Micromirror array lens with free surface

• US 7,095,548 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stereo D Inc., Stereo Display, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Angstrom, Inc., Stereo Display, Inc.
• Inventors: Seo, Cheong Soo, Cho, Gyoung Il
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US11/191,886
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 359/291, 359/290, 359/223, 359/224, 359/318, 359/871, 359/872, 345/108
• US Class Current: 359/298
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B

Abstract

A micromirror array lens includes a plurality of micromirrors, and reproduces a predetermined free surface by controlling rotation and/or translation of the micromirrors. The micromirror is controlled by control circuitry, upheld by a mechanical structure, and includes a reflective surface. The predetermined free surface of the lens is changed by controlling rotation and/or translation of the micromirrors. The micromirrors are arranged in one or more concentric circles to form the lens. The micromirror has a fan shape, a hexagonal shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, or a triangle shape. The reflective surface of the micromirror is substantially flat. The control circuitry is constructed under the micromirrors by using semiconductor microelectronics technologies. The micromirrors are actuated by electrostatic and/or electromagnetic force. The reflective surface of the micromirror is made of materials with high reflectivity. The lens is used for an imaging apparatus, video monitoring camera, a camcorder, etc.

Claims

1. A micromirror array lens comprising a plurality of micromirrors, wherein the micromirror array lens reproduces a predetermined free surface by controlling two degrees of freedom rotation and one degree of freedom translation of the micromirrors.

2. The lens of claim 1, wherein the predetermined free surface of the lens is changed by controlling two degrees of freedom rotation and one degree of freedom translation of the micromirrors.

3. The lens of claim 1, wherein the predetermined free surface of the lens is fixed.

4. The lens of claim 1, wherein the rotational amount and direction of micromirror are determined by the gradient of the predetermined free surface.

5. The lens of claim 1, wherein the translation of each micromirror is controlled to satisfy the same phase condition.

6. The lens of claim 1, wherein all of the micromirrors are arranged on a flat plane.

7. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirrors are arranged in one or more concentric circles to form the lens, wherein the micromirror comprises one or more electrodes.

8. The lens of claim 7, wherein the micromirrors on each of the concentric circles are controlled by one or more electrodes corresponding to the concentric circle.

9. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirror comprises one or more electrodes, wherein the micromirrors are actuated by the electrodes.

10. The lens of claim 9, wherein the micromirrors with same translational and rotational displacements are actuated by the same electrodes.

11. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirror has a fan shape.

12. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirror have a hexagonal shape.

13. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirror has a rectangular shape.

14. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirror has a square shape.

15. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirror has a triangle shape.

16. The lens of claim 1, further comprising a control circuitry, wherein the micromirrors are controlled by the control circuitry.

17. The lens of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry is constructed under the micromirrors by using semiconductor microelectronics technologies.

18. The lens of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry is constructed under the micromirrors, wherein the control circuitry comprises at least one wire layer.

19. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirrors are actuated by electrostatic force.

20. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirrors are actuated by electromagnetic force.

21. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirrors are actuated by electrostatic force and electromagnetic force.

22. The lens of claim 1, further comprising a mechanical structure, wherein the micromirrors are upheld by the mechanical structure.

23. The lens of claim 22, wherein the mechanical structure upholding the micromirrors and actuating components are located under the micromirrors.

24. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirrors are controlled independently.

25. The lens of claim 1, wherein the micromirrors comprises a reflective surface.

26. The lens of claim 25, wherein the reflective surface of the micromirror is substantially flat.

27. The lens of claim 25, wherein the reflective surface of the micromirror has a curvature.

28. The lens of claim 27, wherein the curvatures of the micromirrors are controlled.

29. The lens of claim 27, wherein the curvatures of the micromirrors are controlled by electrothermal force.

30. The lens of claim 27, wherein the curvatures of the micromirrors are controlled by electrostatic force.

31. The lens of claim 25, wherein the reflective surface of the micromirror is made of material with high reflectivity.

32. The lens of claim 31, wherein the reflective surface of the micromirror is made of metal.

33. The lens of claim 32, wherein the metal comprises silver.

34. The lens of claim 32, wherein the metal comprises aluminum.

35. The lens of claim 32, wherein the metal comprises platinum.

36. The lens of claim 32, wherein the metal comprises gold.

37. The lens of claim 32, wherein the metal is protected by dielectric coating.

38. The lens of claim 32, wherein the metal is protected by multi-layered dielectric coating.

39. The lens of claim 25, wherein the reflective surface of the micromirror is made of metal compound.

40. The lens of claim 39, wherein the metal compound is protected by dielectric coating.

41. The lens of claim 39, wherein the metal is protected by multi-layered dielectric coating.

42. The lens of claim 25, wherein the reflective surface of the micromirror is made of multi-layered dielectric material.

43. The lens of claim 24, wherein the lens comprises a spatial light modulator for correcting the aberration, wherein the micromirrors are controlled independently.

44. The lens of claim 43, the spatial light modulator compensates for phase errors of light due to the medium between an object and its image.

45. The lens of claim 43, wherein the spatial light modulator corrects aberrations.

46. The lens of claim 43, the spatial light modulator corrects deviation from the rules of paraxial imagery.

47. The lens of claim 43, the spatial light modulator makes an object which lies off the optical axis to be imaged without macroscopic mechanical movement.

48. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is controlled to satisfy the same phase condition for each wavelength of many wavelength such as Red, Green, and Blue to get a color image.

49. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is controlled to satisfy the same phase condition for one wavelength among many wavelengths to get a color image.

50. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is controlled to satisfy the same phase condition for color imaging by using the least common multiple of wavelengths of many wavelengths such as Red, Green, and Blue lights as an effective wavelength for the phase condition.

51. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is positioned with a rotation about one axis in an optical system.

52. The lens of claim 51, wherein the surface profile of the lens is symmetric about the Y-axis.

53. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for an imaging apparatus.

54. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus has a function of the optical zoom.

55. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus has a function of a digital zoom.

56. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus has a function of the automatic focusing.

57. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus has a function of the three-dimensional imaging.

58. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises the video monitoring camera.

59. The lens of claim 58, wherein the video monitoring apparatus has functions comprising optical zoom, automatic focusing, three-dimensional imaging, and digital zoom.

60. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises a camcorder.

62. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus is adapted for a portable device.

63. The lens of claim 62, wherein the imaging apparatus has functions comprising optical zoom, automatic focusing, three-dimensional imaging, and digital zoom.

64. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises a cellular phone camera.

65. The lens of claim 64, wherein the cellular phone camera has functions comprising optical zoom, automatic focusing, three-dimensional imaging, and digital zoom.

66. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus is adapted for television.

67. The lens of claim 66, wherein the imaging apparatus embodied in television has functions comprising optical zoom, automatic focusing, three-dimensional imaging, and digital zoom.

68. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus is adapted for notebook computer.

69. The lens of claim 68, wherein the imaging apparatus embodied in notebook computer has functions comprising optical zoom, automatic focusing, three-dimensional imaging, and digital zoom.

70. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus is adapted for a computer.

71. The lens of claim 70, wherein the imaging apparatus embodied in computer has functions comprising optical zoom, automatic focusing, three-dimensional imaging, and digital zoom.

72. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus is adapted for a computer monitor.

73. The lens of claim 72, wherein the imaging apparatus embodied in a computer monitor has functions comprising optical zoom, automatic focusing, three-dimensional imaging, and digital zoom.

74. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus is adapted for a PDA.

75. The lens of claim 74, wherein the imaging apparatus embodied in a PDA has functions comprising optical zoom, automatic focusing, three-dimensional imaging, and digital zoom.

76. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus is adapted for a pattern recognition system.

77. The lens of claim 76, wherein the pattern recognition system is adapted for a cellular phone.

78. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus is adapted for a movement recognition system.

79. The lens of claim 78, wherein the movement recognition system is adapted for a cellular phone.

80. The lens of claim 53, wherein the imaging apparatus is adapted for an endoscope.

81. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for a three-dimensional display apparatus.

82. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for a two-dimensional projection display apparatus.

83. The lens of claim 82, wherein the two-dimensional projection display apparatus is adapted for a portable apparatus.

84. The lens of claim 83, wherein the portable apparatus comprises a cellular phone.

85. The lens of claim 82, wherein the two-dimensional projection display apparatus projects a keyboard image.

86. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for a three-dimensional imaging apparatus.

87. The lens of claim 86, wherein the three-dimensional imaging apparatus is adapted for a three-dimensional pattern recognition system.

88. The lens of claim 87, wherein the three-dimensional pattern recognition system is adapted for a cellular phone.

89. The lens of claim 85, wherein the three-dimensional imaging apparatus is adapted for a three-dimensional movement recognition system.

90. The lens of claim 89, wherein the three-dimensional movement recognition system is adapted for a cellular phone.

91. The lens of claim 89, wherein the three-dimensional movement recognition system is adapted for a collision prevention system of car.

92. The lens of claim 86, wherein the three-dimensional imaging apparatus is adapted for a three-dimensional endoscope.

93. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for a bar-code reading apparatus.

94. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for an optical pick-up apparatus.

95. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for a beam focusing and scanning system.

96. The lens of claim 95, wherein the beam focusing and scanning system is adapted for a printer.

97. The lens of claim 95, wherein the beam focusing and scanning system is adapted for a scanner.

98. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for an optical tracking system.

99. The lens of claim 98, wherein the optical tracking system is adapted for three-dimensional mouse.

100. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for a three-dimensional integral imaging and displaying system.

101. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted for an imaging stabilizer apparatus.

61. The lens 60, wherein the camcorder has functions comprising optical zoom, automatic focusing, three-dimensional imaging, and digital zoom.