EP0451681A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Optical apparatus
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
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Filing: 1991-04-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-04-03
Abstract
Abstract An optical apparatus for controlling a wave front of a coherent light includes at least a coherent light source (104), an electrically addressable liquid crystal device (106) having a plurality of pixels, and a signal generator (101-103) for recording a complex amplitude distribution on said liquid crystal device.
Inventors
- 👤 Jun Amako
- 👤 Tomio Sonehara
- 👤 Hirotsuna Miura
- 👤 Yoshio Watanabe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 15:10
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03H; G03H1/00; G03H1/04; G03H1/08; G03H1/0841; B; B29; B29C; B29C64/00; B29C64/10; B29C64/106; B29C64/124; B29C64/129; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/18; G02B5/1876; G02B5/188; G02B5/1885; G02B5/32; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1347; G02F1/13471; G02F1/135; G03H1/02; G03H1/10; G03H1/12; G03H1/22; G03H1/2294; G03H1/0005; G03H1/0011; G03H2001/0016; G03H2001/0066; G03H2001/0094; G03H2001/0208; G03H2001/0224; G03H2001/026; G03H2001/0268; G03H2001/0858; G03H1/26; G03H2001/2605; G03H2001/261; G03H2001/2615; G03H1/2645; G03H2001/2675; G03H1/30; G03H2001/306; G03H2223/00; G03H2223/19; G03H2225/00; G03H2225/20; G03H2225/22; G03H2225/25; G03H2225/30; G03H2225/31; G03H2225/32; G03H2225/33; G03H2225/52; G03H2225/55; G03H2225/60; G03H2240/00; G03H2240/50; G03H2240/56; G03H2240/61
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
45 words
An optical apparatus for controlling a wave front of a coherent light, comprising at least: a coherent light source; an electrically addressed liquid crystal device having a plurality of pixels; and a signal generator for recording a complex amplitude distribution on said liquid crystal device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
45 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal generator includes at least a CPU, a memory circuit for storing a plurality of complex amplitude distribution data, and an interface circuit for transferring a signal from said memory circuit to said liquid crystal device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 1 and 2, wherein said liquid crystal device is of the matrix-drive type.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
79 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 1 to 3, wherein said liquid crystal device includes a TN (twisted nematic) mode liquid crystal panel, and two polarizing plates respectively disposed in front and at the back of said liquid crystal panel in such a manner that directions of the axes thereof are orthogonal to each other, the direction of transmission of the front polarizing plate being orthogonal to a director of liquid crystal molecules on an incident surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 1 to 3, wherein said liquid crystal device includes an ECB (electrically controlled birefringence) mode liquid crystal panel, and a single polarizing plate disposed in front of said liquid crystal panel, the direction of transmission of said polarizing plate being parallel to a plane made by the normal on said liquid crystal panel and a director of the liquid crystal molecules.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
70 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 1 to 5, wherein said liquid crystal device includes a high-transmission substrate, a high-reflectivity substrate, a liquid crystal disposed between said high-transmission substrate and said high-reflectivity substrate, a plurality of separate electrodes disposed on at least one side of the liquid crystal, and a dielectric mirror disposed between the electrodes disposed on the side of said high-reflectivity substrate and said liquid crystal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 2 to 6, wherein said liquid crystal device displays a two-dimensional image by matrix control which is to be projected to another liquid crystal display member having a liquid crystal layer and a photo-conductive layer from the side of said photo-conductive layer to form an image on said liquid crystal layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical apparatus according to claim 1, including an amplitude modulation type liquid crystal device and a phase modulation type liquid crystal device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said amplitude modulation type liquid crystal device comprises a TN (twisted nematic) mode liquid crystal device while said phase modulation type liquid crystal device comprises an ECB (electrically controlled birefringence) mode liquid crystal device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an afocal system disposed between said TN mode and ECB mode liquid crystal devices, said afocal system consisting of at least two lenses, and a slit disposed between the front and rear lens groups of said afocal system, said two liquid crystal devices being disposed in conjugate relation with each other in said afocal system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an afocal system disposed between said TN mode and ECB mode liquid crystal devices, said afocal system consisting of a pair of planar microlens arrays, said two liquid crystal devices being disposed in conjugate relation with each other in said afocal system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a polarization beam splitter, a quarter wave plate, a lens, a slit and a reflecting plate which components are disposed between said TN mode and ECB mode liquid crystal devices.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 10 and 11, wherein the direction of transmission of a rear polarizing plate in said TN mode liquid crystal device is in a plane made by a director of liquid crystal molecules and the normal on a substrate of said ECB mode liquid crystal device.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the direction of transmission of a rear polarizing plate of said TN mode liquid crystal device is orthogonal to a plane made by a director of liquid crystal molecules and the normal on a substrate in said ECB mode liquid crystal device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 1 to 14, wherein said liquid crystal device displays a lens function in the form of a complex amplitude distribution.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said liquid crystal device displays a plurality of lens functions in such a manner that they do not overlap.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said liquid crystal device displays a plurality of lens transfer functions in such a manner that they are partially overlapped.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
56 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 1 to 14, including a signal generator for recording a hologram on said liquid crystal device, an element made of a photo-sensitive material, said element having a plurality of input/output terminals, and a coherent light source for illuminating said hologram to reproduce an image on said photo-sensitive material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said photo-sensitive material utilizes local changes in its refractive index.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said photo-sensitive material utilizes local changes its electrical conductivity.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 19 and 20, wherein said coherent light source comprises at least two sources of coherent lights having different wavelengths.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 1 to 14, including a signal generator for recording a hologram on said liquid crystal device, an optically setting material, and a coherent light source for illuminating said hologram to reproduce an image on said optically setting material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 1, including a two wave interference means, an optically recording medium, and at least one liquid crystal device disposed in either of a reference wave path or an object wave path.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
43 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said at least one liquid crystal device comprises a phase modulation type liquid crystal device disposed in said reference wave path, and an amplitude modulation type liquid crystal device disposed in said object wave path.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
44 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said at least one liquid crystal device comprises a phase modulation type liquid crystal device disposed in said reference wave path, and an amplitude/phase simultaneous modulation type liquid crystal device disposed in said object wave path.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
The optical apparatus according to either of claims 23 to 25, wherein said optical recording medium comprises an electro-optic material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
77 words
An optical apparatus according to claim 1, including an amplitude modulation type liquid crystal device for displaying an input image, a first lens whose front focal surface is located on the surface on which said amplitude modulation type liquid crystal device is disposed, a phase modulation type liquid crystal device disposed on a rear focal surface of said first lens, and a second lens whose front focal surface is the rear focal surface of said first lens.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
80 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said amplitude modulation type liquid crystal device comprises an electrically addressed TN (twisted nemativ) mode liquid crystal device while said phase modulation type liquid crystal device comprises an optically addressed ECB (electrically controlled birefringence) mode liquid crystal device, the direction of transmission of a bear polarizer in said TN mode liquid crystal device being parallel to the direction of a director of liquid crystal molecules in said ECB mode liquid crystal device.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
67 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said optically addressed ECB mode liquid crystal device is disposed on a slanting surface of a 90° rectangular equilateral prism made of a transparent material, the direction of the director of the liquid crystal molecules of said ECB mode liquid crystal device being, parallel to a common side of input and output surfaces of said 90° rectangular equilateral prism.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
38 words
The optical apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said optically addressed ECB mode liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal layer, a dielectric mirror, and a phase plate disposed between said liquid crystal layer and said dielectric mirror.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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