Electro-active spectacles and method of fabricating same

• US 20060092340A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E-Vision Optics LLC
• Original Assignee: e-Vision, LLC (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Kokonaski, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,290,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/08 Auxiliary lenses; Arrangements for varying focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1345 Conductors connecting electrodes to cell terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• 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 2201/42 Arrangements for providing conduction through an insulating substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/28 focussing or defocussing

Abstract

A composite lens assembly comprising an electro-active lens assembly, a first lens wafer, and a second lens wafer is provided. The electro-active lens assembly has an upper substrate layer with a planar upper surface and a lower substrate layer with a planar lower surface. The first lens wafer has a planar lower wafer surface adjacent and parallel to the planar upper surface of the upper substrate layer of the electro-active lens assembly. The second lens wafer has a planar upper wafer surface adjacent and parallel to the planar lower surface of the lower substrate layer of the electro-active lens assembly.

Claims

1. A composite lens assembly comprising:

an electro-active lens assembly having an upper substrate layer with a planar upper surface and a lower substrate layer with a planar lower surface;

a first lens wafer having a planar lower wafer surface adjacent and parallel to the planar upper surface of the upper substrate layer of the electro-active lens assembly; and

a second lens wafer having a planar upper wafer surface adjacent and parallel to the planar lower surface of the lower substrate layer of the electro-active lens assembly.

2. A composite lens assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first lens wafer is adhered to the upper substrate layer by a first adhesive layer and the second lens wafer is adhered to the lower substrate layer by a second adhesive layer.

3. A composite lens assembly according to claim 1 further comprising at least one mechanical fastener adapted for attaching the first and second lens wafers to the electro-active lens assembly.

4. A composite electro-active lens according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second lens wafers is formed from a polymeric material.

5. A composite electro-active lens according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second lens wafers is formed from a glass material.

6. A composite electro-active lens according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the upper and lower substrate layers is formed from a polymeric material.

7. A composite electro-active lens according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the upper and lower substrate layers is formed from a glass material.

8. A composite lens assembly according to claim 1 wherein the electro-active cell comprises a first electrode layer adjacent the upper substrate layer, a second electrode layer adjacent the lower substrate layer and a liquid crystal layer disposed intermediate the first and second electrode layers, the liquid crystal layer comprising a liquid crystal bounded by a spacer.

9. A composite lens assembly according to claim 8 wherein the electro-active cell further comprises a first alignment layer disposed intermediate the upper substrate layer and the liquid crystal layer, and a second alignment layer disposed intermediate the liquid crystal layer and the lower substrate layer

10. A composite lens assembly according to claim 8 wherein the electro-active lens assembly further comprises

a driver chip in electrical communication with the first and second electrode layers, the driver chip being adapted for controlling application of electrical power to the first and second electrode layers, and

at least one electrical contact layer in electrical communication with the driver chip, the at least one electrical contact layer having a first contact area and a second contact area electrically isolated from the first contact area.

11. A composite lens assembly according to claim 10 wherein the first and second electrical contact layers are formed from a substantially transparent material.

12. A composite lens assembly according to claim 10 wherein:

electrical communication between the driver chip and the second electrode is established through one or more electrical conductors passed through a first set of at least one via formed through the lower substrate layer, and

electrical communication between the driver chip and the first electrode is established through one or more electrical conductors passed through a second set of at least one via formed through the lower substrate layer, the second electrode and the spacer.

13. A composite lens assembly according to claim 10 wherein the first and second electrical contact areas are adhered to the lower surface of the lower substrate layer.

14. A composite lens assembly according to claim 10 wherein the first electrical contact layer is adhered to the lower surface of the lower substrate layer, and the second electrical contact layer is adhered to the upper surface of the upper substrate layer, and wherein electrical communication between the driver chip and the second electrical contact layer is established through a contact connector passed through a contact connector via formed through the upper and lower substrate layers and the electro-active cell.

15. The electro-active lens assembly of claim 8 wherein the first electrode layer comprises a monolithic electrode and the second electrode layer comprises a patterned electrode, the patterned electrode being configured to impart predetermined optical characteristics to the liquid crystal.

16. The electro-active lens assembly of claim 8 wherein the first and second electrode layers each comprise a patterned electrode configured to impart predetermined optical characteristics to the liquid crystal.