3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

John C Schultz

Michael Alan Meis

William J Bryan

Michael J Sykora

Robert L Brott

John Allen Wheatley

Andrew John Ouderkirk

Kenneth A Epstein

Audrey A Sherman

Erik A Aho

Kevin R Schaffer

Martin Kristoffersen

Martin B Wolk

Patrick Rene Destain

Michael F Weber

Mieczyslaw H Mazurek

Craig R Schardt

Hung Thien Tran

James E Watson

Scott E Brigham

William Blake Kolb

Rolf W Biernath

Billy Lee Weaver

Gordon D Henson

Glenn E Casner

John C Nelson

Barbara A DeBaun

Nelson B O'Bryan

John J Simbal

Ronald D Davis

Guanglei Du

Robert M Emmons

David Jon Lundin

Patrick A Thomas

Cameron T Murray

Joel S Peiffer

David A Harper

Michael H Hansberry

Daoyun Song

Luke D Riveness

Gary Timothy Boyd

Encai Hao

Philip Edwin Watson

Brian E Brooks

Jacob Moskovich

Richard C Allen

Kiran S Kanukurthy

Eric C Lobner

Joseph Andrew Hoffman

Scott Melvyn Tapio

John S Huizinga

Ellen O Aeling

Quinn D Sanford

Kathy L Hagen

Bonnie Weiskopf Albrecht

Robert R Condon

Corey D Balts

Werner R Schwarz

Brian T Weber

Vincent W King

Josef A Graessle

Stephen J Pojar

Kay-Uwe Schenke

Alan G Hulme-Lowe

Steven P Floeder

Frederick M Waltz

Denny G Aeschliman

Wolfgang N Lehnhardt

David J Koch

Berta Sandberg

Alexandre Ralph Jean Francois

Nelson B O'BRYAN

A system may include one or both of a light emitter and a light receiver. The system may include an optical filter adjacent one or both of the light emitter or the light receiver. The optical filter includes a wavelength selective scattering layer. The wavelength selective scattering layer may have a near-infrared scattering ratio of less than about 0.9. The filter may have a visible reflective haze ratio of greater than about 0.5. A method may include disposing the wavelength selective scattering layer adjacent one or both of the light emitter and the light receiver. An article may include the optical filter. The wavelength selective scattering layer may have an average near-infrared scattering of less than 60%, an average visible scattering of greater than 10%, and a difference between the % total visible reflectance and the % diffuse visible reflectance of less than 20.

Optical camouflage filter

A fabric with a laminated adhesive-backed protective layer. The adhesive-backed protective layer has a matte finish that is low gloss and may approximate the fabric itself.

Low gloss laminated article

A sensor comprising a thin film photovoltaic pixel is fitted with optics to provide a field-of-view for the sensing of persons, or other objects, entering or exiting said field-of-view. When a person enters the field-of-view, a processor may sense such entry, then provide signals to other electronic apparatus indicative of such an event.

Object sensor

A projection system capable of projection alignment includes a projector, a shaped projection screen, an image sensor, and a processing unit. The projector is configured to project a series of alignment content to the shaped projection screen. The image sensor is configured to capture a series of projected alignment content. The processing unit is electronically coupled to the image sensor and configured to receive the series of captured alignment content and determine at least part of general boundary of the shaped projection screen based on the series of captured alignment content.

Alignments for a projection system with a shaped projection screen using alignment content

An optical article, such as a backlight for electronic display devices, is disclosed. The optical article includes a lightguide, a viscoelastic layer disposed on the light guide and a nanovoided polymeric layer disposed on the viscoelastic layer. The nanovoided polymeric layer comprises a plurality of interconnected nanovoids and at least some of the interconnected nanovoids are connected to one another by hollow passages. The lightguide may be optically coupled to a light source, and the viscoelastic layer and the nanovoided polymeric layer may be used in conjunction with the lightguide to manage light emitted by the light source. The viscoelastic layer may be a pressure sensitive adhesive.

Optical article having viscoelastic layer

An illumination device, such as a backlight for electronic display devices, is disclosed. The illumination device includes a viscoelastic lightguide optically coupled to a light source, and a nanovoided polymeric layer is used in conjunction with the lightguide to manage light emitted by the light source. The viscoelastic lightguide may be a pressure sensitive adhesive.

Illumination device having viscoelastic lightguide

An optical light redirecting film that can be made by microreplication, and that is suitable for use in an autostereoscopic backlight or display, includes opposed first and second structured surfaces. The first structured surface includes lenticular features and the second structured surface includes prismatic features. In some cases, at least a first prismatic feature has a first prism optical axis that is tilted relative to a thickness axis of the film perpendicular to the film plane. In some cases, at least a first lenticular feature has a first lenticular optical axis that is tilted relative to the thickness axis. In some cases, the film may have a central film caliper (thickness) at a central portion of the film and an edge film caliper at a first edge portion of the film, the central film caliper being greater than the edge film caliper.

Microreplicated film for autostereoscopic displays

An illumination device, such as a backlight for electronic display devices, is disclosed. The illumination device includes a lightguide optically coupled to a light source, and a viscoelastic layer and a nanovoided polymeric layer are used in conjunction with the lightguide to manage light emitted by the light source. The viscoelastic layer may be a pressure sensitive adhesive.

Illumination device having viscoelastic layer

A backlight is disclosed and includes a visible light transmissive body primarily propagating light by TIR with a light input surface and a light output surface and a light guide portion and a light input portion. The light guide portion has a light reflection surface and a light emission surface. The light input portion has opposing side surfaces that are not parallel. One of the opposing surfaces is co-planar with either the light emission surface or the light reflection surface. A light source is disposed adjacent to the light input surface. The light source emits light into the light input portion. A reflective layer is disposed adjacent to or on the opposing side surfaces.

Backlight asymmetric light input wedge

Hybrid signage capable of self illumination and having an active backlight. The signage includes a turning film having a structured surface for redirecting light in order to passively illuminate a printed graphic or shaped sign when the backlight is off. In the shaped sign, the shape provides the content, such as letters, to be conveyed to the viewer instead of a graphic. The signage can be actively illuminated when the backlight is on to supplemental the passive illumination.

Hybrid self illuminated and actively back lit signage for printed graphics

Microreplicated light redirecting films suitable for use in autostereoscopic displays and backlights are made to incorporate at least one nanovoided layer whose interface with another layer forms an embedded structured surface of the light redirecting film. The nanovoided layer includes a polymer binder and optional nanoparticles, and may have a refractive index less than 1.35 or 1.3. The light redirecting films may be adapted for attachment to one or more other components of an autostereoscopic display, such as a display panel and/or a light guide of a backlight.

Microreplicated film for attachment to autostereoscopic display components

Growing community of inventors

Afton, MN, United States of America

John C Schultz