Optical image shutter

• US 8,599,464 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Yong-hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US12/689,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 359/240, 359/245, 359585-586, 385/27, 385/37, 385/39, 385/40, 385/123, 385/129, 385/142, 348/240.3, 348/240.99, 348/363, 367/149, 367/153, 349/2, 349/43, 349/201
• US Class Current: 359/245
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0311 Structural association of optical elements, e.g. lenses, polarizers, phase plates, with the crystal
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 11/00 Filters or other obturators specially adapted for photographic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 9/08 Shutters

Abstract

An optical image shutter is disclosed. The optical image shutter includes an optical filter having a fixed refractive index and an optical filter having a variable refractive index. The optical filter having a fixed refractive index may include two layers having different refractive indexes and stacked alternately at least once. Alternatively, the optical filter having a variable refractive index may include at least one refractive index variable layer, and two layers having different refractive indexes and stacked alternately at least once. The optical image shutter may further include a transparent electrode for applying an electric field to the at least one refractive index variable layer.

Claims

1. An optical image shutter comprising:

a first optical filter having a fixed refractive index and comprising a plurality of layers arranged adjacently to one another; and

a second optical filter having an electrically variable refractive index and comprising a plurality of layers arranged adjacently to one another;

wherein the first optical filter is disposed on an optical axis and the second optical filter is disposed on the optical axis in a line with the first optical filter.

2. The optical image shutter of claim 1, wherein the first optical filter comprises a first layer having a first refractive index and a second layer having a second refractive index that is different from the first refractive index, and the first and second layers are stacked alternately at least once in a direction of the optical axis.

3. The optical image shutter of claim 1, wherein the second optical filter comprises at least one refractive index variable layer having a refractive index which is electrically variable.

4. The optical image shutter of claim 3, wherein the second optical filter further comprises two layers having different refractive indexes and stacked alternately at least once in a direction of the optical axis.

5. The optical image shutter of claim 3, further comprising a transparent electrode for applying an electric field to the at least one refractive index variable layer.

6. The optical image shutter of claim 3, wherein the refractive index variable layer is a material layer having electro-optical effect.

7. The optical image shutter of claim 1, wherein the first optical filter is any one selected from the group consisting of a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, a band-pass filter, a monochromatic filter, a notch filter, a shaping filter, and a Fabry-Perot interference filter.

8. The optical image shutter of claim 7, wherein the second optical filter is any one selected from the group consisting of a variable low-pass filter, a variable high-pass filter, a variable band-pass filter, a variable monochromatic filter, a variable notch filter, a variable shaping filter, and a variable Fabry-Perot interference filter.

9. The optical image shutter of claim 1, wherein the second optical filter is any one selected from the group consisting of a variable low-pass filter, a variable high-pass filter, a variable band-pass filter, a variable monochromatic filter, a variable notch filter, a variable shaping filter, and a variable Fabry-Perot interference filter.

10. The optical image shutter of claim 1, wherein the first and second optical filters are separated from each other or integrated together.

11. The optical image shutter of claim 10, wherein, if the first and second optical filters are separated from each other, the first and second optical filters are disposed parallel to each other or one of the first and second optical filters is inclined with respect to the remaining optical filter.

12. The optical image shutter of claim 1, further comprising an optical element disposed on the optical axis between the first and second optical filters.