General Electric Company

Martin Marietta Corporation

John L Henkes

John M Davenport

Richard L Hansler

Robert J Wojnarowski

Herbert S Cole

Rowland W Redington

William W Finch

Daniel David Harrison

Jeffrey D Johnson

David M Barrett

Kenneth S King

Robert Godbarsen

Lewis S Edelheit

HDI fabrication techniques are employed to form a variety of optical waveguide structures in polymer materials. Adaptive optical connections are formed, taking into account the actual position and orientation of devices which may deviate from the ideal. Structures include solid light-conducting structures, hollow light-conducting structures which are also suitable for conducting cooling fluid, and optical switching devices employing liquid crystal material. A 'shrink back' method may be used to form a tunnel in polymer material which is then filled with an uncured polymer material that shrinks upon curing.

Optical light pipe and microwave waveguide interconnects in multichip

A projection headlamp system is capable of projecting a wide spread controlled pattern of light for accommodating low and high beam illuminations. The projection headlamp system includes a curved reflector and a gas discharge lamp. The curved reflector has first and second optical focal points associated therewith positioned along an optical axis. The first focal point is within and closer to the curved reflector than the second focal point which is spaced from the reflector. The lamp is disposed within the curved reflector at the first focal point thereof and along the optical axis. The lamp is operable for generating light. The curved reflector is operable for receiving a substantial portion of the light generated by the lamp and for directing the light along the optical axis toward the second focal point thereof. An optical element such as a mask or mask-shaped mirror is positioned along the optical axis approximately at the second focal point of the reflector for creating an image of a well-defined sharp cutoff within the light from the reflector. A light projecting lens is positioned along the optical axis and spaced from the optical element at a distance approximately equal to the focal length of the lens for receiving light from the second focal point and projecting the light as a wide spread controlled pattern containing the image of the well-defined sharp cutoff to thereby provide a low beam illumination for vehicular use.

Projection headlamp lighting system for projecting a wide spread

A vehicular headlight having a low height-to-width ratio includes a plurality of collimating lenses. The collimated light output from certain ones of the lenses is redirected into the forward direction by separate sets of reflectors associated with the respective lenses. Means are provided to impose a desired light pattern on the forward-directed light outputs.

Headlight for motor vehicles

A light coupling arrangement for efficiently coupling a light source to a light distribution arrangement includes a solid optical coupling device constructed of a light transmissive material and configured in an essentially planar manner such that the length and width dimensions are significantly greater than the depth dimension. An aperture is formed on at least one side along the equatorial surface of the optical coupling device and allows connection to the light distribution arrangement. A bore, formed in the optical coupling device and having a flat polished surface, houses the light source in a manner such that the optical coupling device can act as a heat sink for the light source.

Arrangement and a method for coupling a light source to a light guide

A thin, efficient and uniform illuminator for large areas comprises a plastic wedge of a series of plastic wedges applied to or formed integrally with a back surface of an area to be illuminated. Light is collected and concentrated from a high efficiency light source. The concentrated light is focused as an input to one or more light guides. The light guides may be optical fibers. The light guides or fibers are fused or mated in some other way to an edge or edges of an optically clear plastic wedge or wedges. The wedge shape increases the angle of the internal reflections of the edge coupled light per unit distance and intercepts more of the light as the wedge gets thinner. To further enhance the uniformity of the illuminating light, light scattering centers may be added to the surface or volume of the wedge. The number of scattering centers over the illuminating surface of the wedge or within the volume of the wedge may be increased along the distance moving away from the light source.

Uniform illumination of large, thin surfaces particularly suited for

This coupling means comprises a sleeve containing a bore in which is located a bundle of optical fibers, at least some of which are of compression-deformable material. The input ends of the fibers, which receive light from a light source, are located in a predetermined plane. The bore tapers from a relatively large diameter at a location in a second plane spaced from said predetermined plane to a relatively small diameter at said predetermined plane. The tapered bore is of such a size that the optical fibers therein are laterally compressed and the compression-deformable fibers are so deformed in transverse cross-section relative to their normal cross-sections that the fibers more completely fill the bore in its relatively small diameter region than in said second plane.

Coupling means between a light source and a bundle of optical fibers and

An illuminator for a flat panel display utilizes at least one light source and at least one prism having total-internally-reflection at all but its front surface. Multiple images of the source(s) are provided over the front prism surface. A reflective coating can be used on at least one of the illuminator prism surfaces, so as to increase the total portion of the light from each source directed from an illuminator surface toward the display. The sources may be located within the prisms, or may be arranged colinearly with the elongated axis of each prism.

Prismatic illuminator for flat panel display

A method for enhancement of edge detail in fingerprint minutia first illuminates the finger with light passing through a polarizer in a first direction with respect to the polarization plane, for at least a portion of one rotation of the light source/polarizer about an optical axis generally perpendicular to the finger. The light reflected from the finger is converted to video data during at least a selected part of the rotation and the first set of video data is stored in a first storage means register. The illuminating, converting and storing steps are then repeated with light from a second direction, substantially orthogonal the first direction, illuminating the finger, and with a second set of video data, (for at least the same part of another rotation) being stored in a second register. Arithmetically processing of the video data in the first and second storage registers is used to obtain a video output signal in which image edge detail data has been enhanced with respect to edge detail data obtainable from either the first and second sets of video data.

Method of, and apparatus for, edge enhancement of fingerprint minutia

A collimated light source for Liquid Crystal Display includes a light integrating sphere and an internally reflective light pipe means for producing a relatively collimated light beam for illuminating a liquid crystal display. Compensation for offset or skew angle of the collimated light near the edge of the light pipe is provided by a secondary collimator taking the form of crossed cylindrical lenses.

Collimated light source for liquid crystal display utilizing internally

This invention relates to a collimated light source for a flat panel liquid crystal display which uses a high intensity light source positioned in an integrating sphere. One or more tapered light pipes have their narrow end(s) positioned in an opening in the integrating sphere. Light from the integrating sphere is internally reflected in the light pipes(s) to produce a relatively collimated output beam which is projected onto one surface of the liquid crystal panel display. This invention relates to a light source for a liquid crystal panel display and, more particularly, to a collimated light source utilizing light pipes and an integrating light sphere.

Light source for liquid crystal display panels utilizing internally

A rear projection screen having a patterned lenticular prismatic structure formed on the front side for providing an asymmetrical viewing field of a substantially wider viewing angle in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction, throughout which are achieved superior optical properties particularly in terms of light uniformity and light efficiency. A surface pattern in the form of tiny lenslets formed through a reliable etch process contributes a high gain factor diffusion to the projected light which coacts with optical characteristics of the prism configuration.

Rear projection screen with patterned lenticular prismatic structure

An x-ray source, whose output is collimated into a thin fan-shaped beam, and detector means spaced from the source are mounted for scanning and orbiting jointly about a body in a partial or complete revolution to provide x-ray intensity data for reconstructing an image. The detector and source combination and the body are moved relative to each other in an axial direction for scanning the body layers in sequence. In one embodiment the x-ray source is pulsed as it scans and in another the fan-shaped beam is on continuously and readout is done sequentially so in either case a large number of intensities for each layer are obtained. A high precision encoder system is used to synchronize x-ray pulses and readouts spatially and with line frequency. Means are provided for storing the cables which lead to the rotatable source, and the detectors and other moveable components. An embodiment for scanning a body part such as a breast has means for conditioning and controlling water in which the part is immersed.

X-ray body scanner for computerized tomography comprising inner fluid

A mammography machine for examination of a pendant breast contained in a fluid transmission medium. Patient support is provided at the upper rib cage, lower rib cage, and the shoulder adjacent the breast undergoing examination. X-ray scans are accomplished by rotation about a vertical axis extending through the pendant breast. Patient loading is facilitated by a fabric sling rotatably affixed about a horizontal axis adjacent the lower body of the patient.

Growing community of inventors

Latham, NY, United States of America

John L Henkes