Abstract: A method of forming a reflection surface of a reflection mirror of a vehicle lamp includes the following steps. A basic reflection surface is formed by preliminarily setting a basic reflection surface on which multiple paraboloids are to be formed, under a setting condition. Angles .theta. at which light that is emitted from a light source located at a focal point is incident on different positions on the basic reflection surface, are calculated, to thereby form a plural number of contours of equal incident angles on the basic reflection surface. A distribution of incident angles is evaluated on the basis of the contours of equal incident angles. If the result of the evaluation is good, the basic reflection surface is set as a final basic reflection surface.

Abstract: An optical pipe illumination system is provided for coupling light from an illumination source to a number of output "light pipes", which are used for a variety of purposes, such as illuminating pools, spas, hazardous material zones, jail cells, and other applications where direct lighting is dangerous, difficult to maintain, or subject to vandalism. The illumination system employs an illumination reflector which has been customized to maximize the efficiency of light transmission between the illumination source, such as an arc lamp, and the cores of the output pipes. A method of fabricating the customized illumination reflector includes mapping the radiation patterns of the particular illumination source to be utilized, creating a database of those radiation patterns, and utilizing the database to generate an optimal illumination reflector configuration. The computer-generated reflector will virtually always be a non-conic section, because the illumination source is not ideal.

Abstract: A reflector is constituted by a right pseudo-dihedral, a ridge (C) of which is in the form of a portion of a helix so as to provide a calibrator or a beacon.

Abstract: A transparent electrode 21 formed by the ITO film, an EC layer 22 of an optoelectronic comprising element, a reflecting film also serving an electrode thin film 23 and an insulating sealing film 24 are deposited on a rear surface of a transparent substrate 20 of a main member of a mirror 10. The transparent substrate 20 has dividing lines 15, 16 for dividing a mirror surface area into a main mirror surface area 11 of a certain curvature convex surface having a large radius curvature and a supplemental mirror surface area 12 of a gradually varied curvature convex surface having a gradually decreased radius curvature. The EC layer 22 and the reflecting film also serving the electrode thin film 23 are divided along the dividing line 16 by cutting the transparent electrode 21 so that a reflectivity can be independently controlled on the main mirror surface area 11 and the supplemental mirror surface area 12 to achieve a safe driving of an automobile.

Abstract: An automobile mirror assembly improves safety during driving of a car by widening the visual field of the driver with little distortion. The mirror is mounted on a car with a support member and a holding member to be adjustable in its position. A gradually changing mirror section is provided on at least one of an upper, lower and side edges of a main mirror section of the mirror. A surface of a gradually changing mirror section is defined by a plurality of intersections between curved surfaces provided in at least one of a vertical and horizontal directions with hyperbolic curves provided in a direction perpendicular to one of the vertical and horizontal directions. Each respective curved surface passes through circular arcs, the radii of curvatures of the circular area being calculated from Equation 1 indicated below. The radii of curvatures of the circular arcs gradually become smaller in an extending direction.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an LCD projector illumination system that optimizes the illumination through a liquid crystal screen as well as through the aperture of the system's objective, wherein the shape Zr,.beta. of the reflector is described by a set of elementary surfaces dS each of which is associated with a function Z(.rho.), corresponding to a median plane (r,.beta.) to be illuminated, defined by the distance r between the center and the edges of said screen and the angle .beta. between the horizontal plane and this median plane, the inclination of each elementary surface dS being computed by interpolating said functions Z(.rho.) with a function Z(x,y).

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical system which is compact and light in weight with well corrected aberrations, and is suitable for use on an image display device designed to form no intermediate image, and an optical system best usable as an ocular optical system for use on a head- or face-mounted image display device. This optical system comprises an optical element 7 and a diffraction optical element 8 that are mutually decentered. Optical element 7 comprises at least three juxtaposed optical surfaces, at least one of which is constructed of a curved surface. Between the optical surfaces at least two reflections occur. Spaces between the optical surfaces are filled with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1.

Abstract: A reflection mirror has reflection steps formed as portions of respective paraboloids of revolution and disposed between adjacent ones of closed curves formed as lines of intersection of a group consisting of the paraboloids of revolution with different focal distances and a fundamental surface for the reflection surface. The fundamental surface for the reflection surface includes a first curved surface portion and a second curved surface portion connected to the first curved surface portion in the n-th order continuity (N.gtoreq.1). The first curved surface portion is shaped such that when a light beam, which is emitted from a point light source supposed to lie on the principal optical axis of the reflection mirror, is reflected at a reflection point on the first curved surface portion, the light beam reflected thereat is directed substantially parallel to the principal optical axis of the reflection mirror.

Abstract: An aspheric optical element formed by depositing material onto a spherical surface of an optical element by controlled deposition to form an aspheric surface of desired shape. A reflecting surface, single or multi-layer, can then be formed on the aspheric surface by evaporative or sputtering techniques. Aspheric optical elements are suitable for deep ultra-violet (UV) and x-ray wavelengths. The reflecting surface may, for example, be a thin (.about.100 nm) layer of aluminum, or in some cases the deposited modifying layer may function as the reflecting surface. For certain applications, multi-layer reflective surfaces may be utilized, such as chromium-carbon or tungsten-carbon multi-layer, with the number of layers and thickness being determined by the intended application.

Abstract: Reflection-type compound optical elements include a substrate, an aspherical resin layer and a high reflectance layer. The substrate, the aspherical layer and the high reflectance layer are laminated in an optional order to form a laminate structure.

Abstract: A light guide illumination system is provided for coupling light from an illumination source to a number of output "light guides", which are used for a variety of purposes, such as illuminating pools, spas, hazardous material zones, jail cells, and other applications where direct lighting is dangerous, difficult to maintain, or subject to vandalism. The illumination system employs an illumination reflector which has been customized to maximize the efficiency of light transmission between the illumination source, such as an arc lamp, and the cores of the output light guides. A method of fabricating the customized illumination reflector includes mapping the radiation patterns of the particular illumination source to be utilized, creating a database of those radiation patterns, and utilizing the database to generate an optimal illumination reflector configuration. The computer-generated reflector will virtually always be a non-conic section, because the illumination source is not ideal.

Abstract: The present invention is a viewing assembly that can selectively create optical compound corrections in the images reflected from the viewing assembly. The viewing assembly includes a reflective surface coupled to a supporting body in such a manner that the reflective surface conforms to the contour of the supporting body. The contour of the supporting body is selectively altered by the viewer of the viewing assembly, thereby changing the shape of the reflective surface and creating desired optical corrections in the viewed reflected images.

Abstract: The present invention is a viewing assembly that can selectively create optical compound corrections in the images reflected from the viewing assembly. The viewing assembly includes a reflective surface coupled to a supporting body in such a manner that the reflective surface conforms to the contour of the supporting body. The contour of the supporting body can then be selectively altered by the viewer of the viewing assembly, thereby changing the shape of the reflective surface and creating desired optical corrections in the viewed reflected images.

Abstract: A hollow light guide illumination system is provided for coupling light from an illumination source to a hollow light guide, which is used for a variety of purposes, such as tunnels, hallways, and large rooms where direct lighting is dangerous, difficult to maintain, or subject to vandalism. The illumination system employs an illumination reflector which has been customized to maximize the efficiency of light transmission between the illumination source, such as an arc lamp, and the core of the hollow light guide. A method of fabricating the customized illumination reflector includes mapping the radiation patterns of the particular illumination source to be utilized, creating a database of those radiation patterns, and utilizing the database to generate an optimal illumination reflector configuration. The computer-generated reflector will virtually always be a non-conic section, because the illumination source is not ideal.

Abstract: An optical illumination system according to the present invention is provided with an optical reflector for illuminating a surface to be illuminated in the shape of arc or annulus. A reflective plane of the optical reflector is shaped in a special curved surface. Specifically, an arbitrary parabola with a first axis passing through the vertex and the focus of the parabola is rotated about a second axis passing through a point located on the opposite side of the directrix of the parabola with respect to the focus and being parallel to the directrix. The rotation of the parabola yields a parabolic toric surface. The reflective plane of the optical reflector has the curved surface constituting at least a part of the parabolic toric surface. The reflective plane so shaped reflects a light source image emitted from a light source system to illuminate the surface to be illuminated in the shape of arc or annulus.

Abstract: The invention concerns a vehicle rear-view mirror (1) comprising a plane-mirror section (2) and at least one convex section (3, 11) contiguous with the sides of the plane section. The curvature of the convex side sections is zero at the transition line (4, 12) with the plane-mirror section (2), and increases progressively with increasing are length (L) from the transition line, the cur of vertical orthogonal lines of intersection being equal to the curvature of a horizontal reference line (6, 6A) at their point of intersection. The rear-view mirror (1) proposed enables the driver to view both behind and to the side. The mirror (1) is easy to produce since the curvature of the convex side sections (3, 11) only departs by a small amount from the plane of the plane-mirror section (2).

Abstract: A rear view apparatus for a vehicle having at least a driver's cabin having a roof and a front window. The rear view apparatus having at least three mirror devices each of which is elongated and defining a longitudinal axis, a first mirror device of the apparatus being positioned higher than the roof; a third mirror of the apparatus being positioned in front of a driver in said cabin; and, a second mirror of the apparatus being positioned so as to direct light rays reflected from the first mirror device to the third mirror device, wherein the mirror surface of at least one of the three mirrors is torsioned in a longitudinal direction. The torsion of the mirror surface being opposed from the middle of the mirror surface to each of the sides of the mirror.

Abstract: An oval elliptical mirror assembly with a generally convex reflective surface having a long axis and a short axis essentially normal to the long axis. The oval shape is provided to increase the field-of-view for a user along the long axis. The mirror assembly may be mounted on a flat mounting surface, such as a walls, or a varied mounting surface, such as the external surface of a vehicle. The mirror is mounted with the long axis positioned at any angle to provide for the desired field-of-view.

Abstract: A screen simulator arrangement includes spaced apart screen and one or more mirror means; said screen means is formed with a plurality of spaced apart transparent portions therein; said mirror means is formed or provided with a plurality of holes or openings therein; said screen and said mirror means are fixedly located relative to each other; the transparent portions of said screen means and the holes or openings of said mirror means are substantially out of register one with the other. An inner screen surface of said screen means and a reflective surface of said mirror means generally face inwardly towards each other, said transparent portions of said screen means and said holes or openings of said mirror means being so out of register one with the other, such that screen portions of said screen means are in substantial alignment/register with holes or openings in said mirror means.

Abstract: An exterior mirror assembly for a motor vehicle comprising a housing (11) containing a first mirror carrier (10, 50, 80) having a first substantially plane mirror (12, 58, 82) mounted thereon and a second mirror carrier (16, 52, 82) mounted adjacent to the first mirror carrier (10, 50, 80) for angular movement about an axis (18, 56, 86) parallel to an adjacent edge of the first mirror (12, 58, 82). The second mirror carrier (16, 52, 82) has a plane mirror (24, 66, 98) on a first face and a convex mirror (26, 68, 100) on a second face. When the second mirror carrier (16, 52, 82) in a first orientation, the mirror (24, 66, 82) on the first face forms a substantially continuous reflective surface with the mirror (12, 58, 88) on the first mirror carrier (10, 50, 80) of substantially uniform curvature.

Abstract: A technique for adjustably correcting for aberrations in a light beam is disclosed herein. This technique utilizes first means which defines a flat, circular light reflecting surface having opposite reinforced circumferential edges and a central post and which is resiliently distortable, to a limited extent, into different concave and/or convex curvatures, which may be Gaussian-like, about the central axis, and second means acting on the first means for adjustably distorting the light reflecting surface into a particular selected one of the different curvatures depending upon the aberrations to be corrected for and for fixedly maintaining the curvature selected. In the embodiment disclosed, the light reflecting surface is adjustably distorted into the selected curvature by application of particular axial moments to the central post on the opposite side from the light reflecting surface and lateral moments to the circumference of the reflecting surface.

Abstract: A compound type cone mirror installed inside a sonde moving up and down in a borehole for observing the whole circumference of the hole wall at an arbitrary depth at a time, a combined mirror for locally observing the hole wall in detail, and an elevating sonde equipped with these mirrors are provided for observing the wall surface of a borehole In the ground. In the compound type cone mirror, a transparent truncated cone block the surface of which is finished by polishing is inserted into a concave portion or pierced hole having the same shape as said truncated cone block and formed coaxially in the axial direction in a transparent column block the surface of which is finished by polishing, and said inserting face is a mirror finished face. Moreover, in the combined mirror, a plane mirror slanted upward at 45.degree. to the axial direction is mounted onto the top face of the truncated cone block or column block of the compound type cone mirror.

Abstract: A rearview device comprises a convex dome which has a reflective outer surface. The dome is hollow and a closure plate is snap-fitted into the open side of the dome. The plate has apertures in it through which a strap can be passed to enable the dome to be fitted to the wrist or arm. The space between the dome and the plate serves as a storage compartment. The dome, because it reflects search radar etc, can be used as a homing device to enable lost persons to be located.

Abstract: The present invention is a viewing assembly that can selectively create optical compound corrections in the images reflected from the viewing assembly. The viewing assembly includes a reflective surface coupled to a supporting body in such a manner that the reflective surface conforms to the contour of the supporting body. The contour of the supporting body can then be selectively altered by the viewer of the viewing assembly, thereby changing the shape of the reflective surface and creating desired optical corrections in the viewed reflected images.

Abstract: This invention involves a novel egg-shaped hollow dual-compound conical light-ray concentrator with mirror-like inner walls (preferably tandem substantially inverted paraboloidal and ellipsoidal conical sections) for receiving light through one aperture end, as from an integrating sphere, and concentrating and collecting the rays within said walls and directing them to a detector at an opposite aperture end. This construction attains both high collection efficiency and hemispherical angular response.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed herein in which a circular optical beam, for example a copper vapor laser (CVL) beam, is converted to a beam having a profile other than circular, e.g. square or triangular. This is accomplished by utilizing a single optical mirror having a reflecting surface designed in accordance with a specifically derived formula in order to make the necessary transformation, without any substantial light loss and without changing substantially the intensity profile of the circular beam which has a substantially uniform intensity profile. In this way, the output beam can be readily directed into the dye cell of a dye laser.

Abstract: A double reflector is described which comprises two spaced apart primary mirrors oriented toward a common focus. The optical system further comprises two separate secondary deflector mirrors as well as tertiary deflector mirrors for beam concentration on a common focus. Both the primary mirrors and the secondary deflector mirrors are so-called off-axis reflectors, i.e. their surface represent surface sectors of a hypothetical big aspherical mirror body. As surface sectors of a hypothetical big hyperbolic mirror, the primary mirrors are inclined at an angle with respect to the common optical axis and each disposed at a given spacing from the same in such manner that the inner marginal rays of the incident radiation which are closest to the optical axis, will converge.

Abstract: In optical, microwave, acoustical and other wave fields diffraction spreading and loss of gain is countered by giving the wavefront approaching an aperture a bevelled lip or edge, whereby the radiation spreading inwards from this edge prevents the outward diffraction spreading of the field, and where any aberrations resulting from the de-diffraction process are corrected by methods analogous to those used to correct for spherical aberrations, the result of these adjustments being to cause a field such as that emitted by a lens or laser, to emerge free from diffraction spreading, gaining in resolution beyond the diffraction limits.

Abstract: A wide-angle optical imaging system (10) employs three mirrors (20, 22, 24) to reflect and propagate beams of electromagnetic energy (16, 17, 18) from four reflecting surfaces. A convex mirror (20) is the primary mirror/reflector. A concave mirror (22) is both the secondary and quaternary mirror/reflector for the system. A folding mirror (24) which is essentially flat mirror is the tertiary mirror/reflector for the system. The optical axis (36) of the system (10) is normal to the center of the folding mirror (24). The vertex of the convex mirror (20) and the vertex of the concave mirror (22) lie along the optical axis (36). A distortion corrector (32) and filter (34) are positioned in front of the image plane (30) of the system (10).

Abstract: The present invention is a vehicle safety rearview mirror assembly with distortion offset element and method of using the same. The rearview mirror assembly comprises an elongated convex mirror. The convex mirror is independently supported by a double-ball-joint shank and a mounting base affixed on the windshield of the vehicle. The present invention also provides a method to offset the distortion created by the convex mirror. The method combines a safety reference and a safety locker to tell the driver whether and when it is safe to change lanes or make turns. The safety reference includes two opposite end portions of the rearward visual field respectively prescribed by the side windows of the vehicle, and the safety locker includes the central portion of the extended rearward visual field respectively prescribed by the rear window of the vehicle.

Abstract: A mirror surface for mounting onto an exterior front fender of a vehicle. The mirror surface is a portion of a convex surface ellipsoid with a plurality of radii of curvature. The mirror provides the driver of the vehicle with a field-of-view that is greater than the reflection angle about the vertical axis. The reflective surface has a generally convex shape throughout. The reflective surface a viewing center point that is in general alignment to the geometric center of the reflective surface. The reflective surface is generally symmetrical about a vertical plane passing through the viewing center point and about a horizontal plane passing through the viewing center point.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mirror for changing the geometrical form of a light beam. The mirror includes several mirroring regions with these regions being strip-like segments. An incoming light beam impinges on several of these segments which are all so aligned that the reflected component beams from all segments are imaged on one and the same component area of an axis. The mirror can be configured as one piece which imparts a linear beam geometry with only one reflection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for frequency shifting an optical beam where the frequency shifted beam remains both spatially and temporally coherent with no spread in frequency and can be continually tuned in frequency shift over a wide range without any change in beam pointing or beam quality with time. This is achieved by changing the effective optical path length of the resonant cavity of a laser by translating an optical wedge, such as a prism, across the optical path in the direction of the wedge gradient. In a first embodiment, a rotating helical phase plate is used to linearly increase the optical path of a transmitted or reflected beam with time, thereby frequency shifting the exiting beam. In another embodiment, the rim of a wheel with a spirally increasing or decreasing radius is used in which the outer periphery of the wheel is a mirror.

Abstract: The present invention provides an original scanning apparatus comprising, an original support plate on which an original is rested, a fixed point light source having a width smaller than that of the original support plate, a shiftable reflection member for reflecting light beams emitted from the light source toward the original support plate, and a first deflector member for deflecting the light beams emitted from the light source in a slit widthwise direction and a second deflector member for deflecting the light beams in a slit longitudinal direction, the first and second deflector members being formed discretely.

Abstract: For use, e.g., in the compensation of frequency dispersion in the course of transmission of an optical signal, a pulse-shaping device is provided with a suitably shaped nonplanar mirror (16). When spatially spread-out frequency components--produced, e.g., by a grating (14)--are reflected from such mirror, a frequency-dependent phase shift is introduced; for example, such phase shift may be a third-order function of frequency. Upon recombination of frequencies, a shaped pulse is obtained. Furthermore, third-order compensation can be used to compress amplified light pulses, e.g. as produced by a semiconductor gain medium (80, 81).

Abstract: A mirror unit (11) comprising a mirror holder (12) having a cylindrical support surface (13), and comprising a flexible mirror (14) having a mirror side (15) and a rear side (16); the mirror (14) which has been elastically deformed into a cylindrical mirror rests with its mirror side (15) directly on the support surface (13) of the mirror holder (14) without an intermediate layer, the mirror holder being provided with a shaft (17) which leaves open an optically directly and freely accessible region (19) at the mirror side (15) of the mirror (14) (front surface mirror), this region (19) acting as the functional mirror surface.

Abstract: A method for cancelling or minimizing the effects of diffraction in wave fields in a wide range of imaging instruments such as telescopes, radar, cameras, ultrasound imaging devices and others, or from laser beams, is described, based on the premise that diffraction is associated with the bending of the energy streamlines of a field, so that such cancellation or minimization of diffraction effects is accomplished by shortening the optical path length normal to the aperture systematically by a function D(x) which has the general form of a superellipse with a minor axis of L and a major axis of A/2, where L is the wave-length of the wave-field, and A is the width or diameter of the aperture, so that the bent streamlines of energy flow near the aperture edge are straightened and the resulting diffraction standing wave pattern is cancelled.

Abstract: A reflective-type photoelectric switch projects emitted light from a light-emitting element toward a detection zone by a light-projecting optical system, and guides reflected light from an object to be detected in the detection zone to a light-receiving element by a light-receiving optical system. A special optical element is used in part of at least one of the two optical systems. The optical element functions to diverge light in a direction parallel to a plane containing the optic axes of the light-emitting and light-receiving elements, and condense light in a direction perpendicular to the same plane. As a result, it is possible to detect, with excellent sensitivity, both an object which is far from the switch and an object very near the switch.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating compound shapes in optical surfaces needed to accomodate variable magnification, off-axis projection, reflection from diverse surfaces, reflector relay, intensity pattern requirements and other complex optical transform functions. The present invention permits the realization of mirrors of which provide a variable magnification. The surface generation capabilities permit controlled magnification changes that nevertheless are still image forming and typically avoid the human eye focussing difficulties normally associated with variable magnification mirrors. The present invention includes a computer driven, reflector design system which permits the designer to see the field of view, ray tracings, reflected beam intensity pattern and other data pertinent to a variable magnification mirror from entered mirror specifications. The effect of changes in specifications can be rapidly determined and a final design achieved through one or more such reiterations.

Abstract: An aspheric mirror, for example in the form of an off-axis parabolic mirror or a toric mirror, that includes a first element having a front surface which defines a spherical reflector and a spaced apart rear surface. The spherical reflector includes a constant radius of curvature, an X-axis with an X-axis radius of curvature and a Y-axis with a Y-axis radius of curvature. The first element possesses a first rigidity factor. A second element includes a front surface sized to mate with the rear surface of the first element along an interface zone. The second element possesses a second rigidity factor. An interface contour device produces a differential contour within the interface zone between the first and second elements. The interface contour device is aligned to modify the X-axis radius of curvature of the shperical reflector without significantly modifying the Y-axis radius of curvature.

Abstract: A safety mirror mountable adjacent the perimeter of a vehicle is provided for affording vehicle drivers the ability to observe from the driving position an area extending outwardly from at least one location inboard of the portion of the perimeter of the vehicle visible from the location of the mirror. The mirror has a convex aspheric elliptic paraboloid image reflecting mirror surface. The curvature of said mirror surface decreases from a point of maximum curvature spaced from a point of minimum curvature at the peripheral edge of the mirror. A plurality of such safety mirrors may be used as at the front corners of a school bus to afford the driver a view of an area contiguous to the sides of the vehicle and in front of the vehicle, as well as beneath the front of the vehicle ahead of the front wheels thereof.

Abstract: An automatically positionable rear view mirror assembly for automotive vehicles having a turn signal lever. The mirror assembly incorporates a housing that is supported by automotive vehicle and encloses a movable mirror assembly adapted for movement to first and second positions relative to the mirror housing. Motor means such as a solenoid motor is located within the mirror housing and includes an actuating shaft operatively interconnected with the movable mirror. The motor means includes a control circuit having a switch coupled with the circuitry of the automotive vehicle, the switch being operated by the turn signal lever of the automotive vehicle, whereby the mirror is automatically positioned responsive to selective positioning of the turn signal lever. The mirror assembly preferably includes a fixed mirror segment and a movable mirror segment, the movable mirror segment being operated by the motor means.