Abstract: A light energy efficient and low cost optical system for providing uniform illumination of a light valve. The light source is an extended source generally emitting a non-uniform spatial distribution of light power. The source light is focused into the entrance end of a light transmitting tunnel having reflecting interior wall surfaces and having cross sectional and length dimensions chosen to deliver, at the exit end of the tunnel, light which is substantially uniform is power distribution, over the surface area of the exit end, due multiple reflections from the tunnel walls. The exiting light is advantageously used to uniformly illuminate a light valve. The invention includes a combination of mirrors arranged about the source light to most effectively collect and direct the light.

Abstract: A microscope collision protection apparatus for a remote control microscope which protects the optical and associated components from damage in the event of an uncontrolled collision with a specimen, regardless of the specimen size or shape. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a counterbalanced slide for mounting the microscope's optical components. This slide replaces the rigid mounts on conventional upright microscopes with a precision ball bearing slide. As the specimen contacts an optical component, the contacting force will move the slide and the optical components mounted thereon. This movement will protect the optical and associated components from damage as the movement causes a limit switch to be actuated, thereby stopping all motors responsible for the collision.

Abstract: Selection of individual holograms during read-out of a multiplexed array depends upon varying relative position of the recording medium in the direction orthogonal to the medium surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to a stereoscopic image display apparatus which allows an observer to recognize a stereoscopic image, comprising right eye image display member for displaying an image for a right eye by irradiating light, left eye image display member for displaying an image for a left eye by irradiating light, and tilt member for tilting a central line, in a vertical direction, of an observation image which is formed based on the image for the right eye and is to be observed by the right eye of the observer, and a central line, in the vertical direction, of an observation image which is formed based on the image for the left eye and is to be observed by the left eye of the observer, relative to each other within a range from an angle larger than 0.degree. to an angle not more than 3.degree..

Abstract: A scanning optical system includes a polygonal mirror, enclosed in a housing, which deflects light. The housing is provided with a transparent plane-parallel plate, parallel to a reflecting surface of the polygonal mirror, through which a laser light source emits a laser beam into the housing. An image forming optical system, provided between the polygonal mirror and an objective surface to be scanned, has a power at least in a main scanning direction. The laser beam is made incident on the polygonal mirror in a direction inclined toward a sub-scanning direction, with respect to a direction perpendicular to the reflecting surface of the polygonal mirror.

Abstract: A method of processing documents involving: transporting the documents at high speed unidirectionally and without pause along a prescribed transport path past at least one image-lift site; scanning the entirety of respective document faces at the sites with illumination from a light-source; providing a light-guide along a path between the light-source and the sites; providing an energy-shaping gate, disposed at each of the sites and acting to channel the imaging illumination energy there; and providing a heat-dissipation stage disposed operatively adjacent the light source and acting to extract infra-red energy therefrom and dissipate it so as to shield the sites; this heat-dissipation stage comprising an infra-red extraction unit arranged and adapted to remove a substantial part of the infra-red energy projected along a prescribed beam-path from a high-intensity spectral source; the extraction unit comprising: a selective reflector interrupting the beam path and adapted to divert infra-red energy as an infra

Abstract: A diffraction grating light valve modulates an incident beam of light. A plurality of elongated elements each have a reflective surface. The elongated elements are suspended with their respective ends substantially coplanar. Alternate ones of the elongated elements are electrically coupled for receiving a first bias voltage. The interdigitated elongated elements are electrically coupled for receiving a second bias voltage. By applying a appropriate first and second biasing voltages, all the reflective surfaces can be maintained in a first plane. When all the elongated elements are in the first plane, the diffraction grating light valve reflects the beam of light. A predetermined group of the elongated elements, preferably alternate ones, are deformable to be substantially coplanar in a second plane which is parallel to the first plane. When the predetermined group of elements is in the second plane, the diffraction grating light valve diffracts the beam of light.

Abstract: A method of widening the directional range of view of a mirror device without enlarging the surface area of the device by suitably combining a number of partially-reflecting surfaces includes provision to avoid discontinuities and overlaps in the field of view. It also makes it possible for the viewer to visually identify an image with the particular reflector that generates the image seen in the image field and hence relate it to a zone of the field of visibility wherein the object is located. A device incorporating the method can be useful as a side-view mirror of an automobile.

Abstract: A high reflectivity, broad band mirror for a high flux laser and a process for producing such a mirror. The mirror includes a substrate on which is formed a metallic layer such as aluminum. A stack of layers are formed on the metallic layer. The stack includes alternating layers of two materials with the refractive index of one material being higher than that of the other. A surface layer of a third material is placed on the stack. The surface layer has a refractive index which varies in accordance with the continuous periodic profile. The mirror is formed by depositing the metallic layer on a substrate and forming the stack by an ion beam sputtering method.

Abstract: A means, method and apparatus for producing a parallel addressable set of images by modulating a set of input beams with addressing information, and projecting the energy from a three-dimensional array of first pixel locations which decode in parallel to produce an interference image at the location of a second three-dimensional array of pixel locations, energizing at least one of the second pixels. Each image corresponds with an input address. A subset of addresses, projection surface configurations, and images exhibit useful synergistic relationships. These are used to address a ROM, RAM, or content addressable memory, provide a visual display of selected images, iterate in a series to produce four dimensional computing, integrate information from multiple energy forms, and accomplish signal processing and channel switching.

Abstract: A continually supported assembly capable of being space launched includes a base and a thin optical substrate having a light collecting first surface and an opposite rear surface. An elastically coupling medium couples the rear surface of optical substrate and said base to one another. At least one force-coupled actuator is interspersed within said elastic coupling medium for controllably altering the shape of said optical substrate.

Abstract: A cube corner article has a plurality of geometric structures formed by at least three intersecting groove sets. Each geometric structure has three faces arranged as a cube corner element. Some of the geometric structures also have a fourth face which is not a part of a cube corner element. At least one of the grooves in the three intersecting groove sets has a first and second side surface extending uniformly from a groove vertex, the first side surface forming one of the three faces and the second side surface forming the fourth face.

Abstract: An internally-mirrored tube of constant cross-section, for use as a beam-shaper-uniformizer in an optical lithography tool, requires precision assembly, closely approaching total internal reflection, to be able to accept at the entry end a beam of laser light of specified numerical aperture, having an arbitrary cross-section and a non-uniform intensity profile, and deliver at the exit a beam having the same numerical aperture, the desired cross-sectional shape, and a substantially uniform intensity profile across the illuminated area. Imperfections at the edges of the component slabs would interfere with operation. The difficulty of machining internal surfaces to mirror smoothness, and the difficulty of applying mirror finishes to internal surfaces, suggests that the uniformizer be assembled from mirrored slabs cemented together. Achieving precision without breakage or scuffing of mirrors is difficult.

Abstract: A device for linear beam steering, where a translation of one grating respective the other one results in an increased angular deviation of the light beam. The device includes at least one pair of gratings with parallel lines, different from each other, and each according to a different mathematical formula, spaced at a certain distance parallel one below the other, the spacing of lines in each of the gratings increases from one edge to the other. There can be provided a plurality of such "facets" of gratings arranged one after the other. The double design is compact, inexpensive and essentially aberration free, it has many applications such as scanners for laser range finders, dynamic aiming systems, laser printers and plotters, and many more.

Abstract: Highly efficient diffusely reflecting multilayer mirrors diffusely reflect light incident upon them. Highly efficient diffusely reflecting multilayer polarizers diffusely reflect light of one polarization while diffusely transmitting the other polarization. The diffusely reflecting mirror includes a light diffusing element and a multilayer mirror element. The diffusely reflecting polarizer includes a light diffusing element and a multilayer reflective polarizing element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical instrument such as an optical axis deflecting device or an image stabilizing device having an optical member supported for rotation about a predetermined axis and rotated about the predetermined axis to thereby deflect the optical axis of passing light, moving means adapted to move in a direction along a plane inclined by a predetermined angle from a plane perpendicular to the predetermined axis to thereby rotate the optical member about the predetermined axis, and driving means for driving the moving means. With such construction, a driving force generated by the driving means acts on that portion of the optical member which is far from the rotational shaft thereof and as a result, a driving torque for driving the optical member can be enhanced without causing the bulkiness and higher cost of the device and an increase in consumed electric power.

Abstract: An optical film with a disperse phase of polymeric particles disposed within a continuous birefringent matrix. The film is oriented, typically by stretching, in one or more directions. The size and shape of the disperse phase particles, the volume fraction of the disperse phase, the film thickness, and the amount of orientation are chosen to attain a desired degree of diffuse reflection and total transmission of electromagnetic radiation of a desired wavelength in the resulting film.

Abstract: A modulated index lens containing a subsurface zeroth order coherent microlenticular mosaic defined by an index gradient adds a normalizing function to the vergences or parallactic angles of incoming light rays subtended from field object points and redirects them, in the case of near-field images, to that of far-field images. Along with a scalar reduction of the lense's linear focal range, this results in an extreme depth of field with a narrow depth of focus and when used as an intraocular lens (IOL) or contact lens avoids the focal split-up, halo, and inherent reduction in contrast of multifocal IOLs and multifocal contact lenses. A high microlenticular spatial frequency, which, while still retaining an anisotropic medium, results in a nearly total zeroth order propagation throughout the visible spectrum.

Abstract: A walk-off device comprising a birefringent or uniaxial material achieves increased spatial separation of the ordinary and extraordinary beams by using at least one face of the device for reflection. The two beams are folded and path length increased within the device; the folding increases the spatial separation of the beams when they exit from the device as compared to a device in which the beams are not folded. The reflection face is oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the optic axis of the material.

Abstract: A scanning optical system which includes a light source for emitting a beam of light, a light deflector for deflecting the beam of light in a main scanning direction, and a scanning lens which receives a beam of light deflected by the light deflector for focusing the deflected beam of light onto a scanning surface. The scanning lens includes a lens having a refractive index distribution in either the main or the sub-scanning direction.