Apparatuses and methods for making an object appear transparent

• US 10,161,720 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Banerjee, Debasish, Ji, Chengang, Takagi, Mayu
• Primary Examiner(s): Romain, Pinel E
• Application Number:
  US15/423,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20180164079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 29619306
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/007 specially adapted for covering the lateral blind spot not covered by the usual rear-view mirror
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/025 Pillars; Roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/04 Door pillars ; windshield pillars
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/00 Camouflage, i.e. means or methods for concealment or disguise for vessels B63G8/34, B63G13/02 ; sound camouflage, i.e. simulating gun fire noise, F41A33/04; dummy or decoy targets F41J; chaff per se F41J2/00; ammunition for dispensing chaff F42B5/15, F42B12/70; radar absorbing fabrics H01Q17/005
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0605 using two curved mirrors G02B17/0668, G02B17/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0621 off-axis or unobscured systems in which not all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry, e.g. at least one of the mirrors is warped, tilted or decentered with respect to the other elements

Abstract

A cloaking device includes object-side and image-side curved cloaking region boundaries with outward facing mirror surfaces and inward facing opaque surfaces. A cloaking region is bounded by the inward facing opaque surfaces of the object-side and image-side curved CR boundaries. An object-side curved reflection boundary with an inward facing mirror surface is positioned proximate to the object-side curved cloaking region boundary and an image-side curved reflection boundary with an inward facing mirror surface is positioned proximate to the image-side curved cloaking region boundary. Light from an object located on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the cloaking region is redirected around the cloaking region by the outward facing mirror surfaces of the object-side and image-side curved cloaking region boundaries and the inward facing mirror surfaces of the object-side and image-side curved reflection boundaries.

Claims

1. A cloaking device comprising:

an object-side and an image-side;

an object-side curved cloaking region (CR) boundary having an outward facing mirror surface and an inward facing opaque surface and an image-side curved CR boundary having an outward facing mirror surface and an inward facing opaque surface;

a CR bounded by the inward facing opaque surfaces of the object-side curved CR boundary and the image-side curved CR boundary;

an object-side curved reflection boundary having an inward facing mirror surface;

an image-side curved reflection boundary having an inward facing mirror surface;

wherein light from an object positioned on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the CR is redirected around the CR to form an image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device such that the light from the object appears to pass through the CR.

2. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary is configured to reflect and focus incident light from the object positioned on the object-side generally to a focal point located between and spaced apart from the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary and the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary.

3. The cloaking device of claim 2, wherein:

the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary and the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary are parabolic shaped surfaces; and

the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary is oriented generally 180°

relative to the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary.

4. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary is configured to reflect incident light from the outward facing minor surface of the object-side curved CR boundary generally parallel to the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary.

5. The cloaking device of claim 4, wherein:

the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary and the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary are parabolic shaped surfaces; and

the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary is oriented generally 90°

relative to the image-side curved reflection boundary.

6. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary is configured to reflect and focus incident light reflected from the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary to a focal point located between and spaced apart from the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary and the outward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved CR boundary.

7. The cloaking device of claim 6, wherein:

the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary and the outward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved CR boundary are parabolic shaped surfaces; and

the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary is oriented generally 90°

relative to the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary.

8. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein:

the outward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved CR boundary and the outward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved CR boundary are parabolic shaped surfaces; and

the outward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved CR boundary is oriented generally 180°

relative to the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary.

9. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the outward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved CR boundary is configured to reflect defocused incident light from the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary to form the image on the image-side of the object positioned proximate to the object-side.

10. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein;

the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary is configured to reflect and focus incident light from the object positioned on the object-side generally to a focal point located between and spaced apart from the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary and the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary;

the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary is configured to reflect incident light from the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary generally parallel to the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary;

the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary is configured to reflect and focus incident light from the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary to another focal point located between and spaced apart from the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary and the outer facing mirror surface of the image-side curved CR boundary; and

the outward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved CR boundary is configured to reflect defocused incident light from the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary to form the image on the image-side of the object positioned proximate to the object-side.

11. The cloaking device of claim 1, further comprising an article positioned within the CR, wherein the light from the object located on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the CR is redirected around the CR and the article to form the image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device and the article appears transparent.

12. The cloaking device of claim 11, wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of a vehicle A-pillar, a vehicle B-pillar and a vehicle C-pillar.

13. A cloaking device for cloaking an article of a vehicle comprising:

a cloaking assembly comprising;

an object-side and an image-side;

two object-side curved CR boundaries positioned proximate the object-side, each of the two object-side curved CR boundaries comprising an outward facing mirror surface and an inward facing opaque surface;

two object-side curved reflection boundaries positioned proximate the two object-side curved CR boundaries, each of the two object-side curved reflection boundaries comprising an inward facing mirror surface;

two image-side curved CR boundaries positioned proximate the image-side between the object-side and the image-side, each of the two image-side curved CR boundaries comprising an outward facing mirror surface and an inward facing opaque surface;

two image-side curved reflection boundaries positioned proximate the two image-side curved CR boundaries, each of the two image-side curved reflection boundaries comprising an inward facing mirror surface; and

a CR bounded by the inward facing opaque surfaces of the two object-side curved CR boundaries and the two image-side curved CR boundaries;

wherein the outward facing mirror surfaces of the two object-side curved CR boundaries, inward facing mirror surfaces of the two object-side curved reflection boundaries, inward facing mirror surfaces of the two image-side curved reflection boundaries and outward facing mirror surfaces of the two image-side curved CR boundaries are configured to reflect light from an object positioned on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the CR is redirected around the CR to form an image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device such that the light from the object appears to pass through the CR.

14. The cloaking device of claim 13, wherein the outward facing mirror surfaces of the two object-side curved CR boundaries are parabolic shaped surfaces configured to reflect and focus incident light from the object positioned on the object-side generally to focal points located between and spaced apart from the outward facing mirror surfaces of the two object-side curved CR boundaries and the inward facing mirror surfaces of the two object-side curved reflection boundaries.

15. The cloaking device of claim 13, wherein the inward facing mirror surfaces of the two object-side curved reflection boundaries are parabolic shaped surfaces configured to reflect incident light from the outward facing mirror surfaces of the two object-side curved CR boundaries generally parallel to the inward facing mirror surfaces of the two image-side curved reflection boundaries.

16. The cloaking device of claim 13, wherein the inward facing mirror surfaces of the two image-side curved reflection boundaries are parabolic shaped surfaces configured to reflect and focus incident light reflected from the inward facing mirror surfaces of the two object-side curved reflection boundaries to focal points located between and spaced apart from the inward facing mirror surfaces of the two image-side curved reflection boundaries and the outward facing mirror surfaces of the two image-side curved CR boundaries.

17. The cloaking device of claim 13, wherein the outward facing mirror surfaces of the two image-side curved CR boundaries are parabolic shaped surfaces configured to reflect defocused incident light from the inward facing mirror surfaces of the two image-side curved reflection boundaries to form the image on the image-side of the object positioned proximate to the object-side.

18. A vehicle with a cloaking device comprising:

a vehicle pillar selected from the group consisting of an A-pillar, B-pillar and C-pillar;

a cloaking assembly comprising;

an object-side and an image-side;

an object-side curved cloaking region (CR) boundary having an outward facing mirror surface and an inward facing opaque surface and an image-side curved CR boundary having an outward facing mirror surface and an inward facing opaque surface;

a CR bounded by the inward facing opaque surfaces of the object-side curved CR boundary and the image-side curved CR boundary, wherein at least a portion of the vehicle pillar is positioned within the CR;

an object-side curved reflection boundary having an inward facing mirror surface;

an image-side curved reflection boundary having an inward facing mirror surface;

wherein light from an object located on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the CR is redirected around the portion of the vehicle pillar positioned in the CR to form an image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device such that the light from the object appears to pass through the vehicle pillar.

19. The vehicle with the cloaking device of claim 18, wherein:

the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary is a parabolic shaped surface configured to reflect and focus incident light from the object positioned on the object-side generally to a focal point located between and spaced apart from the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary and the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary; and

the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary is oriented generally 180°

relative to the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary.

20. The vehicle with the cloaking device of claim 18, wherein:

the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary is a parabolic shaped surface configured to reflect and focus incident light reflected from the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary to a focal point located between and spaced apart from the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary and the outward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved CR boundary; and

the inward facing mirror surface of the image-side curved reflection boundary is oriented generally 90°

relative to the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary.