Abstract:
A lighting device using a liquid crystal beam modulator produces good broadening of a light beam. The liquid crystal cell has a patterned electrode structure having a pattern of paired electrodes on a first one of a pair of cell substrates for providing a spatially modulated electric field extending into a liquid crystal material, and the cell is arranged with respect to a light source so that an incident beam will arrive through another of the pair of substrates and exit from the first one of the pair of substrates.
Abstract:
A liquid crystal optical device providing refractive Fresnel lens type element control over light passing through an aperture is provided. The device includes a layer of liquid crystal material contained by flat substrates having flat alignment layers; and an arrangement of electrodes configured to provide a spatially varying voltage distribution within a number of lensing zones within said liquid crystal layer. The arrangement of electrodes includes ring-shaped electrodes defining boundaries between Fresnel lensing zones. The liquid crystal optical device is structured to provide a spatial variation in the optical phase delay with an abrupt transition at a boundary between lensing zones to increase the effective aperture of the optical device.
Abstract:
For vehicles having left and right headlights, a steering direction signal input indicative of a left or right steering direction is used to modulate a control signal of a liquid crystal beam broadening device to broaden horizontally the vehicle headlight beam when the steering direction signal input is indicative of a selected one of a left or a right steering direction and to maintain or reduce a horizontal spread of the vehicle headlight beam when said steering direction signal input is indicative of one of a left or a right steering direction opposite to the selected steering direction.
Abstract:
Liquid crystal light beam control devices and their manufacture are described. Beneficial aspects of beam broadening devices employed for controlled illumination and architectural purposes are presented including improving beam divergence control, improving beam broadening dynamic range control, beam divergence preconditioning, improving projected beam intensity uniformity.
Abstract:
An autofocus camera assembly is described. The camera assembly includes an electrically controllable optical power lens and a lens assembly having a frame supporting at least one lens element near the electrically controllable optical power lens. The electrically controllable optical power lens is mounted to an object end of the frame. An aperture stop is provided located either at or within the electrically controllable optical power lens or on an external surface of the frame next to the electrically controllable optical power lens. The aperture stop can include an opaque mask and optionally alignment marks.
Abstract:
A variable liquid crystal optical device for controlling the propagation of light has one or more transparent thin-film highly-resistive layer (HRL) coupled to a substrate and an electrode structure. The HRL has core layer and a cover or proximity layer, wherein the core layer material has a higher electrical conductivity and higher refractive index than the cover layer material; and wherein the core and cover layer materials have substantially the same free energies of formation of oxide. In this way, the electrode structure will be environmentally stable and responsive to an applied electrical current to generate a spatially non-uniform magnetic field.
Abstract:
Variable liquid crystal devices for controlling the propagation of light through a liquid crystal layer use a frequency dependent material to dynamically reconfigure effective electrode structures in the device. The drive signal source uses pulse-width modulation to set a frequency and an amplitude of the drive signal.
Abstract:
An ocular adaptive lens prosthesis apparatus is provided. In some implementations the apparatus includes a tunable liquid crystal lens encapsulated in the ocular prosthesis with control electronics and a power source. The tunable liquid crystal lens is driven in response to a convergence signal to provide accommodation. In some embodiments the tunable liquid crystal device corrects other visual shortcomings of the natural eye. The ocular prosthesis has a remote programmable tunable liquid crystal lens controller configured to recalibrate the tunable liquid crystal lens to compensate for dynamic adaptation of the eye over time. A coil is employed to transmit a convergence signal between a pair of ocular prostheses in a dual eye vision correction system.
Abstract:
A liquid crystal optical device is provided, including a layered structure including at least two support substrates. An external hole patterned control electrode is provided on one of the substrates and has an aperture. An internal hole patterned control electrode is provided on one of the substrates within the aperture, the internal and outer control electrodes being separated by a gap, which forms part of the aperture. A weakly conductive material is provided on one of the substrates over the aperture. A planar transparent electrode is provided on another one of the substrates. An alignment surface is provided on the substrates over the electrodes. A layer of liquid crystal material is contained by the substrates and in contact with the alignment surface of the substrates. A floating transparent electrode is provided on a side of one of the substrates opposite the outer and the internal hole patterned electrode.
Abstract:
An electrode structure is proposed for controlling a spatially non-uniform electric field driving a tunable liquid crystal lens or beam steering device. The spatially non-uniform electrode structure enables the generation of a predetermined spatially non-uniform electric field profile where complex capacitive coupling between multiple different electrically floating neighboring electrode segments is employed for the generation of the electrical field of desired form by supplying an initial electric potential to a limited number of electrodes.