Optical component array having adjustable curvature
First Claim
1. An imaging system comprising:
- a deformable substrate having a contact surface, wherein said deformable substrate is an elastomeric membrane;
an array of mechanically interconnected optical components supported by said contact surface, wherein said optical components comprise photodiodes that form a photodetector array;
an encapsulating layer supported by said deformable substrate, wherein the encapsulating layer at least partially encapsulates said array of mechanically interconnected optical components;
an actuator operably connected to said contact surface, wherein said actuator is configured to continuously adjust a curvature of said contact surface, wherein change of curvature by the actuator is reversible;
a dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens in optical communication with said photodetector array; and
a processor for calculating a Petzval surface of an object imaged by said dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens, wherein said actuator is configured to generate curvature of said photodetector that substantially matches the calculated Petzval surface,thereby providing a dynamically tunable imaging system having a continuously adjustable zoom and correspondingly continuously adjustable photodetector array surface curvature configured to match the Petzval surface formed by a change in curvature of said dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided are devices, and related methods, for controlling curvature of an array of optical components on, embedded, or partially embedded in, a deformable substrate. The array of optical components, in an aspect, comprises a deformable substrate having a contact surface and an array of mechanically interconnected optical components supported by the contact surface. An actuator is operably connected to the contact surface, wherein the actuator variably controls a curvature of said contact surface. The contact surface may have a curvature that spans concave to convex, which is tunable. In an aspect, the array of optical components is part of an optical device, such as a camera with a continuously adjustable zoom whose focus is maintained by adjusting a photodetector array curvature. In an aspect, the method is adjusting the curvature of a substrate that supports the array of optical components by applying a force to the substrate.
246 Citations
47 Claims
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1. An imaging system comprising:
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a deformable substrate having a contact surface, wherein said deformable substrate is an elastomeric membrane; an array of mechanically interconnected optical components supported by said contact surface, wherein said optical components comprise photodiodes that form a photodetector array; an encapsulating layer supported by said deformable substrate, wherein the encapsulating layer at least partially encapsulates said array of mechanically interconnected optical components; an actuator operably connected to said contact surface, wherein said actuator is configured to continuously adjust a curvature of said contact surface, wherein change of curvature by the actuator is reversible; a dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens in optical communication with said photodetector array; and a processor for calculating a Petzval surface of an object imaged by said dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens, wherein said actuator is configured to generate curvature of said photodetector that substantially matches the calculated Petzval surface, thereby providing a dynamically tunable imaging system having a continuously adjustable zoom and correspondingly continuously adjustable photodetector array surface curvature configured to match the Petzval surface formed by a change in curvature of said dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens. - 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)
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29. A method of controlling curvature of an array of optical components comprising:
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providing an array of mechanically interconnected optical components on a contact surface of a deformable substrate, wherein said deformable substrate is an elastomeric membrane and said optical components comprise photodiodes that form a photodetector array; providing an encapsulating layer supported by said deformable substrate, wherein the encapsulating layer at least partially encapsulates said array of mechanically interconnected optical components; providing a tunable lens comprising a dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens in optical communication with said photodetector array; and exerting a force on said dynamically tunable and adiustable curvature lens to provide a continuously adiustable zoom lens forming an image at said photodetector array; determining a Petzval surface of said image formed at said photodetector array; and exerting a force on the deformable substrate to continuously adjust the curvature of the photodetector array to match the Petzval surface formed by said dynamically tunable and adiustable curvature lens, wherein the deformation is reversible, thereby providing a dynamically tunable imaging system having a continuously adjustable zoom lens having an image at said photodetector array that is in focus by adjusting said photodetector array curvature to match the Petzval surface formed by said dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification