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:
Jun. 22, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 18, 1997
Eddy A Stappaerts, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (US);
Watson R Henderson, Broomfield, CO (US);
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A light modulator for both intensity and phase modulating coherent light on a pixel-by-pixel basis includes a modulating material responsive to an electric potential for modulating the intensity of coherent light passing through the modulating material, and electrodes for applying an electric potential across the modulating material on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The coherent light associated with a first set of pixels has a different optical path length through the modulating material than does the coherent light associated with a second set of pixels. The modulating material is a liquid crystal material. The electrodes include a set of first reflective pixel electrodes embedded in the liquid crystal material, the first reflective pixel electrodes having a first thickness, and a set of second reflective pixel electrodes embedded in the liquid crystal material, the second reflective pixel electrodes having a second thickness. The coherent light associated with the first set of pixels is reflected by the first reflective pixel electrodes, and the coherent light associated with the second set of pixels is reflected by the second reflective pixel electrodes. The reflective surfaces of the first reflective pixel electrodes are embedded in the liquid crystal material a different amount than are the reflective surfaces of the second reflective pixels. In particular, the first reflective pixel electrodes are a different thickness than the second reflective pixel electrodes.