Abstract: A module for projecting a light beam comprises: a light source suitable for producing the light beam, a substantially flat support surface on which the source is arranged in a manner such as to emit the light beam from only one side of the surface, and a curved reflecting surface which extends on one side of the support surface and has its concavity facing towards the support surface, and which is capable of reflecting the light beam originating from the source in a principal direction substantially parallel to the support surface of the source, the reflecting surface being divided into a plurality of reflecting areas suitable for receiving respective portions of the light beam.

Abstract: A luminous display for automotive satellite navigation systems includes a panel equipped with light sources, for example made up of LEDs, arranged in a pre-ordered configuration of discrete segments, which can be combined with one another according to paths corresponding to the representation of a plurality of encoded generally arrow-shaped pictograms, each of which indicates a respective direction to follow indicated by the navigation system. The path to follow is highlighted with respect to possible alternative paths represented by the pictograms.

Abstract: An optical system for image projection, particularly for projection devices of the “head-mounted” type, includes a display, an optical system for focusing an image formed by the display, and a light guide having an extended body, with two opposite, longitudinal, plane and parallel faces, and opposite ends which define first reflecting surface for coupling into the light guide and second reflecting surface for extracting the image from the light guide. Each light ray which propagates through the light guide undergoes at least three internal total reflections on the parallel plane faces of the light guide. At least a surface of the focusing optical system is a portion of a surface free of rotational symmetry axes. Moreover, the two reflecting surfaces of the light guide are portions of surfaces free of rotational symmetry axes. Finally, the inlet pupil of the light guide coincides with the outlet pupil of the focusing system.

Abstract: A substrate made of transparent material having a surface presenting a regular and orderly distribution of reliefs or cavities of nanometric dimensions is obtained with a method including the depositing of a layer of aluminium on the substrate made of transparent material, and subsequent operations of anodization of the aluminium in order to obtain an alumina structure with an orderly distribution of pores according to a pattern that is transferred onto the surface of the transparent substrate. The alumina can be used as sacrificial layer or else can remain as forming an integral part of the finished product. The method is performed in such a way as to obtain cavities or reliefs sized and arranged so as to bestow upon the transparent substrate anti-reflection properties, so as to increase the percentage of radiation transmitted by the transparent substrate at the wavelengths at which said anti-reflection properties are manifested.

Abstract: An electro-optical system capable of being embarked aboard mobile ground or flying units, to determine the optical flow generated by obstacles in relative motion with respect to the mobile unit. The system comprises radiation emitter means (5), receiver means (1) for converting the radiation reflected by the objects into electrical signals and means (8) for processing the signals generated by the receiver means. The receiver means (1) are based on vision sensors with matrix configuration. The emitter means (5, 6) shape the radiation beam in such a way that the radiation reflected by the objects and collected by the receiver means impacts at least on a part of the receiver matrix. The processing means compute the optical flow only on the elements of the receiver matrix that are impacted by the radiation.

Abstract: An optical module for projecting a light beam comprises a solid body of transparent material into which a light source is sunk and which is delimited by an annular surface and by a central surface, and a substantially annular reflecting surface arranged around the solid body. The central and annular surfaces are suitable for receiving respective distinct portions of the luminous flux produced by the source. The reflecting surface may have a reflecting coating or may form part of a transparent body, in which case it works by total internal reflection. The reflecting surface reflects a portion of luminous flux refracted by the annular surface and shapes the flux into a predetermined distribution of luminous intensity about the principal axis. The annular surface is designed in a manner such as to reduce the overall thickness of the module by moving the refracted ray away from the principal axis.

Abstract: The lighting device comprises a light source and an associated hollow reflector of transparent material having an internal surface and an external surface which are close to and far away from the source respectively. The inner surface of the reflector has in cross section at least one transverse plane passing through the source a discontinuous profile forming a plurality of adjacent steps each of which has a first face through which rays originating from the source can pass and a second face essentially parallel to the rays originating from the source. The outer surface of the reflector has a profile comprising one or more arcs of curves.

Abstract: Described herein is a transparent-display device for motor vehicles, to be used for presentation of information to the driver and/or to the passengers, said device comprising a plurality of LED sources, addressable individually or in groups through a series of conductive paths, deposited on a transparent underlayer and connected to a control electronics, in which: i) said LED sources are integrated in the form of dice, i.e., of elements obtained by dividing up a semiconductor wafer and without package; ii) said dice are integrated on, and electrically connected to, said underlayer via technologies of the chip-on-board type; and iii) said transparent underlayer 1 is pre-arranged for being at least in part superimposed on the windscreen of the vehicle, in such a way that at least part of the information presented to the user is superimposed on the background, said background being visible to the user through said windscreen.

Abstract: Described herein is a transparent device for display of information superimposed on a background, said device comprising a plurality of LED sources, addressable individually or in groups through a series of conductive paths deposited on a transparent underlayer and connected to a control electronics, in which: i) said LED sources are integrated in the form of dice, i.e., of elements obtained by dividing up a semiconductor wafer and without package; and ii) at least one of said conductive paths is with interrupted stretches and replaced by stretches of metal wire, bonded to said paths through a wire-bonding operation.

Abstract: A method of fabrication of transparent LED devices, of the type comprising the operations of: i) providing a series of conductive paths on a transparent underlayer; ii) connecting said conductive paths to electronic control means; iii) associating to said underlayer an array of LED sources addressable individually or in groups through said conductive paths, in which i) said LED sources are integrated in the form of chips, i.e., of elements obtained by dividing up a semiconductor wafer and without package, via technologies of the chip-on-board type; ii) said method envisages the use of the flip-chip technique for die bonding, i.e., the electrical connection of the chip to the underlayer.

Abstract: An electro-optical system capable of being embarked aboard mobile ground or flying units, to determine the optical flow generated by obstacles in relative motion with respect to the mobile unit. The system comprises radiation emitter means (5), receiver means (1) for converting the radiation reflected by the objects into electrical signals and means (8) for processing the signals generated by the receiver means. The receiver means (1) are based on vision sensors with matrix configuration. The emitter means (5, 6) shape the radiation beam in such a way that the radiation reflected by the objects and collected by the receiver means impacts at least on a part of the receiver matrix. The processing means compute the optical flow only on the elements of the receiver matrix that are impacted by the radiation.

Abstract: An emitter (F) for incandescent light sources, in particular a filament, capable of being brought to incandescence by the passage of electric current is obtained in such a way as to have a value of spectral absorption ? that is high in the visible region of the spectrum and low in the infrared region of the spectrum, said absorption ? being defined as ?=1???T, where ? is the spectral reflectance and T is the spectral transmittance of the emitter.

Abstract: A module for projecting a light beam comprises a light source and a substantially flat support surface on which the source is arranged in a manner such as to emit light from only one side of the surface, and a reflector for reflecting the light emitted by the source. The reflector comprises a curved reflecting surface which extends on one side of the support surface, has a concavity facing towards the support surface, and can reflect the light coming from the source in a principal direction substantially parallel to the support surface of the source. An optical device for a module according to the invention and a vehicle front light assembly comprising a plurality of modules according to the invention form further subjects of the invention.

Abstract: A system for projecting a virtual image within an observer's field of view comprises a support element, a transparent element mounted on the support element and suitable for being placed in front of the observer's eyes, the transparent element comprising a first face and a second face, an image display device suitable for forming an additional image, and a projection and focusing device for projecting the additional image in a manner such as to present it superimposed on the image of the outside world. The display device comprise light-emitting devices disposed on one of the faces of the transparent element, and the projection and focusing device comprise optical elements associated with respective emitting devices and arranged on the other face. Each of the optical elements creates a virtual image of the emitting device associated therewith. The virtual images of the emitting devices together form the additional image.

Abstract: A light-emitting device comprises a light source in the form of an incandescent filament, a substantial part of which is integrated in a host element having at least one portion structured according to nanometric dimensions. The nano-structured portion is in the form of a photonic crystal or of a Bragg grating, for the purpose of obtaining an amplified or increased emission of radiation in the region of the visible.

Abstract: Interface system for assisting an operator during a work stage comprising a support structure wearable by the operator, with a transparent screen placed in front of the operator's eyes to permit him to see a portion of a background; a virtual image generator for producing an optical signal directed towards the operator's retina so as to form a virtual image at a predetermined distance from the operator's eyes and superimposed on the background; a recording device integral with the operator's head, to record part of the operator's visual field and make available a signal representative of the visual field; a processing device for processing the signal from the recording device and generating a visual information signal of use to the operator for carrying out the work stage; and a device of reception/transmission for sending the signal from the recording device to the processing device, and rendering the information signal to the virtual image generator.

Abstract: A light concentrator is described, for a device for the conversion of solar radiation into electrical, thermal or chemical energy, capable of conveying the radiation towards a surface of the conversion device. The concentrator comprises at least one portion of Fresnel lens of rotational symmetry, one face of which has a plurality of crests disposed concentrically about a centre so as to form a segmented transverse profile of the portion of Fresnel lens. The profile is formed in such a manner that the focal distance of the Fresnel lens is variable in dependence on the radial distance from the centre of the lens. The variation of the focal distance is determined such that, when the Fresnel lens is illuminated by polychromatic radiation, the superposition of the distributions of irradiance, produced by the lens at the individual wavelengths constituting the spectrum of the incident radiation, generates a substantially uniform distribution of polychromatic irradiance on the conversion device.

Abstract: The lighting device comprises a light source and an associated hollow reflector of transparent material having an internal surface and an external surface which are close to and far away from the source respectively. The inner surface of the reflector has in cross section at least one transverse plane passing through the source a discontinuous profile forming a plurality of adjacent steps each of which has a first face through which rays originating from the source can pass and a second face essentially parallel to the rays originating from the source. The outer surface of the reflector has a profile comprising one or more arcs of curves.

Abstract: A display arrangement for a vehicle instrument panel comprises a wearable support structure on which is disposed a transparent screen positioned in front of an eye of an user to permit part of the background to be seen through this screen; a virtual image generator disposed on the support to generate a virtual image and present it to the user's eyes at a predetermined distance and superimposed over the scene visible through the transparent screen; a device for detecting the position and orientation of the user's head; and a processor connected to vehicle control systems to provide the virtual image generator with a video signal containing information to deliver to the user on the basis of system signals provided by the control systems in such a way that the virtual image generator generates virtual visual information superimposed over the background in predetermined regions of the field of view.

Abstract: A light guide for display devices of the head-mounted or head-up type comprises: a body of the light guide (22) at least in part transparent to visible light; a coupling device (24) associated to the body of the light guide (22) and designed to couple the body (22) to an optical system (18) designed to generate an image, the coupling device (24) being obtained in such a way that the light beams coming from the optical system (18) enter the body of the light guide (22) and propagate within the body (22) by total internal reflection; and an image-extraction grating, designed to extract the light beam that propagate in the body of the light guide (22) so as to enable an observer to visualize the extracted image against a background visible in transparency through the body of the light guide (22), wherein the extraction grating (32) is set in the proximity of one of the outer surfaces of the guide and has a saw-tooth profile, and wherein the extraction grating (32) is coated with a partially reflecting coating