Cloaking system with waveguides

• US 9,310,565 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Young, Ian A., Swan, Johanna M., Sankman, Robert L., Radosavljevic, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): RAHLL, JERRY T
• Application Number:
  US13/723,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20140178003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/02 Flexible, e.g. fabric covers, e.g. screens, nets characterised by their material or structuremaking thereof, see the relevant classes, e.g. D04
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02171 characterised by means for compensating environmentally induced changes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen

Abstract

Described herein are technologies related to passive or active cloaking devices. More particularly, the passive or active cloaking devices utilize input/output grating couplers and waveguides to create an impression of invisibility on an object that is covered by the passive or active cloaking devices.

Claims

1. A cloaking device comprising:

an input grating coupler that is configured to receive and filter light rays, the input grating coupler is located at one side of the cloaking device;

a waveguide coupled to the input grating coupler, the waveguide is configured as a fabric that is wrapped around and ends at opposite side of the cloaking device, wherein the waveguide is configured to direct the filtered light rays;

an output grating coupler coupled to the waveguide at the opposite side of the cloaking device, the output grating coupler is configured to be concentric with the input grating coupler, the output grating coupler is configured to provide output light rays; and

a crease detector that is configured to detect current position of an output grating coupler.

2. The cloaking device as recited in claim 1, wherein the cloaking device is a passive cloaking device that is utilized to blanket an object, wherein an image behind the passive cloaking device reflects the light rays and the output light rays reproduce the image in front of the cloaking device.

3. The cloaking device as recited in claim 1, wherein the input grating coupler is configured to include an opening that filters the light rays, the opening is configured to create total internal reflection of the filtered light ray.

4. The cloaking device as recited in claim 1, wherein the waveguide is wrapped with a cladding material that includes a lesser refractive index, wherein a boundary between the waveguide and the cladding material reflects the filtered light rays within the waveguide that includes a higher refractive index.

5. The cloaking device as recited in claim 1, wherein the output grating coupler is configured to include an opening to provide the output light rays.

6. The cloaking device as recited in claim 1, wherein the waveguide is bidirectional.

7. Clothing comprising the cloaking device as recited in claim 1.

8. The cloaking device system as recited in claim 1, wherein the crease detector is further configured to determine whether the fabric of the waveguide is bent or twisted.

9. A cloaking device system comprising:

an input grating coupler that is configured to receive and filter light rays;

a cloaking device integrator coupled to the input grating coupler, the cloaking device integrator comprising;

an image integrator and projector that receives and integrates the filtered light rays;

a memory that is configured to store the integrated filtered light rays;

a crease detector that is configured to detect current position of an output grating coupler;

a system on chip (SOC) microprocessor unit that is configured to determine which output grating coupler to utilize based upon the detected current position, wherein the image integrator and projector transfers the stored integrated filtered light rays to the determined output grating coupler;

the output grating coupler coupled to the cloaking device integrator, the output grating coupler is configured to provide output light rays.

10. The cloaking device system as recited in claim 9, wherein the input grating couplers are located at one side of a cloaking device while the output grating couplers are located at opposite side of the cloaking device, or vice-versa.

11. The cloaking device system as recited in claim 9, wherein the output grating coupler includes an opening that is configured to provide the output light rays.

12. The cloaking device system as recited in claim 9, wherein the SOC microcontroller is configured to determine which output grating coupler to utilize based upon an image created by the stored integrated filtered light rays.

13. The cloaking device system as recited in claim 9 further comprising a waveguide to couple the input grating coupler to the cloaking device integrator, and a second waveguide that couples the cloaking device integrator to the output grating coupler.

14. The cloaking device system of claim 13 wherein the waveguides are bidirectional.

15. The cloaking device system as recited in claim 9 further comprising a cladding material that includes a lesser refractive index, wherein a boundary between a waveguide and the cladding material reflects the filtered light rays within the waveguide that includes a higher refractive index.

16. The cloaking device system as recited in claim 9, wherein the input grating coupler is configured to include an opening that filters the light rays, the opening is configured to create total internal reflection of the filtered light ray.

17. The cloaking device system as recited in claim 9, wherein the crease detector is further configured to determine whether the fabric of the waveguide is bent or twisted.