Abstract: The present invention relates to improved electro-optic rearview mirror elements and assemblies incorporating the same.

Abstract: Examples of the present invention include a gradient index element formed from a material such as a metamaterial, the material having an index profile and an index gradient profile, where the index profile includes at least one discontinuity and the index gradient profile is substantially continuous.

Abstract: A reversible recording material is disclosed. The reversible recording material includes one or more kinds of compounds having a structure shown in Chemical Formula (1) on a surface of metal oxide particles. In Chemical Formula (1), X shows a linkage including an element selected from Si, Ti, and Al; Y shows a linkage including a structure selected from Chemical Formula (2); Z shows a methylene group or a sulfide group capable of having a substituent group; Ar shows an aromatic group capable of having a substituent group; R1 and R2 show corresponding alkylene groups; R3 shows an alkylene group capable of forming a ring structure linked with —N—C—O— and able to have a substituent group; and “n” is an integer which is 1 or more.

Abstract: To provide an optical apparatus which controls an interface state to change a focal length by using an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes, and in particular an optical apparatus that controls a duty ratio of alternating current voltage applied to said electrodes for changing said interface form.

Abstract: A refraction measuring instrument for measuring the refraction of an eye to be examined while the subject is viewing an external object in a more natural posture. A measuring light beam from a light source 21 is reflected from a mirror 25, shaped into a beam with a ring cross section, directed to a free curved surface prism 31 along an optical axis O2, reflected from a surface 31b and a beam splitting surface 31a, guided to an eye E along an optical axis O1 together with the visible light from outside the instrument, and form a ring pattern on the fundus F. The measurement beam reflected from the fundus F is received by a CCD 23 through the free curved surface prism 31 and a prism 22, and a ring pattern is imaged. A calculation control device 4 analyzes the imaged ring pattern and calculates the sphericity, the degree of astigmatism, and the astigmatic axis angle. For measurement, the subject A wears the refraction measuring instrument 1 on the head H through a wearing section 1a.

Abstract: An adaptive optics phoropter is aligned with a Badal optometer and an adjustable aperture component to subjectively determine an optimal vision correction as a power profile for an ophthalmic lens or ablating a cornea. The optimal power profile is preferably determined in an iterative process by adjusting the vergence of the Badal optometer and aperture size of the adjustable aperture component for power profiles with presbyopic power zones having different amplitudes, shapes, widths, and/or de-centering. Also included is a method of recursively computing a refractive surface with a regular presbyopic power zone (e.g., according to the optimal power profile) and adding it onto an underlying irregular Zernike-basis-set aberration-corrected surface in a linear fashion for fabricating an ophthalmic lens.

Abstract: A microscope objective system including an objective, which includes an illumination beam path via which illumination radiation from a source is directed onto an object to be examined, as well as a partial detection beam path surrounding at least part of the illumination beam path and, together with the illumination beam path, forms a detection beam path via which radiation to be detected and coming from the sample is guided towards a detector.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an array of MEMS devices includes the formation of support structures located at the edge of upper strip electrodes. A support structure is etched to form a pair of individual support structures located at the edges of a pair of adjacent electrodes. The electrodes themselves may be used as a hard mask during the etching of these support structures. A resultant array of MEMS devices includes support structures having a face located at the edge of an overlying electrode and coincident with the edge of the overlying electrode.

Abstract: An ophthalmic measurement apparatus capable of outputting correction data (objective values) for a patient's eye as approximate as possible to subjective values includes an optical system for projecting a measurement target onto a fundus and detecting an image of the target reflected therefrom using a photoelectric element so as to obtain measurement data on eye refractive power distribution or wavefront aberration, an optical system for photographing an anterior-segment including a pupil using an image-pickup element, a device which detects a size of a pupil area by image processing, and a device which obtains a spherical power, an astigmatic power, and an astigmatic axial angle based on the data within a given area smaller than the pupil area when the detected size is larger than a reference size, and obtains the three values based on the data within the pupil area when the detected size is smaller than the reference size.

Abstract: A lens having a supercritical fluid is disclosed. The lens includes a package storing a supercritical fluid and a density changing element for changing the density of the fluid.

Abstract: An encapsulated micro device includes a micro device on a substrate within a chamber, a transparent encapsulation cover in part defining the chamber, an opaque layered structure on the encapsulation cover and inside the chamber. The layered structure includes an opening over the micro device and is configured to absorb light and moisture in the chamber. A spacer wall between the substrate and the encapsulation cover in part defines the chamber.

Abstract: A negative first group G1 is fixed when a power of the projection zoom lens varies and has a focusing function. A positive second group G2, a positive or negative third group G3, a positive fourth group G4 and a positive or negative group G5 move with a mutual relationship. A sixth group G6 functions as a relay lens. The fifth group G5 includes a cemented lens formed by cementing a negative meniscus lens L10 having a convex surface directed to the magnification side, a negative lens L11 and a positive lens L12 in order from a magnification side, and a positive lens L13 having a convex surface directed to a reduction side. Also, an expression |F5|/F>4.5 is satisfied where F denotes a focal length of the projection zoom lens at a wide-angle end and F5 denotes a focal length of the fifth group.

Abstract: An optical waveguide is formed of a stack of electro-optic effect films. A stress-relief layer is formed between a substrate and the optical waveguide. The stress-relief layer is comprised of a metal material having a thermal expansion coefficient of 10×10?6/° C. or higher, for example, a metal material whose major component is one of Au, Ag, and an alloy thereof, and has a function of relieving a binding force to the optical waveguide ascribable to the substrate.

Abstract: An optical device includes: a sealed container having edge walls facing each other in a thickness direction of the container and a side wall connecting both of the edge walls; a first liquid with polarity or electrical conductivity and sealed within the container; a second liquid that is sealed within the container and does not mixed with the first liquid; and a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage across the first liquid. The first and second liquid have equal specific gravity, and transmissivity of the first liquid is lower than the transmissivity of the second liquid. An interface between the first liquid and the second liquid changes shape in response to a voltage applied by the voltage applying unit. The first liquid is formed so as to have equal specific gravity to the second liquid by mixing three or more kinds of liquids each having a different specific gravity.

Abstract: An optical path switching device is provided. The optical path switching device utilizes the electro-optic effect to apply an electric field on different reflective elements without moving an input/output end of optical signal or reflective elements. Thus, the reflective elements reflect optical beams to control travel paths of the optical beams, so as to switch the optical paths in the absence of mechanical motion.

Abstract: An information display panel wherein display media consists of at least one kind of particle and having optical reflectance and charging characteristics are sealed between two opposed substrates, at least one of which is transparent. The display media, to which an electrostatic field is applied, are made to move so as to display information. A member for securing a gap space is formed in the outer and inner peripheral sides of a sealing agent placement part provided in the outer edge portion of an display area of the panel. The member provided in the outer peripheral side is provided evenly in each side and densely in each corner portion. The member provided in the inner peripheral side is provided with chamfered corners in each corner portion, so that the member for securing the gap space does not contact to the sealing agent placement part.

Abstract: In a liquid immersion type projection optical system for forming an image of a first plane on a second plane, an optical path between the optical system and the second plane is filled with a liquid having the refractive index larger than 1.5, and the optical system has a boundary optical element whose surface on the first plane side is in contact with a gas and whose surface on the second plane side is in contact with the liquid. The optical system satisfies the condition of 3.2<Nb·Eb/|Rb|<4.0, where Rb is a radius of curvature of the surface on the first plane side of the boundary optical element, Eb an effective diameter of the surface on the first plane side of the boundary optical element, and Nb a refractive index for used light, of an optical material forming the boundary optical element.

Abstract: A zoom lens is provided and has a first group having a positive refractive power, a second group having a negative refractive power, an aperture stop, a third group having a positive refractive power and a fourth group having a positive refractive power, which groups are arranged in this order from the object side. The first group has a three-group four-lens configuration where a cemented lens of a negative lens and a positive lens, and two positive single-lenses and are disposed in this order from the object side. The second group has a three-group four-lens configuration where two single-lenses and each having a negative refractive power with a strong concave surface on the image side, and a cemented lens of a double-concave lens and a positive lens are disposed in this order from the object side.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side, a first lens group having a positive refracting power, a second lens group having a negative refracting power, a third lens group having a positive refracting power, a fourth lens group having a positive refracting power, and the first lens group being moved to the object side during changing a magnification from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, and the fourth lens group comprises one positive lens, both surfaces of the positive lens are an aspheric surface, respectively, and total displacement of the first lens group during changing the magnification from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, X1 and an focal length of an entire system at the telephoto end, fT satisfy the following condition: (1) 0.30<X1/fT<0.85.

Abstract: An electro-optic display comprises a backplane; a layer of electro-optic material disposed adjacent the backplane; a protective layer; and a sealing layer of a metal or a ceramic extending between the backplane and the protective layer, and thus sealing the layer of electro-optic material from the outside environment.