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US 11,442,332 B1Granted
Tunable liquid crystal lens with electrically tunable axis of astigmatism
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRobert Arthur Sprague, Jim Weijian Li, Haiwei Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical system includes a first set of electrodes arranged in a concentric pattern and a liquid crystal material in electrical communication with the first set of electrodes. The optical system also includes a second set of electrodes arranged in a two-dimensional pattern and in electrical communication with the liquid crystal material.
Claims20
A method of operating an astigmatic liquid crystal Fresnel lens having a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a controller, a focal length and a set of astigmatism values;
- providing a first plurality of voltage signals and a second plurality of voltage signals, wherein:
- each of the first plurality of voltage signals is associated with one or more electrodes of the first set of electrodes, wherein the first set of electrodes is disposed on a first side of a liquid crystal material and includes a center electrode and a set of annular electrodes, and;
- each of a first subset of the second plurality of voltage signals is associated with a single electrode of the second set of electrodes and each of a second subset of the second plurality of voltage signals is associated with multiple electrodes of the second set of electrodes, wherein the second set of electrodes is disposed on a second side of the liquid crystal material opposing the first side and arranged in a two-dimensional pattern and in electrical communication with the liquid crystal material;
- applying, using the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes, the first plurality of voltage signals and the second plurality of voltage signals to a liquid crystal material of the astigmatic liquid crystal Fresnel lens;
- establishing, in response to the first plurality of voltage signals and the second plurality of voltage signals, an index of refraction profile in the liquid crystal material, the index of refraction profile corresponding to the focal length and the set of astigmatism values;
- and
- focusing incident light at the focal length.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- one or more memory storing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, configure the system to:
- receive, at a controller, a focal length and a set of astigmatism values;
- provide a first plurality of voltage signals and a second plurality of voltage signals, wherein each of the first plurality of voltage signals is associated with one or more electrodes of a first set of electrodes, wherein the first set of electrodes is disposed on a first side of a liquid crystal material and includes a center electrode and a set of annular electrodes, and each of a first subset of the second plurality of voltage signals is associated with a single electrode of a second set of electrodes and each of a second subset of the second plurality of voltage signals is associated with multiple electrodes of the second set of electrodes, wherein the second set of electrodes is disposed on a second side of the liquid crystal material opposing the first side and arranged in a two-dimensional pattern and in electrical communication with the liquid crystal material;
- apply, using the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes, the first plurality of voltage signals and the second plurality of voltage signals to the liquid crystal material;
- establish, in response to the first plurality of voltage signals and the second plurality of voltage signals, an index of refraction profile in the liquid crystal material, the index of refraction profile corresponding to the focal length and the set of astigmatism values;
- and
- focus incident light at the focal length.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.