Pilkington Pe Limited

Pilkington Plc

Andrew P Ramsbottom

Robin A Merryweather

Alan W Christie

Robert W Evans

Stuart W Robb

The method involves directing first and second separate illuminating beams towards a photosensitive film from separate fixed apparent beam source positions respectively in such a manner that the beams are caused to overlap at the point of incidence at the photosensitive film. Stationary interference fringes are generated and the beams are caused to scan in a raster type pattern over the photosensitive film in such a manner whereby overlapping of the beams is maintained throughout the exposure of the film. The apparatus in one embodiment involves the generation of a third illuminating beam which is used to control means to control an associated scanner to effect synchronised movement of the second beam with the first beam. A further embodiment involves memorising the scanning movement of beam in a memory and using the memorised scanning pattern to control the scanner to maintain beam overlap.

Hologram construction

A projection unit for a car head-up display comprises a display source, a curved mirror which provides the optical power of the projection unit and, in use, receives light from the display source, and a Fresnel mirror extending generally between the display source and the curved mirror and disposed to receive reflected light from the curved mirror and to reflect that light in a desired direction. The curved mirror and the Fresnel mirror may be disposed on a solid block of transparent material having one curved end coated to provide the curved mirror, the display source being located at an opposite end of the block, and the Fresnel mirror being formed in a block face extending from the opposite end of the block to the curved end of the block. A car head-up display including the projection unit may be located in a car with the projection unit being oriented whereby the said desired direction is towards a combiner which, in use, reflects light towards the driver's eyes, the combiner preferably being the car windscreen.

Car head-up display including a Fresnel mirror and a curved mirror

A car head-up display projection unit has a substantially spherical concave mirror providing the optical power and which receives light at near axial incidence from a display source and reflects that light to an adjustable substantially plane mirror. Light from the projection unit is reflected from the car windshield to the driver's eyes.

Car head-up displays including an adjustable plane mirror lensless

This invention concerns a method and apparatus of using the relatively thin holographic material of a transmission holographic optical element in such a manner whereby a narrow spectral bandwidth may be achieved. The interference fringe planes oriented through the depth of the material are interrogated by way of the edge of the holographic optical element whereby the holographic optical element is caused to respond, in use, in the manner of a relatively thick reflection holographic optical element of considerable effective thickness. The apparatus takes the form of a narrow bandwidth optical filter which is interrogated by a tightly focussed interrogating beam.

Edge-illuminated narrow bandwidth holographic filter

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for exposing a photosensitive film on a holographic plate to fabricate a reflective holographic optical element. The apparatus incorporates compensating means which are adapted to compensate for the effects of refractive index shift of the film due to refractive index variations during the exposure process. In one form of the apparatus, a hologram-mirror arrangement is placed on a table on an accurately controlled stepper motor rotating stage so that the table is progressively tilted. In an alternative arrangement the angle of the exposing radiation beam is changed and directed on to the stationary hologram-mirror arrangement. Where a tuneable holographic filter is required where the exposure angle varies over the hologram aperture angular shift is achieved by simple lateral and linear shift of the hologram. The compensating means can also comprise an arrangement for progressively changing the wavelength of the exposing radiation beam.

Growing community of inventors

Bolton, United Kingdom

Andrew P Ramsbottom