Abstract: The invention relates to articles comprising a sheeting having a microstructured surface that reflects light in a moiré-like pattern. The invention further relates to methods of making a master and replicas thereof including tooling that results in sheeting having such pattern. A preferred method comprises forming V-shaped grooves in a substrate (e.g. metal plate) wherein the intersections of three grooves form cube-corner elements. The cube-corner elements are formed in such a manner that adjacent parallel grooves have substantially the same groove spacing and groove depth throughout the array. The master as well as corresponding tooling and sheeting preferably have a groove spacing within the range of about 0.0005 inches (0.0127 mm) to about 0.007 inches (0.1778 mm) throughout the array and more preferably a groove spacing of less than about 0.004 inches (0.1016 mm).

Abstract: A stereoscopic image pickup system for obtaining parallactic images includes a pair of front optical components, the pair of front optical components respectively including a pair of reflecting members capable of rotating around respective predetermined axes and having a reflecting function, and a pair of amount-of-light control members arranged to respectively vary amounts of transmission of light fluxes coming from the pair of reflecting members alternately in a time-series manner, an optical member arranged to superpose respective optical axes of the pair of front optical components on each other, a rear optical component having an optical axis coinciding with the superposed optical axes of the pair of front optical components and having a magnification varying function, and a controller for controlling an amount of parallax of parallactic images by using the pair of reflecting members in accordance with a magnification varying operation of the rear optical component.

Abstract: An optical scanning lens used in a multi-beam scanning optical apparatus including a first mechanism reforming the light beams into line images, a deflecting mechanism reforming the light beams into multiple scanning beams, and a second mechanism reforming the multiple scanning beams into scanning light spots running on a recording surface. The optical scanning lens has a refractive index profile and is included in the second optical mechanism, and satisfies a formula (m?1)×PLs×V/WLs?2.3×10?6, where m is a number of light emission points, PLs is a pitch of the multiple beams, V represents the refractive index profile, W [mm] represents an effective recording width of the recording surface, and WLs represents an effective range of the optical scanning lens in the sub-scanning direction corresponding to the effective recording width W. An optical scanning apparatus or image forming apparatus may use the optical scanning apparatus.

Abstract: A system for compensating for heating effects in a mirror. Different areas of the mirror are associated with buried temperature sensors. Each temperature sensor is monitored, and used to create a map of current temperatures. The map of current temperatures may be corrected according to baseline values, and then is used to compensate for temperature differences.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of making a master and replicas thereof including tooling and retroreflective sheeting. The invention further relates to the corresponding master, tooling and in particular retroreflective sheeting. The method comprises forming V-shaped grooves in a substrate (e.g. metal plate) wherein the intersections of three grooves form cube-corner elements. The cube-corner elements are substantially the same size throughout the array. The master as well as corresponding tooling and sheeting preferably have an average groove spacing within the range of about 0.0005 inches (0.0127 mm) to about 0.007 inches (0.1778 mm) throughout the array and more preferably an average groove spacing of less than about 0.004 inches (0.1016 mm).

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide a light scanning device capable of suppressing scanning line bending to a low level, which is caused by the arrangement error of a single-element lens serving as an imaging optical element, and an image forming apparatus using the device. In order to achieve the object, according to this invention, an imaging optical system is formed from a single-element lens, and the sectional shapes of the incident and exit surfaces in the main scanning direction are non-arcuated, and the power in the sub scanning direction substantially concentrates on the exit surface. The non-arcuated shape (curvature) of the exit surface in the main scanning direction is so determined as to make the magnification in the sub scanning direction uniform.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device for detecting labels with defined contrast patterns includes a transmitter for emitting light rays, a receiver for receiving light rays, as well as a deflection unit with a motor-driven polygonal mirror wheel. The transmitted light rays and the received light rays are guided over the polygonal mirror wheel in order to scan the labels and reassemble the label-reflected received light rays, respectively. The device furthermore is provided with an evaluation unit for evaluating electrical receiving signals converted from received light rays at the receiver. The motor for driving the polygonal mirror wheel has a drive shaft and is provided with a magnet that is an injection-molded part, which is formed onto the shaft and operates jointly with at least one coil.

Abstract: Laser beam positioners (300, 340) employ a steering mirror (236, 306) that performs small-angle deflection of a laser beam (270) to compensate for cross-axis (110) settling errors of a positioner stage (302). A two-axis mirror is preferred because either axis of the positioner stages may be used for performing work. In one embodiment, the steering mirror is used for error correction only without necessarily requiring coordination with the positioner stage position commands. A fast steering mirror employing a flexure mechanism and piezoelectric actuators to tip and tilt the mirror is preferred in semiconductor link processing (“SLP”) applications. This invention compensates for cross-axis settling time, resulting in increased SLP system throughput and accuracy while simplifying complexity of the positioner stages because the steering mirror corrections relax the positioner stage servo driving requirements.

Abstract: The invention addresses a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) device, or an array of such devices, for use in an optical communication system and a method of manufacture therefore. An embodiment of the device includes a moveable element support structure, a moveable element and torsional members that couple the moveable element support structure and the moveable element and allow the moveable element to gimbal with respect to the support structure. The inventive device includes torsional members that are substantially free of corrosion thereby producing a device with improved response characteristics. The method includes using an etchant that substantially inhibits corrosion of the torsional members.

Abstract: In an optical switch with a mirror, the inclination angle of which varies depending on an application voltage, a low-frequency signal is superimposed on the application voltage, and a low-frequency component is detected in output light reflected on the mirror. Then, an application voltage is increased/decreased based on the detected low-frequency component.

Abstract: A viewing device (10) adapted to be held at eye level by an apparatus (14) comprises a housing (16) designed to fit within a tray (12) of the apparatus (14), two eyepieces (22) mounted to a proximal end (24) of the housing, a magnification mechanism (26), and a focus mechanism (28). The device (10) also includes an objective lens (18) and a video screen (19) mounted to a distal end (20) of the housing (16). The housing (16) preferably includes a substantially flat bottom (30) and two substantially flat sides (32) and is preferably secured to the tray (12) by a threaded fastener (36). The eyepieces (22) are preferably flexible and padded to provide a comfortable fit. The eyepieces (22) may be either contoured or substantially flat. The contoured eyepieces (22) fit against a user's face. The substantially flat eyepieces (22) fit against the user's eyeglasses.

Abstract: A driving circuit for an optical scanner includes an oscillation driving device for oscillating a moving plate, an oscillation detecting device for detecting the oscillating condition of the moving plate, an oscillating frequency control device for controlling the amplitude of a torsional oscillation of the moving plate, and an oscillating amplitude control device for controlling the amplitude of the torsional oscillation of the moving plate. The driving circuit is thus constructed so that the oscillation of a scanner can be controlled with a high degree of accuracy.

Abstract: A viewing device (10) adapted to be held at eye level by an apparatus (14) comprises a housing (16) designed to fit within a tray (12) of the apparatus (14), two eyepieces (22) mounted to a proximal end (24) of the housing, a magnification mechanism (26), and a focus mechanism (28). The device (10) also includes either two objective lenses (18) or a video screen (118) mounted to a distal end (20) of the housing (16). The housing (16) preferably includes a substantially flat bottom (30) and two substantially flat sides (32) and is preferably secured to the tray (12) by a threaded fastener (36). The eyepieces (22) are preferably flexible and padded to provide a comfortable fit. The eyepieces (22) may be either contoured or substantially flat. The contoured eyepieces (22) fit against a user's face. The substantially flat eyepieces (22) fit against the user's eyeglasses.

Abstract: Binoculars doubling as a toy, in particular, various spherical shapes such as a soccer ball or baseball. These binoculars have lens barrels ejected from hemispherical bodies to increase the field of vision up over a long distance. The binoculars doubling as a toy may be constructed with hemispherical bodies 1 and 21 defining a complete global shape when coupled with each other, connected to each other by a hinge 15; eye lens barrels 6 and 26 each having eye lenses 5 and 25 and mounted to centers of arc sections 2 and 22 of the bodies 1 and 21; circular plates 7 and 27 mounted into grooves 3 and 23 formed in the arc sections 2 and 22; objective lens barrels 10 and 30 each having objective lenses 9 and 29 and inserted into through holes of the circular plates 7 and 27; and springs 13 and 33 each mounted between the eye lens barrels 6 and 26 and the objective lens barrels 10 and 30.

Abstract: The invention provides a reflective optical element which has three or more reflecting surfaces by which a light flux from an object is successively reflected. In an area enclosed by each of the reflecting surfaces, the reference axis intersects at least two times and the light flux forms an intermediate image. The reference axis is a path of the light beam which passes through the center of an object surface, is then reflected by the reflecting surfaces, and passes through a center of a pupil. The reflective optical element satisfies the following condition: 4·f·tan&thgr;<ea wherein &thgr; is a maximum field angle that passes through the pupil in a plane that includes the reference axis, f is a focal length of an optical part between the pupil and an intermediate-image forming surface, and ea is a maximum optical effective diameter of the reflective optical element.

Abstract: In an optical connection board, a first clad layer is formed on a flat surface of a substrate and a core layer is formed on the first clad layer and is extended in a propagation direction of an optical signal. The core layer is covered with a second clad layer. A termination mirror having a reflection face is so buried in the clad layer as to reflect the optical signal guided in the core layer, to the outside of the optical connection board.

Abstract: The use of light scattering particles in the design, manufacturing, and quality control of microscale devices and process, and the analysis of solid substrate and porous substrate characteristics is described.

Abstract: A mechanical optic switch is disclosed that is of high mirror quality, high in the accuracy of opto-axial alignment between a mirror and a fiber aligning structure and yet of low insertion loss, permitting fiber optic switching by an electromagnetic force. It is made by a crystallographically oriented face dependent etching process, which simultaneously forms in a Si (100) crystallographically faced single crystal substrate (1), V-grooves (3) for fixing optical fibers (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) with the V-groove's longitudinal axes oriented in the <110> crystallographic direction or in a direction equivalent thereto; and a resilient support beam (5) and a mirror (4, 6) with the longitudinal axis of the resilient support beam and the mirror surface of the mirror oriented in the <100> direction or in a direction equivalent thereto. Slitting into the substrate from a rear surface thereof by etching renders the support beam resilient and flexible.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrayed waveguide grating having a reflective input that permits variable coupling to adjust the center wavelength. The present invention has found that by providing an arrayed waveguide grating having one or more precisely positioned input waveguides coupled through a reflective lens assembly, for providing a lateral offset to a signal propagating from the input waveguide to the planar waveguide, and for focusing a reflected input signal at a selected input point of the input planar waveguide, alignment and tuning of an input and assembly can be improved and simplified. Advantageously, variable coupling parameters can be incorporated into the reflective coupling including input position, waveguide taper and planar waveguide length increment to provide relatively simple tuning in an integrated device. Compensation for polarization effects and thermal effects can also be provided in the reflective coupling.

Abstract: An Optical Domain Signal Analyzer, having an optical filter, a dispersive element and a detector is utilized to provide high resolution spectrum analysis over a wide optical bandwidth. The optical domain signal analyzer broadly includes an optical filter for providing wavelength samples of a received optical signal, a dispersive element for receiving the samples and dispersing the samples, and a detector for receiving the dispersed signal and for providing electrical signals representative of the dispersed sample. A preferred embodiment includes a processor for receiving the electrical signal and calculating the characteristics of the spectrum.