# US 11,442,332 B1 · Tunable liquid crystal lens with electrically tunable axis of astigmatism > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,332 B1 - Document ID: US11442332B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/080,304 - Filed: 2020-10-26 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-10-26 - Assignees: Amazon Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Amazon Technologies, inc. - Inventors: Robert Arthur Sprague; Jim Weijian Li; Haiwei Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442332B1 ## CPC - G02F 1/29: for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection - G02C 7/083: {Electrooptic lenses} - G02C 2202/20: Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions - G02F 2201/121: common or background - G02F 2201/122: having a particular pattern - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G02C: SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES (trial frames for testing the eyes A61B3/04; goggles or eyeshields not having the same features as spectacles A61F9/00) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the focal length and the set of astigmatism values comprises accessing a memory coupled to the controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the set of astigmatism values including a first astigmatism value associated with a cylinder lens and an astigmatism axis along which the cylinder lens is oriented. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the focal length and the set of astigmatism values are specific to a particular user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein providing the first plurality of voltage signals and the second plurality of voltage signals comprises use of a multi-output driver operable to provide the first plurality of voltage signals and the second plurality of voltage signals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving a second focal length; applying, using the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes, a third plurality of voltage signals and a fourth plurality of voltage signals to the liquid crystal material; establishing, in response to the third plurality of voltage signals and the fourth plurality of voltage signals, a second index of refraction profile in the liquid crystal material, the second index of refraction profile corresponding to the second focal length and the set of astigmatism values; and focusing incident light at the second focal length. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the two-dimensional pattern comprises a two-dimensional array of pixelated electrodes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein: the multiple electrodes of the second set of electrodes include central electrodes of the two-dimensional array of pixelated electrodes; and the central electrodes are positioned opposite the center electrode of the first set of electrodes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the multiple electrodes of the second set of electrodes are positioned at a same radial distance from the center electrode of the first set of electrodes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein dimensions of the pixelated electrodes of the two-dimensional array of pixelated electrodes decrease in size with increasing radial distance from the center electrode of the first set of electrodes. ### Claim 11 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the focal length and the set of astigmatism values are stored in the one or more memory. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the set of astigmatism values including a first astigmatism value associated with a cylinder lens and an astigmatism axis along which the cylinder lens is oriented. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the focal length and the set of astigmatism values are specific to a particular user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 further comprising a multi-output driver, wherein providing the first plurality of voltage signals and the second plurality of voltage signals comprises use of a multi-output driver operable to provide the first plurality of voltage signals and the second plurality of voltage signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 further comprising computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, further configure the system to: receive a second focal length; apply, using the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes, a third plurality of voltage signals and a fourth plurality of voltage signals to the liquid crystal material; establish, in response to the third plurality of voltage signals and the fourth plurality of voltage signals, a second index of refraction profile in the liquid crystal material, the second index of refraction profile corresponding to the second focal length and the set of astigmatism values; and focus incident light at the second focal length. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the two-dimensional pattern comprises a two-dimensional array of pixelated electrodes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein: the multiple electrodes of the second set of electrodes include central electrodes of the two-dimensional array of pixelated electrodes; and the central electrodes are positioned opposite the center electrode of the first set of electrodes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein the multiple electrodes of the second set of electrodes are positioned at a same radial distance from the center electrode of the first set of electrodes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein dimensions of the pixelated electrodes of the two-dimensional array of pixelated electrodes decrease in size with increasing radial distance from the center electrode of the first set of electrodes.