CLOAKING DEVICES CONSTRUCTED FROM PRISMS AND VEHICLES COMPRISING THE SAME

• US 20190041617A1
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Published: 02/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Kyu-Tae, Banerjee, Debasish
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/007 made of negative effective refractive index materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/008 Systems specially adapted to form image relays or chained systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0012 Optical design, e.g. procedures, algorithms, optimisation routines
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0972 Prisms prisms per se G02B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/126 The splitting element being a prism or prismatic array, including systems based on total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms

Abstract

A cloaking device includes an object-side, an image-side, a cloaked region and eight prisms positioned around the cloaked region. Each of the prisms has a light entrance side, a light exit side, a vertex formed from the intersection of a plane defined by the light entrance side and a plane defined by the light exit side, and a vertex angle between the light entrance side and the light exit side. A pair of first object-side prisms with inward facing vertices and a pair of second object-side prisms with outward facing vertices are positioned on the object-side, and a pair of first image-side prisms with outward facing vertices and a pair of second image-side prisms with inward facing vertices are positioned on the image-side. The light entrance sides of the pair of second object-side prisms are parallel and spaced apart from the light exit sides of the pair of first object-side prisms.

Claims

1. A cloaking device comprising:

an object-side, an image-side and a cloaked region;

a plurality of prisms positioned around the cloaked region, wherein each of the plurality of prisms comprises a light entrance side and a light exit side, the light entrance side and the light exit side defining a vertex angle there between, and a vertex formed by an intersection of a plane defined by the light entrance side and a plane defined by the light exit side, the plurality of prisms comprising;

a first object-side prism with an inward facing vertex proximal to the cloaked region and a second object-side prism with an outward facing vertex distal to the cloaked region, wherein the vertex angle of the first object-side prism is equal to the vertex angle of the second object-side prism;

a first image-side prism with an outward facing vertex distal to the cloaked region and a second image-side prism with an inward facing vertex proximal to the cloaked region, wherein the vertex angle of the first image-side prism is equal to the vertex angle of the second image-side prism;

wherein;

the light entrance side of the first object-side prism is oriented parallel to the light exit side of the second object-side prism and the light exit side of the first object-side prism is oriented parallel to the light entrance side of the second object-side prism;

the light entrance side of the first image-side prism is oriented parallel to the light exit side of the second image-side prism and the light exit side of the first image-side prism is oriented parallel to the light entrance side of the second image-side prism;

light from an object positioned on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the cloaked region from the image-side is redirected around the cloaked region via propagation of the light through the first object-side prism to the second object-side prism, through the second object-side prism to the first image-side prism, through the first image-side prism to the second image-side prism, and through the second image-side prism forming 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 cloaked region.

2. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the vertex angles of the first object-side prism and the second object-side prism are equal to the vertex angles of the first image-side prism and the second image-side prism.

3. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the vertex angles of the first object-side prism and the second object-side prism are not equal to the vertex angles of the first image-side prism and the second image-side prism.

4. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the light entrance side of the second object-side prism is spaced apart from the light exit side of the first object-side prism.

5. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the light entrance side of the second image-side prism is spaced apart from the light exit side of the first image-side prism.

6. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein light from the object on the object-side propagates to the image-side to form the image via the optical path:

object to light entrance side of the first object-side prism;

light entrance side to the light exit side within the first object-side prism;

light exit side of the first object-side prism through a first air gap to light entrance side of the second object-side prism;

light entrance side to light exit side within the second object-side prism;

light exit side of the second object-side prism through a second air gap to light entrance side of the first image-side prism;

light entrance side to light exit side within the first image-side prism;

light exit side of the first image-side prism through a third air gap to light entrance side of the second image-side prism;

light entrance side to light exit side within the second image-side prism; and

light exit side of the second image-side prism to image on the image-side.

7. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of prisms is a plurality of isosceles prisms.

8. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of prisms is a plurality of equilateral prisms.

9. A cloaking device assembly comprising:

an object-side, an image-side, a cloaked region, a cloaked article positioned within the cloaked region, and a reference optical axis extending from the object-side to the image-side;

a plurality of prisms positioned around the cloaked region, wherein each of the plurality of prisms comprises a light entrance side and a light exit side, the light entrance side and the light exit side defining a vertex angle there between, and a vertex formed from an intersection of a plane defined by the light entrance side and a plane defined by the light exit side, the plurality of prisms comprising;

a pair of first object-side prisms and a pair of second object-side prisms, each of the pair of first object-side prisms comprising an inward facing vertex proximal to the cloaked region and each of the pair of second object-side prisms comprising an outward facing vertex distal to the cloaked region, wherein one of the pair of first object-side prisms and one of the pair of second object-side prisms are positioned on one side of the reference optical axis and another of the pair of first object-side prisms and another of the pair of second object-side prisms are positioned on another side of the reference optical axis;

a pair of first image-side prisms and a pair of second image-side prisms, each of the pair of first image-side prisms comprising an outward facing vertex distal to the cloaked region and each of the pair of second image-side prisms comprising an inward facing vertex proximal to the cloaked region, wherein one of the pair of first image-side prisms and one of the pair of second image-side prisms are positioned on one side of the reference optical axis and another of the pair of first image-side prisms and another of the pair of second image-side prisms are positioned on another side of the reference optical axis;

wherein;

each of the light entrance sides and light exit sides of the pair of first object-side prisms is parallel to the light exit sides and light entrance sides, respectively, of the pair of second object-side prisms;

each of the light entrance sides and light exit sides of the pair of first image-side prisms is parallel to the light exit sides and light entrance sides, respectively, of the pair of second image-side prisms;

light from an object positioned on the object-side of the cloaking device assembly and obscured by the cloaked region from the image-side is redirected around the cloaked region via propagation of the light through the pair of first object-side prisms to the pair of second object-side prisms, through the pair of second object-side prisms to the pair of first image-side prisms, through the pair of first image-side prisms to the pair of second image-side prisms, and through the pair of second image-side prisms forming an image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device assembly such that the light from the object appears to pass through the cloaked region.

10. The cloaking device assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the light entrance sides of the pair of second object-side prisms is spaced apart from the light exit sides of the pair of first object-side prisms.

11. The cloaking device assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the light entrance sides of the pair of second image-side prisms is spaced apart from the light exit sides of the pair of first image-side prisms.

12. The cloaking device assembly of claim 9, wherein the pair of first object-side prisms refract incident light from the object positioned on the object-side to the pair of second object-side prisms, the pair of second object-side prisms refract incident light from the pair of first object-side prisms to the pair of first image-side prisms, the pair of first image-side prisms refract incident light from the pair of second object-side prisms to the pair of second image-side prisms, and the pair of second image-side prisms refract incident light from the pair of first image-side prisms forming the image of the object on the image-side.

13. The cloaking device assembly of claim 9, wherein light from the object on the object-side propagates to the image-side to form the image via optical paths:

object to light entrance sides of the pair of first object-side prisms;

light entrance side to light exit sides within the pair of first object-side prisms;

light exit sides of the pair of first object-side prisms through a first pair of air gaps to light entrance sides of the pair of second object-side prisms;

light entrance side to light exit sides within the pair of second object-side prisms;

light exit sides of the pair of second object-side prisms through a second pair of air gaps to light entrance sides of the pair of first image-side prisms;

light entrance sides to the light exit sides within the pair of first image-side prisms;

light exit sides of the pair of first image-side prisms through a third pair of air gaps to the light entrance sides of the pair of second image-side prisms;

light entrance sides to light exit sides within the pair of second image-side prisms; and

light exit sides of the pair of second image-side prisms to image on the image-side.

14. The cloaking device assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of prisms is a plurality of isosceles prisms.

15. The cloaking device assembly of claim 9, wherein the plurality of prisms is a plurality of equilateral prisms.

16. A vehicle comprising:

an A-pillar; and

a cloaking device positioned on the A-pillar, the cloaking device comprising;

an object-side, an image-side, a cloaked region and a reference optical axis extending from the object-side to the image-side, wherein the A-pillar is positioned within the cloaked region, the object-side is positioned on an exterior of the vehicle and the image-side is positioned within an interior of the vehicle;

a plurality of prisms positioned around the cloaked region, wherein each of the plurality of prisms comprises a light entrance side and a light exit side, the light entrance side and the light exit side defining a vertex angle there between, and a vertex formed from an intersection of a plane defined by the light entrance side and a plane defined by the light exit side, the plurality of prisms comprising;

a first object-side prism with an inward facing vertex proximal to the cloaked region and a second object-side prism with an outward facing vertex distal to the cloaked region, wherein the vertex angle of the first object-side prism is equal to the vertex angle of the second object-side prism;

a first image-side prism with an outward facing vertex and a second image-side prism with an inward facing vertex, wherein the vertex angle of the first image-side prism is equal to the vertex angle of the second image-side prism;

wherein;

the light exit side of the first object-side prism is parallel to the light entrance side of the second object-side prism;

the light exit side of the first image-side prism is parallel to the light entrance side of the second image-side prism;

light from an object positioned on the object-side of the cloaking device and pillar assembly that is cloaked and obscured by the A-pillar is redirected around the A-pillar via propagation of the light through the first object-side prism to the second object-side prism, through the second object-side prism to the first image-side prism, through the first image-side prism to the second image-side prism, and through the second image-side prism 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 A-pillar.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the light entrance side of the second object-side prism is spaced apart from the light exit side of the first object-side prism and the light entrance side of the second image-side prism is spaced apart from the light exit side of the first image-side prism.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the first object-side prism refracts incident light from an object positioned outside the vehicle to the second object-side prism, the second object-side prism refracts incident light from the first object-side prism to the first image-side prism, the first image-side prism refracts incident light from the second object-side prism to the second image-side prism, and the second image-side prism refracts incident light from the first image-side prism to form the image of the object within the interior of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the light entrance side of the second object-side prism is spaced apart from the light exit side of the first object-side prism and the light entrance side of the second image-side prism is spaced apart from the light exit side of the first image-side prism.

20. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein:

the light entrance side and the light exit side of the first object-side prism are parallel to the light exit side and the light entrance side, respectively, of the second object-side prism;

the light entrance side and the light exit side of the first image-side prism are parallel to the light exit side and the light entrance side, respectively, of the second image-side prism.