Patents Assigned to Varioptic S.A.
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Patent number: 8400558Abstract: A method of controlling a liquid lens in an imaging device, the liquid lens including a liquid-liquid interface between first and second immiscible liquids deformable by electrowetting; a chamber containing the first and second liquids, the first liquid being an insulating liquid and the second liquid being a conducting liquid; and a first electrode in contact with the second liquid and at least one second electrode insulated from the second liquid by an insulating layer, the first and second electrodes being arranged to allow a plurality of voltages levels to be applied between the first and second electrodes to control the curvature of the liquid-liquid interface, the method including: determining motion data representative of a movement of the imaging device; determining focusing data representative of a desired focus of the imaging device; determining the plurality of voltage levels to be applied between the first and second electrodes, wherein each of the voltage levels is a function of the motion data,Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2008Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Varioptic, S.A.Inventors: Bruno Berge, Mathieu Maillard, Nicolas Verplanck
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Patent number: 8366001Abstract: A method for calibration in the field of imaging systems and imaging systems using the method for calibration. In particular, the method involves calibration in the field of open loop variable focus imaging systems and methods for calibration in the field of imaging system having a variable optical parameter.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2009Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Pierre Craen, Olivier Jacques-Sermet, Bruno Berge
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Patent number: 8260129Abstract: An optical device for a lens assembly of a camera module is disclosed. The optical device includes a liquid lens having at least one fixed lens and a transparent window, facing each other and delimiting, at least in part, an internal volume containing two immiscible liquids having different optical indices, and a first and a second electrode. The liquids form an interface moveable by application of a voltage between said electrodes. The optical device also includes a liquid lens holder, wherein the liquid lens holder has at least one electrical contact for contacting one electrode of the liquid lens, and at least one Z reference datum for aligning the fixed lens of the liquid lens with other optical elements of the lens assembly.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Varioptic, S.A.Inventors: Pierre Craen, Yves-Sebastien Boulin, Paul Fuller
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Patent number: 8100592Abstract: The invention concerns A housing for a variable focus liquid lens (204) containing first and second immiscible liquids defining a liquid-liquid interface moveable by electrowetting by application of a voltage between first and second electrodes (206, 208) of the liquid lens, the housing comprising: a first portion (202) comprising a contact surface for contact with a circuit board (203); a second portion (211) for receiving the liquid lens, the second portion arranged to be moveable with respect to said first portion in a first direction parallel to an optical axis (?) of the liquid lens when said liquid lens is positioned in said housing; and first and second contacts (213, 216) for electrically coupling the circuit board to the first and second electrodes respectively of the liquid lens when said liquid lens is positioned in said housing, wherein each of the first and second contacts comprises a first conductive surface (215a, 218a) arranged to make contact with a second conductive surface (215b, 218b), saiType: GrantFiled: May 6, 2008Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Varioptic, S.A.Inventors: Pierre Craen, Nicolas Tallaron, David Perennez
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Patent number: 7940467Abstract: The invention concerns an electrowetting optical device comprising a chamber (15) comprising first and second immiscible liquids (16, 18) contacting each other at a liquid-liquid interface (19), the first liquid being an insulating liquid and the second liquid being a conducting liquid; a first electrode (20) in the contact with the second liquid; and a second electrode (202) insulated from the first and second liquids by an insulating layer, wherein the second electrode is formed of a conductive molded polymer material, wherein the curvature of said liquid-liquid interface is controllable by application of a voltage between said first and second electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2008Date of Patent: May 10, 2011Assignee: Varioptic, S.A.Inventors: Bruno Berge, Frederic Laune, Julien Legrand, Mathieu Maillard, Yves-Sebastien Boulin
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Patent number: 7864440Abstract: The invention concerns an optical lens comprising a cavity formed by two transparent windows and a peripheral frame positioned in between, said cavity containing first and second liquids, non miscible, forming an interface, said interface being movable by electrowetting on a wall of said peripheral frame by application of a voltage between first and second electrodes, wherein said wall has a non symmetrical revolution surface, the geometrical shape of which is calculated such that said interface is of a predetermined shape, for example substantially spherical, for at least one value of said voltage.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2007Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Varioptic, S.A.Inventor: Bruno Berge
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Patent number: 7791815Abstract: A dielectric coating is provided which has both a dielectric constant greater than 2.5 and a hydrophobic surface. The dielectric coating may be provided by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of organosilane, organosiloxane, organosilazane, organometallic, and/or hydrocarbon precursors. Methods are also provided for altering the contact angle of a liquid in contact with the dielectric coating, e.g., for electrowetting applications.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2007Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Christopher M. Weikart, Steven J. Martin, Mathieu Maillard, Julien Legrand
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Patent number: 7729057Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a bromine anion in the conductive fluid of an optical electrowetting device, especially a variable focus optical lens driven by electrowetting. The invention also pertains to a multi-phase liquid composition comprising a bromine anion, as well as an optical lens driven by electrowetting comprising the same.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2007Date of Patent: June 1, 2010Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Mathieu Maillard, Geraldine Malet, Franck Amiot
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Publication number: 20100040355Abstract: A method for calibration in the field of imaging systems and imaging systems using the method for calibration. In particular, the method involves calibration in the field of open loop variable focus imaging systems and methods for calibration in the field of imaging system having a variable optical parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2009Publication date: February 18, 2010Applicant: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Pierre Craen, Olivier Jacques-Sermet, Bruno Berge
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Patent number: 7649692Abstract: A variable-focus lens that includes a wall made of an insulating material, a drop of an insulating liquid arranged on an area of a first surface of the wall, a conductive liquid covering the first surface and the drop, and an electrode arranged on a second surface of said wall. The insulating and conductive liquids are non-miscible, having different optical indexes and substantially the same density. The drop of the variable-focus lens is centered in a truncated cone centered on an axis perpendicular to the first surface, the bottom of which is pierced with a centered hole, and the insulating material wall is transparent and covers the hole.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2008Date of Patent: January 19, 2010Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventor: Bruno Berge
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Patent number: 7619830Abstract: A liquid-filled lens driver is disclosed. The liquid-filled lens includes an input/output interface unit, a system clock generation unit, a high voltage generation unit, a reference/bias voltage generation unit, a drive signal generation unit and a control unit. The input/output interface unit exchanges the lens driver control signal and the status information of the liquid-filled lens with the image signal processor. The high voltage generation unit generates high voltage using low voltage of a battery of a mobile information terminal. The voltage generation unit provides reference voltage and bias voltage for operating the liquid-filled lens driver. The drive signal generation unit generates a final drive signal for the liquid-filled lens.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2004Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Hyo-Chung Lee, Sang-Hyun Han
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Patent number: 7602557Abstract: The invention relates to a variable-focus lens comprising two opposing walls (21, 22) which are orthogonal to the axis of the lens and which define a space containing an isolating liquid (31) on the first wall (22) and a conductive liquid (32) which covers the isolating liquid and which comes into contact with the second wall (21). The surface (24) of the first wall (22) has high wettability for the isolating liquid and low wettability for the conductive liquid, while the surface (23) of the second wall (21) has high wettability for the conductive liquid and low wettability for the isolating liquid.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2005Date of Patent: October 13, 2009Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Bruno Berge, Jérôme Peseux
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Patent number: 7576922Abstract: The invention concerns an electrowetting device comprising first and second immiscible fluids, the liquids being sealed within a structure comprising a cap portion, a base portion, a gasket formed of a first material positioned between a first contact surface on said cap portion and a second contact surface on said base portion, and a first film formed of a second material between said gasket and one of said first contact surface and said second contact surface.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2006Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Marianne Stempel, Frédéric Laune, Stéphane Roux
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Patent number: 7573646Abstract: The invention relates to a lens housing with a wall, including a contact surface arranged for contact with a support, a first region for receiving an electrowetting optical device comprising a cavity containing first and second liquids, the curvature of an interface between said first and second liquids being controllable by electrowetting by application of a voltage between first and second electrodes of said device, and a second region for receiving one or more fixed lenses, the second region being positioned between said contact surface and said first region, wherein said lens housing further comprises first and second conducting tracks integrated with said wall, said conducting tracks extending between said contact surface and said first region and arranged to make electrical contact with said first and second electrodes, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2007Date of Patent: August 11, 2009Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Pierre Craen, Christophe Leclerc, David Perennez
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Publication number: 20090190232Abstract: An optical lens arrangement including a lens barrel having a monolithic structure and including a first, a second, a third, and a fourth contact region having a common axis, a liquid lens having a structure containing a first conductive liquid and a second insulating liquid, both liquids immiscible, having different refractive indices and meeting each other at a liquid-liquid interface the curvature of which is controllable by a voltage applied to first and second electrode, wherein the structure has first and second fixed lenses in contact respectively with one of the liquids, and a third fixed lens, wherein outer edges of the first, second and third fixed lenses are positioned in contact with respective first, second and third contact regions of the lens barrel to align the first, second and third fixed lenses with each other, and wherein the fourth contact region contacts an edge of the liquid-liquid interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2009Publication date: July 30, 2009Applicant: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Pierre Craen, Yves-Sebastien Boulin
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Patent number: 7548377Abstract: A method for centering a drop of liquid on a given point on a surface. The inventive method consists in forming a bell-mouthed recess, whereby said recess has a curvature at any point at the limit of contact between the drop and the recess that is lower than or opposite to the curvature of a circle (TC) that is tangent to the surface of the recess to said point and at a symmetrical point (CP2) of said surface.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2006Date of Patent: June 16, 2009Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventor: Bruno Berge
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Patent number: 7515350Abstract: A lens assembly of variable focal length comprises two transparent plates (24, 38) at least partially facing each other and parallel to one another and delimiting, at least in part, an internal volume (15) containing two non-miscible liquids having different optical indices. The lens comprises an elastic element (36) capable of deforming in response to a change in pressure of the liquids, in such a way as to substantially maintain the optical properties of the lens assembly, e.g., in order to maintain the parallelism of the two transparent plates.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2005Date of Patent: April 7, 2009Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Bruno Berge, Jérôme Peseux, Frédéric Laune
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Patent number: 7499223Abstract: The invention relates to a variable-focus lens (60) for focusing light rays in light paths passing through the lens along an optical axis (?). The lens comprises an arrangement of first and second immiscible liquids (67, 68) that have different refractive indices and are in contact over a moveable refractive optical interface (69), a volume of gas (72) in contact with one of said liquids, and a retention measure (70, 74) for keeping the volume of gas away from the light paths of the light rays passing through the lens for focusing.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2006Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventors: Bruno Berge, Jérome Peseux, Mathieu Maillard, Pierre Craen
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Publication number: 20080316611Abstract: A variable-focus lens that includes a wall made of an insulating material, a drop of an insulating liquid arranged on an area of a first surface of the wall, a conductive liquid covering the first surface and the drop, and an electrode arranged on a second surface of said wall. The insulating and conductive liquids are non-miscible, having different optical indexes and substantially the same density. The drop of the variable-focus lens is centered in a truncated cone centered on an axis perpendicular to the first surface, the bottom of which is pierced with a centered hole, and the insulating material wall is transparent and covers the hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2008Publication date: December 25, 2008Applicant: Varioptic S.A.Inventor: Bruno Berge
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Patent number: 7245440Abstract: A variable focus lens comprises a chamber containing a conductive liquid (5) and an insulating liquid (4) of different refractive indices, the surface of contact between the two liquids forming a deformable refractive surface (6) whose periphery is caused to move along the walls of a housing under the effect of an electric voltage (V). The housing comprises an upper portion (16) inclined relative to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis (?) of the lens, a lower portion (34, 48, 52) more inclined than the upper portion and a zone of junction (B?) between the upper and lower portions, playing the role of a stop for the deformable refractive interface.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2005Date of Patent: July 17, 2007Assignee: Varioptic S.A.Inventor: Jérôme Peseux