The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 25, 1990
Filed:
May. 24, 1988
Yuri Owechko, Newbury Park, CA (US);
Bernard H Soffer, Pacific Palisades, CA (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A light deflector apparatus and method is disclosed which provides an optical intensity-to-position mapping as well as optical switching capabilities. An array of voltage gradient modules (24, 26, 28) are provided in a layer of electro-optic material (52), such as liquid crystals, by establishing variable spatial voltage gradients and accompanying electric fields in a direction transverse to input light (58). The voltage gradients are varied in accordance with the optical intensities at corresponding locations in the received light (58), resulting in optical outputs which vary in direction in accordance with the voltage gradient locations. The directional outputs are then focused to produce a positional mapping (64, 66, 68) of the input light intensities. The voltage gradients are preferably established by an interdigitated electrode array (50) and a counter electrode (54) on opposite sides of the liquid crystal (52). Reflective and transmissive light valve embodiments are described in which the voltage gradient modules form voltage dividers with an underlying photoconductive layer (56). A fiber optic switch is also described. Also described is a system in which the refractive indices of an array of small variable refraction modules are varied in accordance with the spatial optical intensities at corresponding locations in an input beam to produce as output, optical intensity-to-position mapping.