Lawrence Welk, the bandleader who entertained millions of Americans over a generation of broadcasting his TV show, once received a patent: for a music-themed design of an ashtray.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8174766 | Textured plate comprising asymmetrical patterns A plate of transparent material including, on its surface, a texture including a plurality of a feature in relief, whether in a form of depressions or projections. The feature includes a first face and a second face that are not mutually parallel, lines at a base of... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8089697 | Prismatic laminate and method for making the same A method for making a prismatic laminate includes the steps of: a) forming a back-coating roller having a roller surface with a plurality of recesses arranged in a predetermined pattern and produced by laser holography; b) preparing a prismatic structure including a... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8077395 | Optical sheet, image source unit, display device, process for producing optical sheet, and method for manufacturing display device An optical sheet is disposed on an observer side relative to an image source and includes a plurality of layers that control light emitted from the image source to emit the light on the observer side. At least one of the plurality of layers is a base material layer.... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8045272 | Display apparatus A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a front side that is exposed the outside. A refractor or set of refractors is positioned so as to minimize the appearance of a shield member to a viewer, thus causing a non-display region of the display... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8023194 | Display apparatus A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a front side that is exposed the outside. A refractor or set of refractors is positioned so as to minimize the appearance of a shield member to a viewer, thus causing a non-display region of the display... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7965447 | Optical substrate and method of making An optical surface substrate. The optical substrate features a three-dimensional surface. The optical substrate is defined by a first surface structure function modulated by a second surface structure function, the first surface structure function producing at least... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7957068 | Optical near-field distribution transfer device Long-distance transfer of a super-resolution near field can be performed with a wavelength condition of high degree of freedom. Not only an image in same size can be merely transferred, but also a magnified image can be transferred. Thus the processing technique of ... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7944614 | Light converging sheet unit A light converging sheet unit includes first and second light converging sheets stacked one on top of the other. The first light converging sheet has first light converging micro-prism structures with a first average peak-to-peak distance between adjacent ones of th... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7936517 | Method of extrusion molding prism film and prism film manufactured by the same A method of extrusion molding a prism film and a prism film manufactured by the same, the method including providing a molten film, simultaneously forming a prism pattern and an embossed pattern on opposite surfaces of the molten film by passing the molten film thro... | 05/03/2011 |
| 7929213 | Prism sheet An exemplary prism sheet includes a transparent main body. The transparent main body includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are on opposite sides of the transparent main body. The first surface defines a plurality of ... | 04/19/2011 |
| 7859759 | Film, backlight displays, and methods for making the same In one embodiment a film can comprises a surface comprising a plurality of prism structures. Each prism structure has a lateral modulation in the w direction of less than or equal to ±20% of an average pitch of the prism structures. The plurality of prism structure... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7768707 | Converging substrate, electro-optic device, substrate for electro-optic device, projector, and electronic apparatus An electro-optic device having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix pattern, including: a converging substrate formed of a transparent substrate having groove-shaped prism elements formed in an array pattern, wherein the prism elements are arranged along bound... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7729056 | Light-condensing member, method of manufacturing the same and display apparatus having the same A light-condensing member includes a base plate, a main light-condensing pattern formed on the base plate, and a sub light-condensing pattern formed on the main light-condensing pattern. The main light-condensing pattern includes a plurality of main prisms extended ... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7675682 | Optical film and backlight unit having the same An optical film and a backlight unit having the same are disclosed. The optical film includes a base film and a first prism disposed on the base film, the first prism having a first peak height and a second prism disposed on the base film, the second prism having a ... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7656584 | Composite lens structure A composite lens structure is disclosed. The composite lens structure includes a diffusion plate and an optical structure formed on the diffusion plate. The optical structure includes a plurality of convex portions arranged in a 2-D matrix along a first direction an... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7589899 | Lens optical system and photoelectric encoder The present invention provides: a lens optical system having a lens and a plastic block having two parallel planes, the plastic block being provided between the lens and a focal position of the lens to suppress a variation of a focal length due to a temperature chan... | 09/15/2009 |
| 7401926 | Space light modulating apparatus, projector including same, process for manufacturing microstructure element used in same, and microstructure element manufactured by the same process A space light modulating apparatus includes a modulating unit that modulates incident light based on an image signal including a plurality of pixels and a light-shielding part placed between the pixels, and a refracting unit that refracts modulated light including a... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7388714 | Independent focus compensation for a multi-axis imaging system A multiple-axis imaging system having optical elements whose optimal image positions can be individually adjusted, comprising a plurality of optical array elements having respective optical axes and being individually disposed with respect to one another to image re... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7382537 | Optical film having prismatic faces directly formed with micro-lenses thereon An optical film comprising: a transparent supporting (or base) layer; a prismatic layer consisting of a plurality of prisms integrally formed on the supporting layer; and a plurality of micro-lenses integrally formed on a plurality of prismatic faces of the prisms, ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7366393 | Light enhancing structures with three or more arrays of elongate features Various embodiments comprise light recycling films comprising an array of parallel ridges and grooves that form prisms that selectively reflect or transmit light. In some embodiments, the light recycling film may be used in displays that include spatial light modula... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7365907 | Rear projection image display apparatus A compact rear projection image display apparatus in which the projection distance in a projection optical system is substantially reduced and no reflection mirror is used, thereby eliminating a major cause of image trapezoidal distortion. The rear projection image ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7363542 | Image formation apparatus and network system An operation detecting part detects operation of a power switch, and a backup device performs a backup operation enabling a predetermined amount of power supply even after the power switch has cut off the power supply. Upon detection of power cut off by the operatio... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7362507 | Polarizing beam splitter A polarizing beam splitter is disclosed that includes a first prism, a second prism, and a reflective polarizing film disposed between the first prism and the second prism. The first prism comprises a first polymeric material, and has a first outer curved surface an... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7355790 | Optical sight having a reticle illuminated through a non-lambertian light diffuser An optical sight includes an optical train having an optical path therethrough. The optical train typically includes an objective, a prism that receives the optical path from the objective, and an eyepiece that receives the optical path from the prism. A reticle is ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7351346 | Non-photolithographic method for forming a wire grid polarizer for optical and infrared wavelengths A method for forming a plurality of parallel metal lines on a substrate of thin film elastomeric material and a wire grid polarizer formed by such method. A sacrificial layer is formed by coating the substrate with a water soluble polymer while the substrate is stre... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7347609 | Direct backlight modules Direct backlight modules are provided. A direct backlight module includes a liquid crystal panel, a plurality of light tubes disposed below the liquid crystal panel, a reflecting plate disposed below the light tubes, and a transparent plate disposed between the ligh... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7339740 | Image decoder system An image decoder system includes a series of optically or digitally encoded images mounted on a series of flat surfaces. A decoding lens is positioned over the encoded images. The decoding produces simulated three-dimensional image, simulated motion images or other ... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7334920 | Backlight module A backlight module (20) includes a plurality of light sources (24) and an optical sheet (21). The optical sheet includes a light incident surface (211), a light emitting surface (212), and a plurality of inverted rectangular pyrami... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7332783 | Semiconductor device with a photoelectric converting portion and a light-shading means The semiconductor device according to this invention is characterized by a package structure of a semiconductor substrate 100 equipped with a photoelectric converting portion, wherein a light-shading means 104 is arranged in an area corresponding to at... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7327519 | Spatial light modulator and projector A spatial light modulator has a modulating unit, a refracting part, and a flat part. The modulating unit includes a matrix of pixels, and a light-shielding portion between each of the pixels. The refracting part is a prism group composed of prism elements, each havi... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7309149 | Prism sheet, backlight assembly and liquid crystal display device having the same A prism sheet, a backlight assembly having the prism sheet, and an LCD device having the prism sheet, the prism sheet includes a first surface, a second surface and a reflecting member. A light is incident upon the first surface. The second surface includes a prism ... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7300168 | System for creating spectral displays A highly adaptable system for creating colorful spectral displays or for achieving a prismatic effect using visible light. The invention includes a fixed-angle or monolithic prismatic element fabricated from plate glass mirror material. A compound version of this mo... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7286764 | Reconfigurable modulator-based optical add-and-drop multiplexer An optical add and drop multiplexer system comprising a first module for providing a first signal; a second module for providing a second signal; and a modulator for receiving a channel of the first signal at a first location, the first location configured to actuat... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7277229 | Linear light beam generating optical system An optical system includes semiconductor lasers arranged in the direction of the slow axis of the laser beam, an optical means which makes parallel the collimated laser beams, an optical member which is provided with inlet and outlet faces which are positioned in pe... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7275468 | Rotary fast tool servo system and methods A high bandwidth rotary fast tool servo provides tool motion in a direction nominally parallel to the surface-normal of a workpiece at the point of contact between the cutting tool and workpiece. Three or more flexure blades having all ends fixed are used to form an... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7270428 | 2D/3D data projector The present solution relates to a 2D/3D data projector, which comprises: A data projector, the data projector comprising: at least one micro display having an image to be projected, at least one source unit comprising at least one light source chip and at least one ... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7269328 | Brightness enhancement film having a light-guiding structure A brightness enhancement film having a light-guiding structure includes a substrate, which has a light-guiding layer and a plurality of light-refracting microstructures. The substrate has a light incident surface and a light emission surface opposite thereto. The li... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7262916 | Backlight module and brightness enhancement film thereof A backlight module includes a light source, a light guide disposed on one side of the light source, a reflector disposed under the light guide, a lower diffuser disposed on the light guide, and a brightness enhancement film, which is disposed on the lower diffuser a... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7256884 | Particle detecting system and method of detecting particles using the same There is provided a particle detector system and to detect particles on target including reticle and pellicle. The system includes a light transmitting device adapted to transmit light beam to a target through an electrowetting microlens, a light receiving device ad... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7255456 | Direct backlight module A direct backlight module is disclosed, which comprises: a frame; at least a light source, being arranged in the frame; a diffuser, being disposed over the frame; and at least an optical film, being disposed over the diffuser, comprising a substrate having a top sur... | 08/14/2007 |