Cloaking devices constructed from reflection boundaries, half-mirrors and multiband dichroic color filters and vehicles comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10479276-B2
Application number	US-201815945398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2018
Priority date	Apr 4, 2018
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A cloaking device includes an object-side, an image-side, a cloaked region (CR) between the object-side and the image-side. An object-side CR reflection boundary, an object-side half-mirror, and an object-side multiband dichroic color filter are positioned on the object side and an image-side CR reflection boundary, an image-side half-mirror, and an image-side multiband dichroic color filter are positioned on the image-side. The object-side half-mirror and the object-side multiband dichroic color filter are spaced apart from and positioned generally parallel to the object-side CR reflection boundary, and the image-side half-mirror and the image-side multiband dichroic color filter are spaced apart from and positioned generally parallel to the image-side CR reflection boundary. Light from an object located on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the CR propagates via three optical paths to form an image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cloaking device comprising:
an object-side, an image-side, a reference optical axis extending from the object-side to the image-side, and a cloaked region (CR) between the object-side and the image-side;
an object-side CR reflection boundary, an object-side half-mirror, and an object-side multiband dichroic color filter, wherein the object-side half-mirror and the object-side multiband dichroic color filter are spaced apart from and positioned generally parallel to the object-side CR reflection boundary; and
an image-side CR reflection boundary, an image-side half-mirror, and an image-side multiband dichroic color filter, wherein the image-side half-mirror and the image-side multiband dichroic color filter are spaced apart from and positioned generally parallel to the image-side CR reflection boundary;
wherein light from an object located on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the CR propagates via at least two optical paths to form an image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device such that the light from the object appears to pass through the CR.

2. The cloaking device of claim 1 , wherein:
the object-side multiband dichroic color filter is co-planar with the object-side half-mirror; and
the image-side multiband dichroic color filter is co-planar with the image-side half-mirror.

3. The cloaking device of claim 1 , wherein:
the object-side multiband dichroic color filter is co-planar with the object-side half-mirror and the object-side half-mirror is positioned proximal to the reference optical axis relative to the object-side multiband dichroic color filter; and
the image-side multiband dichroic color filter is co-planar with the image-side half-mirror and the image-side half-mirror is positioned proximal to the reference optical axis relative to the image-side multiband dichroic color filter.

4. The cloaking device of claim 1 , wherein:
a portion of the light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device is redirected around the CR via a first optical path comprising reflection from the object-side half-mirror and the image-side half-mirror;
a portion of the light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device is redirected around the CR via a second optical path comprising transmittance through the object-side half-mirror and the image-side half-mirror; and
a portion of the light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device propagates from the object-side to the image-side via a third optical path comprising transmittance through the object-side multiband dichroic color filter and the image-side multiband dichroic color filter.

5. The cloaking device of claim 1 , wherein:
a portion of the light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device is redirected around the CR via a first optical path comprising reflection from the object-side half-mirror, reflection from the object-side multiband dichroic color filter, reflection from the image-side half-mirror and reflection from the image-side multiband dichroic color filter;
a portion of the light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device is redirected around the CR via a second optical path comprising transmittance through the object-side half-mirror, reflection from the object-side multiband dichroic color filter, reflection from the image-side multiband dichroic color filter and transmittance through the image-side half-mirror; and
a portion of the light from the object on the object-side of the cloaking device propagates from the object-side to the image-side via a third optical path comprising transmittance through the object-side multiband dichroic color filter and transmittance through the image-side multiband dichroic color filter.

6. The cloaking device of claim 1 , wherein the three optical paths comprise:
a first optical path: extending from the Object to the object-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter extending to the object-side half-mirror; thereafter extending to the object-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter extending to the object-side multiband dichroic color filter; thereafter extending to the image-side multiband dichroic color filter; thereafter extending to the image-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter extending to the image-side half-mirror; thereafter extending to the image-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter extending to the Image;
a second optical path: extending from the Object to the object-side half-mirror; thereafter extending to the object-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter extending to the object-side multiband dichroic color filter; thereafter extending to the image-side multiband dichroic color filter; thereafter extending to the image-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter extending to the image-side half-mirror; thereafter extending to the Image; and
a third optical path: extending from the Object to the object-side multiband dichroic color filter; thereafter extending to the image-side multiband dichroic color filter; thereafter extending to the Image.

7. The cloaking device of claim 1 , wherein the three optical paths comprise:
a first optical path: beginning at the Object and reflecting from the object-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter reflecting from the object-side half-mirror; thereafter reflecting from the object-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter reflecting from the object-side multiband dichroic color filter thereafter reflecting from the image-side multiband dichroic color filter thereafter reflecting from the image-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter reflecting from the image-side half-mirror; thereafter reflecting from the image-side CR reflection boundary to the Image;
a second optical path: beginning at the Object and transmitting through the object-side half-mirror; thereafter reflecting from the object-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter reflecting from the object-side multiband dichroic color filter; thereafter reflecting from the image-side multiband dichroic color filter; thereafter reflecting from the image-side CR reflection boundary; thereafter transmitting through image-side half-mirror to the Image; and
a third optical path: beginning at the Object and transmitting through the object-side multiband dichroic color filter; thereafter transmitting through the image-side multiband dichroic color filter to the Image.

8. A cloaking device assembly comprising:
an object-side, an image-side, a cloaked region (CR) between the object-side and the image-side, and a reference optical axis extending from the object-side to the image-side;
a first object-side CR reflection boundary, a first object-side half-mirror, and a first object-side multiband dichroic color filter positioned on a first side of the reference optical axis, wherein the first object-side half-mirror and the first object-side multiband dichroic color filter are spaced apart from and positioned generally parallel to the first object-side CR reflection boundary;
a second object-side CR reflection boundary, a second object-side half-mirror, and a second object-side multiband dichroic color filter positioned on a second side of the reference optical axis opposite the first side, wherein the second object-side half-mirror and the second object-side multiband dichroic color filter are spaced apart from and positioned generally parallel to the second object-side CR reflection boundary;
a first image-side CR reflection boundary, a first image-side half-mirror, and a first image-side multiband dichroic color filter positioned on the first side of the reference optical axis, wherein the first image-side half-mirror and the first image-side multiband dichroic color filter are spaced apart from and positioned generally parallel to

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Ji Chengang
• Lee Kyu-Tae
• Wu Songtao
• Banerjee Debasish

Classifications

• G02B2207/123

  Optical louvre elements, e.g. for directional light blocking · CPC title

• G02B27/146

  with a tree or branched structure · CPC title

• G02B27/145

  having sequential partially reflecting surfaces · CPC title

• G02B27/144

  using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity (G02B27/147 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/14

  operating by reflection only · CPC title