Double-layer electrode for electro-optic liquid crystal lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625767-B2
Application number	US-201314649708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2013
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, apparatus, device, manufacture, circuit, composition of matter, and/or user interface adapted for and/or resulting from, and/or a process, method, and/or machine-readable medium comprising machine-implementable instructions for, activities that can comprise and/or relate to, generating a gradient in an index of refraction of a material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electro-optic device comprising:
a first electrode structure comprising:
a first electrode layer comprising a concentric first plurality of electrode rings, each adjacent pair of electrode rings from said first plurality of electrode rings separated by a corresponding first layer separator from a concentric plurality of first layer separators; and
a second electrode layer comprising a concentric second plurality of electrode rings, each adjacent pair of electrode rings from said second plurality of electrode rings separated by a corresponding second layer separator from a concentric plurality of second layer separators;
wherein:
said second electrode layer is configured to be operably conductively unconnected to an electrical power source;
said first electrode layer is positioned parallel to said second layer;
a rotational axis of the first electrode layer is co-incident with a rotational axis of the second electrode layer; and,
when viewed from a point along the rotational axis, an electrode ring from the first layer is not optically aligned with a spatially nearest electrode ring of the second layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode layer is separated from said second electrode layer by an insulating layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode layer is separated from said second electrode layer by a contiguous insulating layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode layer is separated from said second electrode layer by an insulating layer formed from silicon dioxide.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode layer is electrically insulated from said second electrode layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
each of said concentric first plurality of electrode rings is adapted to be individually controlled.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
each of said concentric plurality of first layer separators is from approximately 0.1 micrometers to approximately 10 micrometers wide.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said concentric first plurality of electrode rings is formed from indium tin oxide.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode layer is electrically coupled to a power supply via a first bus, and said second electrode layer is electrically coupled to a power supply via a second bus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode structure is adapted to border a liquid crystal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode structure is adapted to create a voltage gradient across a liquid crystal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode structure is adapted to create an index of refraction gradient in an adjacent liquid crystal material.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode structure is adapted to electrically co-operate with a second electrode structure to generate an electric field.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode structure and a second electrode structure border a liquid crystal material, said first electrode structure and said second electrode structure adapted to electrically co-operate to generate an electric field across said liquid crystal material.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode structure and a second electrode structure border a liquid crystal material, said first electrode structure and said second electrode structure adapted to electrically co-operate to generate a radially varying electric field across said liquid crystal material.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode structure and a second electrode structure border a liquid crystal material, said first electrode structure and said second electrode structure adapted to electrically co-operate to generate a radial gradient in an index of refraction in said liquid crystal material.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first electrode structure is adapted to form a spherical lens.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first layer separators are insulating rings.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said first layer separators are gaps.

20. A method comprising:
in an electro-optic device comprising a first electrode structure comprising:
a first electrode layer comprising a concentric first plurality of electrode rings, each adjacent pair of electrode rings from said first plurality of electrode rings separated by a corresponding first layer separator from a concentric plurality of first layer separators; and
a second electrode layer comprising a concentric second plurality of electrode rings, each adjacent pair of electrode rings from said second plurality of electrode rings separated by a corresponding second layer separator from a concentric plurality of second layer separators;
wherein:
said second electrode layer is configured to be operably conductively unconnected to an electrical power source;
said first electrode layer is positioned parallel to said second layer;
a rotational axis of the first electrode layer is co-incident with a rotational axis of the second electrode layer; and,
when viewed from a point along the rotational axis, an electrode ring from the first layer is not optically aligned with a spatially nearest electrode ring of the second layer,

to each of said electrode rings from said first plurality of electrode rings, applying a predetermined voltage, an amplitude of said predetermined voltage unique to each of said electrode rings from said first plurality of electrode rings.

Assignees

• E-Vision Smart Optics Inc
• Univ Kent State Ohio

Inventors

• Li Liwei
• Van Heugten Anthony
• Duston Dwight
• Bos Phil
• Bryant Douglas

Classifications

• G02F1/133345

  Insulating layers (G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/13439

  characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making · CPC title

• G02F2001/294

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F1/29 Primary

  for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection · CPC title

• G02B27/22

  Physics · mapped topic