TY - PAT
T1 - Optical component array having adjustable curvature
AU - Rogers, John A
N1 - STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT This invention was made with United States governmental support awarded by Defense Advanced Research Planning Agency under N66001-10-1-4008 and the National Science Foundation under ECSS-0824129. The United States Government has certain rights in the invention.
PY - 2016/9/13
Y1 - 2016/9/13
N2 - Provided are devices, and related methods, for controlling curvature of an array of optical components on, embedded, or partially embedded in, a deformable substrate. The array of optical components, in an aspect, comprises a deformable substrate having a contact surface and an array of mechanically interconnected optical components supported by the contact surface. An actuator is operably connected to the contact surface, wherein the actuator variably controls a curvature of said contact surface. The contact surface may have a curvature that spans concave to convex, which is tunable. In an aspect, the array of optical components is part of an optical device, such as a camera with a continuously adjustable zoom whose focus is maintained by adjusting a photodetector array curvature. In an aspect, the method is adjusting the curvature of a substrate that supports the array of optical components by applying a force to the substrate.
AB - Provided are devices, and related methods, for controlling curvature of an array of optical components on, embedded, or partially embedded in, a deformable substrate. The array of optical components, in an aspect, comprises a deformable substrate having a contact surface and an array of mechanically interconnected optical components supported by the contact surface. An actuator is operably connected to the contact surface, wherein the actuator variably controls a curvature of said contact surface. The contact surface may have a curvature that spans concave to convex, which is tunable. In an aspect, the array of optical components is part of an optical device, such as a camera with a continuously adjustable zoom whose focus is maintained by adjusting a photodetector array curvature. In an aspect, the method is adjusting the curvature of a substrate that supports the array of optical components by applying a force to the substrate.
M3 - Patent
M1 - 9442285
Y2 - 2012/01/12
ER -