Diffractive focusing using multiple selectively light opaque elements
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsMark N. Robins, Heather N. Bean
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Abstract
A diffractive focusing device includes a light transmissive substrate and a plurality of selectively light opaque elements formed in the light transmissive substrate. The selectively light opaque elements are capable of being electronically activated. Particular elements of the plurality of selectively light opaque elements are selectively rendered substantially light opaque or substantially light-transmissive in order to create light transmissive channels in the light transmissive substrate with desired diffractive characteristics.
Claims25
A diffractive focusing device, comprising:
- a light transmissive substrate;
- and
- a plurality of selectively light opaque elements formed as part of said light transmissive substrate and capable of being electronically activated;
- wherein particular elements of said plurality of selectively light opaque elements are selectively rendered substantially light opaque or substantially light transmissive in order to create light transmissive channels in said light transmissive substrate, with a diffractive characteristic of said diffractive focusing device being varied in response to a pitch of said light transmissive channels.
An image capturing device, comprising:
- an aperture that admits light into said image capturing device;
- an image capturing element;
- and
- a diffractive focusing device interposed between said aperture and said image capturing element, said diffractive focusing device comprising:
- a light transmissive substrate;
- and
- a plurality of substantially contiguous, selectively light opaque elements formed as part of said light transmissive substrate and capable of being electronically activated;
- wherein particular elements of said plurality of selectively light opaque elements are selectively rendered substantially light opaque or substantially light-transmissive in order to create light transmissive channels of varying pitch in said light transmissive substrate and thereby to vary diffractive characteristics of said diffractive focusing device in order to focus said light on said image capturing element from various focal lengths.
A method of focusing light, comprising the steps of:
- providing a light transmissive substrate;
- forming a plurality of selectively light opaque elements as part of said light transmissive substrate;
- and
- selectively activating selectively light opaque elements in order to create light transmissive channels of varying pitch in said light transmissive substrate so as to focus light from varying focal lengths.
A method of focusing light, comprising the steps of:
- forming a plurality of light transmissive channels in a light transmissive substrate;
- and
- varying a pitch of a light transmissive channel so as to vary a corresponding diffraction characteristic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.