Electro-optic variable aperture lens

• US 9,851,613 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Noble, Hannah Dustan, McAllister, Iain Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Thomas K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Vipin
• Application Number:
  US14/257,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20150241751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 359265, 359739-740
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/58 Optics for apodization or superresolution; Optical synthetic aperture systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/005 Diaphragms for cameras G03B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 9/02 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A variable aperture lens and methods of forming such lenses are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the variable aperture lens include an electro-optic aperture sandwiched between a front lens and a rear lens along an optical axis. The front lens or the rear lens may include multiple lens layers having different optical properties to provide for a low z-height, optically aligned, variable aperture lens.

Claims

1. An optical element, comprising:

an electro-optic aperture including an electrochromic element mounted on a substrate, wherein the electrochromic element is an electrically variable pupil, and wherein the electro-optic aperture includes a flat front surface and a flat rear surface;

a front lens having a flat front lens surface attached to the flat front surface of the electro-optic aperture, wherein the front lens is a first portion of an achromatic lens to limit chromatic aberration; and

a rear lens having a flat rear lens surface attached to the flat rear surface of the electro-optic aperture, wherein the rear lens is aligned with the front lens along an optical axis, and wherein the rear lens is a second portion of the achromatic lens;

wherein at least one of the front lens or the rear lens includes a plurality of lens layers, wherein the plurality of lens layers include a first lens layer laminated on a second lens layer, wherein the plurality of lens layers have different optical properties, wherein the achromatic lens is an achromatic doublet, wherein the front lens is a positive element of the achromatic doublet, and wherein the rear lens is a negative element of the achromatic doublet.

2. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the electro-optic aperture and the substrate are aligned along the optical axis between the front lens and the rear lens.

3. The optical element of claim 2, wherein the electro-optic aperture, the front lens, and the rear lens are aligned along the optical axis.

4. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lens layers include a resin material.

5. The optical element of claim 4, wherein the resin material is configured to be cured by ultraviolet radiation.

6. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic element includes at least one of a liquid, a crystalline material, or a non-crystalline material.

7. The optical element of claim 1 further comprising an electro-optic filter between the front lens and the rear lens.

8. The optical element of claim 1 further comprising an electrical contact on the substrate, wherein the electrical contact is exposed from the front lens and the rear lens.

9. The optical element of claim 1 further comprising a dielectric film between the first lens layer and the second lens layer.

10. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the first lens layer and the second lens layer include a same lens material.

11. A method of producing a mobile lens assembly, comprising:

attaching a flat front lens surface of a front lens to a flat front surface of an electro-optic aperture, wherein the electro-optic aperture includes an electrochromic element mounted on a substrate, and wherein the electrochromic element is an electrically variable pupil, and wherein the front lens is a positive element of an achromatic doublet to limit chromatic aberration;

attaching a flat rear lens surface of a rear lens to a flat rear surface of the electro-optic aperture to form a variable aperture lens, wherein the rear lens is aligned with the front lens along an optical axis, and wherein the rear lens is a negative element of the achromatic doublet; and

combining the variable aperture lens with a lens stack to form a mobile lens assembly, wherein the lens stack includes one or more aberration-correction lenses to limit monochromatic aberrations;

wherein at least one of the front lens or the rear lens includes a plurality of lens layers, and wherein the plurality of lens layers include a first lens layer laminated on a second lens layer.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

molding a first resin into the second lens layer; and

overmolding a second resin into the first lens layer over the second lens layer to form the one or more of the front lens or the rear lens.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first resin and the second resin have different optical properties.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising molding a third resin into one or more of the front lens or the rear lens.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first resin, the second resin, or the third resin is configured to be cured by ultraviolet radiation.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising depositing a film between the first lens layer and the second lens layer.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the attaching further includes aligning the front lens, the rear lens, and the electro-optic aperture along the optical axis.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the attaching further includes molding at least one of the front lens or the rear lens directly over the electro-optic aperture.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the molding includes introducing a lens resin in an uncured state and curing the lens resin into a cured state.