Method and apparatus for auto-focus using liquid crystal adaptive optics
US8786759B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 28, 2007 |
| Grant date | Jul 22, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 2, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2203/28
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An auto-focus camera (100) can include a lens (102), a sensor (108) for detecting an image from the lens, a first liquid crystal layer (104) between the lens and the sensor, and a second liquid crystal layer (106) between the lens and the sensor and further orthogonally aligned to the first liquid crystal layer. The auto-focus camera can further include an integrated circuit programmed to drive the first liquid crystal layer and the second liquid crystal layer. The auto-focus camera can include a controller (202) programmed to control two orthogonally aligned liquid crystal layers. The liquid crystal layers can serve as an optical anti-alias filter using birefringence properties of the liquid crystal layers. The first liquid crystal layer and the second liquid crystal layer can be orthogonally aligned to achieve polarization insensitive operation of the auto-focus camera.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.