Abstract: The present invention provides a three-dimensional endoscope system comprising a three-dimensional imaging device and a three-dimensional display device using a variable focal length micromirror array lens. The micromirror array lens has enough focusing speed and focusing depth range for three-dimensional imaging and realistic three-dimensional display.

Abstract: The present invention provides a real-time three-dimensional pattern recognition imaging system having a variable focal length, a wide depth of field, a high depth resolution, a fast acquisition time, a variable magnification, a variable optical axis for tracking, and capability of compensating various optical distortions and aberrations, which enables pattern recognition systems to be more accurate as well as more robust to environmental variation. The imaging system for pattern recognition comprises one or more camera system, each of which has at least one micromirror array lens(MMAL), a two-dimensional image senor, and an image processing unit. A MMAL has unique features including a variable focal length, a variable optical axis, and a variable magnification.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image-guided microsurgery system comprising a real-time three-dimensional microscopic imaging device and a three-dimensional display device. The imaging device generates an all-in-focus image or in-focus depthwise images with depth information in various fields of view, and the display device shows realistic three-dimensional images with features including reducing eye fatigue, watching by multiple viewers, two-dimensional/three-dimensional compatibility, color expression and high depth resolution, low manufacturing cost, and no significant data amount increase.

Abstract: A two-dimensional image projection device using array of micromirror array lenses and a random scanning technique is invented. Using the random scanning technique, the light efficiency is nearly doubled than that of the prior art. The invention makes a brighter and less power consuming display device possible. Because each micromirror array lens of array of micromirror array lenses can scan whole image plane, a fast self diagnosis and correction technique can be introduced in displaying device. The Self diagnosis and correction technique makes display device to maintain image quality even a few tens percent of micromirrors do not work properly. Owing to the scanning characteristics of micromirror array lens, the image projection device can express the same number of pixels image with less number of micromirrors than the prior art. This also enables small sized two-dimensional image projector, which can be incorporated in portable electronic equipments.

Abstract: An automatic focusing system comprises at least one micromirror array lens, an image sensor, and a signal processor. The micromirror array lens images an object and focuses the image on the image sensor. The image sensor receives the light and converts the photo energy of the light to electrical energy in the form of an electrical signal. The image sensor sends the electrical signal, which carries image data concerning the object, to the signal processor. The signal processor receives the electrical signal, compares the image quality of the image data to its focus criteria, and generates a control signal, which it sends to the micromirror array lens to adjust the focal length of the micromirror array lens. This iterative process is continued until the quality of the image data meets the focus criteria, and the process is completed within the afterimage speed of the human eye.

Abstract: A discretely controlled micromirror array lens (DCMAL) consists of many discretely controlled micromirrors (DCMs) and actuating components. The actuating components control the positions of DCMs electrostatically. The optical efficiency of the DCMAL is increased by locating a mechanical structure upholding DCMs and the actuating components under DCMs to increase an effective reflective area. The known microelectronics technologies can remove the loss in effective reflective area due to electrode pads and wires. The lens can correct aberrations by controlling DCMs independently. Independent control of each DCM is possible by known microelectronics technologies. The DCM array can also form a lens with arbitrary shape and/or size, or a lens array comprising the lenses with arbitrary shape and/or size.

Abstract: Television broadcasting systems of this invention comprise an imaging system, and transmission system, and a displaying system. The imaging system captures two-dimensional images of an object at different focal plane, and generates an all-in-focused image and depth profile. A data signal carrying the image data is generated and transmitted over a broadcasting system compatible with commercial two-dimensional television broadcasting, cable, and/or alternative systems. The depth profile is transmitted by using vacant space in video/audio signal within the allocated channel bandwidth. The data signal is received by the displaying system and the extracts the all-in-focused image and depth information from the data signal. The object is restored from all-in-focused image and depth profile and displayed on the displaying system as a three-dimensional spatial image. Viewers having conventional two-dimensional display device can watch enhanced two-dimensional images.

Abstract: This invention provides the two types of Discretely Controlled Micromirror (DCM), which can overcome disadvantages of the conventional electrostatic micromirrors. The first type micromirror is a Variable Supporter Discretely Controlled Micromirror (VSDCM), which has a larger displacement range than the conventional electrostatic micromirror. The displacement accuracy of the VSDCM is better than that of the conventional electrostatic micromirror and the low driving voltage is compatible with IC components. The second type of DCM, the Segmented Electrode Discretely Controlled Micromirror (SEDCM) has same disadvantages with the conventional electrostatic micromirror. But the SEDCM is compatible with known microelectronics technologies.

Abstract: A beam focusing and scanning system using a micromirror array lens (optical system) includes a light source configured to emit light and a micromirror array lens, including at least one micromirror, optically coupled to the light source, configured to reflect the light onto a projection medium (projection plane). The optical system also includes at least one actuating component coupled to the at least one micromirror, configured to move the at least one micromirror to enable the at least one micromirror to focus the light on the projection medium. The advantages of the present invention include high speed variable focusing and scanning, large focal length variation, phase compensation, high reliability and optical efficiency, low power consumption and low cost.

Abstract: A new three-dimensional imaging device has been needed to overcome the problems of the prior arts that the used variable focal length lenses that are still slow, have small focal length variation and low focusing efficiency, and requires a complex mechanism to control it. The invented three-dimensional imaging system uses the variable focal length micromirror array lens. Since the micromirror array lens has lots of advantages such as very fast response time, large focal length variation, high optical focusing efficiency, large size aperture, low cost, simple mechanism, and so on, the three-dimensional imaging device can get a real-time three-dimensional image with large depth range and high depth resolution.

Abstract: There is a need for a small and fast optical zoom device that can change magnification. Conventional zoom devices require coupled mechanical motions to adjust the axial separations between individual or groups of elements in order to change the optical magnification. The mechanical motions decrease the speed of zooming, increase space and weight for zoom system, may induce unwanted jitter, and require large power consumption. In addition, the mechanical zoom system is restricted to magnifying the area on-axis. To solve problems of conventional zoom system, the zoom system utilizing one or more variable focal length micromirror array lenses without macroscopic mechanical motion of lenses is invented.

Abstract: A vibration correction device in an imaging device includes a micromirror array lens, configured to focus an object image onto an image sensor, and a vibration determination device, communicatively coupled to the micromirror array lens, configured to determine vibration of the imaging device and to generate a vibration correction signal. The micromirror array lens is adjusted to change its optical axis based at least in part on the vibration correction signal to correct for the vibration of the micromirror array lens. In one aspect, the micromirror array lens includes a plurality of micromirrors and the optical axis is changed by translation and/or rotation of the plurality of micromirrors. The advantages of the present invention include elimination of need for mechanical macromotions to adjust the optical axis, high sampling rate, simple structure, and flexibility to use any type of vibration determination device.

Abstract: An optical tracking system using a variable focal length lens includes at least one camera system, and the at least one camera system includes an objective lens system, configured to receive an object image, and at least one micromirror array lens, optically coupled to the objective lens system, configured to focus the object image received by the objective lens system onto an image sensor. The image sensor is optically coupled to the micromirror array lens, configured to receive the focused object image from the micromirror array lens and to sense the focused object image. The advantages of the present invention include ability to rapidly change the focal length and optical axis of a camera system, allowing for high-resolution, wide-angle imaging.

Abstract: A three-dimensional display device includes a two-dimensional display displaying a first image, and a variable focusing lens receiving light from the two-dimensional display and forming a second image. The variable focusing lens reflects light from the two-dimensional display. The first image includes a predetermined number of first depthwise images that are displayed within a unit time, and the second image includes corresponding second depthwise images. Each depthwise image represents the portion of the first image having the same image depth, and the two-dimensional display displays one depthwise image at a time. The focal length of the variable focusing lens changes according to the depth of the depthwise image being displayed. A micromirror array lens is used as the variable focusing lens. The micromirror array lens has enough speed and focusing depth range for realistic three-dimensional display.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3-D) display system using a variable focal length lens includes at least one two-dimensional (2-D) display device, configured to display at least one two-dimensional image. The display system also includes an array of micromirror array lenses optically coupled to the display device, each micromirror array lens of the array of micromirror array lenses placed at a different location with respect to the display device, configured to focus the at least one two-dimensional image from each different location to provide a three-dimensional (3-D) image. The advantages of the present invention include increased viewing angles and wide depth range of three-dimensional images.