FIG. 2 of U.S. Patent 5,365,288 — a perspective view of the image-mover optical assembly: spinning and tilting mirrors that reposition the projected image before the horizontal scanner.
FIG. 2 — the image-mover mirror assembly (sheet 1 of 3). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Drawing sheet 2 of 3 from U.S. Patent 5,365,288.
Sheet 2 of 3. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Drawing sheet 3 of 3 from U.S. Patent 5,365,288.
Sheet 3 of 3. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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Patent number
US 5,365,288
Issued
November 15, 1994
Inventors
Paul A. Linden, Lloyd G. Cross, Duane S. Dewald
Assignee
Advanced Laser Projection, Inc.

U.S. Patent 5,365,288, “Image Mover,” extends the laser projection work in a natural direction. Once you can cast a large, sharp image with lasers, the next question is how to move it — and doing that by physically swinging a heavy projector is clumsy.

What it does, in plain English

The Image Mover is an optical system that moves, rotates, or repositions the projected image using specialized optical assemblies — steering the picture across a surface without moving the projector body itself. For large-format shows and installations, that kind of control opens up dynamic, animated staging that a fixed projector cannot provide.

Collaborators

The patent names Paul alongside Lloyd G. Cross — a pioneer of holography and the multiplex hologram — and Duane S. Dewald, and is assigned to Advanced Laser Projection, Inc. Cross’s deep background in optics and holography made him a natural collaborator on a problem about steering light with precision.

The full patent is available from the USPTO and Google Patents. Readable copies of the drawings will be added here.

Technical abstract

The patent concerns an optical system for moving, rotating, or repositioning a projected image using specialized optical assemblies.

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