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:
May. 02, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 24, 1997
Philip Charles Hobbs, Briarcliff Manor, NY (US);
Theordore G van Kessel, Millbrook, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An optical assembly utilizing a novel optical element. The assembly includes a tunable source of input radiation; an optical element that can receive at least a portion of the input radiation and comprises a manifold having at least two independent surfaces, in which at least a portion of each independent surface is selected from the group consisting of a reflective structure and a diffractive structure, and the independent surfaces are geometrically configured so that a portion of incident radiation to the manifold is diffracted at least twice in an angular sense that can increase a tuning sensitivity of an angular deviation of the incident radiation exiting the manifold; and, a scanner means which can accept and redirect a portion of the radiation output by the optical element for producing an illumination pattern.