Abstract: The infrared absorption filter of the present invention has a transmittance of not higher than 30% in the near-infrared region in the wavelength range of 800 to 1100 nm; a difference of 10% or less between a maximum value and a minimum value of transmittance in the visible light region in the wavelength range of 450 to 650 nm; and a transmittance of not lower than 50% at a wavelength of 550 nm, the filter being so excellent in environmental stability that after being left to stand in the air atmosphere at a temperature of 60° C. and a humidity of 95% for 1000 hours, the filter can maintain said spectral property in said range. Consequently, when used for a plasma display or the like, the filter can absorb the unwanted infrared rays radiated from the display, resulting in preventing erroneous operation of a remote control using infrared radiation even in such a high-temperature and high-humidity environment.

Abstract: A diffraction optical element comprises a substrate, a diffraction grating formed on the substrate with a material with low ultraviolet resistance and an ultraviolet screening means arranged on the substrate at a position closer to the incident light receiving side of the optical element relative to the diffraction grating. The ultraviolet screening means comprises a dielectric multilayer film and is formed on the other side of the substrate than the side carrying the diffraction grating. Alternatively, the ultraviolet screening means may be provided as a separate member from a diffraction optical element and arranged at a position closer to the incident light receiving side of the diffraction optical element in an optical system.

Abstract: An external rearview mirror includes a holder for affixing the mirror to a motor vehicle. A carrier plate is located in a housing that is secured to the holder. At least one mirror assembly with a mirror pane is mounted pivotally on the carrier plate in the housing. At least one means of adjustment is mounted on the carrier plate and bound to the mirror assembly. A base plate is attached to the carrier plate, the base plate having a honeycomb structure with a multiplicity of cells on at least one side. The cells are integral and normal to the base plate and may vary in both height and diameter.

Abstract: The optical transmitter/receiver apparatus of the invention includes: an optical fiber for transmitting/receiving an optical signal therethrough; and a first base including mutually spaced optical signal transmitting and receiving regions and a fiber end supporting region located between the optical signal transmitting and receiving regions. A semiconductor laser device for emitting the optical signal to be transmitted is secured to the optical signal transmitting region of the first base. A fiber end supporting portion for supporting one end of the optical fiber, to which the optical signal emitted from the semiconductor laser device is incident, is formed in the fiber end supporting region of the first base. A second base for supporting the body of the optical fiber is secured to the optical signal receiving region of the first base.

Abstract: An image recording device and an optical fiber are provided which can obtain scanned beam spots having configurations which extend in an elongated manner in a subscanning direction and which are rectangular, and which are suitably used for recording onto a heat-mode-type photosensitive recording material. The image recording device records an image by illuminating a light beam outputted from an exposure head which is connected to a semiconductor laser unit via an optical fiber. In the image recording device, the optical fiber is an optical fiber having a core whose cross-sectional configuration in a direction intersecting an optical axis of the light beam is an elongated and a rectangular configuration. An image is focused by a focusing lens such that a short width direction of a light beam emitted from a light exit portion of the optical fiber is oriented in a main scanning direction on a recording medium.

Abstract: A MEMs scanning device has a variable resonant frequency. In one embodiment, the MEMs device includes a flexible arm that extends from a oscillatory body. An electrical field applies a force to the flexible arm, thereby bending the flexible arm to shift the moment of inertia of the oscillatory body and a secondary mass carried by the flexible arm. The shifted moment of inertia changes the resonant frequency of the MEMs device. In another embodiment, an absorptive material forms a portion of a torsional arm that supports the oscillatory body. The mechanical properties of the absorptive material can be varied by varying the concentration of a gas surrounding the absorptive material. The varied mechanical properties change the resonant frequency of the scanning device. A display apparatus includes the scanning device and the scanning device scans about two or more axes, typically in a raster pattern.

Abstract: A collimated or partially collimated light beam is sent through a substrate matrix of a plurality of nested individual joined geometrically shaped cells wherein each of the cells contains a patterned holographic diffuser or binary optic sheet which produces a transmitted diffused light beam from each of the cells and then superimposes each transmitted diffused light beams from each of the cells to produce a combined resultant diffused light beam. The geometrically shaped cells are clustered in a contiguous arrangement of nested cell subgroups, which are themselves geometrically shaped. When graphed, an angular luminance distribution profile curve with sharply vertical profile slopes at halfpeak points and with a substantially flat and wide peak is resultant which produces a uniform resultant luminance over a wide range of view with a predetermined beam spread and beam deflection angle in relation to a predetermined location of view of the combined resultant diffused light beam.

Abstract: Light emitting panel assemblies include in one form of the invention a light emitting panel member made of a transparent resiliently deformable elastomeric material that absorbs impact without breakage for use in automotive lighting applications of various types. In another form of the invention, a rigid light emitting panel member may be used with dome switches for switch area lighting or to backlight control buttons/key pads by providing holes or openings in the panel member for the control buttons/key pads. Also, a rigid light emitting panel member may be used as a structural member, and two or more such light emitting panel members may be stacked together and used to light an instrument panel or the like. One or more light sources may be mounted within one or more light transition areas adjacent one or more light input surfaces of the light emitting panel members.

Abstract: A spectroscopic analyzing arrangement comprises an ATR optical sampling plate with a front sample-contacting face and an opposed rear internally face. An anvil assembly is arranged so that the sample-contacting face can be pressed against the sample to receive spectroscopic information. A reflection barrier between the anvil assembly and the rear face prevents internally reflected light within the sampling plate from picking up spectroscopic information from the anvil assembly, thus enhancing the performance of the arrangement.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for producing colored light and an image generating apparatus including such a device. The device includes a switchable light-directing apparatus configured to receive light and a first control circuit coupled to the switchable light-directing apparatus. The first control circuit provides control signals to the switchable light-directing apparatus. In response to the switchable light-directing apparatus receiving a control signal, the switchable light-directing apparatus directs a first portion of the received light to a first region of a plane. Additionally, the switchable light-directing apparatus directs a second portion of the received light to a second region of the plane, and directs a third portion of the received light to a third region of the plane. The second region is positioned between the first and third regions of the plane.

Abstract: A vehicular headlamp has a reflector which is supported at not less than three points through respective link members in relation to the lamp body in a tiltable manner. The reflector is molded by molding of a synthetic resin material. At least one of the link members is supported by an attachment piece which is integrally formed with and protrudes outward from a location where the opening periphery of a reflective surface of the reflector as viewed from the blanking direction during molding of the reflector.

Abstract: An optical component in the form of an identification element (such as for counterfeit protection or copy protection) includes an optically anisotropic layer comprising regions of different optical axes that is arranged over a reflector. The anisotropic layer may be implemented with a liquid crystal polymer in which the orientation of the liquid crystals is different in different areas. Such an orientation pattern is initially hidden from a viewer, but becomes visible by means of an additional polariser. To improve the visual appearance of the identification element, a white light hologram may be used for the reflector.

Abstract: An exterior rearview mirror assembly security system for a vehicle includes an exterior mirror assembly with a security light assembly which projects a pattern of light from the exterior mirror assembly on a ground area adjacent a door of the vehicle in order to create a lighted security zone in the area. The security system further includes a control, which is responsive to approach by a person to the vehicle and actuates the security light assembly to generate the pattern of light from the exterior mirror assembly in order to provide the lighted security zone adjacent the side of the vehicle equipped with the exterior rearview mirror assembly.

Abstract: A projection exposure lens system has an object side catadioptric system, and intermediate image and a refractive lens system. The refractive lens system from its intermediate image side and in the direction of its image plane has a first lens group of positive refractive power, a second lens group of negative refractive power, a third lens group of positive refractive power, a fourth lens group of negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group of positive refractive power.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical waveguide device for optical wiring, and a manufacturing method therefor, which provides the advantages that simple and highly accurate connection is possible, the device is low in cost, and it is easily manipulated. The present invention is provided with connectors which are connected to optical fibers in a nonalignment via guide pins, and a polymeric waveguide comprising a film-shaped optical waveguide; the connectors are joined to both ends or to one end of the polymeric waveguide, and the connectors are formed by two connector parts which are arranged in facing position, and in the surfaces of the connector parts which are in facing position, a polymeric waveguide loading groove for loading the polymeric waveguide, and two guide pin loading grooves for loading guide pins are formed, and the polymeric waveguide is sandwiched between the two connector parts, and the polymeric waveguide is joined with the two connector parts and made unitary.

Abstract: An optical component is produced by forming an anti-reflection film on a surface of a molding of a norbornene resin having a polar group. The anti-reflection film is composed of an equivalent film of which the overall refractive index as calculated according to a prescribed formula is 1.52 to 1.8 and that has an intermediate layer measuring 10 to 50 nm in mechanical film thickness and containing Al2O3, a first high-refractive-index layer, and a first low-refractive-index layer containing SiO2 as a main ingredient, a second high-refractive-index layer measuring 0.4&lgr; to 0.6&lgr; (where &lgr; is 480 to 550 nm) in optical film thickness and containing TiO2 as a main ingredient, and a second low-refractive-index layer measuring 0.2&lgr; to 0.3&lgr; in optical film thickness and containing SiO2 as a main ingredient. This ensures that the anti-reflection film adheres to the surface of the molding so strongly as not to exfoliate therefrom.

Abstract: A diffraction grating for generating a plurality of beams includes a plurality of gratings. The plurality of gratings are formed to have an axis of symmetry perpendicular to the direction in which a beam is divided on a surface of diffraction grating and include at least two gratings having different fundamental cycles. The plurality of gratings are formed such that they have an axis of symmetry perpendicular to the direction in which a beam is divided on a surface of the diffraction grating, for generating a plurality of beams. The fundamental cycle increases as a function of the distance from the axis of symmetry, and therefore aberration in the periphery of scattering light may be reduced.

Abstract: A trimodal microlens configuration is provided for the lenses in a microlens array utilized as a diffraction separator for generating separated bands of different color when the microlens array is provided with a collimated light source. To provide the trimodal functionality, each microlens is divided up into three segments, with the center segment providing a red, green, blue diffraction pattern, with the left segment providing a blue, red, green diffraction pattern, and with the right segment providing a green, blue, red diffraction pattern. This pattern is directed towards an adjacent liquid crystal color display in which its sub-pixels are arranged red, green, blue, with the green sub-pixel aligned with the center segment of the corresponding lens.

Abstract: Even if there is a temperature variation, a positional discrepancy at a colliding surface of an active surface of a semiconductor laser and an optical waveguide is suppressed, resulting in realization of a semiconductor light emitting element coupled with optical fiber of stable operation. In order to realize the above object, a semiconductor light emitting element coupled with optical fiber comprises a substrate, an optical waveguide disposed on the substrate and including a core and a cladding layer covering the core, a semiconductor light emitting element disposed on the substrate and comprising an output end-surface facing one end of the core of the optical waveguide, and an optical fiber comprising a core an end of which faces the other end of the core of the optical waveguide, wherein the cladding layer sandwiches both surfaces of the semiconductor light emitting element.

Abstract: A reflecting mirror is obtained which prevents double images from being formed and provides sufficient the hydrophilic property. The hydrophilic coating is approximately 15 nm in thickness and the photocatalytic coating between the hydrophilic coating and the glass substrate is approximately 240 nm in thickness. This setting of dimensions reduces the surface optical reflectance of light having a wavelength ranging from approximately 550 nm to 580 nm. This also reduces the deterioration of the photocatalytic action caused by the diffusion of sodium ions contained in the glass substrate into the photocatalytic coating. Furthermore, the aforementioned setting of dimensions turns the color of surface reflected light to whitish. Even when images formed by the surface reflected light or images formed by reflected light from the reflecting film interfered by surface reflected light are viewed, the after-image thereof hardly remains.