Abstract: A vehicle lamp such that a bulb structurally integrating a bulb body with a plastic bulb socket is fixed and held in a bulb fitting hole in the rear top portion of a container-like metal reflector in a lamp chamber by a plastic socket fixture. In the vehicle lamp, the reflector is provided with convection-current forming holes and an air convention current generated between the inside and outside of the reflector promotes the heat radiating action of the reflector via the convection-current forming holes. Furthermore, a decrease in the light receiving area of the reflector to an extent equivalent to an area corresponding to the convection-current forming holes reduces heat deriving from direct and radiant heat transmitted to the reflector to that extent. Thus, the reflector is restrained from being heated to high temperatures.

Abstract: The magnification of an image in the main scanning direction thereof is altered by making the frequency of the image clock variable. At this time, if the pre-SOS lighting signal and the APC signal are output synchronously with the frequency of the image clock, then an SOS signal may not be output from the SOS sensor and control of the amount of light of a light beam may not be accurately executed. Therefore, the timings of the outputs of the pre-SOS lighting signal and the APC signal are controlled so as to normally be output at a uniform timing (i.e. the periods from the input of the SOS signal until the outputs of each signal are made uniform).

Abstract: Apparatus for minimizing the effects of radiation induced attenuation on a sense coil in a fiber optic rotation sensor includes apparatus for injecting photobleach light at a frequency selected to remove radiation-induced color centers. Wavelength division multiplexing optical couplers are used to introduce the photobleach light into the fiber optic rotation sensor system and then remove the photobleach light from the gyroscope optical circuit without effecting the gyro signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to an water lighting system for illuminating the features of water displays where the system can be maintained with relative ease. The system has a plurality of finger clamps disposed about the perimeter of a housing that permit the installation and removal of a front lens without tools. With the front lens removed, the system further has an optical cassette that can easily be removed without tools to expose the lamp. The lamp then can be replaced without the need for tools or without accidentally touching a lens in the optical cassette. Other features are disclosed.

Abstract: A compact high resolution omnidirectional or panoramic viewer has several cameras with a common virtual optical center. The field of view of each of the cameras is arranged to form a continuous 360 degree view of an area when taken as a whole. The cameras are positioned so that they each view a different reflective surface of a polyhedron such as a pyramid. This results in each camera having a virtual optical center positioned within the pyramid. The cameras may be positioned so that their virtual optical centers are offset from each other. The offsets produce narrow blind regions that remove image distortions received from the edges of the pyramid's reflective surfaces. The reflective pyramids may be stacked base to base or nested within each other to produce a more compact panoramic viewer. Using two or more reflective pyramids in such close proximity permits using many cameras with the same virtual optical center.

Abstract: A prism includes: a first portion made of a first material having a wavelength dependency in a refractive index; and a second portion adhered to the first portion, the second portion being made of a second material having a wavelength dependency in a refractive index which is different from the wavelength dependency in the refractive index of the first material. The first portion and the second portion have shapes such that the wavelength dependency in the refractive index of the first portion and the wavelength dependency in the refractive index of the second portion are substantially cancelled by each other.

Abstract: A holographic stereogram printing apparatus that is able to formulae a holographic stereogram superior in light utilization efficiency and in picture uniformity. The holographic stereogram printing apparatus causes the laser light from a laser light source 31 to fall on a picture display device 41 to illuminate the light transmitted through the display device 41 as object light on a holographic recording medium 30. The holographic stereogram printing apparatus also causes part of the laser light prior to being transmitted through the display device 41 to be illuminated as reference light on the holographic recording medium 30 to form the element holograms sequentially on the holographic recording medium 30. In the holographic stereogram printing apparatus, a light integrator 63 for uniforming the intensity of light incident on the display device 41 is provided on the optical path of the laser light proceeding towards the display device 41.

Abstract: A transparent photochromic article including a transparent substrate including a photochromic material; and an anti-reflection surface coating thereon, produced with a plurality of overlapping layers incorporating, alternatively a first and second material having respectively higher and lower refractive indices, the anti-reflection coating including; a first layer including said first material having an optical thickness of about 20 to 45 nm; a second layer including said second material having an optical thickness of about 25 to 45 nm; a third layer including said first material having an optical thickness of about 220 to 250 nm; and a fourth layer including said second material having an optical thickness of about 95-115 nm.

Abstract: A mirror includes an electrochromic mirror subassembly including front and rear transparent elements, a layer of electrochromic material associated with the front and rear transparent elements, and a reflective layer, a portion of the reflective layer defining an opening. An indicia panel is located proximate the mirror subassembly and covers the opening, and one or more light sources are positioned to pass light through the indicia panel and the opening of the electrochromic mirror subassembly to illuminate detailed symbols and information on the indicia panel. The indicia panel is adhered to the mirror subassembly, and a housing and a mating bezel are configured to receive the mirror subassembly. The indicia panel includes a pair of apertured locator tabs, and the bezel includes protrusions that engage the apertured locator tabs to accurately locate the indicia panel and the mirror subassembly and also a printed circuit board in the housing.

Abstract: An optical multiplexing device is provided comprising multiple wavelength division multiplexers cascaded together. A first one of the wavelength division multiplexers has a common port and multiple optical ports which are optically coupled to the common port. The common port may be optically coupled to a trunk line of a system employing wavelength division multiplexing, for example, a fiber-optic telecommunication system employing 4, 8, 16 or other number of multiplexed channels. The optical ports include multiple channel ports, each of which is transparent to a corresponding wavelength sub-range and reflective of other wavelengths. The second wavelength division multiplexer has a common port optically coupled to one of the optical ports of the first wavelength division multiplexer. The second wavelength division multiplexer also has multiple optical ports which are optically coupled to its common port and include multiple wavelength-selective channel ports.

Abstract: A zone plate having an aberration correcting function in a wavelength selecting manner and a diffraction grating substantially having a light shielding function in a wavelength selecting manner are formed, respectively, in a center region and a marginal region of a filter, whereby only a predetermined wavelength of light is converged or diverged by the zone plate and is diffracted sideways by the diffraction grating, whereby the luminous flux diameter of the irradiation light is changed while the aberration caused by a convergent lens is favorably corrected. The diffraction type filter 8A is constituted by a first region 11 comprising a central circular portion and a second region 12 comprising a marginal portion thereof. The first region 11 is provided with a zone plate 11A (diffraction grating formed like concentric circles) having such a wavelength selectivity that light at a wavelength of 635 nm is transmitted therethrough as it is and that light at a wavelength of 780 nm is converged thereby.

Abstract: A vehicle lamp in which a sealing groove is formed circumferentially in the inclined front opening of a lamp body for containing a light source 14 and the sealing leg of a front lens engages integrally with the sealing groove via a sealing material is such that the base of the sealing groove in cross section is sloped with respect to a plane perpendicularly intersecting the direction of inserting the sealing leg and that on the inclined base, there are provided cross projections and extending in the direction of intersecting the sealing groove in order to prevent the sealing leg from sliding in the width direction of the sealing groove. When the sealing leg is forced in, it is brought into contact with the cross projections and prevented from being inserted to a degree exceeding a predetermined quantity.

Abstract: An optically variable surface pattern includes at least one graphic representation producing an achromatic impression when viewed in visible light over a certain angular range without noticeable color fringes occurring in the adjoining angular ranges. A plane surface portion includes a grating structure which disperses incident light with comparable intensity into a cone within a predetermined angle range regardless of differing wavelength. An overlap of several successive high orders of diffraction results in a recombination of the dispersed light to white light at any diffraction angle within the cone. The surface portion viewed from a direction within the cone reflects white light, in contrast to a simple flat mirror which has a very narrow range of specular reflection. At viewing angles outside the cone, the surface portion is dim or dark grey. The shape of the surface portion is then recognized as an area white lit or dark depending upon a particular viewing angle relative to incident light.

Abstract: The present invention provides reflective films and other optical bodies which exhibit sharp bandedges on one or both sides of the main reflection bands. The optical bodies comprise multilayer stacks M.sub.1 and M.sub.2, each having first order reflections in a desired part of the spectrum and comprising optical repeating units R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, respectively. At least one of the optical repeating units R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 varies monotonically in optical thickness along the thickness of the associated multilayer stack.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for providing stereo-image pairs, typically for use in endoscopy. A birefringent optical component creates two virtual pupils to provide spaced view points of an object field through a single real pupil, the light from each of the two view points having a respectively different polarization. The birefringent component may be in the form of a calcite slab or comprise liquid crystal material. By suitable orientation of two such components with respect to each other, the path lengths for the two polarizations of light may be made equivalent and rotation of the planes of polarization of this light through 90 degrees by means disposed between the birefringent components can improve the performance of the system. The rotation device may comprise a half-wave plate or a layer of liquid crystal material. By tilting the slab of calcite, the observer may be provided with a change in view point and, thereby, some motion parallax.

Abstract: An attachable Christmas light is provided. The light includes a receptacle of tubular body, having an upper opening, a pair contact plate in the bottom respestively conneoted to a pair of electrical wires, and a pair of positioning arms laterally extended from an outer periphery abutting the opening and each including a retaining hole abutting a vertical slot at front end, and a lamp including a bulb embedded itno a base which is engageable itno the receptacle with a pair of contact wire engaged with the contact plates and a pair of binding rods paralled extended laterally from an upper periphery and positioned in alignment with the positioning arms, when a linear object is disposed in place between the binding rods and the positioning arms, the binding rods are bent downward about 90.degree. to have front ends retained into the retaining holes of the positioning arms. So that the light is stably attached to the linear object.

Abstract: A birefringent plate arrangement with stress birefringence has pressure or shear shoe devices that engage on the sides of a birefringent plate. A plate with rectangular steps is provided for the round cross section of a pencil of light rays. The arrangement includes hydraulic transmission produced by weight force, and thermosymmetric construction.

Abstract: A reflector, a method of producing same and a method of creating high omnidirectional reflection for a predetermined range of frequencies of incident electromagnetic energy for any angle of incidence and any polarization. The reflector includes a structure with a surface and a refractive index variation along the direction perpendicular to the surface while remaining nearly uniform along the surface. The structure is configured such that i) a range of frequencies exists defining a photonic band gap for electromagnetic energy incident along the perpendicular direction of said surface, ii) a range of frequencies exists defining a photonic band gap for electromagnetic energy incident along a direction approximately 90.degree. from the perpendicular direction of said surface, and iii) a range of frequencies exists which is common to both of said photonic band gaps. In an exemplary embodiment, the reflector is configured as a photonic crystal.

Abstract: The method of making and self-aligning a magneto-optical head at a wafer level is as follows: A flat optical substrate is molded or heat pressed in batches as a wafer level to form the desired lens shapes. Coil cavities or depressions are simultaneously formed with the lens to accommodate the coil assembly. Conductive plugs are formed in proximity to the cutting lines, for wire bonding attachment to the coil. The plugs are filled with a conductive material such as copper. The plugs do not extend through the entire depth of the optical wafer, thus further facilitating the mass production of the integrated heads. The slider body wafer is formed from silicon or other appropriate material. The slider body wafer and the lens/coil wafer are bonded. Coils and pedestals are formed on the lens / coil plate using thin-film processing techniques. Reflective surfaces are deposited on the bottom surface of the substrate, opposite the lens. The mirror material around the pedestal areas and plugs is masked and removed.

Abstract: A mirror of an aged appearance is produced by antiquing an unaged mirror. The antiquing is accomplished by first removing a primer layer which overlies the silvered back of the mirror to expose a rear silvered surface. The rear silvered surface is then distressed by applying a patina which oxidizes the surface, preferably more in peripheral areas then in the interior area of the silvered back. A cardboard back panel which has been painted with a mixture of black paint, brown paint, and aluminum particles is then mounted against the distressed silver surface.