Micromirror array with iris function

• US 7,589,916 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stereo D Inc., Stereo Display, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Angstrom, Inc., Stereo Display, Inc.
• Inventors: Seo, Cheong Soo, Cho, Gyoung Il, Kim, Hye Young, Sohn, Jin Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; William C
• Application Number:
  US11/837,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 359/198, 359/212, 359223-225, 359/290, 359/298, 359/738, 359/739
• US Class Current: 359/739
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

The present invention provides a micromirror array with iris function that comprises a plurality of micromirrors and is configured to provide an adjustable aperture having a plurality of aperture sizes by controlling motions of the micromirrors. The adjustable aperture controls the amount of incident light admitted to an image sensor by changing the aperture size. Also, the micromirrors comprised in the aperture forms a Micromirror Array Lens having variable focusing function.

Claims

1. A micromirror array with iris function comprising a plurality of micromirrors, configured to provide an adjustable aperture having a plurality of aperture sizes by controlling motions of the micromirrors, wherein the adjustable aperture controls the amount of incident light admitted to an image sensor by changing the aperture size.

2. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein two groups of micromirrors are selected from the micromirror array for each aperture size to provide the adjustable aperture, wherein one group of micromirrors has active micromirrors forming an aperture and the other group of micromirrors has inactive micromirrors located out of the aperture formed by the active micromirrors.

3. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 2, wherein the active micromirrors are controlled to reflect incident light onto the image sensor.

4. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 3, further comprising at least one optical block to absorb incident light reflected by the inactive micromirrors.

5. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 2, wherein the inactive micromirrors are controlled to reflect incident light out of the image sensor.

6. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 2, wherein the micromirrors are configured to have substantially identical motions when the micromirrors are active.

7. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 2, wherein the micromirrors are configured to have substantially identical motions when the micromirrors are inactive.

8. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 2, wherein the micromirrors are configured to have random motions when the micromirrors are inactive in order to reflect incident light to random directions pointing out of the image sensor.

9. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 2, wherein the active micromirrors in the micromirror array form a Micromirror Array Lens having at least one optical surface profile by controlling motions of the active micromirrors.

10. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 9, wherein the Micromirror Array Lens for each aperture size is a variable focal length lens forming a plurality of optical surface profiles.

11. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 10, wherein the Micromirror Array is configured to change the aperture size with respect to the focal length of the Micromirror Array Lens.

12. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 10, wherein the focal length of the Micromirror Array Lens is discretely changed as the optical surface profile is changed.

13. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 9, wherein each optical surface profile of the Micromirror Array Lens satisfies convergence condition.

14. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 9, wherein each optical surface profile of the Micromirror Array Lens satisfies phase matching condition.

15. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 9, wherein the optical surface profile of the Micromirror Array Lens has rotational symmetry about an optical axis of the aperture.

16. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 9, wherein the optical surface profile of the Micromirror Array Lens has symmetry about a line of symmetry, wherein the line of symmetry lies on the plane of the Micromirror Array Len and is perpendicular to a tilting axis, wherein the tilting axis is perpendicular to an optical axis of a lens system.

17. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 9, wherein the optical surface profile of the Micromirror Array Lens simulates an arbitrary surface shape.

18. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 2, wherein an optical axis of the aperture is changed by controlling motions of the active micromirrors.

19. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 2, wherein the group of the active micromirrors comprised in each aperture size are predetermined.

20. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 19, wherein the aperture size is changed discretely.

21. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein each micromirror in the micromirror array is configured to have at least two motions to determine the aperture size.

22. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein the micromirrors in the micromirror array are configured to have independent motions.

23. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein the amount of incident light admitted to the image sensor is controlled by changing the aperture size.

24. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein an effective f-number of a lens system is controlled by changing the aperture size.

25. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein the aperture size is changed with synchronization of an exposure of the image sensor.

26. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein the aperture size is changed during an exposure time of the image sensor.

27. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein the micromirror array is configured to change the aperture size with respect to an object distance.

28. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein all the micromirrors in the micromirror array are inactive after exposure time of the image sensor.

29. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein the motions of the micromirrors are controlled to prevent over-exposure of the image sensor.

30. The micromirror array with iris function of claim 1, wherein the motions of the micromirrors are controlled to prevent over-exposure of the image sensor by changing an exposure time of the aperture.

31. A Micromirror Array Lens with iris function, comprising a plurality of micromirrors, configured to provide an adjustable aperture having a plurality of aperture sizes by controlling motions of the micromirrors, wherein the amount of incident light admitted to an image sensor changes as the aperture size of the Micromirror Array Lens changes.

32. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 31, wherein the aperture size of the Micromirror Array Lens is changed by selecting two groups of micromirrors from the Micromirror Array Lens, wherein one group of micromirrors has active micromirrors forming an aperture of the Micromirror Array Lens and the other group of micromirrors has inactive micromirrors located out of the aperture formed by the active micromirrors, wherein the active micromirrors are controlled to reflect incident light onto the image sensor and the inactive micromirrors are controlled to reflect incident light out of the image sensor.

33. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 32, wherein the Micromirror Array Lens with the adjustable aperture is a variable focal length lens forming a plurality of optical surface profiles by controlling motions of the active micromirrors.

34. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 33, wherein each optical surface profile of the Micromirror Array Lens satisfies convergence and phase matching conditions.

35. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 33, wherein the optical surface profile of the Micromirror Array Lens simulates an arbitrary surface shape.

36. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 33, wherein the Micromirror Array Lens is configured to change the aperture size with respect to the focal length of the Micromirror Array Lens.

37. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 33, wherein the focal length of the Micromirror Array Lens discretely changes as the optical surface profile changes.

38. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 32, wherein an optical axis of the Micromirror Array Lens is changed by controlling motions of the active micromirrors.

39. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 31, wherein the micromirrors are configured to have independent motions.

40. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 32, further comprising at least one optical block to absorb incident light reflected by the inactive micromirrors.

41. The Micromirror Array Lens with iris function of claim 31, wherein the micromirror array Lens is configured to change the aperture size with respect to an object distance.