Optical devices particularly for remote viewing applications

• US 7,021,777 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Inventors: Amitai, Yaakov
• Primary Examiner(s): Cherry, Euncha P.
• Application Number:
  US10/937,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 359/402, 359/838, 359/850, 359/857, 359/861
• US Class Current: 359/857
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/18 Diffraction gratings holographic optical elements G02B5/32, G03H; integrally combined with optical fibres G02B6/02057; for coupling light guides G02B6/34; integrally combined with optical integrated light guides G02B6/12; grating systems G02B27/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings

Abstract

There is provided an optical device for transferring light within a given field-of-view, comprising an input aperture; reflecting surfaces, and an output aperture located in spaced-apart relationship from the input aperture such that light waves, located within the field-of-view, that enter the optical device through the input aperture, exit the optical device through the output aperture, wherein the reflecting surfaces are at least one pair of parallel reflecting surfaces and that part of the light waves located within the field-of-view that enter the input aperture, pass directly to the output aperture without being reflected off the at least one pair of parallel reflecting surfaces, while another part of the light waves within the field-of-view that enters the input aperture, arrives at the output aperture after being twice reflected by the at least one pair of parallel reflecting surfaces.

Claims

1. An optical device for transferring light within a given field-of-view, comprising:

an input aperture;

reflecting surfaces, and

an output aperture located in spaced-apart relationship from said input aperture such that light waves, located within the said field-of-view, that enter the optical device through said input aperture, exit the optical device through said output aperture, and

characterized in that said reflecting surfaces are at least one pair of parallel reflecting surfaces and that part of said light waves located within said field-of-view that enter the input aperture, pass directly in free space to the output aperture without being reflected, while another part of the light waves within said field-of-view that enters the input aperture, arrives at the output aperture after being twice reflected by said at least one pair of parallel reflecting surfaces.

2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein another part of the light waves arrives at said output aperture at the same direction that it arrives at said input aperture.

3. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one pair of reflecting surfaces changes the direction of propagation of at least part of said light waves and then reflects it back to its original direction.

4. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the location and orientation of said at least one pair of reflecting surfaces and of said output aperture produce the field of view for a given input aperture.

5. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the location and orientation of said at least one pair of reflecting surfaces and of said output aperture produce said input aperture for a given field of view.

6. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one pair of reflecting surfaces reflects said light waves into a direction calculated to reach one eye of an observer.

7. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one pair of reflecting surfaces reflects said light waves into a direction calculated to reach both eyes of an observer.

8. The optical device according to claim 1, comprising at least two pairs of parallel reflecting surfaces.

9. The optical device according to claim 8, wherein said two pairs of reflecting surfaces are identical to each other.

10. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one pair of reflecting surfaces are symmetrical around the optical axis of the device.

11. The optical device according to claim 8, wherein a first reflecting surface of each pair converges with respect to each other and a second reflecting surface of each pair diverges with respect to each other in the direction of the output aperture.

12. The optical device according to claim 11, wherein the two pairs of reflecting surfaces contact each other to form two contiguous surfaces.

13. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting surfaces are mirrors.

14. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting surfaces are coatless.

15. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said two reflecting surfaces are diffractive gratings.

16. The optical device according to claim 15, wherein the grating functions of said diffractive gratings are identical to each other.