Micro-optic shutter

• US 7,796,316 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bodkin Design & Engineering, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bodkin Design & Engineering, LLC
• Inventors: Bodkin, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; James
• Application Number:
  US11/933,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20080112029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 359/227, 359/230, 359/233
• US Class Current: 359/233
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0208 using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0216 using light concentrators or collectors or condensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/027 Control of working procedures of a spectrometer; Failure detection; Bandwidth calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0278 Control or determination of height or angle information for sensors or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0289 Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a spectrometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of measurement area; Position tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/06 Arrangements for eliminating effects of disturbing radiation; Arrangements for compensating changes in sensitivity for adjusting of solid angle of collected radiation G01J5/07; means for wavelength selection G01J5/0801
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/602 using selective, monochromatic or bandpass filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4812 transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0808 on-axis systems with at least one of the mirrors having a central aperture
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0852 having a field corrector only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0896 with variable magnification or multiple imaging planes, including multispectral systems systems with only refractive elements G02B15/14
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/02 for controlling the intensity of light G02B26/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0816 by means of one or more reflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0875 by means of one or more refracting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0006 : Arrays G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 : for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A shutter includes micro-optics having first and second concentrator arrays. A transducer laterally displaces one of the first and second concentrator arrays between transmissive and shuttered modes. In the transmissive mode, the arrays of concentrators are optically aligned to permit electromagnetic energy passing through the first array of concentrators to pass through the second array of concentrators. In the shuttered mode, the electromagnetic radiation is blocked from passing through the second array of concentrators. The concentrators may be compound parabolic concentrators, or lenslets positioned on opposing plates with pinholes printed therethrough. The shutter may increase f-number of radiation passing therethrough, and may be used in a limited f-cone radiation source with shuttering abilities, for example reducing f-cone of radiation output from the radiation source.

Claims

1. A micro-optic shutter, comprising:

micro-optics having a first array of concentrators and a second array of concentrators; and

a transducer for laterally displacing at least one of the first and second concentrator arrays between a transmissive mode and a shuttered mode, wherein in the transmissive mode the arrays of concentrators are optically aligned to pass electromagnetic energy through the micro-optics, and wherein in the shuttered mode the micro-optics blocks the electromagnetic radiation from passing therethrough.

2. The shutter of claim 1, the concentrators of the first and second arrays comprising reflective concentrators each having a compound-parabolic shape.

3. The shutter of claim 1, the micro-optics comprising an array of hollow tapered capillaries.

4. The shutter of claim 3, each hollow tapered capillary comprising a reflective coating on an inner surface thereof.

5. The shutter of claim 1, the micro-optics comprising one or more of:

a fiber optic taper and reflective elements.

6. The shutter of claim 1, further comprising a housing encasing the micro-optics and the transducer, except for at least one region of aperture.

7. The shutter of claim 1, the transducer comprising a piezo-electric element responsive to a control signal to displace the first or the second array laterally between the transmissive mode and the shuttered mode.

8. The shutter of claim 1, one or both of the first and second arrays comprising a plate for supporting the array, the plate coupled with the transducer.

9. The shutter of claim 1, the concentrators of the first and second arrays comprising refractive concentrators, the micro-optics comprising:

a first plate forming a first array of pinholes extending therethrough, the first array of concentrators supported on the first plate and over the first pinhole array; and

a second plate forming a second array of pinholes extending therethrough, the second array of concentrators supported on the second plate and under the second pinhole array;

wherein the first and second plates are aligned in the transmissive mode and unaligned in the shuttered mode.

10. The shutter of claim 9, wherein the transducer laterally displaces the first or the second plate by the diameter of one of the pinholes, to shift between the transmissive and the shuttered modes.

15. The shutter of claim 1, the micro-optics comprising one or more refractive lens elements.

16. The shutter of claim 1, wherein the micro-optics are positioned adjacent a source for emitting radiation in a limited f-cone light source;

the transducer shifting one of the first and second concentrator arrays between the transmissive mode and the shuttered mode, to shutter the source.

17. The shutter of claim 16, wherein in the transmissive mode the arrays of concentrators are optically aligned to permit radiation from the source that passes through the first array of concentrators to pass through the second array of concentrators, and wherein in the shuttered mode the radiation is blocked from passing through the second array of concentrators.

18. The shutter of claim 8, the source for emitting radiation selected from the group of an LED, a filament, a blackbody emitter, and incandescent filament and a flat plate emitter.

19. The shutter of claim 8, the concentrators of the first and second arrays comprising reflective concentrators.

11. A micro-optic shutter, comprising:

a first plate forming a first array of pinholes extending therethrough and a corresponding array of first refractive lenslets adjacent the first array of pinholes;

a second plate forming a second pinhole array extending therethrough and a corresponding array of second refractive lenses on a second side of the second plate and beneath the second pinholes; and

a transducer for laterally displacing one of the first and second plates between a transmissive mode and a shuttered mode, wherein, in the transmissive mode, electromagnetic energy focuses through the first and second array of pinholes by refractive power of the first refractive lenses, and, in the shuttered mode, the electromagnetic energy is blocked in transmission through the arrays of lenses by one or both of the plates.

12. The shutter of claim 11, the first and second plates comprising glass.

13. The shutter of claim 11, the first and second array of lenses being printed upon the first or second plates.

14. The shutter of claim 13, the printed lenses comprising plastic.

20. The shutter of claim 12 one or both of the first and second array of lenses being etched into the glass.