reflecting surface for reflecting the optical signal by total internal reflection. The device also includes a switchplate and an actuator to place the switchplate into proximal contact ... | 06/29/1999 |
| 5909301 | Frustrated total internal reflection device having a first spacer and a second spacer A device for processing an optical signal includes a refractor with a reflecting surface for reflecting the optical signal by total internal reflection. The device also includes a switchplate and an actuator to place the switchplate into proximal contact ... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5875271 | Apparatus for switching optical signals and method of operation An apparatus for switching an optical signal to one of a number of output locations includes a refractor and one or more switchplates. The switchplates operate to frustrate the internal reflection of the optical signal by the refractor when the switchplat... | 02/23/1999 |
