Abstract: A multi-phase liquid composition comprising a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid, said liquids being non miscible, wherein the conductive liquid comprises more than 90% up to 99.9% by weight of a first component having a surface tension above 45 mN/m and comprising water, salt and at least one freezing point lowering agent, and from 0.01% to less than 10% by weight of a second component having a surface tension below 30 mN/m and comprising at least one first compound, wherein said at least one first compound is a non ionic surfactant.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The invention concerns an optical electrowetting device a body comprising at least a first external surface and a second internal surface with a conical shape; a liquid-liquid interface between a first and a second immiscible liquids, the first liquid being a conducting liquid and the second liquid being an insulating liquid, wherein the liquid-liquid interface is able to move on the second internal surface by electrowetting effect; a first electrode in contact with the first liquid; a second electrode insulated from the first liquid by an insulating layer, the second electrode comprising at least a first electrical conductive track to be connected to a voltage source and extending from the first external surface of the body to the second internal surface; and a first layer covering the second internal surface of said body and being covered by the insulating layer, wherein the shape of the liquid-liquid interface is controllable by application of at least a first voltage between the first electrode and the fi

Abstract: The invention concerns drive circuitry for generating a plurality of independent drive voltage signals for a plurality of electrodes of at least one liquid lens, the liquid lens comprising first and second miscible liquids, an interface between the first and second liquids being movable by electro wetting by application of a drive voltage signal to at least one electrode of the liquid lens, the drive circuitry including generating circuitry (406, 408, 410, 412) arranged to generate a fixed drive voltage (Vdc); a duty cycle controller (418) arranged to receive data values indicating a duty cycle to be applied to each of the plurality of electrodes, and to generate a control timing signal for each of the plurality of electrodes, each control timing signal having the duty cycle indicated by the controller; and driving means (426, 428, 430, 432) arranged to generate an independent drive voltage signal for each of the plurality of electrodes by selectively applying the fixed drive voltage, based on the control tim

Abstract: 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), sai

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.