With Birefringent Element Patents (Class 359/256)
  • Patent number: 11480735
    Abstract: An optical isolator has optical fibers arranged on a single side. The optical isolator includes an input optical fiber, an output optical fiber, an input splitting/combining device, an output splitting/combining device, an input optical rotation device, an output optical rotation device, a lens, a Faraday rotator, and a reflector. The input optical fiber and the output optical fiber are on a same side of each of the lens, the Faraday rotator, and the reflector. The optical isolator with input and output optical fibers arranged on a single side only needs to use one lens. The input and output splitting/combining devices are fixed on an end surfaces of input/output optical fibers, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: II-VI DELAWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Yuping Wu, Peng Xiao, Danping Wei
  • Patent number: 11110864
    Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a minor head pivotable about a minor support, which is configured to attach at an interior portion of the vehicle. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and at least partially transmits incident light therethrough. A video display device is disposed behind the minor reflective element and includes a display screen backlit by a backlighting device, with the backlighting device including a plurality of micro-LEDs. With the minor support attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, the video display device is operable to display video images captured by a camera of the vehicle, whereby light emitted by the video display device passes through the mirror reflective element for viewing displayed video images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Gregory A. Huizen, Eric Peterson
  • Patent number: 11095038
    Abstract: The present invention provides a polarization control plate including n layers (n?4) of overlapping admittance sheets (10-1 to 10-6) each of which includes a plurality of plane unit cells, in which an admittance of a first plane unit cell included in an admittance sheet in a layer a (1?a?n) and an admittance of a second plane unit cell being included in an admittance sheet in a layer b (1?b?n and b?a) and overlapping the first plane unit cell are different from each other, and an admittance of the plane unit cell in an x direction and an admittance of the plane unit cell in a y direction are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kasahara, Eiji Hankui, Hiroshi Toyao, Keishi Kosaka, Mingqi Wu
  • Patent number: 10684402
    Abstract: A birefringent device, which is configured to be mounted in an optical path of an optical system, has an effective area in a pupil plane. The birefringent device affects different polarization states differently and position-dependently. The birefringent device realizes a first pupil function assigned to a first polarization state and a second different pupil function assigned to a second polarization state. The pupil functions may be optimized to achieve various specific optical properties like extended depth of field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Buehler, Markus Kamm, Marco Hering
  • Patent number: 10608400
    Abstract: Devices and techniques that use nonlinear optical effects in optical fiber to generate optical pulses via nonlinear optical wave mixing for various applications such as coherent Raman microscopic measurements and optical parametric oscillators. In some implementations, a tunable optical delay path is provided to cause an adjustable delay for synchronizing two optical beams of optical pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Frank Wise, Simon Lefrancois
  • Patent number: 10088292
    Abstract: A phase-resolved heterodyne shearing interferometer has been developed for high-rate, whole field observations of transient surface motion. The sensor utilizes polarization multiplexing and multiple carrier frequencies to separate each segment of a shearing Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Post-processing routines have been developed to recombine the segments by extracting the scattered object phase from Doppler shifted intermediate carrier frequencies, providing quantitative relative phase changes and information to create variable shear, phase resolved shearographic fringe patterns without temporal or spatial phase shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY
    Inventors: James D. Perea, Bradley W. Libbey
  • Patent number: 9778475
    Abstract: A universal polarization converter is provided including a polarizer configured to receive unpolarized light. The polarizer is further configured to split the received unpolarized light into a first and second polarized state. At least two quarter wave phase retarders are configured to convert each of the first and second polarized states to opposite handed polarized beams. A cholesteric mirror is configured to combine the opposite handed polarized beams. In other embodiments, the cholesteric mirror may be replaced by a second polarizer and optional quarter wave retardation plate. Further embodiments may include a single polarization converter and multiple quarter wave retardation plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as represesnted by the Secretary of the Air Forice
    Inventor: Gary Cook
  • Patent number: 9759924
    Abstract: A system for shaping a beam comprises an emitter for emitting coherent electromagnetic radiation. Birefringent displacers are configured between the emitter and a target wherein the at least two birefringent displacers split the coherent electromagnetic radiation into a plurality of coherent parallel beams of electromagnetic radiation thereby producing a shaped wave front of the coherent parallel beams of electromagnetic radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Fermi Research Alliance, LLC
    Inventor: Todd R. Johnson
  • Patent number: 9748728
    Abstract: Provided is an optical parametric oscillation laser based on I-type quasi-phase matching. The optical parametric oscillation laser comprises a femtosecond laser pumping source (1), an input coupling mirror (3), an Mg:PPLN crystal (4), an output coupling mirror (7) and a beam splitter prism (12), wherein the femtosecond laser pumping source (1) of a synchronous pump, the input coupling mirror (3), the Mg:PPLN crystal (4), the output coupling mirror (7) and the beam splitter prism (12) are sequentially placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: SHENZHEN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Haizhe Zhong, Ying Li, Lifu Zhang, Shuangchun Wen, Dianyuan Fan
  • Patent number: 9513481
    Abstract: There is provided a light-guide, compact collimating optical device, including a light-guide having a light-waves entrance surface, a light-waves exit surface and a plurality of external surfaces, a light-waves reflecting surface carried by the light-guide at one of the external surfaces, two retardation plates carried by light-guides on a portion of the external surfaces, a light-waves polarizing beamsplitter disposed at an angle to one of the light-waves entrance or exit surfaces, and a light-waves collimating component covering a portion of one of the retardation plates. A system including the optical device and a substrate, is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: LUMUS LTD.
    Inventors: Naamah Levin, Mali Mansharof, Yaakov Amitai
  • Patent number: 9413459
    Abstract: A Universal Serial Bus (USB) dongle may include an optical transceiver having a USB interface for engagement to an electronic device such as a laptop computer or other USB-configured device. The USB dongle may include a converter or buffering, isolation, modulation or amplification circuitry. The USB dongle sends and receives data signals which may be carried upon an optical transmission as generated by an LED light source which in turn is in communication with a host device such as a network processor. The USB dongle may also include operational amplifiers (op-amps) and transistor amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Pederson, Paul R. Brown, Timothy J. Vogt
  • Publication number: 20140348460
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an optical phase shifter includes a first phase-shifter configured to phase shift a transverse electric (TE) component of an optical signal by a first phase-shift to produce a TE component of a first signal, and a transverse magnetic (TM) component of the optical signal by a second phase-shift to produce a TM component of the first signal. The optical phase-shifter includes a polarization-rotator configured to rotate the TE component of the first signal to produce a TM component of a rotated signal, and the TM component of the first signal to produce a TE component of the rotated signal. The optical phase-shifter includes a second phase-shifter configured to phase-shift a TE component of the rotated signal by a third phase-shift, and the TM component of the rotated signal by a fourth phase-shift, where the first phase-shifter, the polarization-rotator, and the second phase-shifter are integrated on a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: FutureWei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryce Dorin, Winnie N. Ye
  • Publication number: 20140300838
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a light modulating module attached on a display side of a reflective display apparatus, including: a light source portion capable of providing an illumination light beam, wherein the illumination light beam is capable of being transmitted to the reflective display apparatus, and the reflective display apparatus is adapted to reflect the illumination light beam to generate an image light beam; and an image light modulating device is disposed above the reflective display apparatus and disposed in a light path of the image light beam, wherein the image light modulating device is capable of modulating a direction and/or a polarization state of the image light beam, and the image light beam is emitted to either a left or right eye of a viewer to form an autostereoscopic image perceivable to the viewer after the image light beam passes through the image light modulating device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Yeong-Feng WANG, Ming-Wei TSAI, Keh-Su CHANG, Rong-Chang LIANG
  • Patent number: 8854713
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a power selective optical filter device includes an input polarizer for selectively transmitting an input signal. The device includes a wave-plate structure positioned to receive the input signal, which includes at least one substantially zero-order, zero-wave plate. The zero-order, zero-wave plate is configured to alter a polarization state of the input signal passing in a manner that depends on the power of the input signal. The zero-order, zero-wave plate includes an entry and exit wave plate each having a fast axis, with the fast axes oriented substantially perpendicular to each other. Each entry wave plate is oriented relative to a transmission axis of the input polarizer at a respective angle. An output polarizer is positioned to receive a signal output from the wave-plate structure and selectively transmits the signal based on the polarization state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey P. Koplow
  • Publication number: 20140210960
    Abstract: A complex spatial light modulator and a three-dimensional (3D) image display apparatus including the complex spatial light modulator are provided. The complex spatial light modulator includes: a spatial light modulator that modulates a phase of light; a prism array including a plurality of prism units, each of the plurality of prism units including a first prism surface and second prism surface, where light from the spatial light modulator is incident on the prism array; and a polarization-independent diffracting element that diffracts light that has passed through the prism array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicants: KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gee-young SUNG, Hwi KIM, Hoon SONG, Kang-hee WON, Hong-seok LEE
  • Patent number: 8736777
    Abstract: A VIS-NIR hyperspectral imaging filter has serial stages along an optical signal path with angularly distributed birefringent retarders and polarizers. The retarders can include active retarders such as tunable liquid crystal birefringent elements, passive retarders such as fixed retarders, and/or combinations thereof. Distinctly different periodic transmission spectra are provided by different filter stages, each having multiple retarders, in particular with some stages having broad bandpass peaks at wide spectral spacing and other stages have very narrow closely spaced peaks. The respective spectra include at least one tunably selectable band at which the transmission spectra of the filter stages coincide, whereby the salutary narrow bandpass and wide spectral spacing ranges of different stages apply together, resulting in a high finesse wavelength filter suitable for spectral imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: ChemImage Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Voigt, Lei Shi, George Venturis
  • Publication number: 20140111845
    Abstract: A display device comprises: a first substrate (20), a first polarizer (10), a second polarizer (50), a first electrode (30), a second electrode (31), an electrically controlled birefringence crystal layer (40). The first polarizer (10) is attached to the first substrate (20). The second polarizer (50) is disposed to face the first substrate (20) and parallel to the first substrate (20). The first electrode (30) and the second electrode (31) are disposed between the first substrate (20) and the second polarizer (50) and separate from each other. The electrically controlled birefringence crystal layer (40) is disposed between the first electrode (30) and the second electrode (31) and has a primary electro-optic effect. The corresponding manufacturing method for a display is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Xiaodong Zhou, Jaegeon You, Jikai Yao
  • Publication number: 20130321888
    Abstract: A complex spatial light modulator includes a polarization-phase modulator for separating an incident beam into a first beam having a first polarization and a first phase, and a second beam having a second polarization and a second phase, and for outputting the first beam and the second beam; and a beam synthesizer including a prism structure formed of an optical anisotropic material having a first refractive index with respect to the first beam having the first polarization and having a second refractive index, different form the first refractive index, with respect to the second beam having the second polarization, where the beam synthesizer combines the first beam and the second beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gee-young SUNG, Hoon SONG, Kang-hee WON, Kyu-hwan CHOI
  • Publication number: 20130314759
    Abstract: An optical system includes a display panel, an image former, a viewing window, a proximal beam splitter, and a distal beam splitter. The display panel is configured to generate a light pattern. The image former is configured to form a virtual image from the light pattern generated by the display panel. The viewing window is configured to allow outside light in from outside of the optical system. The virtual image and the outside light are viewable along a viewing axis extending through the proximal beam splitter. The distal beam splitter is optically coupled to the display panel and the proximal beam splitter and has a beam-splitting interface in a plane that is parallel to the viewing axis. A camera may also be optically coupled to the distal beam splitter so as to be able to receive a portion of the outside light that is viewable along the viewing axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoyu Miao, Adrian Wong, Babak Amirparviz
  • Patent number: 8570645
    Abstract: A beam steering device (300) for deflecting a beam of light is provided. The beam steering device comprises a first deflecting member (310), a rotating member (320), and a second deflecting member (330). For an incoming beam of light having components (303, 302) with their polarization parallel (303?) and perpendicular (302?), respectively, to an optic axis (314, 334) of the beam steering device, the parallel component (303) is deflected by a first angle (304) when passing the first deflecting member. When passing the rotating member, the polarization (303?, 302?) of the beam of light is rotated by 90 degrees (303?, 302?). When passing the second deflecting member, the perpendicular component (302) is deflected by a second angle (305).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Fetze Pijlman, Marcellinus Petrus Carolus Michael Krijn, Michel Cornelis Josephus Marie Vissenberg, Lieven Raf Roger Desmet, Baptiste Fleury Louis Delplanque, Tim Dekker
  • Patent number: 8422110
    Abstract: An optical switch changes the refractive index of an electro-optical crystal according to an electric field applied to the electro-optical crystal so as to switch depending on whether the electro-optical crystal enables incident light to pass through or whether the electro-optical crystal enables incident light to be totally reflected. The optical switch includes an electrode section including a plurality of electrodes and formed in the electro-optical crystal, a principal plane including the largest area of each electrode on a same plane of the electro-optical crystal; an insulator layer on at least one plane of the electro-optical crystal, the plane being parallel with the electrode section, the insulator layer made of an insulator with lower dielectric constant than the electro-optical crystal; and a temperature control device formed on and in contact with the insulator layer and controls a temperature of the electrode section or dissipates heat generated in the electrode section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Ohta, Osamu Ishibashi, Fujio Okumura
  • Patent number: 8400574
    Abstract: A SWIR hyperspectral imaging filter has serial stages along an optical signal path with angularly distributed birefringent retarders and polarizers. The retarders can include active retarders such as tunable liquid crystal birefringent elements, passive retarders such as fixed retarders, and/or combinations thereof. Distinctly different periodic transmission spectra are provided by different filter stages, each having multiple retarders, in particular with some stages having broad bandpass peaks at wide spectral spacing and other stages have very narrow closely spaced peaks. The respective spectra include at least one tunably selectable band at which the transmission spectra of the filter stages coincide, whereby the salutary narrow bandpass and wide spectral spacing ranges of different stages apply together, resulting in a high finesse wavelength filter suitable for spectral imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: ChemImage Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Voigt, Lei Shi, Zili Li, George Ventouris, Michael Fuhrman
  • Patent number: 8390914
    Abstract: A controllable light directional distributor for an illumination apparatus, and a method of manufacture of the same in which multiple elongate optical elements are arranged to provide controllable divergence angle from a light source with low divergence output angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Optovate Limited
    Inventors: Graham John Woodgate, Jonathan Harrold
  • Publication number: 20130021658
    Abstract: An optical system includes a display panel, an image former, a viewing window, a proximal beam splitter, and a distal beam splitter. The display panel is configured to generate a light pattern. The image former is configured to form a virtual image from the light pattern generated by the display panel. The viewing window is configured to allow outside light in from outside of the optical system. The virtual image and the outside light are viewable along a viewing axis extending through the proximal beam splitter. The distal beam splitter is optically coupled to the display panel and the proximal beam splitter and has a beam-splitting interface in a plane that is parallel to the viewing axis. A camera may also be optically coupled to the distal beam splitter so as to be able to receive a portion of the outside light that is viewable along the viewing axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Xiaoyu Miao, Adrian Wong, Babak Amirparviz
  • Patent number: 8339556
    Abstract: Provided is an electro-optical device which allows high-speed response and has high luminance and contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kagawa, Shintaro Takeda
  • Patent number: 8305689
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a light source apparatus or the like provided with a structure that can block reflected return light also when an emitting end side of an optical isolator is a space. The light source apparatus comprises a light source section, a guide section, and an optical module. The optical module includes a collimator, an optical isolator, and an oblique-beam blocking section. The collimator outputs collimated light with a predetermined beam diameter as a forward propagating beam. The optical isolator is a polarization-independent optical isolator that introduces the collimated light from a first end and outputs this collimated light from a second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoki Kakui, Kazuo Nakamae, Shinobu Tamaoki
  • Patent number: 8305676
    Abstract: An optical deflector includes multiple voltage-dependent refractive boundaries. Light passes through the refractive boundaries and accumulates a deflection angle. An electrode placed to apply a voltage to the boundaries may be non-uniform to modulate a wavefront as it passes. A scanning laser projector includes the optical deflector to modulate laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
    Inventor: Bin Xue
  • Patent number: 8287129
    Abstract: An imaging system having reduced susceptibility to thermally induced stress birefringence, comprising; a relay lens, which images the object plane onto an intermediate image plane; a projection lens, which images the intermediate image plane onto the display surface. The lens elements that are immediately adjacent to a relay lens aperture stop and a projection lens aperture stop are fabricated using glasses having a negligible susceptibility to thermal stress birefringence, and the other lens elements are fabricated using glasses having at most a moderate susceptibility to thermal stress birefringence as characterized by the thermal stress birefringence metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Andrew F. Kurtz, Joseph R. Bietry, Barry D. Silverstein
  • Patent number: 8279511
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for producing polarized light, having a modulator crystal, where the modulator crystal incorporates a birefringent electro- optic material. The modulator crystal has an optic axis, a first polarization axis, and a second polarization axis, where the first polarization axis and second polarization axis are each perpendicular to the optic axis and perpendicular to each other. The apparatus can also include an electrode pair, where application of an electric field modulates light passing through the modulator crystal that is polarized along the first polarization axis. Embodiments pertain to a method and apparatus for modulating light. The apparatus incorporates a modulator crystal having an electro-optic material. The device also has at least two electrode pairs, where each electrode pair that modulates light passing through the modulator crystal that has a direction of travel that has a component parallel to the optic axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Volker M. Quetschke, Wan Wu, Luke Williams, Muzammil A. Arain, Rodica Martin, David Reitze, David B. Tanner, Guido Mueller
  • Patent number: 8159739
    Abstract: A display apparatus comprises a spatial light modulator and optical elements in series therewith. The optical elements provide a first parallax element being a parallax barrier capable of directing light output from the display apparatus into a first plurality of viewing windows, and a second parallax element capable of directing light output from the display apparatus into a second plurality of viewing windows. In a first mode, the first and second parallax elements have substantially no directional effect on the light output from the display apparatus. In a second mode, the first parallax element directs light output from the display apparatus into the first plurality of viewing windows and the second optical element has substantially no directional effect. In a third mode, the second optical element directs light output from the display apparatus into the second plurality of viewing windows and the first parallax element has substantially no directional effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Graham John Woodgate, Jonathan Harrold
  • Publication number: 20120075540
    Abstract: A stereo display includes a display panel, a first polarizer modulator disposed above the display panel, and a second polarizer modulator disposed above the first polarizer modulator. The second polarizer modulator includes a first lens set, a second lens set opposite to the first lens set, a polarization material, and a birefringent material. An angle between an extending direction of the first lens set and an extending direction of the second lens set is not 0 or 180 degrees. The polarization material is between the first lens set and the second lens set. The birefringent material is disposed in at least one of the first lens set and the second lens set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: AU OPTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chao-Yuan Chen, Yu-Chieh Chen
  • Publication number: 20120028193
    Abstract: A birefringence pattern builder used in a method of producing a patterned birefringent product including a step of patterned light exposure of an optically anisotropic layer and a step of heating the layer after the light exposure to 50° C. or higher but not higher than 400° C., which include the optically anisotropic layer, a support, and a laminate film in this order, is provided. The birefringence pattern builder prevents nonuniformity of functional layers that may generate in the production process, is useful for a production method that hardly causes nonuniformity in the patterned birefringent product even after a rolling-up step in the industrial production process, and enables a production of a thinner product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventors: Osamu SAWANOBORI, Hideaki Itou
  • Publication number: 20110109869
    Abstract: A reconfigurable optical cross-connect switch includes N input ports and M output ports, where N and M are integers with a value of two or more. The switch has a set of switching stages where each switching stage includes a polarization switch to receive an input linearly polarized optical beam. One or more birefringent prism pairs associated with the polarization switch directs the input linearly polarized optical beam to any of the M output ports through control of the polarization switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: CoAdna Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: FENGHUA LI
  • Patent number: 7929066
    Abstract: The invention relates to stereoscopic video equipment and can be used to design stereoscopic TV sets and monitors with a possibility to observe stereo images both glasses-free and with use of passive glasses while keeping a possibility to observe monoscopic images. These possibilities are provided in the method and in the device by means of a light flux elliptical polarization modulator with polarization modulation parameters determined by inverse trigonometric functions such as arctg, arcctg, arccos and arcsin (or their combinations) from algebraic relations between squared amplitudes of image temporal scanning signals, that permits with help of spatially-periodic polarization selector to obtain the images of the left and the right views in the left and right observation areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Stunny 3D, LLC
    Inventor: Vasily Alexandrovich Ezhov
  • Patent number: 7889413
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for automatically activating an optical light valve. The method includes providing a photorefractive cell having a birefringent medium which is doped with nanoparticles and transmitting light through the photorefractive cell to create an electric field in the photorefractive cell such that the alignment state of the birefringent medium and nanoparticles is changed to thereby reduce the intensity of the light being transmitted therethrough, wherein the intensity of light is reduces without an external power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: The Unites States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Gary Cook, Dean R. Evans
  • Patent number: 7859753
    Abstract: A wavelength discriminating optical filter has birefringent retarders stacked between polarizing filters, in relative rotational orientations causing passband wavelengths to emerge in a polarization state aligned to a second such polarizing filter, for transmission, whereas wavelengths at orthogonal polarization states are blocked. The second polarizing filter can be a wiregrid type that reflects the blocked orthogonal component backwards along the light signal propagation path. Internal reflections are minimized while obtaining a high transmission ratio and high discrimination for the passband wavelengths, by pairing a zero-degree reflective polarizer as the second or selection polarizer, with a preceding non-zero-degree reflective polarizer. The non-zero-degree reflective polarizer can absorb the blocked orthogonal polarization components, for example using an oriented dichroic material, or a polarizing cube or the like can be provided to divert the blocked polarization component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Chem Image Corporation
    Inventor: Xinghua Wang
  • Patent number: 7848000
    Abstract: A spectral filter is adapted for use in a receiver, for example in a short range submarine laser signal path, wherein the relative orientations of the receiver is such that the signal may appear diffusely or at an unknown point in a wide external field of view around an optical axis of the receiver. A narrow band spectral filter in the receiver has cascaded stages of tunable retarders with includes multi-conjugate stages that tolerate light that is oblique to normal, up to a diverging internal field of view angle up to about 10°. A fisheye lens assembly refracts incoming light from a wider external field of 170° or more and directs the light into the filter over the narrow internal field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: ChemImage Corporation
    Inventor: Xinghua Wang
  • Patent number: 7843404
    Abstract: The present invention provides a smart mirror apparatus using an LCD panel. The smart mirror of the present invention includes a reflective mirror, which is provided in the vehicle, and an LCD panel, which is placed in a light path between the reflective mirror and eyes of the driver and has one or two polarizing sheets. The smart mirror further includes an incident light detecting unit, which detects both the brightness of the incident light transmitted from the rear to the LCD panel and the brightness around the LCD panel, and calculates a difference value therebetween. The smart mirror further includes a voltage determination unit, which receives the calculated difference value and determines the drive voltage depending on the difference value, and a voltage apply and supply unit which applies the drive voltage, determined by the voltage determination unit, to the LCD panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Sody
    Inventor: Jong Cheon Lee
  • Publication number: 20100295930
    Abstract: The invention relates to stereoscopic video equipment and can be used to design stereoscopic TV sets and monitors with a possibility to observe stereo images both glasses-free and with use of passive glasses while keeping a possibility to observe monoscopic images. These possibilities are provided in the method and in the device by means of a light flux elliptical polarization modulator with polarization modulation parameters determined by inverse trigonometric functions such as arctg, arcctg, arccos and arcsin (or their combinations) from algebraic relations between squared amplitudes of image temporal scanning signals, that permits with help of spatially-periodic polarization selector to obtain the images of the left and the right views in the left and right observation areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Inventor: Vasily Alexandrovich Ezhov
  • Publication number: 20100271684
    Abstract: A controllable light directional distributor for an illumination apparatus, and a method of manufacture of the same in which multiple elongate optical elements are arranged to provide controllable divergence angle from a light source with low divergence output angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: OPTOVATE LIMITED
    Inventors: Graham John WOODGATE, Jonathan HARROLD
  • Publication number: 20100265559
    Abstract: An electro-optic element includes an electro-optic crystal having a birefringent property, and in which a refractive index distribution is generated in accordance with an intensity of an electric field caused inside, a pair of intensity modulating electrodes for applying a voltage for varying the birefringent property of the electro-optic crystal, a pair of scanning electrodes for applying a voltage for varying the refractive index distribution of the electro-optic crystal, and a polarization selection member provided at least on a side of a laser beam emission end face out of a laser beam entrance end face and the laser beam emission end face of the electro-optic crystal, and for selectively transmitting a part with a specific vibration direction out of a light beam emitted from the electro-optic crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke UCHIKAWA, Shigeo NOJIMA
  • Patent number: 7817325
    Abstract: An electro-optic element includes an electro-optic crystal having a birefringent property, and in which a refractive index distribution is generated in accordance with an intensity of an electric field caused inside, a pair of intensity modulating electrodes for applying a voltage for varying the birefringent property of the electro-optic crystal, a pair of scanning electrodes for applying a voltage for varying the refractive index distribution of the electro-optic crystal, and a polarization selection member provided at least on a side of a laser beam emission end face out of a laser beam entrance end face and the laser beam emission end face of the electro-optic crystal, and for selectively transmitting a part with a specific vibration direction out of a light beam emitted from the electro-optic crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Uchikawa, Shigeo Nojima
  • Patent number: 7777931
    Abstract: An electro-optic element includes an electro-optic crystal having a birefringent property, and in which a refractive index distribution is generated in accordance with an intensity of an electric field caused inside, a pair of intensity modulating electrodes for applying a voltage for varying the birefringent property of the electro-optic crystal, a pair of scanning electrodes for applying a voltage for varying the refractive index distribution of the electro-optic crystal, and a polarization selection member provided at least on a side of a laser beam emission end face out of a laser beam entrance end face and the laser beam emission end face of the electro-optic crystal, and for selectively transmitting a part with a specific vibration direction out of a light beam emitted from the electro-optic crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Uchikawa, Shigeo Nojima
  • Patent number: 7777932
    Abstract: An imaging system and method are presented. The system comprises an imaging lens unit, an imaging detector, and a birefringent element located between the imaging lens unit and the imaging detector. The system is thus configure and operable to provide in-focus imaging of objects located at both near-field and far-field ranges. Also provided is an optical device configured to be mounted on an imaging lens, being one of the following: a lens of an individual's glasses, on a contact lens, and an eye internal lens. The optical device is configured to be located between the imaging lens and the retina and comprises a birefringent element, to thereby provide in-focus imaging onto the retina of the objects located at both near-field and far-field ranges therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Xceed Imaging Ltd.
    Inventors: Zeev Zalevsky, Shai Ben-Yaish
  • Publication number: 20100165437
    Abstract: Various structures for variable reflectance rearview mirrors and variable transmittance windows are disclosed. One embodiment pertains to the provision of a polarized reflector in a rearview mirror. Another embodiment pertains to the provision of a switchable cholesteric liquid crystal element in a window. Yet another embodiment pertains to the provision of a plurality of apertures in a reflector layer of a rearview mirror where the apertures are sized and positioned in alignment with light emitting areas of a display positioned behind the reflector layer. In another embodiment, a moveable display or mirror element is attached to a rearview mirror housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: William L. Tonar, Frederick T. Bauer, Alan R. Watson
  • Publication number: 20100149617
    Abstract: A light modulator is disclosed for representing complex-valued data, comprising an encoding area that has an arrangement of pixels, the phase of which can be controlled. This largely avoids an interfering optical path difference between adjacent pixels or pixel groups when a complex value is encoded in several adjacent phase pixels of the encoding area, the optical path difference varying according to the angle. One respective specific structured delaying layer, which causes the optical path of an incident linearly polarized beam to change according to the angle, is associated with at least one predefined pixel of a group of adjacent pixels of the encoding area. The thickness of the delaying layer is designed such that the modification of the optical path caused by the delaying layer runs in the opposite direction from the angle-related modification of the optical path difference between individual pixels of the pixel group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: SeeReal Technologies S.A.
    Inventors: Bo Kroll, Armin Schwerdtner, Norbert Leister
  • Publication number: 20100141950
    Abstract: Provided is a tunable filter including: a polarization splitter that splits input light into two linearly polarized light rays of mutually orthogonal vibration directions; a wavelength dispersion spectroscopic element that splits the two linearly polarized light rays split by the polarization splitter, into two spectral images having spatial spread in one direction, the two spectral images corresponding to the two linearly polarized light rays; and a reflective spatial modulator device that modulates and reflects linearly polarized light in each wavelength region for the two spectral images independently from each other, where modulated light reflected at the reflective spatial modulator device reenters the wavelength dispersion spectroscopic element and the polarization splitter, thereby splitting and outputting the modulated light, as output light in a wavelength region modulated by the reflective spatial modulator device and output light in a wavelength region not modulated, and input light and reentered l
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventor: Atsushi Katsunuma
  • Patent number: 7679806
    Abstract: The optical elements for ultraviolet radiation, especially for microlithography, are made from cubic granet, cubic spinel, cubic perovskite and/or cubic M(II)- as well as M(IV)-oxides. The optical elements are made from suitable crystals of Y3Al5O12, Lu3Al5O12, Ca3Al2Si3O12, K2NaAlF6, K2NaScF6, K2LiAlF6 and/or Na3Al2Li3F12, (Mg, Zn)Al2O4, CaAl2O4, CaB2O4 and/or LiAl5O8, BaZrO3 and/or CaCeO3. A front lens used in immersion optics for microlithography at wavelengths under 200 nm is an example of a preferred optical element of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Gunther Wehrhan, Regina Martin, Lutz Parthier, Joerg Staeblein, Martin Letz, Jochen Alkemper, Konrad Knapp, Klaus Petermann
  • Patent number: 7633666
    Abstract: A projection design configured for use with a projector having a projector lens is provided. The device includes at least one pi-cell or pi-cell electro-optical modulator in combination with a wire grid polarizer mounted proximate the pi-cell(s). The design may include a cleanup polarizer between the pi-cell(s) and the wire grid polarizer and optionally a protective window between the wire grid projector and projection lens. The device may be oriented at an angle substantially differing from the axis of the projector lens. The resultant device includes spacing for airflow and can offer improved performance, particularly in heating, over designs previously available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Real D
    Inventors: Lenny Lipton, Matt Cowan
  • Patent number: RE44483
    Abstract: A projection design configured for use with a projector having a projector lens is provided. The device includes at least one pi-cell or pi-cell electro-optical modulator in combination with a wire grid polarizer mounted proximate the pi-cell(s). The design may include a cleanup polarizer between the pi-cell(s) and the wire grid polarizer and optionally a protective window between the wire grid projector and projection lens. The device may be oriented at an angle substantially differing from the axis of the projector lens. The resultant device includes spacing for airflow and can offer improved performance, particularly in heating, over designs previously available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: RealD Inc.
    Inventors: Lenny Lipton, Matt Cowan