Abstract: Four kinds of dielectrics in the form of a mixture of ZrO.sub.2 and TiO.sub.2 having a refractive index of 2.07, MgF.sub.2 having a refractive index of 1.37, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 having a refractive index of 1.61, and TiO.sub.2 having a refractive index of 2.27 are laminated on a transparent glass substrate in twenty layers. Two kinds of unpolarized light beam splitters having ratios of the reflected light to the transmitted light of 7:3 and 8:2, respectively, are thereby obtained. Both kinds of unpolarized light beam splitters have the twentieth layer, that is the outermost layer, formed with MgF.sub.2. The difference between the reflectance of the polarizing P component and the reflectance of the polarizing S component of the reflected light is set to be below 10%.

Abstract: A helmet/head mounted display including a display image source and a reflective visor for each eye. The image source includes a fiber optic cover plate with a planar input surface and a curved output surface which has curvature providing the correct curvature. The image source further includes a self-emitting device such as a field electrode display or electroluminescent device, or a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) sandwiched between a thin, sharply tapered fiber optic plate and the fiber optic cover plate. For the PDLC image source, back light illumination is introduced through the tapered fiber optic plate, passes through or is scattered by the PDLC and then through the fiber optic face plate to the visor, for reflection to the observer's eye. The fiber optic face plate is constructed with a very low numerical aperture. The fibers of the cover plate are oriented toward the eye as seen in the reflection from the visor to reduce undesirable reflected light.

Abstract: A cavity thickness compensated etalon filter. A tuning medium is placed in a Fabry-Perot etalon cavity. The index of refraction of the tuning medium varies as a function of voltage applied across the medium. The etalon is formed of two generally flat substrates disposed substantially parallel to one another. Each substrate has a layer of conductive material within the cavity adjacent the substrate. Each substrate also has a layer of reflective material within the cavity adjacent the substrate. At least one layer of reflective material is only partially reflective so as to enable light to pass into and out of the cavity. Liquid crystal material may be used as a tuning medium in the cavity. In the case of liquid crystal material, the etalon also comprises an alignment layer disposed within the cavity adjacent each substrate to pre-order the liquid crystal material.

Abstract: An optical system with an optical unit consisting of a transmission unit with at least one transmission element for emitting optical radiation, a receiving unit with at least one receiving element for detecting optical radiation and an optical path for transmitting the optical radiation between transmission unit and receiving unit. At least one optical unit is located in the optical path to bundle and deflect the optical radiation and an optical body/optical bodies is/are assigned to either the transmission unit or the receiving unit. The optical bodies are designed as a kind of Fresnel lens and have an unstructured surface side and a structured surface side having indentations with steep flanks large slope angle and a small prism angle.

Abstract: The lens of the invention is specifically designed for use with a slit lamp biomicroscope or operating microscope in the examination or treatment of a patient's eye. The invention consists of one or more coaxial lens elements, with at least one of the lens elements utilizing at least one convex aspheric surface of revolution. The aspheric surface or surfaces utilized are chosen to correct astigmatic imagery of the lens, with the formed aerial image free of excessive field curvature and astigmatism. The lens is held at a distance from the patient's eye pupil corresponding to the secondary focal length of the lens. If the examined eye is emmetropic, and the lens is held in a position wherein the entrance pupil of the lens is conjugate with that of the examined eye, an image of the entrance pupil of the patient's eye will be formed at the pupil aperture of the optical system of the slit lamp biomicroscope used to observe the aerial image of the fundus as produced by the lens.

Abstract: Method for optical energy transfer and energy guidance uses an electric field to control energy propagation using a class of poled structures in solid material. The poled structures, which may form gratings in thin film or bulk configurations, may be combined with waveguide structures. Electric fields are applied to the poled structures to control routing of optical energy. Techniques include frequency-selective switchable- and adjustable-tunable reflection, splitting, directional coupling, frequency-tunable switching and efficient beam combining, as well as polarized beam combining. Adjustable tunability is obtained by a poled structure which produces a spatial gradient in a variable index of refraction along an axis in the presence of a variable electric field. In one embodiment, the present invention is a method of switching a grating which consists of a poled material with an alternating domain structure of specific period.

Abstract: A driving apparatus for a zoom lens barrel has a driving ring for moving a lens system and a mechanism for movably supporting the driving ring for movement along an optical axis of the lens system. A gear train is supported by the supporting mechanism, a power source is provided in a camera body, and a mechanism for transmitting torque generated by the power source to the driving ring is provided. The torque transmitting mechanism includes the gear train, and a mechanism for disconnecting the torque transmission path from the power source to the driving ring if a torque above a predetermined value is applied to the driving ring. The disconnection mechanism is disposed in the gear train and is supported by the supporting mechanism.

Abstract: A homogenizer for a laser irradiation apparatus which provides single-pulse homogeneity by using optical components which result in an interference pitch which is smaller than the thermal diffusion length of the target material. Under this invention, the non-uniform heat distribution from a laser beam can be averaged out through thermal diffusion, achieving single-pulse homogeneity.

Abstract: Electrochromic devices applied to a substrate are disclosed, including an electrochromic electrode layer, a counterelectrode layer, and an ion-conducting layer sandwiched between those two layers and electrically isolating them from each other, in which the ion-conducting layer is substantially uniform across the substrate and comprises an inorganic superstructure with associated organic material and with a microstructure which facilitates the transfer of ions. Methods for producing these devices are also disclosed, including depositing the ion-conducting layer on the substrate in the form of a solution, and effecting gelation of that solution.

Abstract: A method of exposing an integral imaging element having: an integral lens sheet with opposed front and back surfaces; and a light sensitive layer positioned behind the back surface;the method comprising the steps of:exposing the light sensitive layer with light from behind the back surface;wherein the element additionally has an anti-halation layer on at least a portion of the front surface of the lens sheet which anti-halation layer, during exposure, reduces the amount of exposing light which would otherwise be reflected back toward the light sensitive layer from the front surface.A system which can use the above method, and an integral image element of a type which can be produced by it, are also described.

Abstract: A cylindrical product with an inner gear formed by injection molding, a mold for the cylindrical product, and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The molded product may include a cylindrical base member, a spiral inner gear formed on an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical base member so as to be inclined to a circumferential direction of the cylindrical base member, and a spiral relief groove formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical base member adjacent to the inner gear. The relief groove may be wider than a tooth width of the inner gear.

Abstract: A three-dimensional image acquisition apparatus for acquiring a plurality of images of an object with the positions in focus shifted at predetermined step distances used for measuring the three-dimensional shape of an object.This three-dimensional image acquisition apparatus comprises an image forming lens, a two-dimensional image pickup means for converting the optical image of an object into electric signals and outputting the electric signals, at least one rotary support which has a plurality of transparent plates differing in thickness or refractive index or both secured thereto and is disposed so that when it is rotated the transparent plates in turn intersects the optical axis between the image forming lens and the object or the image forming lens and the two-dimensional image pickup means, and at least one drive means for intermittently or continuously rotating the rotary support.

Abstract: An improved electrochromic device of the type having an electrochromic electrode in contact with an ion conductor, the ion conductor in turn being in contact with a layer of gold. The improvement of the instant invention is to interpose a layer of ruthenium oxide between the ion conductor and the layer of gold. The layer of ruthenium oxide is not an electrochromic material.

Abstract: A protonic conductor comprises a silicon oxide doped with a Br.o slashed.nsted acid and a thermoplastic elastomer. It has excellent protonic conductivity, which is not substantially lowered even in a dry atmosphere and thereby ensures excellent working properties.

Abstract: A scanning optical apparatus is provided with a light source, a deflector and an aperture. A light beam generated from the light source is a linearly polarized light the polarized direction of which is inclined by 45.degree. with respect to a plane of deflection of the light beam which is defined to the light beam plane formed by the light beam deflected by the deflectively reflection surface of the deflector with the elapse of time. The light beam is scanned to be deflected by the deflector. The aperture for limiting a diameter of the light beam is arranged between the light source and the deflector.

Abstract: An aviator's helmet-mounted display includes a visor/combiner module (14) which is configured for use with an essentially standard aviator's flight helmet (12). The helmet-mounted display also includes a conformal image source and relay optics (ISRO) module (30) which is removably attachable to the aviator's helmet. This ISRO module (30) projects an image inwardly from outside the visor/combiner module through a transparent window portion (44) thereof and out and inner surface (48) of an angulated transparent viewing portion (18,20) of the visor/combiner module (14). The image is focused at infinity and is partially reflected from the inner surface (48) to an eye (50) of the aviator so that the image is superimposed on the aviator's view of an outside scene viewed through the viewing portion (18,20).

Abstract: The present invention eliminates the relay lens systems found in conventional helmet mounted displays (HMDs) by removing field distortions and aberrations with a contoured fiber optic faceplate placed in close proximity to a liquid crystal display (LCD) or cathode ray tube. The optical system typically consists of a spherical dielectric or holographically made collimator-combiner, a dielectric or holographically made fold mirror, and a contoured fiber optic faceplate. The fold mirror is flat, and the collimator-combiner is made by coating a spherical eye glass blank. The system is configured as a folded and tilted catadioptric projector with the novel feature being the contoured faceplate. There are no dispersive elements in the imaging assembly which means it can be completely polychromatic (full color) without the need for additional color correction optics as found in all refractive color systems.

Abstract: An electrically actuated microelectromechanical television scanning device for television image scanning or related functions. The scanning device can be produced in forms having characteristic dimensions in the submillimeter range. The scanning device consists of an electrostatically actuated plate with two degrees of freedom. A photoemitter, photoreceptor or other suitable device may be located on the plate, facilitating operation of the device as a flying spot scanner, television image dissector or television display. The scanning device can be fabricated similarly to monolithic integrated circuits.

Abstract: A monolithic DMD spatial light modulator (20) including a storage cell array (24) of charge storage elements (30). Each charge storage cell (30) is formed using robust MOS processes, and comprises a pair of capacitors (32) having a polysilicon electrode fabricated over a substrate, and separated by a thin oxide dielectric. Each capacitor (32) is shielded by several light impermeable metal shields (37, 64, 66, 68, 72, 74, 80, 82, 88) to prevent discharging due to light incident to SLM (20). The substrate electrode (38) is encompassed by an n+ doped region (42) providing a source of minority carriers to an inversion region under the polysilicon electrode (50).

Abstract: An electrochromic device comprising three elements. The first element is a first electrode. The second element is a second electrode. The second electrode is spaced apart from the first electrode so that there is a space between the first electrode and the second electrode. The third element is a dispersion positioned in the space. The dispersion is in electrical contact with the first electrode and with the second electrode. The dispersion comprises a transition metal surface substituted polyoxometalate and a solvent. The first and second electrodes can be a transparent electronically conducting layer of indium-tin oxide coated upon a panel of glass. The transition metal surface substituted polyoxometalate can be Li.sub.x MnPW.sub.11 O.sub.40. The dispersion is resistant to photodegradation such as discoloring in sunlight.