Optical information transmitting device and method of manufacturing same

Claim 2

An optical information transmitting device for transmitting information on a light beam emitted by a light source, comprising: a transparent mounting substrate having a first surface positioned opposite from a second surface; a coaxial lens array of spaced-apart lenses arranged along a generally straight line and mounted along the first surface of the transparent mounting substrate, with conjugate focusing planes of the lenses being of equal magnification; an optical element attached to the second surface of the transparent mounting substrate and optically coupled to the coaxial lens array, the optical element being offset from the generally straight line of the coaxial lens array; and optical coupling means for optically coupling the coaxial lens array to the optical element, the optical coupling means directing optical pattern information provided in one of the conjugate focusing planes of the axial lens array through the transparent mounting substrate to the optical element.

Claim 3

The optical information transmitting device of claim 1 wherein each of said lenses comprises a distributed-index rod lens having a rotationally symmetric refractive index distribution with the refractive index varying radially with respect to the optical axis of said lens.

Claim 4

The optical information transmitting device of claim 1 wherein the optical coupling means comprises a plurality of prisms having mirror surfaces for optically coupling the focusing planes of the lenses with the optical elements.

Claim 5

The optical information transmitting device of claim 3 wherein the mirror surface is a half-mirror surface.

Claim 6

The optical information transmitting device of claim 1 further comprising spacer glasses each disposed between two lenses of said coaxial lens array such that each spacer glass is disposed on a side of a lens opposite to an optical coupling means.

Claim 7

The optical information transmitting device of claim 1 wherein a prism is disposed between adjacent lenses of said coaxial lens array.

Claim 8

The optical information transmitting device of claim 6 wherein at least one prism aligns Fourier transform plane with a surface of one of said optical elements.

Claim 9

The optical information transmitting device of claim 6 wherein at least one prism aligns focusing plane of one of said adjacent lenses with a surface of one of said optical elements and a second prism disposed on a side of a lens of said coaxial lens array opposite said prism aligning focusing plane, said second prism aligns Fourier transform plane with a surface of one of said optical elements.

Claim 10

The optical information transmitting device of claim 1 wherein each of said lenses comprises a telecentric optical system in which principal rays of light at all image points on each of said conjugate focusing planes are parallel to each other.

Claim 11

An optical information directing device for transmitting information on a light beam emitted by a light source, comprising: a transparent mounting substrate having a first surface positioned opposite from a second surface; a coaxial lens array of spaced-apart lenses arranged along a generally straight line and mounted along the first surface of the transparent mounting substrate, the lenses forming Fourier transform planes and conjugate focusing planes, wherein the conjugate focusing planes of said lenses are of equal magnification, and each of said lenses comprises a distributed-index rod lens having a rotationally symmetric refractive index distribution with the refractive index varying radially with respect to the optical axis of said lens; optical elements attached to the second surface of the transparent mounting substrate and optically coupled to the coaxial lens array; at least one prism with a mirror surface for optically coupling said coaxial lens array to transmit optical pattern information from one of said conjugate focusing planes through the transparent mounting substrate to at least one of said optical elements; and at least one other prism having another mirror surface for optically coupling said coaxial lens array to transmit optical pattern information from one of said Fourier transform planes through the transparent mounting substrate to another of said optical elements.

Claim 12

An optical information directing device for transmitting information on a light beam emitted by a light source, comprising: a transparent mounting substrate having a first surface positioned opposite from a second surface; a coaxial lens array of spaced-apart lenses arranged along a generally straight line and mounted along the first surface of the transparent mounting substrate, the lenses forming Fourier transform planes and conjugate focusing planes, wherein the conjugate focusing planes of said lenses are of equal magnification, and each of said lenses comprises a distributed-index rod lens having a rotationally symmetric refractive index distribution with the refractive index varying radially with respect to the optical axis of said lens; optical elements attached to the second surface of the transparent mounting substrate and optically coupled to the coaxial lens array; at least one prism with a mirror surface for optically coupling said coaxial lens array to transmit optical pattern information from one of said conjugate focusing planes through the transparent mounting substrate to at least one of said optical elements; and at least one other prism having another mirror surface for optically coupling said coaxial lens array to transmit optical pattern information from one of said Fourier transform planes through the transparent mounting substrate to another of said optical elements.

Claim 13

An optical information directing device for transmitting information on a light beam emitted by a light source, comprising: a transparent mounting substrate having a first surface positioned opposite from a second surface; a coaxial lens array of lenses spaced at equal intervals along an optical axis and mounted on the first surface of said transparent mounting substrate, with conjugate focusing planes of said lenses being of equal magnification and disposed between adjacent ones of said lenses, wherein each of said lenses comprises a distributed-index rod lens having a rotationally symmetrical refractive index distribution with the refractive index varying radially with respect to said optical axis; optical elements attached to the second surface of the transparent mounting substrate and optically coupled to the coaxial lens array, the optical elements being offset from the optical axis of the coaxial lens array; and optical coupling means located at the conjugate focusing planes adjacent to the first surface of the transparent mounting substrate for optically coupling the coaxial lens array to the optical elements, the optical coupling means directing optical pattern information from the conjugate focusing planes of the coaxial lens array through the transparent mounting substrate to the optical elements.

Claim 14

An optical information directing device for transmitting information on a light beam emitted by a light source, comprising: a transparent mounting substrate having a first surface positioned opposite from a second surface; a coaxial lens array of lenses spaced at equal intervals along an optical axis and mounted on the first surface of said transparent mounting substrate, with conjugate focusing planes of said lenses being of equal magnification and disposed between adjacent ones of said lenses, wherein each of said lenses comprises a distributed-index rod lens having a rotationally symmetrical refractive index distribution with the refractive index varying radially with respect to said optical axis; optical elements attached to the second surface of the transparent mounting substrate and optically coupled to the coaxial lens array, the optical elements being offset from the optical axis of the coaxial lens array; and optical coupling means located at the conjugate focusing planes adjacent to the first surface of the transparent mounting substrate for optically coupling the coaxial lens array to the optical elements, the optical coupling means directing optical pattern information from the conjugate focusing planes of the coaxial lens array through the transparent mounting substrate to the optical elements.

Claim 15

An optical information directing device for transmitting information on a light beam emitted by a light source, comprising: a transparent mounting substrate having a first surface positioned opposite from a second surface, wherein adjacent to the first surface the transparent mounting substrate defines a plurality of cylindrical openings aligned in generally parallel rows and a plurality of rectangular slots which are spaced apart from one another and are aligned generally perpendicular to the rows of cylindrical openings; a plurality of coaxial lens arrays fit including lenses which are fit within the generally cylindrical openings defined by the transparent mounting substrate and aligned generally along the first surface of the transparent mounting substrate, the lenses of the coaxial lens arrays having conjugate focusing planes of generally equal magnification; optical elements attached to the second surface of the transparent mounting substrate and optically coupled to the coaxial lens arrays; and optical coupling means fit within the rectangular slots defined by the transparent mounting substrate and located at the conjugate focusing planes of the coaxial lens arrays, the optical coupling means directing optical pattern information from the conjugate focusing planes of the coaxial lens array through the transparent mounting substrate to the optical elements such that the coaxial lens arrays and the optical elements are optically coupled.

Claim 16

An optical information directing device for transmitting information on a light beam emitted by a light source, comprising: a transparent mounting substrate having a first surface positioned opposite from a second surface, wherein adjacent to the first surface the transparent mounting substrate defines a plurality of cylindrical openings aligned in generally parallel rows and a plurality of rectangular slots which are spaced apart from one another and are aligned generally perpendicular to the rows of cylindrical openings; a plurality of coaxial lens arrays fit including lenses which are fit within the generally cylindrical openings defined by the transparent mounting substrate and aligned generally along the first surface of the transparent mounting substrate, the lenses of the coaxial lens arrays having conjugate focusing planes of generally equal magnification; optical elements attached to the second surface of the transparent mounting substrate and optically coupled to the coaxial lens arrays; and optical coupling means fit within the rectangular slots defined by the transparent mounting substrate and located at the conjugate focusing planes of the coaxial lens arrays, the optical coupling means directing optical pattern information from the conjugate focusing planes of the coaxial lens array through the transparent mounting substrate to the optical elements such that the coaxial lens arrays and the optical elements are optically coupled.

Claim 17

An optical information transmitting device for transmitting information on a light beam emitted by a light source, comprising: a transparent mounting substrate having a first surface positioned opposite from a second surface; a coaxial lens array of spaced-apart lenses arranged along a generally straight line and mounted along the first surface of the transparent mounting substrate, with conjugate focusing planes of the lenses being of equal magnification; an optical element attached to the transparent mounting substrate and optically coupled to the coaxial lens array, the optical element being offset from the generally straight line of the coaxial lens array; and optical coupling means for optically coupling the coaxial lens array to the optical element, the optical coupling means directing optical pattern information provided in one of the conjugate focusing planes of the axial lens array to the optical element.

Claim 18

An optical information transmitting device for transmitting information on a light beam emitted by a light source, comprising: a transparent mounting substrate having a first surface positioned opposite from a second surface; a coaxial lens array of spaced-apart lenses arranged along a generally straight line and mounted along the first surface of the transparent mounting substrate, with conjugate focusing planes of the lenses being of equal magnification; an optical element attached to the transparent mounting substrate and optically coupled to the coaxial lens array, the optical element being offset from the generally straight line of the coaxial lens array; and optical coupling means for optically coupling the coaxial lens array to the optical element, the optical coupling means directing optical pattern information provided in one of the conjugate focusing planes of the axial lens array to the optical element.