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:
Jan. 13, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 01, 1996
George S Levy, San Diego, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A viewing device that selectively attenuates light from bright objects, leaving light from dim objects substantially unaffected. The invention comprises an array of optical systems each of which contains one or more focusing elements which focus an image of the object field onto a focal plane, and one or more eyepiece elements for viewing portions of the focused image. The optical systems in the array are aligned to permit the viewed portions to be seen coherently to form a composite view of the object field. A photoactive layer is located at the focal plane. The photoactive layer may be a photochromic system that darkens when exposed to intense light and returns to the clear state when the intensity is substantially reduced. The light path through the device is folded using optical elements such as mirrors or prisms to minimize the size of the device. The photoactive layer may be a system of several layers functioning as a light valve. A preferred embodiment utilizes a liquid crystal in contact with a photoconductive layer to provide the photoactive layer. Preferred embodiments of the invention are utilized to provide a motor vehicle rearview mirror and a forward looking visor.