663results about How to "Improve directionality" patented technology

An illumination system employing a waveguide. Light received from an edge or an end of a waveguide is propagated in response to transmission and total internal reflection. Light deflecting elements distributed along the propagation path of light continuously change the out-of-plane propagation angle of light rays and cause decoupling of portions of the propagated light from the core of the waveguide at different distances from the light input edge or end. Light escapes from the waveguide into an intermediate layer at low out-of-plane angles and is further redirected by light extraction features out of the system. In one embodiment, the illumination system is configured to emit collimated light. In one embodiment, the illumination system includes shallow surface relief features. In one embodiment, the light deflecting elements include forward-scattering particles distributed throughout the volume of the waveguide. Additional collimating and non-collimating illumination units and methods are also disclosed.

A cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner comprises a conically shaped grill assembly disposed at the air outflow port of a cyclone body. The grill assembly includes a grill portion and prevents reverse flow of dust and dirt from the cyclone body. The grill assembly members are easily separable to allow a user to easily remove the dirt collected in the grill portion by simply separating the second grill member from the connection member and washing the second grill member with water.

A light-scattering sheet having a phase separation structure comprised of a plurality of solid components varying in refractive index is used to construct a liquid crystal display device. In a first embodiment, the light-scattering sheet is disposed in a defined position within a reflecting LCD device. Thus, in a reflecting LCD device comprising a liquid crystal cell constituted of a transparent front electrode plate having a substrate carrying a transparent conductive layer, a back electrode plate having a substrate carrying a conductive layer and a liquid crystal and, as disposed forwardly of the liquid crystal cell, a polarizer, the light-scattering sheet is interposed (i) between the polarizer and the front electrode plate or (ii) between the back electrode plate and a reflector disposed behind the back electrode plate. Alternatively, (iii) the substrate sheet may be constituted of the light-scattering sheet. In a second embodiment, a light-scattering sheet having an isotropic bicontinuous phase structure comprised of a plurality of polymers varying in refractive index is used.

A method of visually quantifying a test material along with an imaging apparatus for practicing the method is disclosed. The method comprises: (a) illuminating the test material at a known angle of incidence with diffuse light of a known and adjustable polarization state; (b) receiving light from the test material with a polarization state modified by the test material; (c) measuring an intensity of the polarization components of the received light for each illuminated pixel substantially simultaneously; (d) calculating the Stokes Vector in two dimensions for each illuminated pixel; and (e) creating an image map for the known polarization state. The method may also include adjusting the known polarization or the incident angle of the diffuse light to create additional image maps. The method and apparatus are intended for use in medical imaging including minimally invasive surgery.

A plurality of optical communications systems including a SPW modulator are described. The communications systems include an optical transmitter coupled to an optical fiber communications link which carries a optically modulated information signal to an optical receiver. The laser transmitter includes a laser light source which is optically coupled to a SPW modulator which has been particularly adapted for broadband communications by selecting its transfer characteristic and modulation structure. A broadband signal containing a plurality of information channels, for example CATV channels, is applied to it modulator electrodes. The modulation signal varies the power coupling between the guided laser light source signal and a SPW in the modulator. The result is an intensity modulated optical signal that is output to the optical fiber for transmission to the optical receiver of the system. Alternatively, the communications system includes a high power laser coupled to an optical splitter to divide its output power in two or more optical source outputs. Each optical source output is then used to drive an associated SPW modulator. Each of the modulators receives a broadband signal with which to modulate its optical source. After modulation, the modulated lightwave from a modulator is coupled to a corresponding optical fiber for carriage to an optical receiver. In this manner, several broadband information signals can be communicated over the system using only one laser source. A net benefit from using one higher power laser, rather than several lower power ones, is one of cost, purity and similarity of the several signals. This configuration is enhanced by the lower loss and higher linearity of the SPW modulators. Further, several WDM embodiments including those having serially cascaded SPW modulators are provided. The transfer characteristic of the SPW modulators are tailored to either be more efficient for an analog or a digital modulation signal by adding or subtracting grating effects.

To provide an electrostatic ultrasonic transducer arranged so that sound wave is not radiated from the rear surface while utilizing advantages of a push-pull type electrostatic ultrasonic transducer. A push-pull type electrostatic ultrasonic transducer includes a vibrating film 11 having a conductive layer and a pair of fixed electrodes 12, 13 provided facing respective surfaces of the vibrating film, and applies a direct current bias voltage to the conductive layer of the vibrating film and applies an alternating current signal between the pair of fixed electrodes so as to allow the vibrating film to generate sound wave and outputting the sound wave generated from the vibrating film from two sound wave output surfaces via through holes provided in the respective pair of fixed electrodes. Plural through holes are provided in the front-side fixed electrode that sandwiches the vibrating film and through holes having the same shapes are provided in the rear-side fixed electrode in positions opposed to the respective through holes provided in the front-side fixed electrode, and a sound absorbing material 16 is provided facing the rear-side fixed electrode.

A method for forming an isolation trench region in a semiconductor substrate includes providing the trench region in the semiconductor substrate, adding spacer material at least to sidewalls of the trench region, and etching the trench region at a bottom surface thereof to extend the trench region below the bottom surface and form a crevice region. The spacer material may be subsequently heated such that the spacer material flows from the sidewalls and into the crevice region.

Examples of the present invention include metamaterials, including metamaterial lenses, having material properties that approximate the behavior of a material with low (0<n<1) effective index of refraction. Metamaterials may be designed and tuned using dispersion engineering to create a relatively wide-band low-index region. A low-index metamaterial lens created highly collimated beams in the far-field from a low-directivity antenna feed.

A display panel with integrated micro-reflectors. The display panel also includes an array of pixel light sources (e.g., micro-LEDs) electrically coupled to corresponding pixel driver circuits (e.g., FETs). The micro-LEDs produce light and the micro-reflectors reduce the divergence of the light produced by the micro-LEDs. Different designs are possible. The micro-reflectors can have different shapes, include the shape of their sidewalls and the shape of their plan cross-section. The array schemes can also vary, including the number of LEDs per micro-reflector. Different fabrication approaches are also possible. In one approach, a support structure is integrated between micro-LEDs. The sides of the support structure are reflective and serve as the reflective sidewalls of the micro-reflector. Alternately, the LED mesa itself can serve as the support structure.

Disclosed is an LED flashlight using a high-luminance LED as a lamp. The LED flashlight has a conductive barrel, a conductive tail cap, and a head section. The head section includes a conductive head cap, an insulation case, a lamp module, first and second connecting conductors and a collimator lens. The conductive head cap is detachably coupled to a front end of the conductive barrel and has a transparent window. A front end of the insulation case is inserted into the head cap towards the transparent window. A slot is formed at an outer wall of the insulation case. The lamp module is assembled into an inner rear end of the insulation case and has an insulating substrate including an LED. An anode and a cathode electrode of the LED are formed at a peripheral portion of the lamp module. The lamp module has an insulating substrate formed at a rear surface thereof with a metal layer connected to a positive electrode of a battery. The first connecting connector has a U-shape and is inserted to peripheral portion of the insulating substrate. A first end of the second connecting connector is installed in the slot of the insulation case and a second end of the second connecting connector extends into the insulating case. The collimator lens assembled into the insulation case between the transparent window and the insulation substrate.

A side emitting device, a backlight unit using the same as a light source, and a liquid crystal display (LCD) employing the backlight unit. The side emitting device includes a light-emitting device to emit light, and a side emitter to change the path of at least part of the light emitted from the light-emitting device. The side emitter includes a first reflecting surface reflecting light emitted from the light-emitting device in a first range of angles close to a central axis, a first refracting surface refracting the light reflected by the first reflecting surface obliquely downward from the horizontal axis, and a second refracting surface refracting light emitted from the light-emitting device in a second range of angles complementary to the first range of angles. The backlight unit includes at least an array of side emitting devices, a reflection diffusion plate and a first transmission diffusion plate.

A monolithically integrated MEMS and CMOS substrates provided by an IC-foundry compatible process. The CMOS substrate is completed first using standard IC processes. A diaphragm with stress relief corrugated structure is then fabricated on top of the CMOS. Air vent holes are then etched in the CMOS substrate. Finally, the microphone device is encapsulated by a thick insulating layer at the wafer level. The monolithically integrated microphone that adopts IC foundry-compatible processes yields the highest performance, smallest form factor, and lowest cost. Using this architecture and fabrication flow, it is feasible and cost-effective to make an array of Silicon microphones for noise cancellation, beam forming, better directionality and fidelity.

A linear side emitter, a backlight system and a liquid crystal display using the same are provided. The linear side emitter includes a plurality of LED chips, a bottom portion, a reflecting surface, and side surfaces. The LED chips arranged in a line on the bottom portion. The reflecting surface is disposed above the bottom portion and reflects light exiting the LED chips. The side surfaces are formed at both sides of the LED chip array line and transmit light is reflected by the reflecting surface and light reflected by the reflecting surface and then reflected by the bottom portion. The side surfaces each have at least one bend formed therein.

Directional sound acquisition is obtained by combining directional sensitivities in microphones with signal processing electronics to reduce the effects of noise received from unwanted directions. One or more microphones having directional sensitivity including a minor lobe pointing in the particular direction of interest and a major lobe pointing in a direction other than the particular direction are used. Signal processing circuitry reduces the effect of sound received from directions of a microphone major lobe.

A head mounted display device includes a switchable light source that is switched to emit light for generating at least one viewing zone, and a panel illumination unit illuminated by the light source. The panel illumination unit converges the light onto an image panel that selectively transmits light at different pixels to generate image content. An eye monitor measures information pertaining to an eye configuration of a user, and the image content is visible to the user when the eye is aligned with respect to the viewing zone. The panel illumination unit converges the light such that light emitted by the image panel converges into the viewing zone positioned based on the eye configuration information measured by the eye monitor, with limited divergence such that when the display device is worn by the user, the image panel is located at a distance from the user's eye closer than a distance where the eye can focus the pixels.

A monolithic ink-jet printhead includes a substrate which has an ink chamber to be supplied with ink, a manifold for supplying ink to the ink chamber, and an ink channel for providing communication between the ink chamber and the manifold, a nozzle plate including a plurality of passivation layers sequentially stacked on the substrate, a metal layer formed on the passivation layers, and a nozzle, through which ink is ejected from the ink chamber, that penetrates the nozzle plate, a heater provided between adjacent passivation layers, the heater being located above the ink chamber for heating ink within the ink chamber, a conductor provided between adjacent passivation layers, the conductor being electrically connected to the heater for applying a current to the heater, and a hydrophobic coating layer formed exclusively on an outer surface of the metal layer.

A speakerphone having improved echo cancellation and sound output includes at least one directional microphone having at least one axis of sensitivity and at least one zone of insensitivity, and a speaker disposed in the zone of insensitivity of the microphone to radiate sound away from the microphone and towards a reflective surface, such as a desktop or wall, against which the speakerphone is disposed. A baseplate disposed adjacent to the speaker outlet can combine with the housing of the phone to form a flaring, right-angled horn having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the speaker and an outlet terminating at a periphery of the housing. A wallmounting embodiment incorporates a unidirectional microphone with an axis of sensitivity oriented perpendicular to the wall, and a desktop-mounting embodiment includes an array of at least two bi-directional microphones having respective axes of sensitivity oriented parallel to the desktop.

A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display panel is provided, which comprises the steps of providing a substrate; forming a mask layer over the substrate, wherein the mask layer has a reverse-tapered opening exposing a predetermined conductive line area; depositing a metal layer on the substrate within the predetermined conductive line area to form a conductive line with a tapered sidewall by performing an anisotropic deposition process; and removing the mask.

Magnetic field sensor designs that provide both increased directionality and proximate coupling desirable for improved directionality and sensitivity and methods for fabricating them.

The present invention increases the aperture size of a microphone array by introducing a diffracting structure into the interior of a microphone array. The diffracting structure within the array modifies both the amplitude and phase of the acoustic signal reaching the microphones. The diffracting structure increases acoustic shadowing along with the signal's travel time around the structure. The diffracting structure in the array effectively increases the aperture size of the array and thereby increases the directivity of the array. Constructing the surface of the diffracting structure such that surface waves can form over the surface further increases the travel time and modifies the amplitude of the acoustical signal thereby allowing a larger effective aperture for the array.

An aqueous-based UV-curable fluid composition for use in a micro-fluid ejection device. The fluid composition includes a mixture of poly-functional compounds, a colorant compound, a photo-initiator and less than about 50 weight percent water based on a total weight of the fluid composition, wherein the fluid composition is substantially devoid of volatile organic carrier fluids.

To make an oriented plastics material geogrid 10 in which oriented strands 6, 9 form triangular meshes with a junction 11 at each corner and six of the strands 6, 9 meet at each junction 11, a plastics material sheet starting material 1 has holes 2 in an array of hexagons 3, opposite holes 2 of each hexagon being aligned in the machine direction, and the starting material 1 is stretched first in the machine direction and secondly in the transverse direction. In the eventual geogrid 10, the centre portions of the hexagons in the starting material 1 form the junctions 11. The centres of the junctions 11 are slightly biaxially oriented, but at the edges of the junctions 11, the orientation of the edge of substantially each strand 6 or 9 runs around the edge of the respective junction 11 and into the edge of the next strand 6 or 9. During the second stretch, restraint can be applied in the first stretch direction and discontinued before the material is allowed to relax in the second stretch direction. If desired, the procedure can be terminated after the first stretch, to produce a uniaxially-oriented geogrid. By using a starting material 21 which has through holes 22 and weakened zones 23, it is possible to form the geogrid of the invention from a starting material 21 having a rectangular array of through holes 22.

A tyre for vehicle wheels having a tread pattern includes: a) two circumferential grooves, which define a first and a second shoulder region, and one central region; b) a plurality of asymmetric transverse grooves having a substantially “V” shape, which extend for the whole width of the tread, including an alternate sequence of a first and a second asymmetric transverse groove defining an alternate sequence of a first and a second asymmetric module; and c) a plurality of lateral transverse grooves, which includes one first lateral transverse groove extending for the whole width of the first shoulder region and for a portion of the central region of the first asymmetric modules, and one second lateral transverse groove extending for the whole width of the second shoulder region and for a portion of the central region of the second asymmetric modules.

A method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading is disclosed. The apparatus is a group of universally connectable blocks and a primer having intelligible reading units composed of reading indicia. Each block has at least three faces, and each face of a given block the same reading indicia type. Each block has a color that corresponds to the reading indicia type. The primer's reading indicia are colored to correspond to the blocks bearing the same reading indicia type. The method comprises reading the primer, reading selected reading indicia in the primer, and locating blocks having the selected reading indicia. An intelligible reading unit comprised of the selected reading indicia in the primer is read and assembled from the blocks. Two blocks are selected, having the identified reading indicia, and connected. The color or selected indicia are viewed to determine whether the indicia form the selected intelligible reading unit.

A golf club having an increased moment of inertia and improved ball-hitting directionality is provided. A metal hollow golf club head comprises: a face portion; a crown portion; and a sole portion, and when the golf club has a lie angle of 60° with its club head volume being within 470 cm3, a moment of inertia about the axial line centered on the plumb line passing through the golf club head center of gravity is 5000 to 6000 g-cm2. In order to increase the moment of inertia, the thickness of the center portion of the crown portion is reduced by chemical etching, and a mass, including the portion of mass reduction, is positioned in the sole portion on the side of the toe portion; moreover, the separation distance from the center of gravity to the mass is increased.

The present invention relates to an ionisation vacuum gauge for measuring the residual pressure of a gaseous material remaining in a container (10), more particularly after operation of a vacuum pump. The gauge comprises an electron-emitting cathode (17), a grid (13) for accelerating the electrons emitted by the cathode and a plate (15) collecting the ions and / or the ionised positive molecules of the gas, wherein said plate is placed outside said grid. Measuring the plate current by a galvanometer allows determining the value of the residual pressure inside the container.