Hybrid electro-active lens

• US 20030210377A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: e-Vision, LLC (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: e-Vision, LLC (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Duston, Dwight P., Kokonaski, William, Kippelen, Bernard, Katzman, Youval, Meredith, Gerald, Efron, Uzi, Katzman, Daniel, Grossinger, Israel, Mathine, David
• Application Number:
  US10/263,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210377A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/168
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/16 Laminated or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/18 Cellular lens surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/20 Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133371 Cells with varying thickness of the liquid crystal layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13415 Drop filling process
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/29 for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/294 Variable focal length devices

Abstract

An electro-active lens that may include first and second electro-active cells, the cells being adjacent to each other and, when in a resting state, oriented orthogonal to each other to reduce birefringence.

Claims

1. An electro-active lens comprising:

a first electro-active cell; and

a second electro-active cell,

the first and second electro-active cells being adjacent to each other and oriented orthogonal to each other in an unactivated state to reduce birefringence.

2. The electro-active lens of claim 1 wherein the first electro-active cell includes a first variable index material and the second electro-active cell includes a second variable index material, molecules of the first variable index material being oriented orthogonal to molecules of the second variable index material.

3. The electro-active lens of claim 1 wherein the first electro-active cell is stacked upon the second electro-active cell.

4. The electro-active lens of claim 1 further comprising:

a first lens component having a first recess therein; and

a second lens component having a second recess therein,

the first and second electro-active cells being disposed between the first and second lens components within the respective first and second recesses.

5. The electro-active lens of claim 1 further comprising:

a lens component having a recess therein,

the first and second electro-active cells being disposed within the recess.

6. The electro-active lens of claim 1 further comprising:

a first lens component having a first recess therein;

a second lens component having a second recess therein; and

a casing encapsulating the first and second electro-active cells, the casing being disposed between the first and second lens components and within the respective first and second recesses.

7. An electro-active apparatus comprising:

an electro-active lens including

a first electro-active cell, and

a second electro-active cell,

the first and second electro-active cells being adjacent to each other and oriented orthogonal to each other in an unactivated state to reduce birefringence; and

a set of electrodes electrically connected to the electro-active lens to apply voltage to the electro-active lens.

8. The electro-active apparatus of claim 7 wherein the electrodes apply different voltages to different regions of the electro-active lens.

9. The electro-active apparatus of claim 7 wherein the index of refraction of the electro-active lens varies with the magnitude of the applied voltage.

10. The electro-active apparatus of claim 7 wherein the electrodes form concentric loops.

11. The electro-active apparatus of claim 7 wherein the electrodes form an array of pixelated regions.

12. The electro-active apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a power source electrically connected to the electrodes to supply the applied voltage.

13. A method for reducing birefringence in a lens, comprising:

providing a first electro-active cell of the lens;

providing a second electro-active cell of the lens; and

orienting the first and second electro-active cells orthogonal to each other in an unactivated state to reduce birefringence.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

applying a voltage to the first and second electro-active cells to change the index of refraction of the lens.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

applying different voltages to different regions of the first and second electro-active cells to produce different indices of refraction in the lens.

16. An electro-active apparatus comprising:

an electro-active lens;

a set of electrodes electrically connected to the electro-active lens to apply voltage to the electro-active lens; and

a circuit to supply the voltage to the set of electrodes, the circuit using control phase retardation in the supplied voltage to create multi-focus in the electro-active lens.

17. The electro-active apparatus of claim 16, wherein the circuit is a flying capacitor circuit.

18. The electro-active apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrodes apply different voltages to different regions of the electro-active lens, resulting in the multi-focus.

19. A method for creating a multi-focus ophthalmic lens, comprising:

providing an electro-active lens;

applying voltage to the electro-active lens through a set of electrodes connected to the electro-active lens; and

using control phase retardation in the applied voltage to create the multi-focus ophthalmic lens.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the control phase retardation is provided by a flying capacitor circuit.