Perimeter piezo reservoir in a lens

• US 8,488,250 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adlens Beacon, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adlens Beacon, Inc.
• Inventors: Nibauer, Lisa, Peterson, Matthew Wallace, Senatore, Daniel, Schnell, Urban, Haroud, Karim
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Darryl J
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'NEILL, GARY WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US13/270,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20120087015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 351/159.68, 359/665, 359/666
• US Class Current: 359/666
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/143 having special ear pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/063 Shape of the progressive surface
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/085 Fluid-filled lenses, e.g. electro-wetting lenses

Abstract

An embodiment of a piezoelectric actuator system for a fluid-filled lens is described herein. A piezoelectric reservoir is provided encompassing a fluid. In an embodiment, the reservoir is disposed around the perimeter of a lens module within a housing. In an embodiment, electrodes are woven into the reservoir and connected to a power source. An applied potential causes the reservoir to flex with a magnitude and direction related to the amplitude and polarity respectively of the potential. In an embodiment, flexing of the reservoir causes fluid to either inflate or deflate the fluid-filled lens module.

Claims

1. A sealed fluid filled lens system comprising:

a lens module having an outer lens and an inner lens;

a housing located around the perimeter of the lens module;

a tubular reservoir disposed within the housing wherein the reservoir is in fluid communication with the lens module; and

a power source which provides an actuation signal to the reservoir,

wherein the reservoir is a piezoelectric material having electrodes woven within the thickness of the reservoir.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising leads between the power source and the electrodes.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the actuation signal provided by the power source is an electric potential.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the amplitude and/or polarity of the electric potential can be affected via a control circuit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the control circuit includes a potentiostat.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the control circuit includes a switch.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein an electric potential with a first polarity causes the reservoir to constrict.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein an electric potential with a second polarity opposite that of the first polarity causes the reservoir to inflate.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the outer lens is a rigid optical lens.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the inner lens is a flexible membrane.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a connecting tube between the lens module and the reservoir.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source is a zinc-air cell.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source is a lithium coin cell battery.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source is a charged capacitor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the capacitor is charged by another source.

16. A method of actuating a sealed fluid filled lens that has a lens module, a housing located around the perimeter of the lens module, a reservoir disposed within the housing wherein the reservoir is in fluid connection with the lens module, and a power source, the method comprising:

generating an actuation signal from a power source coupled to the reservoir disposed within the housing located around the perimeter of the lens module;

transmitting the actuation signal from the power source to electrodes woven within the thickness of the reservoir; and

flexing the reservoir upon receiving the actuation signal, wherein the flexing causes fluid to move between the reservoir and the lens module.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmission is performed wirelessly.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmission is performed over leads which connect the power source to the electrodes.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the actuation signal provided by the power source is an electric potential.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising affecting the amplitude and/or polarity of the electric potential via a control circuit.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the flexing direction is based on the polarity of the electric potential.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a positive electric potential causes the reservoir to constrict.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein a negative electric potential causes the reservoir to inflate.