80results about "Light guides for scanning" patented technology

There is provided an optical device including a light-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges, optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection and at least one partially reflecting surface located in the substrate.

There is provided an optical device including a light-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges, optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection and at least one partially reflecting surface located win the substrate.

An optical fiber having a reduced cross-sectional region adjacent to its distal end, which is fused to an optical component, is vibrated, rotating the optical component to scan a region. The optical component has a back focal point that is substantially coincident with an effective light source of the optical fiber, so that the light emanating from the optical component is either substantially collimated or convergent. The optical component is either a ball lens, a drum lens, a graded index lens, or a diffractive optical element. A vibratory node is also made substantially coincident with the back focal point of the optical component, producing a compact scanner with extensive field of view. The optical fiber is preferably reduced in cross-sectional area after the optical component is fused to the optical fiber, by immersion in a three-layer etch apparatus having an etch-stop layer, an etch layer, and a solvent layer.

A scanner for obtaining an image of an object placed on an at least partially transparent platform, wherein the platform is defined by edge portions and has at least including a first scan area and a second scan area. In one embodiment, the scanner includes a white area formed at least partially around the edge portions of the platform with a plurality of markers, optical means for sequentially scanning consecutive partial images of the object from the first scan area and the second scan area, respectively, wherein each of the consecutive partial images include an image of at least one of the plurality of markers, and an image processing system for using the image of the at least one of the plurality of markers in each of the consecutive partial images as a reference to combine the consecutive partial images so as to form a substantially complete image of the object corresponding to a full scan of the first scan area and the second scan area.

An optical fiber having a reduced cross-sectional region adjacent to its distal end, which is fused to an optical component, is vibrated, rotating the optical component to scan a region. The optical component has a back focal point that is substantially coincident with an effective light source of the optical fiber, so that the light emanating from the optical component is either substantially collimated or convergent. The optical component is either a ball lens, a drum lens, a graded index lens, or a diffractive optical element. A vibratory node is also made substantially coincident with the back focal point of the optical component, producing a compact scanner with extensive field of view. The optical fiber is preferably reduced in cross-sectional area after the optical component is fused to the optical fiber, by immersion in a three-layer etch apparatus having an etch-stop layer, an etch layer, and a solvent layer.

An optical device includes a liquid crystal layer having a first plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a first pattern and a second plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a second pattern. The first and the second pattern are separated from each other by a distance of about 20 nm and about 100 nm along a longitudinal or a transverse axis of the liquid crystal layer. The first and the second plurality of liquid crystal molecules are configured as first and second grating structures that can redirect light of visible or infrared wavelengths.

Configurations are disclosed for presenting virtual reality and augmented reality experiences to users. The system may comprise an image-generating source to provide one or more frames of image data in a time-sequential manner, a light modulator configured to transmit light associated with the one or more frames of image data, a substrate to direct image information to a user's eye, wherein the substrate houses a plurality of reflectors, a first reflector of the plurality of reflectors to reflect transmitted light associated with a first frame of image data at a first angle to the user's eye, and a second reflector to reflect transmitted light associated with a second frame of the image data at a second angle to the user's eye.

A first light source and a second light source are arranged so that a protrusion direction of a first terminal from a first supporting body and a protrusion direction of a second terminal from a second supporting body are different when viewed in the longitudinal direction of a light guide. The first light source and the second light source are arranged so as to reduce a protrusion direction of the first supporting body and the second supporting body in a predetermined direction from an area where the first light source and the second light source overlap when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the light guide.

A scanning apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising: a light transmission means (90) having an exit tip; first and second drive means (92,94) for resonantly driving the light transmission means (90) in orthogonal directions; wherein the first and second drive means (92,94) are operable to move the tip in an elliptical pattern while varying the eccentricity of the elliptical pattern, whereby a portion of the elliptical pattern having a centre on the minor axis of the elliptical pattern approximates—at least in appearance—a raster pattern.

A scanning apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising: a light transmission means (90) having an exit tip; first and second drive means (92,94) for resonantly driving the light transmission means (90) in orthogonal directions; wherein the first and second drive means (92,94) are operable to move the tip in an elliptical pattern while varying the eccentricity of the elliptical pattern, whereby a portion of the elliptical pattern having a centre on the minor axis of the elliptical pattern approximates—at least in appearance—a raster pattern.

A miniaturized scanning system to generate movement of a flexible device positioned at a distal part of a medical tool. The miniaturized scanning system includes an inner shaft with a longitudinal axis, adapted to guide said flexible device along the longitudinal axis, an abutment comprising an external surface and adapted to maintain said device, and a pusher mechanism adapted to engage with said abutment. The miniaturized scanning system includes at least one end portion adapted to contact said external surface of the abutment at a contact point, wherein said end portion is configured to translate along said longitudinal axis of the inner shaft and wherein the translation of said end portion results in a bending of the device in a bending plane defined by the longitudinal axis of the inner shaft and said contact point.

The invention provides an optical device, including a light-transmitting substrate, optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces carried by the substrate, characterized in that the partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, apparatus and process for providing at least one radiation can be provided. For example, with at least one multi-mode waveguide, it is possible to transmit the radiation(s). In addition, with a shape sensing arrangement, it is possible To dynamically measure a shape of the multi-mode waveguide(s). Further, with a specifically programmed computer arrangement, it is possible to control a light modulator arrangement based on the dynamically-measured shape to cause the radiation(s) transmitted through the multi-mode waveguide(s) to have at least one pattern.

A waveguide device including a light transmitting body having a first surface, a second surface, and a longitudinal axis where at least one of the first and second surfaces, and preferably both surfaces, are configured to extent in a direction non-parallel to the longitudinal axis. The body of the waveguide can be configured in an elliptical shape along the longitudinal axis, whereby a proximal portion of the waveguide device is symmetrical with a distal portion. The waveguide device being elliptically configured can be combined with a light to form an optical transfer system.

An electro-holographic light field generator device is disclosed. The light field generator device has an optical substrate with a waveguide face and an exit face. One or more surface acoustic wave (SAW) optical modulator devices are included within each light field generator device. The SAW devices each include a light input, a waveguide, and a SAW transducer, all configured for guided mode confinement of input light within the waveguide. A leaky mode deflection of a portion of the waveguided light, or diffractive light, impinges upon the exit face. Multiple output optics at the exit face are configured for developing from each of the output optics a radiated exit light from the diffracted light for at least one of the waveguides. An RF controller is configured to control the SAW devices to develop the radiated exit light as a three-dimensional output light field with horizontal parallax and compatible with observer vertical motion.

The present invention provides an optical fiber having a rectangular core in which propagation loss of a light beam is small and manufacturing can be performed at low cost, a method of manufacturing the optical fiber, and an image forming apparatus including the optical fiber. The optical fiber having the core, whose sectional shape in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis direction of a light beam becomes rectangular, is formed by: filling a cylindrical tube with multiple hollow capillaries; extracting hollow capillaries located in a rectangular area having a predetermined size in a portion which is substantially central to the tube; inserting rods having the same diameter as the extracted hollow capillaries to replace the hollow capillaries to produce a preform; performing wire drawing while the preform is melt-fused; and covering the preform with a cover layer.

A spatio-temporally incremental fiber sweep source includes a laser light pulse generator for generating light pulses and a fiber array of individual optical fibers. The fiber array has an input end and an output end, with the fibers at the input end receiving the light pulses substantially simultaneously. The optical fibers at the output end are arranged in a raster scan pattern, e.g., a square pattern, wherein the optical delay in each fiber is greater than the previous one in the scan pattern direction. As a result light exits the array in a completely optical two dimensional raster scan pattern. It has no moving parts, and thus no mechanical inertia, so extremely high speed scanning can be achieved.

A lighting device (1) includes one or more diode light sources (32), which are configured to emit light into the peripheral edges of a light guide (20). The light guide (20) includes a set of diffusing elements (22) for scattering the emitted light in a plurality of directions out of the front surface of the light guide (20). The diffusing elements (22) are distributed on the light guide (20) so that the scattered light achieves a particular characteristic, e.g., improved uniformity.

An embodiment is directed to an optical element arrangement including at least one optical element. A first optical element includes a fiber and a curved surface. The fiber emits light beams during oscillation at different angular positions relative to a system axis of the first optical element. The curved surface includes an array of lenslets. Each of the lenslets in the array of lenslets is configured to receive light beams from the fiber that are emitted within a particular range of the first curved surface and to collimate the light beams received by the lenslet at a lenslet-specific field angle relative to the system axis. In other embodiments, one or more additional optical elements with respective fibers can be deployed as part of the optical element arrangement, and any of the optical elements in the optical element arrangement may include multiple curved surfaces with respective lenslet arrays.

A photonic chip, an edge coupler for an integrated photonic system and a method for coupling a laser to the photonic chip. The edge coupler includes a waveguide of the photonic system having a longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis of a waveguide of the photonic chip is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the laser. The facet of the waveguide facing the laser is at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. Light is transmitted from the laser into the waveguide via the angled facet.

An optical device includes a liquid crystal layer having a first plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a first pattern and a second plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a second pattern. The first and the second pattern are separated from each other by a distance of about 20 nm and about 100 nm along a longitudinal or a transverse axis of the liquid crystal layer. The first and the second plurality of liquid crystal molecules are configured as first and second grating structures that can redirect light of visible or infrared wavelengths.

In an illumination device, a light guide is adapted to emit the light from a face thereof and is provided with an area, on a face opposite to the light emitting face, for diffusing and / or reflecting the light introduced into the light guide from an end face thereof or is provided with uneven light emitting characteristics along the longitudinal direction of the light guide, and the center of the light source positioned at the end of the light guide is placed at a position aberrated from the normal line to the area, whereby attained are compactness, a low cost, a low electric power consumption, a high efficiency of utilization of the light emitted by the light source, and excellent and uniform illumination characteristics. An image reading device and an information processing apparatus can also be equipped with the above-mentioned illumination device.

A lidar system includes a photonic chip including a light source and a transmit beam coupler to provide an output signal for transmission. The output signal is a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) signal. A transmit beam steering device transmits the output signal from the transmit beam coupler of the photonic chip. A receive beam steering device obtains a reflection of the output signal by a target and provides the reflection as a received signal to a receive beam coupler of the photonic chip. The photonic chip, the transmit beam steering device, and the receive beam steering device are heterogeneously integrated into an optical engine.

An optical imaging device for obtaining an image of a stationary image placed on an at least partially transparent platform. In one embodiment, the optical imaging device includes at least one illuminating plate having at least one open cell, at least one imaging head received in the at least one open cell of the at least one illuminating plate, and a light source adapted for emitting a light, where the at least partially transparent platform, the at least one illuminating plate, and the light source are arranged such that when in operation, a light emitted from the light source is directed into the at least one illuminating plate so that the light is evenly spread toward the at least partially transparent platform, reflected off the stationary image placed on the at least partially transparent platform and received by the at least one image head to obtain the image of the stationary image placed on the at least partially transparent platform.

A lidar system includes a laser diode to provide a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) signal, and a current source to provide a drive signal that modulates the laser diode. The current source is controlled to pre-distort the drive signal to provide a linear FMCW signal. The lidar system also includes a splitter to split the FMCW signal into an output signal and a local oscillator (LO) signal, a transmit coupler to transmit the output signal, a receive coupler to obtain a received signal based on reflection of the output signal by a target, and a combiner to combine the received signal with the LO signal into first and second combined signals. A first and second photodetector respectively receive the first and second combined signals and output first and second electrical signals from which a beat signal that indicates the pre-distortion needed for the drive signal is obtained.

An electro-holographic light field generator device is disclosed. The light field generator device has an optical substrate with a waveguide face and an exit face. One or more surface acoustic wave (SAW) optical modulator devices are included within each light field generator device. The SAW devices each include a light input, a waveguide, and a SAW transducer, all configured for guided mode confinement of input light within the waveguide. A leaky mode deflection of a portion of the waveguided light, or diffractive light, impinges upon the exit face. Multiple output optics at the exit face are configured for developing from each of the output optics a radiated exit light from the diffracted light for at least one of the waveguides. An RF controller is configured to control the SAW devices to develop the radiated exit light as a three-dimensional output light field with horizontal parallax and compatible with observer vertical motion.

There is disclosed an illumination device in which a light guide is adapted to emit the light from a face thereof and is provided with an area, on a face opposite to the light emitting face, for diffusing and / or reflecting the light introduced into the light guide from an end face thereof or is provided with uneven light emitting characteristics along the longitudinal direction of the light guide, and the center of the light source positioned at the end of the light guide is placed at a position aberrated from the normal line to said area, whereby attained are compactness, a low cost, a low electric power consumption, a high efficiency of utilization of the light emitted by the light source, and excellent and uniform illumination characteristics. There are also disclosed an image reading device and an information processing apparatus, equipped with the above-mentioned illumination device.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, apparatus and process for providing at least one radiation can be provided. For example, with at least one multi-mode waveguide, it is possible to transmit the radiation(s). In addition, with a shape sensing arrangement, it is possible To dynamically measure a shape of the multi-mode waveguide(s). Further, with a specifically programmed computer arrangement, it is possible to control a light modulator arrangement based on the dynamically-measured shape to cause the radiation(s) transmitted through the multi-mode waveguide(s) to have at least one pattern.