High speed optical shutter, method of operating the same and apparatus including the same
First Claim
1. An optical shutter comprising:
- an electro-optical medium, the electro-optical medium being transparent and in an active solid state,wherein the electro-optical medium comprises a total internal reflection surface at which an angle of incidence above which total internal reflection occurs is changeable in response to an input.
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Abstract
A high speed optical shutter, a method of operating the high speed optical shutter, and an optical apparatus including the high speed optical shutter. The optical shutter includes a transparent electro-optical medium in an active solid state having a total internal reflection surface on which an angle of total internal reflection is changed by an external action. The transparent electro-optical medium may be a prism or a prism array whose angle of total internal reflection is changed by the external action. An incident light path changing unit may be further arranged in front of the transparent electro-optical medium. Also, a light path changing unit may be further arranged so as to allow light passing through the electro-optical medium to be perpendicularly incident on an incidence target object.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. An optical shutter comprising:
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an electro-optical medium, the electro-optical medium being transparent and in an active solid state, wherein the electro-optical medium comprises a total internal reflection surface at which an angle of incidence above which total internal reflection occurs is changeable in response to an input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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- 31. A method of operating an optical shutter including an electro-optical medium, the electro-optical medium being transparent and in an active solid state, and wherein the electro-optical medium includes a total internal reflection surface at which an angle of incidence above which total internal reflection occurs is changeable in response to an input, the method comprising changing the angle of incidence above which total internal reflection occurs by applying a voltage to the electro-optical medium.
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37. An optical apparatus comprising:
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a refractive element having one of at least two indices of refraction, the refractive element having one of the at least two indices of refraction when a first input is received and another of the least two indices of refraction when a second input is received; and an image sensor which is operable to receive light refracted and transmitted by the refractive element, wherein, in response to the first input being received, an angle of incidence above which total internal reflection occurs at the refractive element is changed to a first angle and the refractive element refracts light toward the image sensor, and wherein, in response to the second input being received, the angle of incidence above which total internal reflection occurs at the refractive element is changed to a second angle and the refractive element reflects light away from the image sensor. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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Specification