CLOAKING DEVICES WITH TILT CORRECTION AND VEHICLES COMPRISING THE SAME

• US 20190322218A1
• Filed: 04/23/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2018
• 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, Wu, Songtao, Banerjee, Debasish
• Granted Patent: US 11,370,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2300/202 displaying a blind spot scene on the vehicle part responsible for the blind spot
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/008 Systems specially adapted to form image relays or chained systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/023 for extending or folding an optical path, e.g. delay lines
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/026 having static image erecting or reversing properties only G02B17/045 takes precedence; optical derotators G02B27/642; optical devices for controlling the direction of light using movable or deformable optical elements G02B26/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/08 Catadioptric systems used in non-imaging applications G02B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/086 wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems
• 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 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays

Abstract

A cloaking device comprises an object-side, an image-side, a cloaked region between the object-side and the image-side. An object-side optical component and an object-side tilt correction (TC) component are positioned on the object-side, and an image-side optical component and an image-side TC component are positioned on the image-side. The cloaking device is tilted relative to an object positioned on the object-side such that light from the object is incident on the cloaking device at an acute angle. The object-side TC component redirects light from the object incident on the cloaking device such that the light propagates through the cloaking device generally normal to the object-side and image-side optical components. The image-side TC component redirects light propagating through the cloaking device back to normal to the object to form an image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device which, if not for the TC components, would be distorted.

Claims

1. A cloaking device comprising:

an object-side, an image-side, a cloaked region between the object-side and the image-side, a zero-tilt axis and a tilt axis, wherein the zero-tilt axis extends generally parallel to an object positioned on the object-side and the tilt axis extends at an acute angle relative to the zero-tilt axis; and

an object-side optical component positioned on the object-side and an image-side optical component positioned on the image-side, wherein an outward facing surface of the object-side optical component and an outward facing surface of the image-side optical component extend generally parallel to the tilt axis such that the object-side optical component and the image-side optical component are oriented relative to the zero-tilt axis at the acute angle;

an object-side tilt correction (TC) component positioned on the object-side and an image-side TC component positioned on the image-side;

wherein;

light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device propagating generally normal to the zero-tilt axis and incident on the object-side TC component is redirected generally normal to the tilt axis by the object-side TC component;

light redirected by the object-side TC component propagates through the object-side optical component and the image-side optical component generally normal to the tilt axis; and

light propagating through the image-side optical component generally normal to the tilt axis is redirected generally normal to the zero-tilt axis by the image-side TC component 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 object-side TC component is positioned outwardly from the object-side optical component and the image-side TC component is positioned outwardly from the image-side optical component.

3. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein light propagates through the cloaking device via an optical path of:

object—

object-side TC component—

object-side optical component—

image-side optical component—

image-side TC component—

image.

4. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the object-side TC component and the image-side TC component each comprise at least one Fresnel prism.

5. The cloaking device of claim 4, wherein the at least one Fresnel prism of the object-side optical component refracts light from the object incident on the object-side TC component generally normal to the tilt axis.

6. The cloaking device of claim 4, wherein the at least one Fresnel prism of the image-side optical component refracts light propagating through the image-side optical component generally normal to the zero-tilt axis.

7. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the zero-tilt axis is a vertical axis.

8. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the object-side TC component and the image-side TC component each comprise at least one Fresnel prism comprising an outward facing first surface and an inward facing hypotenuse surface.

9. The cloaking device of claim 8, wherein light propagates through the cloaking device via an optical path of:

object—

outward facing first surface of object-side TC component—

inward facing hypotenuse surface of object-side TC component—

object-side optical component—

image-side optical component—

inward facing hypotenuse surface of image-side TC component—

outward facing first surface of image-side TC component—

image.

10. The cloaking device of claim 1, wherein the object-side optical component and the image-side optical component comprise at least one of a pair of prisms, a pair of planar mirrors, a pair of curved mirrors, a pair of half-mirrors, a pair of converging lenses and a pair of color filters.

11. A cloaking device assembly comprising:

an object-side, an image-side, a cloaked region between the object-side and the image-side, and a cloaked article positioned within the cloaked region;

a zero-tilt axis and a tilt axis, wherein the zero-tilt axis extends generally parallel to an object positioned on the object-side and the tilt axis extends at an acute angle relative to the zero-tilt axis;

an object-side optical component and an object-side tilt correction (TC) component positioned on the object-side of the cloaked region and oriented relative to the zero-tilt axis at the acute angle; and

an image-side optical component and an image-side TC component positioned on the image-side of the cloaked region and oriented relative to the zero-tilt axis at the acute angle;

wherein;

light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device propagating generally normal to the zero-tilt axis and incident on the object-side TC component is redirected generally normal to the tilt axis by the object-side TC component;

light redirected by the object-side TC component propagates through the object-side optical component and the image-side optical component generally normal to the tilt axis; and

light propagating through the image-side optical component generally normal to the tilt axis is redirected generally normal to the zero-tilt axis by the image-side TC component to form 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 CR.

12. The cloaking device assembly of claim 11, wherein the object-side TC component is positioned outwardly from the object-side optical component and the image-side TC component is positioned outwardly from the image-side optical component.

13. The cloaking device assembly of claim 11, wherein:

the object-side TC component and the image-side TC component each comprise at least one Fresnel prism;

the at least one Fresnel prism of the object-side optical component refracts light from the object incident on the object-side TC component generally normal to the tilt axis such that light propagates through the object-side optical component and the image-side optical component generally normal to the tilt axis; and

the at least one Fresnel prism of the image-side optical component refracts light propagating through the image-side optical component generally normal to the zero-tilt axis.

14. The cloaking device assembly of claim 11, wherein the zero-tilt axis is a vertical axis.

15. The cloaking device assembly of claim 14, wherein the object-side TC component and the image-side TC component each comprise at least one Fresnel prism comprising an outward facing first surface and an inward facing hypotenuse surface.

16. The cloaking device assembly of claim 15, wherein light propagates through the cloaking device assembly via an optical path of:

object—

outward facing first surface of object-side TC component—

inward facing hypotenuse surface of object-side TC component—

object-side optical component—

image-side optical component—

inward facing hypotenuse surface of image-side TC component—

outward facing first surface of image-side TC component—

image.

17. 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, a zero-tilt axis and a tilt axis, wherein the zero-tilt axis extends generally parallel to an object positioned on the object-side, the tilt axis extends at an acute angle relative to the zero-tilt axis, the A-pillar is positioned within the cloaked region and extends generally parallel to the tilt axis, the object-side is positioned on an exterior of the vehicle, and the image-side is positioned within an interior of the vehicle;

an object-side optical component positioned on the object-side and an image-side optical component positioned on the image-side, wherein an outward facing surface of the object-side optical component and an outward facing surface of the image-side optical component are oriented generally parallel to the tilt axis such that the object-side optical component and the image-side optical component are tilted relative to the zero-tilt axis at the acute angle;

an object-side tilt correction (TC) component positioned on the object-side and an image-side TC component positioned on the image-side;

wherein;

light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device propagating generally normal to the zero-tilt axis and incident on the object-side TC component is redirected generally normal to the tilt axis by the object-side TC component;

light redirected by the object-side TC component propagates through the object-side optical component and the image-side optical component generally normal to the tilt axis; and

light propagating through the image-side optical component generally normal to the tilt axis is redirected generally normal to the zero-tilt axis by the image-side TC component to form the 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.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the object-side TC component is positioned outwardly from the object-side optical component and the image-side TC component is positioned outwardly from the image-side optical component.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein:

the object-side TC component and the image-side TC component each comprise at least one Fresnel prism;

the at least one Fresnel prism of the object-side optical component refracts light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device incident on the object-side TC component generally normal to the tilt axis such that light propagates through the object-side optical component and the image-side optical component generally normal to the tilt axis; and

the at least one Fresnel prism of the image-side optical component refracts light propagating through the image-side optical component generally normal to the zero-tilt axis.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein:

the at least one Fresnel prism of the object-side TC component and the image-side TC component each comprise an outward facing first surface and an inward facing hypotenuse surface; and

light propagates through the cloaking device via an optical path of;

object—

outward facing first surface of object-side TC component—

inward facing hypotenuse surface of object-side TC component—

object-side optical component—

image-side optical component—

inward facing hypotenuse surface of image-side TC component—

outward facing first surface of image-side TC component—

image.