Holographic operating element
AssigneeCarl Zeiss Jena GmbH
InventorsChristoph Erler, Petr Vojtisek, Siemen Kuehl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lightguide structure for illumination, detection and/or holographic representation includes at least one planar lightguide for guiding electromagnetic radiation of at least a first spectrum, at least one illumination arrangement located on the first side face of the lightguide, and at least one holographic outcoupling structure for coupling out electromagnetic radiation guided in the lightguide structure. The light radiated in by the illumination arrangement can have a large angular range, the holographic outcoupling structure having a small angular range. Also provided is a production method for such a lightguide structure and to an operating element comprising a lightguide structure.
Claims17
An operating element, comprising:
- a planar light guide structure comprising at least one first planar light guide;
- a first illumination arrangement comprising at least one light source for emitting electromagnetic radiation with a first spectrum;
- and
- a detector arrangement for detecting electromagnetic radiation with a second spectrum,
- wherein the first spectrum and the second spectrum are different,
- wherein the first planar light guide is configured for guiding electromagnetic radiation of the first spectrum and the second spectrum,
- wherein the first illumination arrangement is arranged at a first side surface of the first light guide and is configured for incoupling the emitted electromagnetic radiation of the first spectrum into the first planar light guide,
- wherein the detection arrangement is arranged at a side surface of the light guide structure and is configured for detecting electromagnetic radiation of the second spectrum incoupled into the light guide structure,
- wherein the light guide structure has at least one first holographic outcoupling structure spaced apart from the first side surface, and a holographic incoupling structure spaced apart from the side surface,
- wherein the first holographic outcoupling structure is configured for outcoupling the incoupled electromagnetic radiation of the first illumination arrangement from a first main surface of the light guide structure for generating a holographic representation of a three-dimensional operating region with respect to the operating element,
- wherein the operating region with respect to the operating element lies at least partly outside the light guide structure,
- wherein the operating region incoupling structure is configured for incoupling electromagnetic radiation with the second spectrum from the operating region into the light guide structure in a direction of the detection arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.