EP0325362A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Spectral combiner
Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 1989-01-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-01-12
Abstract
Abstract The present invention employs a spectral and spatial combiner (132) that is capable of maintaining equal optical path lengths of each spectral beam so that a single combined bean (148) can be produced and can be employed in a number of different applications such as a color camera device (Figure 28), a color recording device (Figure 23), a graphics presentation device (Figure 27), an electronic color filter device (Figure 30), a color projector device (Figure 25) and a multi-channel optical communication device (Figures 31 and 33).
Inventors
- 👤 Kent D. Vincent
- 👤 Hans D. Neumann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 14:53
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00; H04B10/25; H04B10/2581; G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/10; G02B27/1006; G02B27/1013; G02B27/14; G02B27/145; G02B27/148; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/46; H04N1/48; H04N1/486; H04N1/488; H04N1/50; H04N1/502; H04N9/00; H04N9/12; H04N9/31; H04N9/3102; H04N9/3105; H04N9/3108
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
197 words
An optical device (132) for spatially and spectrally combining a plurality of optical beams (142,144,146) having substantially parallel optical axes spaced by predetermined optical axes distances and predetermined spectral ranges comprising: first dichroic layer means (152) dispose along a plurality of parallel planes that are spaced by predetermined parallel plane distances and oriented at a first predetermined angle to said substantially parallel optical axes to reflect said plurality of optical beams from said plurality of parallel planes in accordance with said predetermined spectral ranges of said plurality of optical beams to control said predetermined optical axes distances and optical path lengths of said optical beams along said optical axes. second dichroic layer means (150) disposed along a plurality of additional parallel planes that are spaced by additional predetermined parallel plane distances and oriented at a second predetermined angle to said optical beams reflected from said first dichroic layer means to substantially align said optical axes of said plurality of optical beams along a single combined output axis so that said optical path lengths of said optical beams are substantially equal and said plurality of optical beams are spatially and spectrally combined into a single combined output beam.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
197 words
An optical device (132) for spatially and spectrally combining a plurality of optical beams (142,144,146) having substantially parallel optical axes spaced by predetermined optical axes distances and predetermined spectral ranges comprising: first dichroic layer means (152) dispose along a plurality of parallel planes that are spaced by predetermined parallel plane distances and oriented at a first predetermined angle to said substantially parallel optical axes to reflect said plurality of optical beams from said plurality of parallel planes in accordance with said predetermined spectral ranges of said plurality of optical beams to control said predetermined optical axes distances and optical path lengths of said optical beams along said optical axes. second dichroic layer means (150) disposed along a plurality of additional parallel planes that are spaced by additional predetermined parallel plane distances and oriented at a second predetermined angle to said optical beams reflected from said first dichroic layer means to substantially align said optical axes of said plurality of optical beams along a single combined output axis so that said optical path lengths of said optical beams are substantially equal and said plurality of optical beams are spatially and spectrally combined into a single combined output beam.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
173 words
An optical device (132) for spatially and spectrally combining a plurality of optical beams having predetermined spectral ranges into a single combined output beam (148) such that the optical axes (142,144,146) of said plurality of optical beams remain substantially parallel and have substantially equal optical path lengths, said device comprising: first composite dichroic means (152) for reflecting said plurality of optical beams such that path lengths of each of said optical axes (142,144,146) of said plurality of optical beams are altered by a predetermined amount; second composite dichroic means (150) for reflecting said plurality of optical beams reflected from said first composite dichroic means into a spatially superimposed path (148) such that path lengths of each of said optical axes (142,144,146) of said plurality of optical beams is restored by said predetermined amount to produce equal optical path lengths for each of said optical axes (142,144,146) of said plurality of optical beams and each of said plurality of optical beams is spatially and spectrally superimposed to form said single combined output beam (148).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
173 words
An optical device (132) for spatially and spectrally combining a plurality of optical beams having predetermined spectral ranges into a single combined output beam (148) such that the optical axes (142,144,146) of said plurality of optical beams remain substantially parallel and have substantially equal optical path lengths, said device comprising: first composite dichroic means (152) for reflecting said plurality of optical beams such that path lengths of each of said optical axes (142,144,146) of said plurality of optical beams are altered by a predetermined amount; second composite dichroic means (150) for reflecting said plurality of optical beams reflected from said first composite dichroic means into a spatially superimposed path (148) such that path lengths of each of said optical axes (142,144,146) of said plurality of optical beams is restored by said predetermined amount to produce equal optical path lengths for each of said optical axes (142,144,146) of said plurality of optical beams and each of said plurality of optical beams is spatially and spectrally superimposed to form said single combined output beam (148).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The optical device (132) of claim 2 wherein said plurality of optical beams intersect said first (152) and second (150) composite dichroic means at substantially equal incidence angles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The optical device (132) of claim 3 wherein said plurality of optical beams intersect said first (152) and second (150) composite dichroic means at an angle of incidence of approximately 67.5 degrees.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The optical device (132) of claim 2 wherein said plurality of optical beams intersect said first (152) and second (150) composite dichroic means at different incidence angles.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
132 words
The optical device of claim 2 wherein said first (152) and second (150) composite dichroic means comprise: optical spacer means (154) for providing a substantially optically transparent medium having a predetermined thickness; first dichroic layer means (156) disposed on a first side of said optical spacer means for reflecting light having a first predetermined spectral range and transmitting light outside of said first predetermined spectral range; second dichroic layer means (158) disposed on a second side of said optical spacer means for reflecting light having a second predetermined spectral range and transmitting light outside of said second predetermined spectral range; reflector means (166) disposed a predetermined distance from, and essentially parallel to, said optical spacer means for reflecting light transmitted by said first dichroic layer means and said second dichroic layer means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The optical device (132) of claim 6 wherein said predetermined thickness of said optical spacer means is substantially equal to said predetermined distance between said reflector means and said optical spacer means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The optical device (168) of claim 6 further comprising optical gluing means (184) disposed between said reflector means and said optical spacer means, for securing said optical spacer means in a position substantially parallel to said reflector means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The optical device (168) of claim 6 wherein said optical gluing means (184) has an index of refraction essentially equal to the index of refraction of said optical spacer means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
59 words
The optical device (168) of claim 6 wherein said predetermined distance between said reflector means and said optical spacer means is proportional to the difference in the index of refraction of said optical spacer means (174) and the index of refraction of a substance (184) filling the space between said reflector means (182) and said optical spacer means (174).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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