Electro-active lens
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electro-active lens, comprising:
- a single layer of an electro-active material, wherein the electro-active lens has an optical power in an activated state, and wherein the electro-active lens has substantially no optical power in a deactivated state,the electro-active lens, further comprising;
a first substrate having a first index of refraction; and
a second substrate having said first index of refraction, wherein said electro-active material is disposed between said first and said second substrates, and wherein said electro-active material has a second index of refraction approximately equal to said first index of refraction when the electro-active lens is in said deactivated state;
wherein said first substrate is a surface relief diffractive element; and
wherein the electro-active lens has a diffraction efficiency in said deactivated state of less than approximately 10%.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cholesteric liquid crystalline material which may be usable in an electro-active element for providing fail safe operation, polarization insensitivity, low electrical power consumption requirements, and a small number of electrical connections. The cholesteric liquid crystalline material may be usable in an electro-active element for providing a diffractive efficiency or focusing efficiency above 90% in an activated state of the electro-active element and a diffractive efficiency or focusing efficiency below 10% in a deactivated state of the electro-active element.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. An electro-active lens, comprising:
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a single layer of an electro-active material, wherein the electro-active lens has an optical power in an activated state, and wherein the electro-active lens has substantially no optical power in a deactivated state, the electro-active lens, further comprising; a first substrate having a first index of refraction; and a second substrate having said first index of refraction, wherein said electro-active material is disposed between said first and said second substrates, and wherein said electro-active material has a second index of refraction approximately equal to said first index of refraction when the electro-active lens is in said deactivated state; wherein said first substrate is a surface relief diffractive element; and wherein the electro-active lens has a diffraction efficiency in said deactivated state of less than approximately 10%. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An electro-active lens, comprising:
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a single layer of an electro-active material, wherein the electro-active lens has an optical power in an activated state, and wherein the electro-active lens has substantially no optical power in a deactivated state, the electro-active lens, further comprising; a first substrate having a first index of refraction; and a second substrate having said first index of refraction, wherein said electro-active material is disposed between said first and said second substrates, and wherein said electro-active material has a second index of refraction approximately equal to said first index of refraction when the electro-active lens is in said deactivated state; wherein said first substrate is a surface relief diffractive element; and wherein the electro-active lens has a diffraction efficiency in said activated state of greater than approximately 90%.
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8. An electro-active lens, comprising:
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a single layer of an electro-active material, wherein the electro-active lens has an optical power in an activated state, and wherein the electro-active lens has substantially no optical power in a deactivated state; wherein said electro-active material is a cholesteric liquid crystalline material; wherein said cholesteric liquid crystalline material is comprised of a nematic liquid crystal and a chiral doping agent; and wherein said nematic liquid crystal has a birefringence of approximately 0.20 or higher, and wherein said chiral doping agent has a helical twisting power with a magnitude of approximately 1.1 or higher. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. An electro-active lens, comprising:
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a single layer of an electro-active material, wherein the electro-active lens has an optical power in an activated state, and wherein the electro-active lens has substantially no optical power in a deactivated state; wherein said electro-active material is a cholesteric liquid crystalline material; wherein said cholesteric liquid crystalline material is comprised of a nematic liquid crystal and a chiral doping agent; and wherein the cholesteric liquid crystalline material has approximately 10% ZLI-4571 or less by weight.
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12. An electro-active lens, comprising:
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a single layer of an electro-active material, wherein the electro-active lens has an optical power in an activated state, and wherein the electro-active lens has substantially no optical power in a deactivated state; wherein said electro-active material is a cholesteric liquid crystalline material; wherein said cholesteric liquid crystalline material is comprised of a nematic liquid crystal and a chiral doping agent; and wherein the cholesteric liquid crystalline material has a twist pitch of approximately 0.10 μ
m or greater.
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13. An electro-active lens, comprising:
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a single layer of an electro-active material, wherein the electro-active lens has an optical power in an activated state, and wherein the electro-active lens has substantially no optical power in a deactivated state, the electro-active lens, further comprising; a first substrate having a first index of refraction; and a second substrate having said first index of refraction, wherein said electro-active material is disposed between said first and said second substrates, and wherein said electro-active material has a second index of refraction approximately equal to said first index of refraction when the electro-active lens is in said deactivated state; and wherein said first substrate and said second substrate have a first dispersion of said first index of refraction, and wherein said electro-active material has a second dispersion of said second index of refraction, and wherein said first dispersion of said first index of refraction is substantially equal to second dispersion of said second index of refraction.
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14. A cholesteric liquid crystalline material, comprising:
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a nematic liquid crystal having a birefringence of approximately 0.20 or higher; and a chiral doping agent having a helical twisting power with a magnitude of approximately 1.1 or higher. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An electro-active element, comprising:
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a first substrate having an index of refraction and a first dispersion of said index of refraction; a second substrate having said index of refraction and said first dispersion of said index of refraction; a cholesteric liquid crystalline material disposed between said first and said second substrates, wherein said cholesteric liquid crystalline material has an average index of refraction approximately equal to said index of refraction and a second dispersion of said average index of refraction approximately equal to said first dispersion of said index of refraction; a continuous electrode disposed on the side of said first substrate facing said cholesteric liquid crystalline material; and one or more electrodes disposed on the side of said second substrate facing said cholesteric liquid crystalline material. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An electro-active lens, comprising:
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a base lens; and an electro-active lens in optical communication with said base lens, comprising a first substrate having an index of refraction and a first dispersion of said index of refraction; a second substrate having said index of refraction and said first dispersion of said index of refraction; a cholesteric liquid crystalline material disposed between said first and said second substrates, wherein said cholesteric liquid crystalline material has an average index of refraction approximately equal to said index of refraction and a second dispersion of said average index of refraction approximately equal to said first dispersion of said index of refraction; a continuous electrode disposed on the side of said first substrate facing said cholesteric liquid crystalline material; and one or more electrodes disposed on the side of said second substrate facing said cholesteric liquid crystalline material. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification