Optical module with variable light-transmission area and electronic apparatus using the optical module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10027899-B2
Application number	US-201514614600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2015
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

An optical module that achieves an adjustable aperture with a multilayer liquid crystal diaphragm, and an electronic apparatus using the optical module are described. The optical module includes at least one diaphragm layer having a light-transmission area that is fully transmissive and a variable light-transmission area filled with material having variable transmittance; and an electrode unit for applying an adjustment voltage to the at least one diaphragm layer. Transmittance of the variable light-transmission area varies in accordance with the adjustment voltage applied by the electrode unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical module comprising:
at least one diaphragm layer having a light-transmission area that is fully transmissive and a variable light-transmission area filled with material having variable transmittance; and
an electrode unit for applying an adjustment voltage to the at least one diaphragm layer,
wherein as the adjustment voltage applied by the electrode unit is boosted, transmittance of the variable light-transmission area correspondingly reduces and when the adjustment voltage applied is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold voltage, the variable light-transmission area becomes a completely opaque state,
wherein the at least one diaphragm layer comprises a first diaphragm layer, a second diaphragm layer, and a third diaphragm layer, the first diaphragm layer, the second diaphragm layer, and the third diaphragm layer are arranged in order in a light entrance direction of the optical module with an optical axis as a center, and
the first diaphragm layer has a first light-transmission area and a first variable light-transmission area, the second layer has a second light-transmission area and a second variable light-transmission area, and the third diaphragm layer has a third light-transmission area and a third variable light-transmission area, sizes of the first light-transmission area, the second light-transmission area, and the third light-transmission area are different from each other.

2. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein the light-transmission area is located in the center of the at least one diaphragm layer and the variable light-transmission area surrounds the light-transmission area.

3. An optical module, comprising:
a first diaphragm layer having a first light-transmission area that is fully transmissive and a first variable light-transmission area filled with material having variable transmittance;
a second diaphragm layer having a second light-transmission area that is fully transmissive and a second variable light-transmission area filled with material having variable transmittance, wherein the first diaphragm layer and the second diaphragm layer are arranged in order in a light entrance direction of the optical module with an optical axis as a center; and
an electrode unit for applying an adjustment voltage to the first diaphragm layer and the second diaphragm layer,
wherein transmittance of the first variable light-transmission area and transmittance of the second variable light-transmission area vary in accordance with the adjustment voltage applied by the electrode unit, and the first diaphragm layer has a first light-transmission area and a first variable light-transmission area, and the second layer has a second light-transmission area and a second variable light-transmission area, sizes of the first light-transmission area and the second light-transmission area are different from each other.

4. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
an optical system for forming an optical image of a subject;
a signal processing system for converting the optical image into an image signal;
a control system for controlling the optical system and the signal processing system to image the subject and obtain the image signal,
wherein the optical system comprises an optical module for controlling an amount of light entering the optical system, and the optical module comprises:
at least one diaphragm layer having a light-transmission area that is fully transmissive and a variable light-transmission area filled with material having variable transmittance; and
an electrode unit for applying an adjustment voltage to the at least one diaphragm layer,
wherein as the adjustment voltage applied by the electrode unit is boosted, transmittance of the variable light-transmission area correspondingly reduces and when the adjustment voltage applied is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold voltage, the variable light-transmission area becomes a completely opaque state,
wherein the at least one diaphragm layer comprises a first diaphragm layer, a second diaphragm layer, and a third diaphragm layer, the first diaphragm layer, the second diaphragm layer, and the third diaphragm layer are arranged in order in a light entrance direction of the optical module with an optical axis as a center, and
the first diaphragm layer has a first light-transmission area and a first variable light-transmission area, the second layer has a second light-transmission area and a second variable light-transmission area, and the third diaphragm layer has a third light-transmission area and a third variable light-transmission area, sizes of the first light-transmission area, the second light-transmission area, and the third light-transmission area are different from each other.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the light-transmission area is located in the center of the at least one diaphragm layer, and the variable light-transmission area surrounds the light-transmission area.

6. An electronic apparatus comprising:
an optical system for forming an optical image of a subject;
a signal processing system for converting the optical image into an image signal;
a control system for controlling the optical system and the signal processing system to image the subject and obtain the image signal,
wherein the optical system comprises an optical module for controlling an amount of light entering the optical system, and the optical module comprises:
a first diaphragm layer having a first light-transmission area that is fully transmissive and a first variable light-transmission area filled with material having variable transmittance;
a second diaphragm layer having a second light-transmission area that is fully transmissive and a second variable light-transmission area filled with material having variable transmittance, the first diaphragm layer and the second diaphragm layer being arranged in order in a light entrance direction of the optical module with an optical axis as a center;
an electrode unit for applying an adjustment voltage to the first diaphragm layer and the second diaphragm layer,
wherein transmittance of the first variable light-transmission area and transmittance of the second variable light-transmission area vary in accordance with the adjustment voltage applied by the electrode unit, and
the first diaphragm layer has a first light-transmission area and a first variable light-transmission area, and the second layer has a second light-transmission area and a second variable light-transmission area, sizes of the first light-transmission area and the second light-transmission area are different from each other.

Assignees

• Lenovo Beijing Co Ltd

Inventors

• He Ke
• Chen Jiefeng

Classifications

• H04N23/74 Primary

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• G02B26/04

  by periodically varying the intensity of light, e.g. using choppers (shutters, diaphragms for cameras G03B9/00; devices for eliminating or reducing the effect of flicker in projection systems G03B21/40) · CPC title

• G02B5/005

  Diaphragms (for cameras G03B9/02) · CPC title

• G03B9/02 Primary

  Diaphragms · CPC title

• G02B26/02

  for controlling the intensity of light {(G02B26/004 takes precedence)} · CPC title