Systems and methods for transverse localization in energy relays using component engineered structures

Abstract

To provide a system and a method for manufacturing an energy relay for an energy directing system for inducing a component engineered energy localization effect.SOLUTION: An energy relay includes a plurality of modules assembled in structures, each module comprising first component engineered structures and second component engineered structures. Therein: each module in the structures comprises an arrangement of the first component engineered structures and the second component engineered structures in a substantially non-random pattern within a transverse plane of the energy relay; the first component engineered structures and the second component engineered structures are configured to cooperate to transport energy along a longitudinal plane that is perpendicular to the transverse plane; and the energy relay has a substantially higher energy transfer efficiency in the longitudinal plane than in the transverse plane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 617,288, filed on January 14, 2018, entitled "System and Methods for Transverse Energy Localization in Energy Relays Using Ordered Structures", and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 617,293, filed on January 14, 2018, entitled "Novel Application of Holographic and Light Field Technology", both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to bright - field energy systems, and more specifically, to systems for transverse energy localization in energy relays using non - random arrangements of relay materials, as well as methods for manufacturing such energy relays.

Background Art

[0003] The dream of an interactive virtual world in the "Holodeck" room, popularized by Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek and originally planned by the writer Alexander Moszkowski in the early 1900s, has been an inspiration for science fiction and technological innovation for nearly a century. However, the epoch - making realization of this experience has been completely outside the literature, media, and the collective imagination of children as well as adults.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Disclosed are a system and method for manufacturing an energy relay for an energy-directed system that induces an ordered energy localization effect. An energy relay material including a non-random pattern of an energy relay material, and criteria for forming such a material are disclosed. Lateral planes as well as multi-dimensional energy relay material configurations are discussed. Methods and systems for forming an energy relay material having ordered energy localization characteristics are disclosed.

[0005] In one embodiment, the energy relay comprises a plurality of modules assembled within a structure, each module having a first component-operated structure and a second component-operated structure, each module within the structure having an arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures in a substantially non-random pattern within a lateral plane of the energy relay, the first and second component-operated structures being configured to cooperate to transport energy along a longitudinal plane that is perpendicular to the lateral plane, and the energy relay having a substantially higher energy transport efficiency in the longitudinal plane than in the lateral plane.

[0006] In one embodiment, the energy relay comprises a plurality of first and second component-operated structures, each having a cross-sectional shape of one or more shapes along a lateral plane of the energy relay, the plurality of first and second component-operated structures being arranged substantially in a tiled pattern across the lateral plane of the energy relay, and the energy relay having a substantially higher energy transport efficiency along the longitudinal plane than along the lateral plane.

[0007] In one embodiment, the energy relay comprises a plurality of volumetric structures, each having a structure in which one or more components are operated, and configured in a volumetric mosaic pattern. The plurality of volumetric structures are arranged in an assembly substantially following a three-dimensional mosaic of the volumetric structures. The assembly is configured to transport energy longitudinally therethrough and has a substantially higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The plurality of volumetric structures are volumetrically configured in a mosaic pattern such that there is at least one substantially straight path passing through the volumetric mosaic. The substantially straight path substantially coincides only with similarly component-operated structures and is oriented substantially along the longitudinal direction.

[0008] In one embodiment, a method for forming an energy relay includes providing a plurality of first component-operated structures and a plurality of second component-operated structures; forming a first arrangement of the plurality of first and second component-operated structures having a substantially non-random pattern of the first and second component-operated structures in a transverse plane of the energy relay; repeating at least the following steps until the arrangement has a desired operated property, the steps including processing the first arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures into an assembly; heating at least a first portion of the assembly, the heating step being such that the formed energy relay has a first transverse dimension before being heated; applying a longitudinal tension along at least the first portion of the heated assembly, thereby changing the first portion to have a second transverse dimension smaller than the first transverse dimension while substantially maintaining the substantially non-random pattern of the first and second component-operated structures in the transverse plane; and forming a second arrangement of a plurality of substantially similar changed first portions, the forming step being such that this second arrangement can be used in place of the first arrangement for further repetition of the preceding processing, heating, and applying steps.

[0009] In one embodiment, a method for forming an energy relay includes providing a plurality of first component-operated structures and a plurality of second component-operated structures, and forming an arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures having a substantially non-random pattern of the first and second component-operated structures within a lateral plane of the energy relay, wherein the arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures is configured to transport energy along a longitudinal plane that is perpendicular to the lateral plane, and the arrangement has a substantially higher energy transport efficiency in the longitudinal plane than in the lateral plane. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]

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[0011] One embodiment of a Holodeck (collectively referred to as “Holodeck design parameters”) provides sufficient energy stimuli to fool a human sensory receptor into believing that the energy impulses received within a virtual, social, and interactive environment are real, and provides: 1) binocular disparity without external accessories, head-mounted eyewear, or other peripheral devices; 2) accurate motion parallax, occlusion, and opacity across the entire viewing volume simultaneously for any number of viewers; 3) visual focus via synchronous convergence, accommodation, and miosis for all perceived light rays; and 4) convergent energy wave propagation of sufficient density and resolution to exceed human sensory “resolution” for vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and / or balance.

[0012] Based on the prior art to date, as suggested by the Holodeck Design Parameter, including the visual, auditory, somatosensory, gustatory, olfactory, and vestibular systems, we are decades, if not centuries, away from a technology that can provide all receptive fields in an epoch-making way.

[0013] In the present disclosure, the terms "bright field" and "holographic" can be used synonymously to define the energy propagation for the stimulation of any sensory receptor response. The initial disclosure may refer to examples of electromagnetic and mechanical energy propagation through the energy surface for holographic images and volumetric haptics, but all forms of sensory receptors are envisioned in the present disclosure. Further, the principles disclosed herein for energy propagation along a propagation path may be applicable to both energy emission and energy capture.

[0014] Today, many technologies exist that are often confused with holograms, including lenticular printing, Pepper's Ghost, autostereoscopic displays, horizontal parallax displays, head-mounted VR and AR displays (HMDs), and other such illusions generalized as "pseudo-holograms". These technologies may exhibit some of the desired characteristics of a true holographic display, but lack the ability to stimulate the human visual sensory response in any way sufficient to address at least two of the four identified Holodeck design parameters.

[0015] These problems have not been successfully implemented by conventional techniques for generating an energy surface that is sufficiently seamless with respect to energy propagation. However, there are various techniques for implementing volumetric and directional multiplexed brightfield displays, including parallax barriers, holograms, voxels, diffractive optical elements, multi-view projections, holographic diffusers, rotating mirrors, multi-layer displays, time-sequential displays, head-mounted displays, etc. Conventional techniques may require compromises regarding image quality, resolution, angular sampling density, size, cost, safety, frame rate, etc., and may ultimately become unfeasible technologies.

[0016] To achieve the Holodeck design parameters for the visual, auditory, and somatosensory systems, the respective human sensitivities of each system are studied, and it is understood that energy waves are propagated to sufficiently deceive the human sensory receptors. The visual system can resolve up to approximately one minute, the auditory system can distinguish a placement difference of only three degrees, and the hand somatosensory system can distinguish points separated by 2 - 12 mm. There are various opposing methods for measuring these sensitivities, but these values are sufficient to understand the systems and methods for stimulating the perception of energy propagation.

[0017] Among the well-known sensory receptors, the human visual system is much more sensitive, considering that it can even induce a sensation with a single photon. For this reason, much of this introduction focuses on visual energy wave propagation, and an extremely low-resolution energy system coupled within the disclosed energy waveguide surface may converge appropriate signals to induce a holographic sensory perception. Unless otherwise noted, all disclosures apply to all energy and sensory areas.

[0018] When calculating the effective design parameters of energy propagation for a visual system given a viewing volume and viewing distance, the desired energy plane can be designed to include many gigapixels of effective energy position density. For a large viewing volume, or near-field viewing, the design parameters of the desired energy plane may include an effective energy position density of several hundred gigapixels or more. In comparison, the desired energy source can be designed to have an energy position density of 1 to 250 effective gigapixels for ultrasonic propagation of volumetric haptics, or an array of 36 to 3,600 effective energy positions for acoustic propagation of holographic acoustics, depending on the input environmental variables. It should be noted that in the disclosed bidirectional energy plane architecture, all components can be configured to form an appropriate structure for any energy region to enable holographic propagation.

[0019] However, today, the main challenges for enabling a Holodeck encompass the limitations of available visual technologies and electromagnetic devices. Acoustic and ultrasonic devices are not as difficult considering the orders of magnitude difference in size at the desired density based on the sensory sensitivity in their respective receptive fields, but their complexity should not be underestimated. Holographic emulsions exist with a resolution exceeding the desired density while encoding interference patterns within still images, while state-of-the-art display devices are constrained by resolution, data throughput, and manufacturing feasibility. So far, a single display device has not been able to significantly generate a bright field with a resolution nearly holographic for vision.

[0020] Manufacturing a single silicon-based device capable of meeting the desired resolution for a highly realistic light field display is not realistic and may involve an extremely complex manufacturing process that exceeds current manufacturing capabilities. Constraints on tiling together a large number of existing display devices result in inevitable and infeasible technologies from the perspectives of packaging, electronics circuitry, housing, seams and gaps formed by optical components, and many other issues such as imaging, cost, and / or size.

[0021] Embodiments disclosed herein may provide a path in the real world for constructing a Holodeck.

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and illustrate embodiments that can be implemented. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the terms "embodiment", "example embodiment", and "exemplary embodiment" do not necessarily refer to a single embodiment, but may be a single embodiment, and various embodiments can be readily combined and used synonymously without departing from the scope or spirit of the example embodiments. Further, the technical terms used herein are for the sole purpose of describing the example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. In this regard, as used herein, the term "in" may include "in" and "on", and the terms "a", "an", and "the" may include references to the singular and plural. Further, as used herein, the term "by" may also mean "from" according to the context. Further, as used herein, the term "if" may also mean "when" or "on" according to the context. Further, as used herein, the word "and / or" refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the related listed items and may include them.

[0023] Consideration of a Holographic System Overview of Bright-Field Energy Propagation Resolution Bright-field and holographic displays are the result of multiple projections where the energy-plane position provides information on the angles, colors, and intensities propagated within the viewing volume. The disclosed energy plane provides an opportunity for additional information to coexist and propagate through the same surface, inducing other sensory system responses. Unlike stereoscopic displays, the perceived position of the converged energy propagation paths in space does not change as the viewer moves around the viewing volume, and multiple viewers can simultaneously observe the propagated objects in the real-world space as if the objects were truly present there. In some embodiments, the propagation of energy may be located within the same energy propagation path but in opposite directions. For example, both energy emission and energy capture along the energy propagation path are possible in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating variables related to stimuli of sensory receptor responses. These variables include surface diagonal 101, surface width 102, surface height 103, determined target seating distance 118, target seating visual field 104 from the center of the display, number of intermediate samples 105 shown herein as a sample between both eyes, average separation distance between adult pupils 106, average resolution of the human eye in angular minutes 107, horizontal visual field 108 formed between the target viewer position and the surface width, vertical visual field 109 formed between the target viewer position and the surface height, resulting horizontal waveguide element resolution of the entire surface, or total number of elements 110, resulting vertical waveguide element resolution of the entire surface, or total number of elements 111, interpupillary distance between both eyes, and sample distance 112 based on the number of intermediate samples for angular projection between both eyes. Angular sampling can be based on the sample distance and the target seating distance 113. Total horizontal resolution per waveguide element derived from the desired angular sampling 114, total vertical resolution per waveguide element derived from the desired angular sampling 115. Device horizontal is the count of a determined number of desired discrete energy sources 116. Device vertical is the count of a determined number of desired discrete energy sources 117.

[0025] A method for understanding the desired minimum resolution can be based on the following criteria for ensuring sufficient stimulation of visual (or other) sensory receptor responses, namely surface size (e.g., 84 - inch diagonal), surface aspect ratio (e.g., 16:9), seating distance (e.g., 128 inches from the display), seating visual field (e.g., 120 degrees or + / - 60 degrees relative to the center of the display), desired intermediate sample at a distance (e.g., one additional propagation path between both eyes), average separation distance between adult eyes (about 65 mm), and average resolution of the human eye (about 1 angular minute). The values of these examples should be considered placeholders depending on the specific application design parameters.

[0026] Furthermore, each of the values resulting from the visual sensory receptors can be replaced with other systems to determine the desired propagation path parameters. In the case of other embodiments of energy propagation, the angular sensitivity of the auditory system can be considered to be as low as 3 degrees, and the spatial resolution of the somatosensory system of the hand can be considered to be as small as 2 - 12 mm.

[0027] There are various opposing methods for measuring the acuity of these perceptions, but these values are sufficient to understand the systems and methods that stimulate the perception of virtual energy propagation. There are many methods for considering the design resolution, but the methodology proposed below combines practical product considerations with the biological resolution limits of the sensory system. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the following overview simplifies any such system design and should be considered for illustrative purposes only.

[0028] Once the resolution limits of the sensory system are understood, given the following, the total energy waveguide element density can be calculated such that the receiving sensory system cannot distinguish between a single energy waveguide element and an adjacent element.

Number

[0029] As a result of the above calculations, a visual field of approximately 32×18° is obtained, and approximately 1920×1080 (rounded to the nearest format) energy waveguide elements are desired. Also, variables can be constrained so that the visual field is compatible with both (u, v) and provides a more regular spatial sampling of the energy positions (e.g., pixel aspect ratio). Assuming that the angular sampling of the system is defined between two points at an optimized distance, the target visual recognition volume position, and an additional propagation energy path, the following is given.

Number

[0030] In this case, the sample distance is calculated using the interocular distance, although any metric can be used to account for the appropriate number of samples as a given distance. Considering the above variables, approximately one ray per 0.57° is desirable, and the overall resolution per separate sensory system can be calculated and given as follows.

Number

[0031] Using the above scenario, given the size of the energy surface and the angular resolution addressed to the vision system, the resulting energy surface may desirably include an energy resolution position of approximately 400k x 225k pixels, or a holographic propagation density of 90 gigapixels. These given variables are for illustrative purposes only, and many other sensory and energy metric considerations should be considered for the optimization of holographic energy propagation. In additional embodiments, an energy resolution position of 1 gigapixel may be determined based on the input variables. In additional embodiments, an energy resolution position of 1,000 gigapixels may be determined based on the input variables.

[0032] Limitations of the Prior Art Active Region, Device Electronics Circuit, Packaging, and Mechanical Envelope Figure 2 shows an apparatus 200 having an active region 220 with a particular mechanical form factor. The apparatus 200 includes a driver 230 and an electronics circuit 240 for power supply, which can be connected to the active region 220, and the active region has dimensions as indicated by the x and y arrows. This apparatus 200 does not take into account cable wiring and mechanical structures for driving power and cooling components, and the mechanical installation area can be further minimized by introducing flexible cables into the apparatus 200. Also, the minimum installation area of such an apparatus 200 may be referred to as a mechanical envelope 210 having dimensions indicated by the M:x and M:y arrows. This apparatus 200 is for illustrative purposes only, and while application-specific electronics circuit design may further reduce mechanical envelope overhead, in almost all cases, it cannot be the exact size of the active region of the apparatus. In one embodiment, this apparatus 200 is related to the active image region 220 for a micro OLED, DLP chip, or LCD panel, or any other technology having an image illumination purpose, to illustrate the dependency state of the electronics circuit.

[0033] In some embodiments, it may also be possible to consider other projection techniques to aggregate multiple images over a larger display. However, this can result in costs due to greater complexity for projection distance, minimum focus, optical quality, uniform field resolution, chromatic aberration, thermal characteristics, calibration, alignment, additional size, or form factor. In the case of the most practical applications, hosting dozens or hundreds of these projection sources 200 can result in a less reliable and larger-scale design.

[0034] For illustrative purposes only, assuming an energy device having an energy position density of a 3840×2160 site, the number of individual energy devices (e.g., device 100) desired for the energy surface can be calculated and is given as follows.

Number

[0035] Assuming the above considerations of resolution, approximately 105×105 devices, similar to those shown in FIG. 2, may be desired. Note that a large number of devices may include various pixel structures, whether mapped in a regular grid or not. If there are additional sub-pixels or positions within each complete pixel, these can be utilized to generate additional resolution or angular density. Using additional signal processing, a method can be determined to convert the bright field to the correct (u, v) coordinates according to the specified positions of the pixel structure(s), which can become the known calibrated explicit characteristics of each device. Further, other energy regions may require different handling of these ratios and device structures, and those skilled in the art will understand the direct inherent relationships between each of the desired frequency regions. This will be shown and considered in more detail in the following disclosure.

[0036] Using the resulting calculations, one can understand how many of these individual devices are desirable to generate the maximum resolution energy surface. In this case, to achieve the visual threshold, approximately 105×105 devices or approximately 11,080 devices may be desired. There are challenges and novelty in creating a seamless energy surface from these available energy positions for sufficient sensory holographic propagation.

[0037] Overview of the seamless energy surface Configuration and design of an array of energy relays In some embodiments, techniques are disclosed for addressing the challenge of generating a high energy position density from an array of individual devices without seams due to the constraints of the mechanical structure of each device. In one embodiment, an energy propagation relay system can increase the effective size of the active device area to meet or exceed the mechanical dimensions, thereby forming an array of relays and a single seamless energy surface.

[0038] Figure 3 shows one embodiment of such an energy relay system 300. As shown in the figure, the relay system 300 may include a device 310 mounted on a mechanical envelope 320, and an energy relay element 330 propagates energy from the device 310. The relay element 330 may be configured to provide the ability to reduce any gaps 340 that may occur when a number of mechanical envelopes 320 of the devices are arranged in an array of a number of devices 310.

[0039] For example, when the active area 310 of the device is 20 mm × 10 mm and the mechanical envelope 320 is 40 mm × 20 mm, the energy relay element 330 is designed at a magnification of 2:1 to create a tapered shape that is approximately 20 mm × 10 mm at the small end (arrow A) and 40 mm × 20 mm at the enlarged end (arrow B), and can provide the ability to seamlessly align an array of these elements 330 together without changing or colliding the mechanical envelopes 320 of each device 310. Mechanically, the relay elements 330 may be joined or fused together, aligned, and polished while ensuring a minimum seam gap 340 between each device 310. In such an embodiment, it becomes possible to achieve a seam gap 340 smaller than the limit of the eye's visual acuity.

[0040] Figure 4 shows an example of a base structure 400 having energy relay elements 410 formed together and securely fixed to an additional mechanical structure 430. The mechanical structure of the seamless energy surface 420 provides the ability to couple a number of energy relay elements 410, 450 in series to the same base structure through a joining or other mechanical process for mounting the relay elements 410, 450. In some embodiments, each relay element 410 may be attached together by being fused, joined, adhered, press-fitted, aligned, or otherwise to form the resulting seamless energy surface 420. In some embodiments, a device 480 may be mounted at the rear of the relay element 410 and passively or actively aligned to ensure alignment at an appropriate energy position within a determined tolerance range.

[0041] In one embodiment, the seamless energy surface comprises one or more energy positions, and one or more stacks of energy relay elements each comprise first and second side surfaces, and each stack of energy relay elements is arranged to form a single seamless display surface that directs energy along a propagation path extending between one or more energy positions and the seamless display surface, where the end-to-end distance between any two adjacent second side surfaces of the terminal energy relay elements is less than the minimum perceptible profile as defined by human visual acuity better than 20 / 40 vision at a distance greater than the width of the single seamless display surface.

[0042] In one embodiment, each of the seamless energy surfaces comprises one or more energy relay elements each having one or more structures that form first and second surfaces in transverse and longitudinal orientations. The first relay surface has a region different from the second relay surface that results in a positive or negative magnification, and is configured with an apparent surface profile with respect to both the first and second relay surfaces that substantially fills an angle of + / - 10 degrees with respect to the normal of the surface profile across the entire second relay surface to allow energy to pass through the second relay surface.

[0043] In one embodiment, a number of energy regions can be configured within a single energy relay or between multiple energy relays to direct one or more sensory energy propagation paths including visual, auditory, tactile, or other energy regions.

[0044] In one embodiment, the seamless energy surface is composed of energy relays that include more than two first side surfaces for each second side surface to simultaneously receive and emit one or more energy regions to provide bi-directional energy propagation across the system.

[0045] In one embodiment, the energy relay is provided as a soft coherent element.

[0046] Introduction of Component Design Structure Disclosed Progress in Transverse Anderson Localization Energy Relay The characteristics of the energy relay may be significantly optimized according to the principles disclosed herein for energy relay elements that induce transverse Anderson localization. Transverse Anderson localization is the propagation of light rays that are disordered in the transverse direction but coherent in the longitudinal direction through a material.

[0047] This may mean that the influence of the material causing the Anderson localization phenomenon is less affected by total internal reflection than by the randomization between multiple scattering paths such that wave interference can completely limit the propagation in the transverse orientation while continuing the propagation in the longitudinal orientation.

[0048] An even more important advantage is to remove the cladding of conventional multi-core optical fiber materials. This cladding functionally removes the scattering of energy between fibers, but at the same time functions as a barrier to the light ray energy, thereby reducing the transmission by at least the core-to-cladding ratio (e.g., at a 70:30 core-to-cladding ratio, up to 70% of the received energy transmission can be transmitted), and further forming a strong pixelation patterning within the propagated energy.

[0049] FIG. 5A shows an end view of an example of such a non-Anderson localization energy relay 500, where the image is relayed through a multi-core optical fiber where pixelation and fiber noise can appear due to the inherent characteristics of the optical fiber. Using conventional multi-mode and multi-core optical fibers, the relayed image can be essentially pixelated due to the total internal reflection characteristics of the discrete array cores, where any inter-core crosstalk will degrade the modulation transfer function and increase the blurring of the contours. The images resulting from using conventional multi-core optical fibers tend to have a residual fixed noise fiber pattern similar to that shown in FIG. 5A.

[0050] FIG. 5B shows an example of the same relay image 550 passing through an energy relay including a material that exhibits the characteristics of lateral Anderson localization, where the relay pattern has a greater density of particle structures compared to the fixed fiber pattern of FIG. 5A. In one embodiment, a relay including a randomized microcomponent fabrication structure induces lateral Anderson localization and more effectively transports light with a resolvable resolution of propagation higher than that of a commercially available multimode glass optical fiber.

[0051] In one embodiment, a relay element exhibiting lateral Anderson localization may include a plurality of at least two different component design structures in each of three mutually orthogonal planes arranged in a three-dimensional lattice, and the plurality of structures form a randomized distribution of material wave propagation characteristics in the lateral plane within the three-dimensional lattice and a channel of similar values of material wave propagation characteristics in the longitudinal plane within the three-dimensional lattice, where the energy wave propagating through the energy relay has a higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal orientation relative to the lateral orientation and is spatially localized in the lateral direction.

[0052] In one embodiment, the randomized distribution of material wave propagation characteristics in the lateral plane within the three-dimensional lattice may lead to an undesirable configuration due to the randomized nature of the distribution. The randomized distribution of material wave propagation characteristics may induce Anderson localization of energy on average across the lateral plane, but as a result of the uncontrolled random distribution, it may accidentally form limited regions of similar materials having similar wave propagation characteristics. For example, if the size of these local regions of similar wave propagation characteristics is too large relative to their intended energy transport region, there may be a potential reduction in the efficiency of energy transport through that material.

[0053] In one embodiment, the relay can be formed from a randomized distribution of component design structures to transport visible light in a specific wavelength range by inducing lateral Anderson localization of light. However, due to their random distribution, the structures can be accidentally arranged such that they form a continuous region of a single component design structure that is several times larger than the wavelength of visible light across the transverse plane. As a result, visible light propagating along the longitudinal axis of a large continuous single material region may experience a reduction in the lateral Anderson localization effect and also suffer from a deterioration in the transport efficiency through the relay.

[0054] In one embodiment, it may be desirable to design a non-random pattern of the material wave propagation characteristics in the transverse plane of the energy-relay material. Such a non-random (or "ordered") distribution ideally induces an energy localization effect via a method similar to lateral Anderson localization, while minimizing the potential reduction in transport efficiency due to the irregularly distributed material properties that essentially result from a random property distribution. Hereinafter, using a non-random pattern of material wave propagation characteristics to induce a lateral energy localization effect similar to the effect of lateral Anderson localization in an energy-relay element is referred to as ordered energy localization.

[0055] In one embodiment, a number of energy regions can be configured within a single ordered energy localization energy-relay or between a number of ordered energy localization energy-relays to direct one or more sensory energy propagation paths including visual, auditory, tactile, or other energy regions.

[0056] In one embodiment, a seamless energy surface is composed of ordered energy localization energy-relays having two or more first side surfaces for each second side surface to simultaneously receive and emit both of one or more energy regions and provide two-way energy propagation across the system.

[0057] In one embodiment, the ordered energy localization energy relay is configured as a soft coherent element or a flexible energy relay element.

[0058] Considerations regarding the 4D plenoptic function Selective propagation of energy through a holographic waveguide array As discussed above and throughout this specification, a brightfield display system generally includes an energy source (e.g., a lighting source) and a seamless energy surface configured with a sufficient energy position density as clearly shown in the above discussion. Multiple relay elements can be used to relay energy from an energy device to the seamless energy surface. Once the energy is delivered to the seamless energy surface having the required energy position density, the energy can be propagated according to the 4D plenoptic function through the disclosed energy waveguide system. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the 4D plenoptic function is well known in the art and will not be described in further detail herein.

[0059] The energy waveguide system selectively propagates energy along a seamless energy surface representing the spatial coordinates of the 4D plenoptic function, together with a structure configured to change the angular direction of the energy wave passing through by representing the angular component of the 4D plenoptic function, where the propagated energy wave can converge in space according to a plurality of propagation paths directed by the 4D plenoptic function.

[0060] Here, refer to FIG. 6 which shows an example of a bright-field energy surface in a 4D image space according to the 4D plenoptic function. This figure shows a ray-trace of the energy surface 600 to the viewer 620 when explaining how the energy rays converge in space 630 from various positions within the viewing volume. As shown in the figure, each waveguide element 610 defines four-dimensional information that explains the energy propagation 640 through the energy surface 600. The two spatial dimensions (referred to herein as x and y) are the physical plurality of energy positions observable within the image space, as well as the angular components θ and φ (referred to herein as u and v), which are observed in the virtual space when projected through the energy waveguide array. Typically, and according to the 4D plenoptic function, a plurality of waveguides (e.g., small lenses) can direct the energy positions from the x, y dimensions to a specific position within the virtual space along the direction defined by the u, v angular components when forming the holographic or bright-field systems described herein.

[0061] However, those skilled in the art will understand that an important issue for bright-field and holographic display technologies is that diffraction, scattering, diffusion, angular direction, calibration, focus, alignment, curvature, uniformity, element crosstalk, as well as decreasing effective resolution and many other parameters that contribute to the inability to accurately converge energy faithfully can cause uncontrolled energy propagation due to designs that do not accurately consider any of these.

[0062] In one embodiment, a method for selective energy propagation to address issues related to holographic displays may include substantially filling the aperture of the waveguide with substantially parallel energy within an environment defined by an energy suppression element and the 4D plenoptic function.

[0063] In one embodiment, the array of energy waveguides defines a plurality of energy propagation paths configured to extend through each waveguide element, and is positioned along a seamless energy surface suppressed by one or more elements positioned to limit the propagation of each energy position to only pass through a single waveguide element, and in a unique direction defined by a predetermined 4D function for a plurality of energy positions, the effective aperture of the waveguide element can be substantially filled.

[0064] In one embodiment, a number of energy regions are configured within a single energy waveguide or between a number of energy waveguides and can direct one or more sensory energy propagations including visual, auditory, tactile, or other energy regions.

[0065] In one embodiment, the energy waveguide and the seamless energy surface are configured to perform both reception and emission of one or more energy regions so as to provide bi-directional energy propagation throughout the system.

[0066] In one embodiment, the energy waveguide is configured to propagate a non-linear or irregular energy distribution of energy, the energy distribution including non-transmitting void regions, and utilizes a similar waveguide configuration for any seamless energy surface orientation including digital encoding, diffraction, refraction, reflection, Green, holographic, Fresnel, or walls, tables, floors, ceilings, rooms, or other geometry-based environments. In a further embodiment, the energy waveguide element can be configured to generate various shapes that provide any surface profile and / or desktop view that enables a user to view holographic images from all perimeters of the energy surface in a 360-degree configuration.

[0067] In one embodiment, the energy waveguide array elements may be reflective surfaces, and the arrangement of those elements may be hexagonal, square, irregular, semi-regular, curved, non-planar, spherical, cylindrical, tilted regular, tilted irregular, spatially varying, and / or multi-layered.

[0068] For any component within a seamless energy plane, the waveguide or relay component may include, but is not limited to, optical fibers, silicon, glass, polymers, optical relays, diffractive, holographic, refractive, or reflective elements, optical faceplates, energy couplers, beam splitters, prisms, polarization elements, spatial light modulators, active pixels, liquid crystal cells, transparent displays, or any similar materials exhibiting Anderson localization or total internal reflection.

[0069] Realization of the Holodeck Integration of a bidirectional seamless energy plane system for stimulating human sensory receptors within a holographic environment By tiling, fusing, joining, attaching, and / or stitching together a number of seamless energy planes to form any size, shape, contour, or form factor, including an entire room, it becomes possible to construct a large-scale environment of a seamless energy plane system. Each energy plane system may comprise an assembly having a base structure, an energy plane, relays, waveguides, devices, and electronic circuitry configured collectively for bidirectional Holodeck energy propagation, emission, reflection, or sensing.

[0070] In one embodiment, the environment of the tiled seamless energy system forms a large, seamless planar or curved wall, including the facilities integrated to cover all surfaces within a given environment, configured as any combination of seamless, discontinuous, cut, curved, cylindrical, spherical, geometric, or irregular shapes.

[0071] In one embodiment, the aggregated tiles of the planar surface form a wall-sized system for theater or venue-based holographic entertainment. In one embodiment, the aggregated tiles of the planar surface cover a room having four to six walls including both the ceiling and the floor for a cable-based holographic installation. In one embodiment, the aggregated tiles of the curved surface generate a cylindrical seamless environment for an immersive holographic installation. In one embodiment, the aggregated tiles of the seamless spherical surface generate a holographic dome for an immersive Holodeck-based experience.

[0072] In one embodiment, the aggregated tiles of the seamless curved energy waveguide provide a mechanical end that follows an exact pattern along the boundary of the energy suppression element within the energy waveguide structure, joining, aligning, or fusing the adjacent tile-shaped mechanical ends of the adjacent waveguide surfaces, resulting in a modular seamless energy waveguide system.

[0073] In further embodiments of the aggregated tile-like environment, energy is propagated bidirectionally with respect to a plurality of simultaneous energy regions. In additional embodiments, the energy plane provides the ability to simultaneously display and capture from the same energy plane using waveguides designed such that brightfield data can be projected through the waveguide by an illumination source and simultaneously received through the same energy plane. In further embodiments, depth sensing and active scanning techniques may be further utilized to enable interaction between the energy propagation within the accurate world coordinates and the viewer. In additional embodiments, the energy plane and waveguides are operable to emit, reflect, or converge frequencies to induce tactile or volumetric haptic feedback. In some embodiments, any combination of bidirectional energy propagation and the aggregated surface is possible.

[0074] In one embodiment, the system comprises an energy waveguide capable of bidirectional emission and detection of energy through an energy surface having one or more energy devices with two or more paths of energy couplers independently paired to pair at least two energy devices for the same portion of a seamless energy surface, or one or more energy devices are fixed adjacent to additional components fixed to a base structure behind the energy surface, or are fixed adjacent to positions in front of and external to the FOV of a waveguide for off-axis direct or reflected projection or sensing, and the resulting energy surface enables the waveguide to converge energy, a first device to emit energy, and a second device to detect energy, where the information is processed to perform computer vision related tasks including, but not limited to, 4D plenoptic tracking or detection by the eye and retina of interference within the propagated energy pattern, depth prediction, proximity, motion tracking, image, color or sound formation, or other energy frequency analysis. In a further embodiment, the tracked position actively calculates and corrects the position of the energy based on interference between the bidirectional capture data and the projection information.

[0075] In some embodiments, multiple combinations of three energy devices including an ultrasonic sensor, a visible electromagnetic display, and an ultrasonic emitter are each configured with two processed waveguide elements that are combined into a single second energy relay surface together with each of three first relay surfaces that propagate energy coupled into the single second energy relay surface for each of three first surfaces, where the processed characteristics specific to the energy regions of each device, and the ultrasonic and electromagnetic energy, each provide the ability to direct and focus the energy of each device and are substantially unaffected by other waveguide elements configured for separate energy regions.

[0076] In some embodiments, efficient manufacturing is enabled by calibration procedures that use encoding / decoding techniques and a dedicated integrated system for converting data into calibration information appropriate for energy propagation based on a calibrated configuration file, and for removing system artifacts and generating a geometric mapping of the resulting energy surface.

[0077] In some embodiments, a series of additional energy waveguides and one or more energy devices are integrated into one system and can generate unclear holographic pixels.

[0078] In some embodiments, additional waveguide elements, including energy suppression elements, beam splitters, prisms, active parallax barriers, or polarization techniques, can be integrated to provide a spatial resolution and / or angular resolution greater than the diameter of the waveguide, or for other super-resolution purposes.

[0079] In some embodiments, the disclosed energy system can also be configured as a wearable bi-directional device such as virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR). In other embodiments, the energy system may include an adjustment optical element(s) for focusing the displayed or received energy proximate to a determined plane in space for the viewer. In some embodiments, the waveguide array may be incorporated into a holographic head-mounted display. In other embodiments, the system may include a number of optical paths that enable the viewer to see both the energy system and the real-world environment (e.g., a transparent holographic display). In these examples, the system can be presented as a near field in addition to other methods.

[0080] In some embodiments, the transmission of data includes an encoding process with a selectable or variable compression rate that receives any dataset of information and metadata, analyzes the dataset, and receives or assigns new pixel data that forms a sparser dataset of material properties, vectors, surface IDs, where the received data may include 2D, volumetric, multi-view, metadata, brightfield, holographic, geometric shapes, vectors or vectorized metadata, and the encoder / decoder is capable of converting real-time or offline data for 2D, 2D plus depth, metadata, or other vectorized information, volumetric, volumetric plus depth, metadata, or other vectorized information, multi-view, multi-view plus depth, or other vectorized information, holographic, or brightfield content through a depth estimation algorithm with or without depth metadata, and the back ray tracing method appropriately maps the converted data obtained by back ray tracing from various 2D, volumetric, multi-view, volume, brightfield, or holographic data to real-world coordinates via a characterized 4D plenoptic function. In these embodiments, the total data transmission desired can be several orders of magnitude less than the raw brightfield dataset.

[0081] Tapered energy relay To further solve the problem of generating high resolution from an array of individual energy wave sources including an extended mechanical envelope, a tapered energy relay can be used to increase the effective size of each energy source. Connecting arrays of tapered energy relays together to form a single continuous energy surface can avoid limitations on the mechanical requirements for these energy sources.

[0082] In one embodiment, one or more energy relay elements can be configured to direct energy along a propagation path extending between one or more energy positions and a single seamless energy surface.

[0083] For example, assuming that the active area of an energy wave source is 20 mm × 10 mm and the mechanical envelope is 40 mm × 20 mm, and that these arrays of tapers can be seamlessly aligned together without changing or disturbing the mechanical envelopes of each energy wave source, then a tapered energy relay can be designed with a 2:1 magnification ratio to produce tapers of 20 mm × 10 mm (when cut) on the small end and 40 mm × 20 mm (when cut) on the enlarged end.

[0084] FIG. 72 illustrates one such tapered energy relay mosaic arrangement 7400, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 72, the relay device 7400 can include two or more relay elements 7402, each relay element 7402 being formed of one or more structures, each relay element 7402 having a first surface 7406, a second surface 7408, a lateral orientation (substantially parallel to surfaces 7406, 7408), and a longitudinal orientation (substantially perpendicular to surfaces 7406, 7408). The surface area of the first surface 7406 can be different from the surface area of the second surface 7408. In the case of relay element 7402, the surface area of the first surface 7406 is smaller than the surface area of the second surface 7408. In another embodiment, the surface area of the first surface 7406 can be the same as or larger than the surface area of the second surface 7408. Energy waves can pass from the first surface 7406 to the second surface 7408 or vice versa.

[0085] In FIG. 72, relay element 7402 of relay element device 7400 includes an inclined profile portion 7404 between a first surface 7406 and a second surface 7408. During operation, an energy wave propagating between the first surface 7406 and the second surface 7408 can have a higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal orientation than in the transverse orientation, and the energy wave passing through relay element 7402 can result in spatial expansion or spatial contraction. In other words, the energy wave passing through relay element 7402 of relay element device 7400 can experience an increased magnification or a decreased magnification. In one embodiment, energy can be directed through one or more energy-relay elements with zero expansion. In some embodiments, one or more structures for forming the relay element device can include glass, carbon, optical fiber, optical thin film, plastic, polymer, or mixtures thereof.

[0086] In one embodiment, the energy wave passing through the first surface has a first resolution, the energy wave passing through the second surface has a second resolution, and the second resolution is about 50% or more of the first resolution. In another embodiment, the energy wave has a uniform profile when provided to the first surface, but radiates in all directions with a forward energy density that substantially fills a cone having an opening angle of + / - 10 degrees with respect to the normal of the second surface, regardless of the position of the second relay surface, and can pass through the second surface.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first surface may be configured to receive energy from an energy wave source, and the energy wave source has a mechanical envelope having a width different from the width of at least one of the first surface and the second surface.

[0088] In one embodiment, energy can be transported between a first and a second surface that define a longitudinal orientation, and the first and second surfaces of each relay extend substantially along a lateral orientation defined by a first and a second direction, where the longitudinal orientation is substantially perpendicular to the lateral orientation. In one embodiment, an energy wave propagating through a plurality of relays has a higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal orientation than in the lateral orientation and is spatially localized in a lateral plane due to a randomized refractive index variation in the lateral orientation associated with a minimum refractive index variation in the longitudinal orientation according to the principle of transverse Anderson localization. In some embodiments where each relay is constructed of a multi-core fiber, the energy wave propagating within each relay element can travel longitudinally as determined by the arrangement of the fibers in this orientation.

[0089] Mechanically, these tapered energy relays are cut and polished with high precision before being joined or fused together to align them and ensure the smallest possible seam gap between the relays. The seamless surface formed by the second surface of the energy relay is polished after the relays are joined. In such an embodiment, it is possible to achieve a maximum seam gap of 50 um using an epoxy that thermally matches the tapered material. In another embodiment, a manufacturing process that places the tapered array under compression and / or heating provides the ability to fuse the elements together. In another embodiment, the use of plastic tapers can be more easily chemically fused or heat treated to create a joint without additional joining. To avoid ambiguity, the arrays may be joined together using any method, explicitly excluding joining other than gravity and / or force.

[0090] In one embodiment, the distance between the edges of any two adjacent second surfaces of the terminal energy relay element can be less than the minimum perceptible profile as defined by the visual acuity of the human eye with a 20 / 40 field of view, at a distance from a single seamless energy surface that is the lesser of the height or the width of a single seamless energy surface.

[0091] In order to hold a plurality of components in a manner that meets specific tolerance specifications, a mechanical structure may be preferred. In some embodiments, the first and second surfaces of the tapered relay element may have any polygonal shape including, but not limited to, circular, elliptical, oval, triangular, square, rectangular, parallelogram, trapezoidal, rhomboidal, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc. In some examples, for non-square tapers such as rectangular tapers, the relay element may be rotated so as to have a minimum taper dimension parallel to the maximum dimension of the entire energy source. This approach enables the optimization of the energy source that exhibits the lowest rejection of light rays by the acceptance cone of the enlarged relay element when viewed from the center point of the energy source. For example, if the desired energy source size is 100 mm × 60 mm and each tapered energy relay is 20 mm × 10 mm, the relay elements may be aligned and rotated so that an array of 3 × 10 tapered energy relay elements can be combined to produce the size of the desired energy source. None of this is meant to suggest that an array with an alternative configuration of a 6 × 5 matrix array cannot be used among other combinations. An array consisting of a 3 × 10 layout will generally perform better than an alternative 6 × 5 layout.

[0092] Energy-relay element stack The simplest configuration of an energy source system consists of an energy source joined to a single tapered energy relay element, although multiple relay elements may be combined to form a single energy source module with enhanced quality or flexibility. One such embodiment includes a first tapered energy relay having a small end attached to the energy source and a second tapered energy relay connected to the first relay element, with the small end of the second optical taper contacting the enlarged end of the first relay element and generating a total magnification equal to the product of the two individual taper magnifications. This is an example of an energy relay element stack composed of a succession of two or more energy relay elements, each energy relay element having a first side and a second side, and the stack relaying energy from the first surface of the first element to the second surface of the last element in a succession, also called the end surface. Each energy relay element may be configured to direct energy therethrough.

[0093] In one embodiment, an energy directing device comprises one or more energy positions and one or more energy relay element stacks. Each energy relay element stack comprises one or more energy relay elements, each energy relay element having a first surface and a second surface. Each energy relay element may be configured to direct energy therethrough. In one embodiment, the second surface of the terminal energy relay element of each energy relay element stack may be arranged to form a single seamless display surface. In one embodiment, one or more energy relay element stacks may be configured to direct energy along an energy propagation path extending between one or more energy positions and a single seamless display surface.

[0094] FIG. 73 illustrates a side view of an energy relay element stack 7500 including two series composite optical relay tapers 7502, 7504, with the small end of each taper facing the energy source surface 7506. In FIG. 73, the input numerical aperture (NA) is 1.0 for the input of taper 7504, but only about 0.16 for the output of taper 7502. Note that the output numerical aperture is divided by a total magnification factor of 6, which is the product of 2 for taper 7504 and 3 for taper 7502. One advantage of this approach is the ability to customize the first energy wave relay to account for various dimensions of the energy source without changing the second energy wave relay element. That ability further provides flexibility to change the size of the output energy surface without changing the design of the energy source or the first relay element. FIG. 73 also shows an energy source 7506 including energy source drive electronics and a mechanical envelope 7508.

[0095] In one embodiment, the first surface is configured to receive an energy wave from an energy source unit (e.g., 7506), and the energy source unit may include a mechanical envelope having a width different from at least one of the widths of the first and second surfaces. In one embodiment, the energy wave passing through the first surface may have a first resolution, while the energy wave passing through the second surface may have a second resolution, such that the second resolution is about 50% or more of the first resolution. In another embodiment, the energy wave has a uniform profile when provided to the first surface, but can pass through the second surface while radiating in all directions with a forward energy density that substantially fills a cone having an opening angle of ±10 degrees with respect to the normal of the second surface, regardless of the position of the second relay surface.

[0096] In one embodiment, the energy relay elements of a plurality of stacked configurations may include a plurality of faceplates (relays with a magnification of 1). In some embodiments, the plurality of faceplates may have different lengths or be a gentle coherent light relay. In other embodiments, the plurality of elements may have an inclined contour portion, and the inclined contour portion can be angled, linear, curved, tapered, chamfered, or aligned at an angle non-perpendicular to the vertical axis of the relay element. In yet another embodiment, the energy wave propagating through the plurality of relay elements has a higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal orientation than in the lateral orientation and is spatially localized in the lateral orientation due to the randomized refractive index variations in the lateral orientation associated with the minimum refractive index variations in the longitudinal orientation. In embodiments where each energy relay is constructed of a multi-core fiber, the energy wave propagating within each relay element can travel in the longitudinal direction determined by the arrangement of the fibers in this orientation.

[0097] Optical Image Relay and Taper Element Very high-density fiber bundles may be manufactured with a large amount of material to enable relaying light with pixel coherence and high transmittance. Optical fibers guide light along transparent fibers of glass, plastic, or similar media. This phenomenon is controlled by the concept called total internal reflection. When a light ray is contained within the critical angle of the material and the light ray is incident from the direction of a denser material, the light ray will be totally internally reflected between two transparent optical materials with different refractive indices.

[0098] FIG. 74 shows the maximum light reception angle

Number

[0099] The relationship between the angle of incidence (I) and the angle of refraction (R) is Snell's law

Number

[0100] Those skilled in the art of fiber optics will understand the additional optical principles associated with the light-gathering power, the maximum acceptance angle, and other necessary calculations, and will understand how light travels through the optical fiber material. As will be described in the following embodiments, it is important to understand this concept because the optical fiber material should be regarded as a relay of light rather than a method of concentrating light.

[0101] Understanding the angular distribution of the light exiting the optical fiber is important for the present disclosure and may not be the same as that predicted based on the angle of incidence. Since the exit azimuth angle of the ray 7610 tends to change rapidly depending on the maximum acceptance angle 7608, the length and diameter of the fiber, and other parameters of the material, the exiting ray tends to exit the fiber in a conical shape as defined by the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction.

[0102] FIG. 75 shows the optical fiber relay system 7704 and the ray 7702 entering the optical fiber 7704 at a specific azimuth angle

Number

[0103] The main causes of transmission loss in the fiber material are the cladding, the length of the material, and the light loss for the light rays outside the acceptance angle. The cladding is the material that surrounds each individual fiber in a larger bundle to insulate the core and help reduce the propagation between individual fibers by light rays. In addition to this, an additional opaque material may be used to absorb the light outside the acceptance angle, called excess wall absorption (EMA). Both materials can assist in improving the image quality seen in terms of contrast, scattering, and several other factors, but can reduce the overall light transmission from the entrance to the exit. For simplicity, the ratio of the core to the cladding can be used to understand the approximate transmission capacity of the fiber as this can be one of the reasons for light loss. Other types of materials may be available and are considered in the following discussion, but in most materials, the core-to-cladding ratio can be in the range of approximately 50% to approximately 80%.

[0104] Each fiber can resolve approximately 0.5 photographic line pairs per fiber diameter, and thus when relaying pixels, it may be important to have more than one fiber per pixel. In some embodiments, an average of about a dozen per pixel may be utilized, or three or more fibers may be acceptable as the average resolution between each of the fibers helps to reduce the MTF loss associated with using these materials.

[0105] In one embodiment, the optical fiber can be implemented in the form of a fiber optic faceplate. The faceplate is a single or multiple, or a collection of multiple multi-fibers, which are fused together to form a vacuum-tight glass plate. Since the image presented on one side of the faceplate can be efficiently transported to the outer surface, this plate can theoretically be considered as a window with zero thickness. Conventionally, these faceplates can be composed of individual fibers having a pitch of about 6 microns or more, but higher densities can be achieved despite the effectiveness of the cladding material that may ultimately reduce contrast and image quality.

[0106] In some embodiments, the optical fiber bundle may be tapered, resulting in a coherent mapping of pixels having different sizes and a matched magnification of each surface. For example, the large end may refer to the side of an optical fiber element having a larger fiber pitch and a higher magnification, and the small end may refer to the side of an optical fiber element having a smaller fiber pitch and a lower magnification. The process of manufacturing various shapes may include heating and manufacturing the desired magnification, which physically changes the original pitch of the optical fiber from its original size to a smaller pitch, thereby allowing the acceptance angle to vary according to the taper and the position on the NA. Another factor is that the manufacturing process may distort the perpendicularity of the fiber to the flat surface. One of the challenges regarding taper design is, among other things, that the effective NA at each end can vary approximately proportionally to the ratio of magnification. For example, a taper having a ratio of 2:1 may have a small end with a diameter of 10 mm and a large end with a diameter of 20 mm. If the original material has a pitch of 10 microns and an NA of 0.5, the small end will have an approximately effective NA of 1.0 and a pitch of 5 microns. The resulting acceptance angle and exit angle can vary proportionally as well. There are much more complex analyses that can be performed to understand the exact results from this process, and anyone skilled in the art would be able to perform these calculations. For the purposes of this discussion, these generalizations are sufficient to understand the imaging effects as well as the overall system and method.

[0107] Use of a Flexible Energy Source and a Curved Energy Relay Surface It may be possible to create certain energy source technologies or energy projection technologies having a curved surface. For example, in one embodiment, a curved OLED display panel may be used as the energy source. In another embodiment, a non-focused laser projection system may be utilized as the energy source. In yet another embodiment, a projection system having a depth of field wide enough to maintain focus across the projected surface may be used. To avoid doubt, these examples are provided for illustrative purposes and in no way limit the scope of technical implementations for the description of this technology.

[0108] Considering optical technologies that can generate an operating cone of light based on the chief ray angle (CRA) of an optical configuration by leveraging a curved energy surface or a curved surface that can hold a fully focused projected image at a known light input angle, each output correction angle can provide a more idealized viewing angle.

[0109] In such an embodiment, the side surface of the energy surface of the optical relay element can be curved into a cylindrical, spherical, planar, or non-planar polished configuration (referred to herein as "shape" or "shaped") on a per-module basis, where the energy source originates from another source module. Each effective light-emitting energy source has its own respective viewing angle that is changed through the process of deformation. Utilizing this curved energy source or similar panel technology enables panel technology that is less susceptible to the effects of deformation and CRA reconfiguration or the optimal viewing angle of each effective pixel.

[0110] FIG. 76 illustrates a light relay taper configuration 7800 with a magnification ratio of 3:1 and the resulting viewing angle of the light of the attached energy source, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The light relay taper has an input NA of 1.0 with a magnification ratio of 3:1, resulting in an effective NA for the output rays of approximately 0.33 (there are many other factors associated with this, and this is for simplified reference only). Planar and right-angled surfaces are at both ends of the tapered energy relay, and the energy source is attached to the small end. Using only this approach, the angular extent of the energy plane may be approximately 1 / 3 of the angular extent of the input angle. To avoid ambiguity, a similar configuration with a 1:1 effective magnification ratio (utilizing a light faceplate or others), or any other type or configuration of light relay, may be further utilized.

[0111] FIG. 77 illustrates the same tapered energy relay module 7900 as in FIG. 76, where the surface of the energy source side has a curved shape configuration 7902, while the surface on the opposite side of the energy source side 7903 has a planar surface and is perpendicular to the optical axis of the module 7900. By this approach, the input angle (e.g., refer to the arrow near 7902) can be biased based on this shape, and the output angle (e.g., refer to the arrow near 7903) can be adjusted more independently from the position of the surface, providing a curved surface 7902 as illustrated in FIG. 77. However, the visible exit cone of each effective light emission source of surface 7903 can be smaller than the visible exit cone of the energy source output to surface 7902. This can be advantageous when considering a specific energy plane that optimizes the viewing angle due to a coarser or more compressed density of available rays.

[0112] In another embodiment, the variation of the output angle can be achieved by making the input energy surface 7902 convex in shape. When such a variation is made, the output cone of the light near the end of the energy surface 7903 bends towards the center.

[0113] In some embodiments, the relay element device may include a curved energy surface. In one example, both surfaces of the relay element device may be planar. Alternatively, in other examples, one surface may be planar and the other surface may be non-planar, or vice versa. Finally, in another example, both surfaces of the relay element device may be non-planar. In other embodiments, the non-planar surface may be a concave surface or a convex surface among other non-planar configurations. For example, both surfaces of the relay element may be concave. Alternatively, both surfaces may be convex. In another example, one surface may be concave and the other surface may be convex. Those skilled in the art will understand that multiple configurations of planar, non-planar, convex, and concave surfaces are contemplated and disclosed herein.

[0114] FIG. 78 illustrates an optical relay taper 8000 having a surface 8002 that is non-perpendicular but planar with respect to the energy source side surface, based on another embodiment of the present disclosure. To clarify the significant customizable variations in the shape of the energy source side surface, FIG. 78 illustrates the result of easily generating a non-perpendicular but planar shape with respect to the energy source side surface for comparison with FIG. 77, and further shows the ability to directly control the input acceptance cone angle and the output visible emission cone angle of the light 1, 2, 3 enabled by any variations in the surface characteristics.

[0115] Also, depending on the application, it may be possible to design an energy-relay configuration in which the energy source side surface of the relay remains perpendicular to the axis defining the direction of light propagation within the relay, and the output surface of the relay is non-perpendicular to the optical axis. Other configurations can have both an input energy source side surface and an energy output side surface presenting various non-perpendicular shaped configurations. In this way, it may be possible to further improve the control over the viewing angles of the input and output energy sources.

[0116] In some embodiments, the taper may also be non - perpendicular to the optical axis of the relay so as to optimize a particular viewing angle. In such an embodiment, a single taper as shown in FIG. 76 is cut into quadrants by a cut parallel to the optical axis, and the large and small ends of the taper are cut into four equal parts. These four quadrants are then reassembled by rotating each taper quadrant 180 degrees about its individual optical central axis, facing away from the center of the reassembled quadrants, and thus having the small end of the taper that optimizes the viewing field. In other embodiments, non - right - angle tapers can also be manufactured directly to provide an increase in the gap between energy sources on the small end without increasing the size or scale of the physically enlarged end. These and other tapered configurations are disclosed herein.

[0117] FIG. 79 illustrates the optical relay of FIG. 76 and the light - irradiation cone having a concave surface on the side of the energy source. In this case, the cone of output light spreads significantly closer to the edge of the plane of the output - energy surface than when the side of the energy source is flat, as compared to FIG. 76.

[0118] FIG. 80 illustrates the optical - taper relay 8200 of FIG. 79 and the light - irradiation cone having the same concave surface on the side of the energy source. In this embodiment, the output - energy surface 8202 has a convex shape. Compared to FIG. 79, the cone of output light on the concave output surface 8202 is more collimated across the energy - source surface by the input - acceptance cone and the exit cone of light generated from this shape configuration. To avoid doubt, the provided examples are merely illustrative, and no explicit surface characteristics are intended to be shown, as any shape configuration for the input - energy - source side and the output - energy - surface can be utilized depending on the desired viewing angle and light density of the output - energy surface, as well as the angle of light generated from the energy source itself.

[0119] In some embodiments, a plurality of relay elements may be configured in series. In one embodiment, any two relay elements in series may be further coupled with a parameter that is intentionally distorted such that the reverse strain from one element to another helps optically reduce any such artifact. In another embodiment, a first optical taper exhibits optical barrel distortion and a second optical taper is manufactured to exhibit the opposite of this artifact, such that when combined together, the information that results is more like any such optical distortion introduced by either of the two elements than being canceled, either partially or completely, to produce a light pincushion distortion. This may be further applicable to any two or more elements such that composite corrections may be applied in series.

[0120] In some embodiments, it may be possible to manufacture a single energy source substrate, electronic devices, and / or the like, in a small and / or lightweight form factor, for example, to manufacture an array of energy sources. In this configuration, it may be possible to further incorporate an optical relay mosaic such that the ends of the optical relays are aligned with the active regions of the energy sources in a very small form factor compared to individual components and electronic devices. Using this technology, it may be possible to accommodate small form factor devices such as monitors, smartphones, and the like.

[0121] FIG. 81 illustrates an assembly 8300 of a number of optical taper relay modules 8304, 8306, 8308, 8310, 8312 that are coupled together with the surfaces 8314, 8316, 8318, 8320, 8322 of a curved energy source side, respectively, to form an optimal visible image 8302 from a plurality of vertical output energy surfaces of each taper. In this example, the taper relay modules 8304, 8306, 8308, 8310, 8312 are formed in parallel. Although only a single row of taper relay modules is shown, in some embodiments, tapers having a stacked configuration may also be coupled together in parallel and in a row to form a continuous seamless visible image 8302.

[0122] In FIG. 81, each tapered relay module can operate independently or can be designed based on an array of optical relays. As shown in this figure, five modules having optical tapered relays 8304, 8306, 8308, 8310, 8312 are aligned together to produce a larger optical tapered output energy surface 8302. In this configuration, the output energy surface 8302 can be perpendicular to the optical axis of each relay, and each of the five energy source side surfaces 8314, 8316, 8318, 8320, 8322 can be deformed into an annular contour about a central axis that can be in front of or behind the output energy surface 8302, enabling the entire array to function as a single output energy surface rather than as individual modules. Additionally, it may be possible to optimize this assembly structure 8300 by calculating the viewing angle of the output light and determining the ideal surface characteristics required for the shape of the energy source side surface. FIG. 81 shows such an embodiment where a number of modules are combined together and the curvature of the energy source side surface explains the angle of the visible light of the larger output energy surface. Five relay modules 8304, 8306, 8308, 8310, and 8312 are shown, but those skilled in the art will recognize that more or fewer relay modules can be combined together depending on the application, and these can be combined together in two dimensions to form an output energy surface 8302 of any size.

[0123] In one embodiment, the system of FIG. 81 includes a plurality of relay elements 8304, 8306, 8308, 8310, 8312 arranged across a first and a second direction (e.g., across columns or in a stacked configuration), each of the plurality of relay elements extending along a longitudinal orientation between a first surface and a second surface of the respective relay element. In some embodiments, the first and second surfaces of each of the plurality of relay elements extend substantially along a transverse orientation defined by the first and second directions, and the longitudinal orientation is substantially perpendicular to the transverse orientation. In other embodiments, the randomized refractive index variations in the transverse orientation associated with the minimum refractive index variations in the longitudinal orientation result in an energy wave having a substantially higher transport efficiency along the longitudinal orientation and spatial localization along the transverse orientation.

[0124] In one embodiment, the plurality of relay elements can be arranged across a first or a second direction so as to form a single tile-like surface along the first or the second direction, respectively. In some embodiments, the plurality of relay elements are arranged in a matrix having at least a 2×2 configuration, or other matrices including, but not limited to, 3×3 configuration, 4×4 configuration, 3×10 configuration, and other configurations, as would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art. In other embodiments, the seams between the single tile-like surfaces may be imperceptible at a viewing distance that is twice the minimum dimension of the single tile-like surface.

[0125] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of relay elements (e.g., 8304, 8306, 8308, 8310, 8312) has randomized refractive index variations in the transverse orientation combined with minimum refractive index variations in the longitudinal orientation, resulting in an energy wave having a substantially higher transport efficiency along the longitudinal orientation and spatial localization along the transverse orientation. In some embodiments where the relay is composed of a multi-core fiber, the energy wave propagating within each relay element can travel in a longitudinal orientation determined by the alignment of the fibers in this orientation.

[0126] In other embodiments, each of the plurality of relay elements (e.g., 8304, 8306, 8308, 8310, 8312) is configured to transport energy along a longitudinal orientation, and an energy wave propagating through the plurality of relay elements has a higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal orientation than in the transverse orientation due to randomly varying refractive index fluctuations, such that the energy is localized in the transverse orientation. In some embodiments, the energy wave propagating between relay elements can travel substantially parallel to the longitudinal orientation due to a substantially higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal orientation than in the transverse orientation. In other embodiments, the randomly varying refractive index fluctuations in the transverse orientation associated with a minimum refractive index fluctuation in the longitudinal orientation result in an energy wave having a substantially higher transport efficiency along the longitudinal orientation and spatial localization along the transverse orientation.

[0127] FIG. 82 illustrates an arrangement 8400 of a number of optical taper relay modules coupled together with the shapes 8404, 8406, 8408, 8410, and 8412 of the vertical energy source side surfaces and the convex energy source surface 8402 that is radial about a central axis, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 82 illustrates a variation of the configuration shown in FIG. 81 and has the shape of the vertical energy source side surface and a convex output energy surface that is radial about a central axis.

[0128] FIG. 83 illustrates an arrangement 8500 of a number of optical relay modules coupled together with a vertical output energy surface 8502 and a convex energy source side surface 8504 that is radial about a central axis, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0129] In some embodiments, the source side of the array of energy relays is configured to be cylindrically curved around the center radius, having a flat energy output surface, so that the light receiving angle of the input energy source and the emission angle of the output energy source can be decoupled, and each energy source module can be better aligned with the light receiving cone of the energy relay, which may itself be limited due to constraints on parameters such as the magnification, NA, and other factors of the energy tapered relay.

[0130] FIG. 84 illustrates an arrangement 8600 of a number of energy relay modules, based on an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which each energy output surface is independently configured, such as a visible output light ray. FIG. 84 illustrates a configuration similar to FIG. 83, but each energy relay output surface is independently configured, so that the visible output light ray is emitted from the composite output energy surface at a more uniform angle with respect to the optical axis (or with less dependence on the adoption of an exact shape).

[0131] FIG. 85 illustrates an arrangement 8700 of a number of optical relay modules, based on an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which both the emission energy source side and the energy relay output surface are configured in various shapes to provide explicit control over the input and output light rays. For this purpose, FIG. 85 illustrates a configuration having five modules in which both the emission energy source side and the relay output surface are configured in a curved shape that allows for greater control over the input and output light rays.

[0132] FIG. 86 illustrates an arrangement 8800 of a number of optical relay modules, configured such that their individual output energy surfaces form a seamless concave cylindrical energy source surface surrounding the viewer, with the ends of the relay sources being flat and each being joined to the energy source.

[0133] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 86, and similar to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85, the system can include a plurality of energy relays arranged over first and second directions, and in each relay, energy is transported between a first surface and a second surface that define a longitudinal orientation, and the first and second surfaces of each of the relays extend generally along a lateral orientation defined by the first and second directions, and the longitudinal orientation is substantially perpendicular to the lateral orientation. Also in this embodiment, an energy wave propagating through the plurality of relays has a higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal orientation than in the lateral orientation due to random refractive index variations in the lateral orientation associated with minimal refractive index variations in the longitudinal orientation. In some embodiments where each relay is constructed of a multi-core fiber, an energy wave propagating within each relay element can travel in a longitudinal direction determined by the arrangement of the fibers in this orientation.

[0134] In one embodiment, similar to those described above, the first and second surfaces of each of the plurality of relay elements can generally curve along a lateral orientation, and the plurality of relay elements can be integrally formed over the first and second directions. The plurality of relays are assembled over the first and second directions and arranged in a matrix having at least a 2×2 configuration and can include glass, optical fiber, optical film, plastic, polymer, or mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the system of the plurality of relays can be arranged over the first direction or the second direction to respectively form a single tile-like surface along the first direction or the second direction. As described above, the plurality of relay elements can be arranged in other matrices including, but not limited to, 3×3 configurations, 4×4 configurations, 3×10 configurations, and other configurations as can be recognized by those skilled in the art. In other embodiments, the seams between single tile-like surfaces can be unrecognizable at a viewing distance that is twice the minimum dimension of a single tile-like surface.

[0135] In the case of the mosaic of energy relays, the following embodiments may be included: Both the first and second surfaces may be planar, or one of the first and second surfaces may be planar and the other may be non-planar, or the first and second surfaces may be non-planar. In some embodiments, both the first and second surfaces may be concave, one of the first and second surfaces may be concave and the other may be convex, or both the first and second surfaces may be convex. In other embodiments, at least one of the first and second surfaces may be planar, non-planar, concave, or convex. The surface that is planar may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of energy transport or non-perpendicular to this optical axis.

[0136] In some embodiments, the plurality of relays, although not particularly limited among other types of energy waves, can cause spatial expansion or spatial contraction of an energy source including electromagnetic waves, light waves, and sound waves. In other embodiments, the plurality of relays may also include a plurality of energy relays (such as a panel for an energy source, etc.), and the plurality of energy relays may have different widths and lengths among other dimensions. In some embodiments, the plurality of energy relays may also include a soft coherent light relay or fiber.

[0137] Restriction of Anderson localization materials and introduction of ordered energy localization The Anderson localization principle was introduced in the 1950s, but it was only made possible to actually study this principle in light transport by recent technological breakthroughs in materials and processes. Transverse Anderson localization is the propagation of waves that are transported without diffusion in the transverse plane through a material that is irregular in the transverse direction but invariant in the longitudinal direction.

[0138] In the prior art, Anderson localization was observed through experiments in which an optical fiber phased plate was fabricated by wire-drawing millions of individual strands of optical fibers having different refractive indices (RIs) that were randomly mixed and fused together. When an input beam is scanned across one of the surfaces of the faceplate, the output beam on the opposite surface follows the lateral position of the input beam. Since Anderson localization exhibits the absence of wave diffusion in an irregular medium, some basic physics is different compared to regular optical fiber relays. This means that the Anderson localization phenomenon in the random mixing of optical fibers with RI variations is less affected by total reflection than by the randomization between multiple scattering paths that can completely restrict the propagation of the lateral orientation while continuing wave interference in the longitudinal path. In addition to this concept, it is introduced herein that a non-random pattern of material wave propagation characteristics can be used instead of a randomized distribution in the lateral plane of the energy transport device. Such a non-random distribution can induce what is referred to herein as ordered energy localization in the lateral plane of the device. This ordered energy localization reduces the occurrence of localized grouping of similar material properties, which can occur due to the nature of the random distribution but acts to reduce the overall efficiency of energy transport through the device.

[0139] In one embodiment, when measured by the optical modulation transfer function (MTF), the ordered energy localization material may be capable of transporting light with a contrast equal to or greater than that of the highest quality commercially available multimode glass image fiber. By multimode and multicore optical fibers, due to the total internal reflection characteristics of the individual arrays of cores where image transfer losses in the region between the cores reduce the MTF and increase blurring, the relayed image is essentially pixelated. As shown in FIG. 5A, the images obtained using a multicore optical fiber tend to have a residual fixed noise fiber pattern. In contrast, the same relayed image through an example of a material sample exhibiting ordered energy localization similar to the transverse Anderson localization principle where the noise pattern appears much more particle-like than the fixed fiber pattern.

[0140] Another advantage of the optical relay exhibiting the ordered energy localization phenomenon is that it can be manufactured from polymer materials, resulting in reduced cost and weight. Generally, similar optical grade materials made of glass or other similar materials can cost more than 100 times that of materials of the same dimensions produced from polymers. Furthermore, the weight of polymer relay optical components can be reduced to between one-tenth and less than one-hundredth. To avoid doubt, even if it does not meet the above cost and weight implications, any material exhibiting Anderson localization characteristics or the ordered energy localization characteristics described herein may be included in this disclosure. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the above implications are the only embodiments that in themselves serve the important commercial viability excluded by similar glass products. An additional advantage is that, since ordered energy localization functions, a cladding portion of the optical fiber may not be required, which is necessary to prevent light scattering between fibers in the case of conventional multi-core optical fibers, but at the same time blocks a portion of the light rays, thus reducing transmission, at least by the core-to-cladding ratio (for example, a 70:30 core-to-cladding ratio transmits only 70% of the received light intensity at best). In certain embodiments, relaying energy through all or most of the material of the relay can improve the efficiency of relaying energy through the material because the need for additional energy control materials can be reduced or eliminated.

[0141] Another advantage is the ability to manufacture a number of smaller components that can be joined or fused seamlessly because the polymer material is composed of repeating units, and the merger of any two pieces results in a component as a single piece, which is substantially the same as generating a single piece for the process of merging two or more pieces together. For large-scale applications, this is a significant advantage over the ability to manufacture without large-scale capital equipment or mold costs, providing the ability to produce a single piece of material that would otherwise be impossible by other means. Conventional plastic optical fibers have some of these advantages, but generally still require a certain degree of seam line at a distance due to the cladding portion.

[0142] The present disclosure includes an engineered structure exhibiting an ordered energy localization phenomenon and a method of manufacturing the same. Engineered structures of the present disclosure can be used to construct relays of electromagnetic energy, acoustic energy, or other types of energy using building blocks that can include one or more component design structures (CESs). The term CES refers to a building block component having specific design properties (“EPs”) that can include, but are not limited to, among other characteristics, material type, size, shape, refractive index, center of gravity, charge, weight, absorption, and magnetic moment. The size scale of a CES can be on the order of the wavelength of the energy wave being relayed and can vary over the milliscale, microscale, or nanoscale. Also, the size scales of other EPs strongly depend on the wavelength of the energy wave.

[0143] Within the scope of the present disclosure, a particular arrangement of a number of CESs can form a non-random pattern that can effectively induce ordered energy localization by repeating laterally across the relay. One example of such a non-random pattern of CESs is referred to herein as a module. A module can comprise two or more CESs. A grouping of two or more modules within a relay is referred to herein as a structure.

[0144] Ordered energy localization is a common wave phenomenon applied, among other things, to the transport of electromagnetic waves, sound waves, quantum waves, and energy waves. One or more component-engineered structures can form an energy wave relay exhibiting ordered energy localization, each having a size on the order of the corresponding wavelength. Another parameter for the building blocks is the speed of the energy wave in the materials used for these building blocks, which includes the refractive index for electromagnetic waves and the acoustic impedance for sound waves. For example, the size and refractive index of the building blocks can be varied to accommodate any frequency of the electromagnetic spectrum from X-rays to radio waves or acoustic waves in the range from just above 0 Hz to ultrasonic frequencies of about 20 MHz.

[0145] For this reason, the considerations in this disclosure regarding optical relays can be generalized not only to the complete electromagnetic spectrum but also to acoustic energy and other types of energy. For this reason, even though one embodiment may discuss a particular form of energy such as the visible electromagnetic spectrum, the terms energy source, energy plane, and energy relay will be used in this disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the principles of this disclosure discussed with respect to one form of energy will apply equally to embodiments implemented for other forms of energy.

[0146] To avoid doubt, amounts of materials, processes, types, refractive indices, etc. are merely illustrative, and any optical material that exhibits ordered energy localization characteristics is included herein. Further, any use of ordered materials and processes is included herein.

[0147] The principles of the optical designs described in this disclosure generally apply to all forms of energy relay, and design implementations selected for a particular product, market, form factor, mounting, etc. may or may not need to address these geometries, but for simplicity, any of the disclosed techniques include all potential energy relay materials.

[0148] In one embodiment, for the relay of visible electromagnetic energy, the lateral size of the CES should be on the order of 1 micron. The material used for the CES can be any optical material that exhibits the desired optical quality, including but not limited to glass, plastic, resin, air pockets, etc. The refractive index of the material used is greater than 1, and when two CES types are selected, the difference in refractive index becomes an important design parameter. The aspect ratio of the material can be selected to be elongated to assist in the propagation of the longitudinal wave.

[0149] In an embodiment, energy from other energy domains can be relayed using one or more CESs. For example, acoustic energy or tactile energy, which can be in the form of mechanical vibrations of energy, can be relayed. Based on the transport efficiency of these alternative energy domains, an appropriate CES can be selected. For example, when relaying acoustic or tactile energy, air can be selected as the type of CES material. In an embodiment, space or vacuum can be selected as the CES for relaying a specific form of electromagnetic energy. Further, two different CESs can have a common type of material but different other design characteristics such as shape.

[0150] The formation of CESs can be completed as a destructive process of taking out the formed materials and cutting those pieces into formations of the desired shape, or any other method known in the art, or an additive process, where the CESs can grow, be printed, formed, melted, or be manufactured by any other method known in the art. Combining the additive process and the destructive process can provide further control in manufacturing. These CESs are constructed in the specified structural size and shape.

[0151] In one embodiment, in the case of an electromagnetic energy relay, it may be possible to use an optical grade binder, epoxy, or other known optical materials, which materials can start as a liquid and form an optical grade solid structure through various means including, but not limited to, UV, heat, and time among other processing parameters. In another embodiment, the binder is made of a non-curing or refractive index matching oil for flexible applications. The binder can be applied to a solid structure and a non-curing oil or optical liquid. These materials may exhibit certain refractive index (RI) characteristics. The binder needs to match the RI of either CES material type 1 or CES material type 2. In one embodiment, the RI of this optical binder is 1.59, the same as PS (polystyrene). In a second embodiment, the RI of this optical binder is 1.49, the same as PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). In another embodiment, the RI of this optical binder is 1.64, the same as a thermoplastic polyester (TP) material.

[0152] In one embodiment, for an energy wave, the binder can be mixed into a mixture of CES material type 1 and CES material type 2 such that the RI of the binder effectively cancels out the RI of the material with which it is matched. The binder can be fully mixed by allowing sufficient time to achieve bubble escape, a desired distribution of materials, and the manifestation of viscous properties. Further constant agitation can be performed to ensure proper mixing of the materials to counter any separation that may occur due to materials of different densities or other material properties.

[0153] It may be necessary to perform this process in a vacuum or in a chamber to expel any bubbles that may form. A further methodology can be to introduce vibrations during the curing process.

[0154] As an alternative method, three or more CESs with additional morphological characteristics and EPs are provided.

[0155] In one embodiment, in the case of an electromagnetic energy relay, an additional method provides only a single CES to be used with only a binder, in which case the RI of the CES and the binder are different.

[0156] The additional method includes providing any number of CESs and intentionally introducing air bubbles.

[0157] In one embodiment, in the case of an electromagnetic energy relay, one method provides a plurality of binders having different desired RIs and a process of mixing zero, one, or more CESs such that they can be cured separately or together to form a completely mixed structure. The ability to cure and mix at different intervals using two or more separate curing methodologies and different tool and procedural methodologies may be enabled. In one embodiment, a UV-curable epoxy having an RI of 1.49 is mixed with a second thermosetting epoxy having an RI of 1.59, where a certain agitation of the materials is provided while alternately heating and UV-treating for a sufficient period of time to begin forming a solid structure from within the larger mixture, but not for a length of time sufficient for any large particles to form by the time the curing process is almost complete and agitation can no longer continue, and the curing processes are run simultaneously to fully bond the materials to each other. In a second embodiment, a CES having an RI of 1.49 is added. In a third embodiment, CESs having both RIs of 1.49 and 1.59 are both added.

[0158] In another embodiment, in the case of an electromagnetic energy relay, glass and plastic materials are mixed based on their respective RI characteristics.

[0159] In an additional embodiment, the cured mixture is formed in a mold and cut and polished after curing. In another embodiment, the materials utilized include, but are not limited to, being re-liquefied by heat, cured into a first shape, and then pulled into a second shape to be tapered or curved.

[0160] It should be recognized that there are several well-known conventional methods used to weld polymer materials to each other. Many of these techniques are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and are described in ISO472 ("Plastics - Vocabulary", International Organization for Standardization, Switzerland 1999), which describes processes for joining the surfaces of softened materials, including thermal, mechanical (e.g., vibration, welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.), electromagnetic, and chemical (solvent) welding methods.

[0161] Figure 7A illustrates a cutaway view of a flexible relay 70 presenting a lateral Anderson localization approach using CES material type 1 (72) and CES material type 2 (74) with a mixed oil or liquid 76. Based on one embodiment of the present disclosure, when using an end cap relay 79 as much as possible, an energy wave is relayed from a first surface 77 to a second surface 77 at either end of the relay within a flexible tube enclosure 78. In this embodiment, both CES material type 1 (72) and CES material type 2 (74) have the design characteristic of being elongated, and their shape is elliptical, although any other elongated or designed shape such as cylindrical or stranded wire is also possible. The elongated shape allows for a channel with minimal design characteristic variation 75.

[0162] For one embodiment of the visible electromagnetic energy relay, the relay 70 replaces the binder with a refractive index matching oil 76 having a refractive index that matches CES material type 2 (74), and is placed within the flexible tube enclosure 78 to maintain the flexibility of the mixture of CES material type 1 and CES material 2. The end cap 79 will be a solid optical relay to ensure that the image can be reliably relayed from one surface of the end cap to the other. The elongated shape of the CES material allows for a channel with minimal refractive index variation 75.

[0163] Many examples of relays 70 can be intertwined within a single surface to form relay couplers in solid or flexible form.

[0164] In one embodiment, for visible electromagnetic energy relays, some examples of relays 70 can each be connected to a display device that shows only one of a number of specific tiles of an image at one end, and the other end of the optical relay is arranged to display a full image that is arranged in a regular mosaic pattern with no noticeable seams. Due to the properties of the CES material, it is further possible to fuse a number of optical relays together within the mosaic.

[0165] FIG. 7B illustrates a cutaway view of a rigid embodiment 750 of a CES transverse Anderson localization energy relay. CES material type 1 (72) and CES material type 2 (74) are mixed with a binder 753 that matches the refractive index of material 2 (74). An optional relay end cap 79 can be used to relay an energy wave from a first surface 77 to a second surface 77 within a housing 754. In this embodiment, both CES material type 1 (72) and CES material type 2 (74) have the design characteristic of being elongated, and their shape is elliptical, although any other elongated or designed shape such as cylindrical or stranded wire is also possible. Also shown in FIG. 7B is the path of the minimum design characteristic variation 75 along the longitudinal direction 751, and this path aids in the propagation of the energy wave in this direction 751 from one end cap surface 77 to the other end cap surface 77.

[0166] The initial configuration and alignment of the CES can be done with mechanical placement, or by exploring the EP of the material, including, but not limited to, charges that can result in colloidal crystal formation when applied to a colloid of CES in a liquid, magnetic moments that can help regularize a CES containing a trace amount of ferromagnetic material, or the relative weights of the CES used that can help create multiple layers within the binding liquid prior to curing according to gravity.

[0167] In one embodiment, in the case of an electromagnetic energy relay, the embodiment shown in FIG. 7B may have a binder 753 that matches the refractive index of the CES material type 2 (74), and an optional end cap 79 may be a solid optical relay that ensures that an image can be relayed from one surface of the end cap to the other surface. The EP having a minimum longitudinal variation may be the refractive index and creates a channel 75 that aids in the propagation of the localized electromagnetic wave.

[0168] In one embodiment for a visible electromagnetic energy relay, FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the transverse plane of the inclusion of DEMA (dimension outer wall absorption) CES, 80, along with the longitudinal CES material types 74, 82 of one exemplary material at a given percentage of the entire mixture of its materials. The material controls stray light based on one embodiment of the present disclosure for a visible electromagnetic energy relay.

[0169] An additional CES material that does not transmit light is added to the mixture(s) to absorb random stray light similar to EMA in conventional optical fiber technology. However, the distribution of the absorbing material can be random in all three dimensions, in contrast to the longitudinal dimension being invariant. In this specification, this material is referred to as DEMA, 80. Leveraging this approach in the third dimension provides much more control than the methods of previous embodiments. By using DEMA, the control of stray light is randomized much more completely than any other embodiment, including the twisted wire EMA that ultimately reduces the overall light transmission by the percentage of the surface area of all the optical relay components it occupies. In contrast, DEMA is mixed throughout the relay material and absorbs stray light without the same reduction in light transmission. DEMA can be provided at any ratio with respect to the entire mixture. In one embodiment, DEMA is 1% of the entire mixture of materials. In a second embodiment, DEMA is 10% of the entire mixture of materials.

[0170] In additional embodiments, two or more materials are processed with heat and / or pressure to perform a bonding process, which may or may not be completed using a mold or other similar forming processes known in the art. This may or may not be applied in a vacuum or a shaker table, for example, to remove air bubbles during the melting process. For example, CES having material types of polystyrene (PS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) are mixed and then placed in a suitable mold, which is placed in a uniform heat distribution environment capable of reaching the melting points of both materials, and cycled between the respective temperatures without causing damage / fracture by exceeding the maximum temperature increase or decrease per hour required by the material properties.

[0171] In the case of a process where the material needs to be mixed with an additional liquid binder, a process of rotating at a constant rate to prevent separation of the materials may be required, taking into account the specific density of each material that is prone to change.

[0172] Anderson and Differentiation of the Ordered Energy Relay Material FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transverse plane of a portion 900 of a pre-fusion energy relay with a randomized distribution of particles, including two component materials, a component design structure ("CES") 902 and CES 904. In one embodiment, the particles including CES 902 or CES 904 may have properties of different materials, such as different refractive indices, and can induce the Anderson localization effect of the energy transported through it, localizing the energy within the transverse plane of the material. In one embodiment, the particles including either CES 902 or CES 904 may extend longitudinally into or out of the plane of the illustration, thereby enabling energy propagation along the longitudinal direction with a reduced scattering effect compared to conventional optical fiber energy relays for the localization of energy within the transverse plane of the material.

[0173] FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transverse plane of module 1000 of a pre-fusion energy relay comprising a non-random pattern of particles, each particle comprising one of three component materials CES1002, CES1004, or CES1006. Particles comprising one of CES1002, 1004, or 1006 can have different material properties, such as different refractive indices, that can induce an energy localization effect within the transverse plane of the module. The pattern of particles comprising one of CES1002, 1004, or 1006 can be included within module boundary 1008, which defines a specific pattern in which the particles comprising one of CES1002, 1004, or 1006 are arranged. Similar to FIG. 9, particles comprising one of CES1002, 1004, or 1006 extend longitudinally into and out of the plane of the illustration, enabling energy propagation along the longitudinal direction with a reduced scattering effect compared to conventional optical fiber energy relays, for energy localization within the transverse plane of the material.

[0174] Particles comprising one of CES902 or 904 according to FIG. 9 and particles comprising one of CES1002, 1004, or 1006 according to FIG. 10 can be long, thin rods of their respective materials that extend longitudinally perpendicular to the plane of the illustration and are arranged in the specific patterns shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, respectively. Due to the annular cross-sectional shape of the particles shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, small gaps can exist between individual particles of CES, but these gaps are effectively removed during fusion as the CES material gains some fluidity during the fusion process and “melts together” to fill any spacing. Although the cross-sectional shapes illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 are annular, this should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, and one of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that any form or shape of the pre-fusion material can be utilized based on the principles disclosed herein. For example, in one embodiment, the individual particles of CES have a hexagonal cross-section rather than a circular cross-section, which can allow for smaller spacing between the particles prior to fusion.

[0175] FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transverse plane of a portion 1100 of a pre-fusion energy relay having a random distribution of particles including component materials CES1102 and CES1104. The portion 1100 may have a plurality of sub-portions such as sub-portions 1106 and 1108, each having a randomized distribution of particles including CES1102 or 1104. The random distribution of particles including CES1102 and CES1104 may induce a transverse Anderson localization effect in the energy relayed longitudinally out of the plane of the illustration through the portion 1100 after fusion of the relay.

[0176] FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transverse plane of a portion 1300 of a fusion energy relay having a random distribution of particles including component materials CES1302 and CES1304. The portion 1300 may represent a possible fusion configuration of the portion 1100 according to FIG. 11. In the context of the present disclosure, when adjacent particles of similar CES aggregate together during fusion, this is referred to as an aggregated particle ("AP"). An example of an AP of CES1302 can be seen at 1308, which may represent a fusion configuration of a plurality of unfused CES1302 particles (shown in FIG. 11). As illustrated in FIG. 13, the boundaries between each successive particle of similar CES, as well as the boundaries between modules having similar CES boundary particles, are removed during fusion, while new boundaries are formed between APs of different CES.

[0177] According to the Anderson localization principle, a randomized distribution of materials having different energy wave propagation characteristics distributed transversely in a material can localize the energy within that direction, suppress the diffusion of energy, and reduce interference, which can reduce the transport efficiency of the material. For example, in the context of transporting electromagnetic energy, it becomes possible to localize the transverse electromagnetic energy by increasing the amount of variation in the refractive index transversely by randomly distributing materials having different refractive indices.

[0178] However, as described above, due to the nature of the randomized distribution, there is a possibility that an undesirable arrangement of the materials may be accidentally formed, which may limit the realization of the energy localization effect within the materials. For example, AP1306 in FIG. 13 may potentially form a randomized distribution of particles as shown at the corresponding positions in FIG. 11 after fusion. For example, when designing a material for transporting electromagnetic energy, a design consideration is the lateral size of the pre-fusion particles of the CES. To prevent the energy from scattering laterally, at the time of fusion, the particle size can be selected such that the resulting average AP size is substantially on the order of the wavelength of the electromagnetic energy that the material is intended to transport. However, although the average AP size can be designed, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the random distribution of the particles will result in various unpredictable sizes of the APs, some of which are smaller than the intended wavelength and some of which are larger than the intended wavelength.

[0179] In FIG. 13, AP1306 extends over the entire length of a portion 1300 and represents an AP of a size that is considerably larger than the average. This may also mean that the size of AP1306 is considerably larger than the wavelength of the energy that the portion 1300 is intended to transport longitudinally. As a result, the energy propagation through AP1306 in the longitudinal direction may experience a scattering effect in the transverse plane, reducing the Anderson localization effect, and as a result, causing an interference pattern within the energy propagation through AP1306 and a reduction in the overall energy transport efficiency of the portion 1300.

[0180] According to the principles disclosed herein, and due to the nature of the randomized distribution, sub-portions within a portion 1100, such as sub-portion 1108, for example, should be understood to be of any significance as there is no defined distribution pattern. However, it should become apparent to those skilled in the art that there is a possibility of identifying unique sub-portions with the same or substantially similar distribution patterns in a given randomized distribution. This presence cannot significantly suppress the overall induced transverse Anderson localization effect, and the random patterns disclosed herein should not be considered to be restricted to exclude such cases.

[0181] The design considerations of the non-random ordering patterns disclosed herein represent an alternative to the randomized distribution of the component materials, enabling the energy-relay material to exhibit the energy localization effect laterally while potentially limiting the dislocation cases inherent in the randomized distribution.

[0182] It should be noted that across different fields and through many specialties, the concept of "randomness" and the notion of what is actually random and what is not are not always clear. When considering the random and non-random patterns, arrangements, distributions, etc. discussed below, there are several important points to consider in the context of this disclosure. However, it should be understood that the disclosure herein is by no means the only way to conceptualize and / or systematize the concepts of random or non-random. There are many alternative and equally valid conceptualizations, and the scope of this disclosure should not be considered to be restricted to exclude any method that may be conceived by those skilled in the art in this context.

[0183] Spatial complete randomness ("CSR") is well-known in the art and is described in Smith, T.E., (2016), Notebook on Spatial Data Analysis [online] (http: / / www.seas.upenn.edu / ~ese502 / #notebook), which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, and is a concept used to describe the distribution of points in space (in this case, in a 2D plane) arranged in a completely random form. There are two common characteristics used to explain CSR, namely, the spatial Laplace principle and the assumption of statistical independence.

[0184] The spatial Laplace principle is the application of the more general Laplace principle to the realm of spatial probability, and essentially states that, in the absence of other information indicating otherwise, the likelihood of a particular event, which can be considered the likelihood that a point is placed at a particular location, is the same for each location in space. That is, each location within the region has an equal likelihood of containing a point, and thus the probability of finding a point is the same across all locations within the region. This further means that the probability of finding a point within a particular sub-region is proportional to the ratio of the area of that sub-region to the area of the entire reference region.

[0185] The second characteristic of CSR is the assumption of spatial independence. This principle assumes that the positions of other data points within the region have no influence or effect on the probability of finding a data point at a particular location. In other words, the data points are assumed to be independent of each other, and the state of the "surrounding region" does not, so to speak, affect the probability of finding a data point at a location within the reference region.

[0186] The concept of CSR is useful as a contrasting example of non-random patterns of materials, such as some embodiments of the CES materials described herein. Anderson materials are described elsewhere in the present disclosure as a random distribution of energy-propagating materials within the horizontal plane of the energy relay. Taking note of the characteristics of CSR described above, it is possible to apply these concepts to some of the embodiments of the Anderson materials described herein to determine whether the "randomness" of such Anderson material distributions conforms to CSR. Assuming an embodiment of an energy relay that includes a first and a second material, since the CES of either the first or the second material can roughly occupy the same region of the horizontal plane of the embodiment (meaning that they are roughly the same size in the horizontal dimension), and further, since it can be assumed that the first and second CESs are provided in equal amounts in the embodiment, we can assume that for any given position along the horizontal plane of the embodiment of the energy relay, according to the spatial Laplace principle applicable in this context, either the first CES or the second CES is equally likely to be present. Alternatively, if the relay materials are provided in different amounts in other embodiments of the energy relay or have different lateral sizes from each other, we would similarly expect that the probability of finding either material is proportional to the ratio of the materials provided or their relative sizes.

[0187] Next, since both the first and second materials of the embodiment of the Anderson energy relay are arranged in a random manner (either by careful mechanical mixing or any other means), and further, the "arrangement" of the materials is manifested by the fact that it occurs simultaneously and spontaneously when the materials are randomized, we can assert that for these embodiments, the identity of adjacent CES materials has no effect on the identity of a particular CES material, and vice versa. That is, the identities of the CES materials within these embodiments are independent of each other. Therefore, the embodiments of the Anderson materials described herein can be said to meet the CSR characteristics described. Of course, as described above, the nature of external factors and "real-world" interaction factors can affect the compliance of embodiments of Anderson energy relay materials having a strict CSR definition, but those skilled in the art will recognize that these embodiments of the Anderson materials substantially fall within the reasonable tolerance of such a definition.

[0188] In contrast, some analysis of embodiments of the ordered energy localization relay materials disclosed herein highlights certain departures from their corresponding Anderson material embodiments (and from CSR). Unlike Anderson materials, the identity of CES materials within an embodiment of an ordered energy localization relay can be highly correlated with the identity of its neighbors. Patterns tailored to the placement of CES materials within a particular embodiment of an ordered energy localization relay are designed, inter alia, to affect how similar materials are spatially arranged relative to one another and, upon fusion, to control the effective size of the AP formed by such materials. In other words, one of the purposes of some embodiments of placing materials in an ordered energy localization distribution is to affect the final cross-sectional area (or size) in the lateral dimension of any region containing a single material (AP). This can limit the effects of lateral energy scattering and interference within the region when energy is relayed longitudinally. Thus, some degree of specificity and / or selectivity is used when the energy-relay materials are first “placed” in embodiments of an ordered energy localization distribution, although this may not recognize that the identity of a particular CES is “independent” from the identity of other CESs, particularly the materials directly surrounding it. Conversely, in certain embodiments, materials are specifically selected according to a non-random pattern, and the identity of any one particular CES is determined based on the continuity of the pattern and knowledge of which part of the pattern (and thus which material) has already been placed. Thus, these particular embodiments of ordered energy localization distribution energy-relay cannot comply with CSR criteria. Thus, the pattern or placement of two or more CESs or energy-relay materials may be described in this disclosure as “non-random” or “substantially non-random,” and those skilled in the art should recognize that the general concepts or characteristics of CSR described above can, inter alia, distinguish non-random or substantially non-random patterns from random patterns. For example, in one embodiment, materials that do not substantially conform to the general concepts or CSR characteristics described may be considered an ordered energy localization material distribution.In the present disclosure, the term "ordering" may be described to explain the distribution of a component-operated structural material for a relay that transmits energy through the principle of localization of ordering energy. Terms such as "ordering energy relay", "ordering relay", "ordering distribution", "non-random pattern", etc. describe an energy relay that at least partially transmits energy through this same principle of localization of ordering energy described herein.

[0189] Of course, the concept of CSR is provided herein as exemplary guidelines to be considered, and one of ordinary skill in the art can distinguish non-random patterns from random patterns considering other principles known in the art. For example, it should be recognized that non-random patterns, such as human signatures, can be considered non-random signals that include noise. Non-random patterns can be substantially the same even when they are not identical by including noise. A very large number of conventional techniques for pattern recognition and comparison exist in the art that can be used to separate noise and non-random signals and then correlate the latter. As an example, U.S. Patent No. 7,016,516 to Rhoades, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for identifying randomness (noise, smoothness, cleanliness, etc.) and correlating non-random signals to determine whether a signature is genuine. Rhodes emphasizes that the calculation of the randomness of a signal is well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, and one exemplary technique is to take the derivative of the signal at each sample point, square these values, and then sum the entire signal. Rhodes further emphasizes that various other well-known techniques can alternatively be used. The same non-random pattern can be identified using conventional pattern recognition filters and algorithms. Examples are provided in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,465,308 and 7,054,850, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Other techniques for pattern recognition and comparison are not repeated herein, but one of ordinary skill in the art can readily apply existing techniques to determine whether an energy relay includes at least first and second materials each disposed in a substantially non-random pattern and actually comprises the same substantially non-random pattern.

[0190] Furthermore, considering the points described above regarding randomness and noise, it should be recognized that the placement of materials into a substantially non-random pattern can suffer from distortion of the intended pattern due to unintended factors such as mechanical inaccuracies or manufacturing variations. An example of such distortion is illustrated in FIG. 20B, where the boundary 2005 between two different materials is affected by the fusion process to the extent of having a unique shape that is not the original portion of the non-random placement of materials illustrated in FIG. 20A. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such distortion to the non-random pattern is largely inevitable and inherent to the nature of mechanical technology, and that the non-random placement of materials shown in FIG. 20A is substantially maintained in the fused embodiment shown in FIG. 20B despite the mechanical distortion to the boundaries of the materials. Thus, when considering the placement of materials, distinguishing the distorted portions of the pattern from the non-distorted portions so as to identify two signatures as belonging to the same person despite their inherent differences is within the capabilities of such skilled artisans.

[0191] FIG. 12A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion 1200 of a pre-fusion energy relay comprising a non-random pattern (a distribution configured to relay energy via ordered energy localization) of three component materials CES1202, CES1204, or CES1206 that define a number of modules having a similar orientation. Particles of these three CES materials are arranged within repeating modules such as module 1208 and module 1210 that share a substantially invariant distribution of the particles. As illustrated in FIG. 12A, portion 1200 includes six modules, although the number of modules within a given energy relay can be any number and can be selected based on desired design parameters. Additionally, the size of the modules, the number of particles per module, the size of the individual particles within the module, the distribution pattern of the particles within the module, the number of different types of modules, and the inclusion of external modular or interstitial materials are all design parameters that can be considered and are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0192] Similarly, the number of different CESs included within each module need not be three as illustrated in FIG. 12A, and preferably can be any number suitable for the desired design parameters. Further, the different characteristic properties that each CES has can be variable in order to meet the desired design parameters, and the differences should not be limited to only the refractive index. For example, two different CESs can have substantially the same refractive index, but their melting point temperatures can be different.

[0193] To minimize the scattering of energy transported through a portion 1200 of the energy relay illustrated in FIG. 12A and to promote lateral energy localization, a non-random pattern of the module comprising the portion 1200 can satisfy the ordered energy localization distribution characteristics described above. In the context of the present disclosure, contiguous particles can be particles that are substantially adjacent to each other in a lateral plane. The particles can be illustrated as being in contact with each other, or there can be a gap illustrated between adjacent particles. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the small gap between adjacent illustrated particles either means an accidental aesthetic artifact or illustrates a minute mechanical variation that can occur in the placement of real materials. Further, the present disclosure also includes an arrangement of CES particles in a substantially non-random pattern, including exceptions due to manufacturing variations or accidental variations by design.

[0194] The ordered energy localization pattern of CES particles can enable greater localization of energy and reduce lateral energy scattering through relay materials, resulting in higher efficiency of energy transport through the material compared to other embodiments. FIG. 12B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a portion 1250 of a pre-fusion energy relay comprising a non-random pattern of particles of three component materials, CES 1202, CES 1204, and CES 1206, where the particles define a number of modules with varying orientations. Modules 1258 and 1260 of portion 1250 comprise a non-random pattern of materials similar to modules 1208 and 1210 of FIG. 12A. However, the pattern of materials in module 1260 is rotated with respect to the pattern of module 1258. A plurality of other modules of portion 1250 also exhibit a rotated distribution pattern. Regardless of how much rotation is imposed on the pattern, it is important to note that each module within portion 1250 has the ordered energy localization distribution described above, despite this rotational arrangement, since the actual pattern of particle distribution within each module remains the same.

[0195] FIG. 14 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transverse plane of a portion 1400 of a fusion energy relay comprising a non-random pattern of particles of three component materials, CES1402, CES1404, and CES1406. Portion 1400 may represent a possible fusion configuration of portion 1200 from FIG. 12A. By arranging CES particles in an ordered energy localization distribution, the relay shown in FIG. 14 may achieve more efficient transport of longitudinal energy through the relay as compared to the randomized distribution shown in FIG. 13. By transporting CES particles having a diameter of approximately 1 / 2 of the wavelength of the energy through the material and selecting to arrange the particles in the pre-fusion ordered energy localization distribution shown in FIG. 12A, the resulting post-fusion AP shown in FIG. 14 may have a lateral dimension that is 1 / 2 to 2 times the wavelength of the intended energy. By substantially restricting the lateral dimension of the AP within this range, the energy transported longitudinally through the material may enable ordered energy localization and may reduce scattering and interference effects. In one embodiment, the lateral dimension of the AP in the relay material may preferably be 1 / 4 to 8 times the wavelength of the energy transported longitudinally through the AP.

[0196] As seen in FIG. 14 and in contrast to FIG. 13, there is a significant consistency in size across all APs, which may be brought about by exerting control over the way the pre-fusion CES particles are arranged. Specifically, controlling the pattern of particle placement may reduce or eliminate the formation of larger APs with greater energy scattering and interference patterns, representing an improvement over the randomized distribution of CES particles within the energy relay.

[0197] Figure 15 illustrates a cross - section of a portion 1500 of an energy relay with a randomized distribution of two different CES materials, CES1502 and CES1504. The portion 1500 is designed to transport energy longitudinally along the vertical axis of the illustration and also includes several APs distributed laterally along the horizontal axis of the illustration. AP1510 may represent the average AP size of all the APs within the portion 1500. As a result of randomizing the distribution of CES particles prior to the fusion of the portion 1500, the individual APs that form the portion 1500 can deviate significantly from the average size indicated by 1510. For example, AP1508 has a significantly wider lateral width than AP1510. As a result, the energy transported through the longitudinal APs 1510 and 1508 can experience significantly different localization effects, as well as different amounts of wave scattering and interference. As a result, when any energy transported through the portion 1500 reaches its relayed destination, it can exhibit different levels of coherence or changes in intensity across the horizontal axis compared to its original state when entering the portion 1500. Having energy emerging from the relay in a state significantly different from when it entered the relay may be undesirable for certain applications such as image optical transport.

[0198] In addition, the AP1506 shown in Figure 15 can be substantially smaller than the AP1510 of average size in the lateral direction. As a result, the lateral width of AP1506 may be too small for the energy in a particular desired energy wavelength region to effectively propagate through it, resulting in a reduction of that energy and also adversely affecting the performance of the portion 1500 when relaying that energy.

[0199] FIG. 16 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion 1600 of an energy relay comprising a non-random pattern of three different CES materials, CES1602, CES1604, and CES1606. Portion 1600 is designed to transport energy longitudinally along the vertical axis of the illustration and also includes several APs distributed laterally along the horizontal axis of the illustration. AP1610 comprising CES1604 and AP1608 comprising CES1602 may both have substantially the same size laterally. All other APs within portion 1600 may also substantially share a similar AP size laterally. As a result, the energy being transported longitudinally through portion 1600 may experience a substantially uniform localization effect across the horizontal axis of portion 1600 and may also suffer reduced scattering and interference effects. By maintaining a consistent AP width in the lateral dimension, the energy entering portion 1600 is relayed and equally affected regardless of the location along the lateral direction where it enters portion 1600. This may represent an improvement in energy transport beyond the randomized distribution shown in FIG. 15 for certain applications such as image light transport.

[0200] FIG. 17 illustrates a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion 1700 of an energy relay comprising a randomized distribution of aggregated particles including component materials CES1702 and 1704. In FIG. 17, input energy 1706 is provided to be transported through portion 1700 longitudinally (y-axis) via a relay, consistent with the vertical direction of the illustration as indicated by the arrow representing energy 1706. Energy 1706 is received by portion 1700 at side 1710 and emerges from portion 1700 as energy 1708 at side 1712. Energy 1708 is illustrated by varying the size and pattern of the arrow to illustrate that it has undergone a non-uniform conversion as it is transported through portion 1700, with different portions of energy 1708 being different from the initial input energy 1706 by varying the magnitude and amount of localization in the lateral direction (x-axis) perpendicular to the longitudinal energy direction 1706.

[0201] As illustrated in FIG. 17, there may be APs such as AP1714 that have a lateral size that is too small or otherwise incompatible for the desired energy wavelength to effectively propagate from side 1710 to side 1712. Similarly, there may be APs such as AP1716 that have a lateral size that is too large or otherwise incompatible for the desired energy wavelength to effectively propagate from side 1710 to side 1712. This combined effect of the variation in energy propagation characteristics across portion 1700, which may be the result of a randomized distribution of CES particles used to form portion 1700, can limit the effectiveness and usefulness of portion 1700 as an energy-relay material.

[0202] FIG. 18 illustrates a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion 1800 of an energy-relay comprising a non-random pattern of aggregated particles of three component materials, CES1802, CES1804, and CES1806. In FIG. 18, input energy 1808 is provided to be transported longitudinally through portion 1800 via a relay, as indicated by the arrow representing energy 1808, and which is aligned with the vertical direction of the illustration. Energy 1808 is received by portion 1800 at side 1812 and appears as energy 1810 from side 1814. As illustrated in FIG. 18, output energy 1810 may have substantially uniform characteristics across the lateral direction of portion 1800. Further, input energy 1808 and output energy 1810 may share substantially unchanging characteristics such as wavelength, intensity, resolution, or any other wave propagation characteristics. This is due to the uniform size and distribution of APs along the lateral direction of portion 1800, which enables energy at each point along the lateral direction to propagate through portion 1800 in a manner that is commonly affected, which may assist in limiting any variation across the emerging energy 1810 and between the input energy 1808 and the emerging energy 1810.

[0203] Design Considerations for Ordered Energy-Relay Materials Figure 19 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transverse plane of a portion 1900 of a pre-fusion energy relay that comprises a non-random pattern of particles disposed in one of two module structures, a module structure 1908 consisting of CES1902, CES1904, and CES1906, or a module structure 1912 consisting of CES1910, CES1914, and CES1916. The inclusion of two different module structures in portion 1900 can further enable control of the longitudinal energy wave propagation through portion 1900. For example, CES1910 can be an energy absorbing material or, alternatively, can act to suppress the propagation of energy and is referred to as an energy suppressing material. In various embodiments, the energy suppressing material can suppress energy propagation through absorption, reflection, scattering, interference, or any other means known in the art. By periodically including materials having these properties throughout the non-random pattern of CES particles within portion 1900, the energy wave propagation characteristics of portion 1900 can be manipulated for desired results such as a refined numerical aperture.

[0204] In another embodiment, the energy relay can include two different module structures optimized for the transport of two different energy sources. For example, in FIG. 19, module structure 1912 can be optimized for the visible electromagnetic spectrum by CES1902, 1904, and 1906, which have a size equivalent to the wavelength of visible light and a refractive index range appropriate for the transmission of visible light, while module structure 1908 can be optimized for the transport of ultrasonic waves by CES1910, CES1914, and CES1916, which have a range of acoustic impedance values selected to transmit ultrasonic waves and each have a size equivalent to the wavelength of the acoustic waves being transmitted.

[0205] The specific non-random pattern shown in FIG. 19 is for illustrative purposes only, and one of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that there are numerous aspects of non-random patterns that can be modified, preferably to achieve the desired results, but still fall within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 19 illustrates two different module patterns 1912 and 1908. However, non-random patterns having one, two, three, or more different module patterns can exist. Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the size of the CES particles or modules can be uniform or can vary between modules. For example, modules can also exist with a particle distribution having similar patterns but varying sizes. The various ratios of different modules of the relay material or the specific arrangement of the modules within the relay material can also be adjusted. In addition, the relay material can also include non-CES elements such as intentionally included spaces or bubbles or voids that can impart some advantage to the material. Gap materials can also be included between modules or between particles within a module. It should also be recognized that manufacturing complexity can lead to defects that can cause the non-random pattern to deviate from the intended non-random pattern, and one of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that these deviations are accidental and should not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0206] FIG. 20A illustrates a perspective view of a pre-fusion module 2000 characterized by an arrangement of particles including one of three different CES materials, CES2002, CES2004, or CES2006. The particles comprising module 2000 are arranged in a non-random pattern having variable particle sizes. FIG. 20B illustrates a perspective view of module 2000 after fusion. As illustrated in FIGS. 20A and 20B, the size of the individual particles can be selected to be any preferred size. It should also be noted that when designing the module, consideration should be given to how a particular arrangement of CES particles affects the fusion process. For example, there are prominent gaps surrounding the CES particles including CES2006 in the center of FIG. 20A, but during fusion, the individual particles form AP2008 of FIG. 20B consisting of CES2006, and then the gaps are filled with the CES2006 material. This allows for significant flexibility in designing non-random pattern relay materials as well as in the manufacturing process and increases the number of possible designs.

[0207] FIG. 20C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a portion 2010 of a pre-fusion energy relay comprising a non-random pattern of particle distribution and an additional structure 2012. FIG. 20D illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a fused portion 2010 comprising particles and an additional structure 2012. In one embodiment, the additional structure 2012 can be an energy suppression structure. In a conventional optical fiber using a core-clad configuration, the energy wave propagation material is surrounded by an energy suppression cladding in order to contain energy within the propagation material. The addition of a cladding around the energy propagation material is an additional step that increases manufacturing complexity and design constraints in many cases. By incorporating a suppression structure within the pre-fusion distribution of the energy wave propagation material, the cost, complexity, and effectiveness of the suppression structure can be significantly improved. Further, by selecting the location where the suppression structure is disposed within the energy relay material in the lateral direction as well as the size of the suppression structure, it is possible to further reduce the diffusion, scattering, and interference effects of the energy wave as compared to conventional core-clad design schemes.

[0208] Figure 20E illustrates a perspective view of module 2020 of a pre-fusion energy relay comprising a non-random pattern of hexagonal particles, where each particle includes one of CES2022, CES2024, or CES2026. The boundaries of CES material regions 2022, 2024, and 2026 are straight lines. Figure 20F illustrates a perspective view of module 2020 after fusion, where the boundaries between CES material regions 2022, 2024, and 2026 are no longer perfectly straight and are in substantially the same position as the pre-fusion boundaries. Figures 20E and 20F show that the individual shapes of the particles containing the energy relay material can be designed and customized into any preferred shape or arrangement. Furthermore, by designing and arranging CES materials having a regular hexagonal shape, it becomes much easier to predict how a non-random pattern will appear when the fusion process is complete. The post-fusion module 2020 in Figure 20F is substantially the same as the pre-fusion arrangement shown in Figure 20E. In addition to this regular hexagonal tiling, which enables this advantage and is referred to as a collectively convex uniform tiling, there are several shapes and configurations of CES particles. The convex uniform tiling and their potential applications within the scope of the present disclosure are addressed in the next section of this specification.

[0209] In addition to the embodiments shown in the preceding paragraph, Figure 20G illustrates a perspective view of module 2030 of a pre-fusion energy relay comprising a non-random pattern of CES regions of irregular shape. Figure 20G shows the concept that the individual size, shape, material, or any other property of the particles can be advantageously selected based on certain design constraints that are preferably imposed. Analysis of Figure 20G reveals that despite the fact that the plurality of particles have irregular sizes or shapes, a non-random pattern still enables the use of module 2030. Thus, an energy relay material comprising modules similar to module 2030 can achieve ordered energy localization despite having many irregular substitutions and can, in fact, represent an improvement over a randomly distributed material for a particular application.

[0210] Figure 20H illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of a pre-fusion tube and a portion 2040 of a pellet system for manufacturing an energy relay, and Figure 20I illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion 2040 after fusion. Instead of providing elongated rods of CES material and then arranging them in a non-random pattern and fusing them together, it is possible to arrange some hollow bodies of CES material, fill those tubes with additional CES material, and then fuse the entire tube and pellet system to result in an energy relay material.

[0211] In Figure 20H, tube 2042 can contain CES 2044 and can be arranged adjacent to tubes 2043 and 2045, which can contain a CES material different from CES 2044. Then, tube 2042 can be filled with pellets 2046 of a material different from CES 2044. Then, a filling material 2048, which can be additional CES material, an energy suppression material, or any other preferred material, can be placed in the void or interstitial region 2041 between tubes 2042, 2043, and 2045. Then, the tubes and pellet system shown in Figure 20H can be fused to produce a portion 2040 shown in Figure 20I. Upon fusion, all of the pellets 2046 in tube 2044 can form AP 2047, and the filling material 2048 can flow to fill the interstitial region 2041. By appropriately selecting the size of the tubes, the size of the pellets, the type of material of each tube and pellet, and the type of material of any interstitial material, it is possible to use the tubes and pellet system shown in Figures 20H and 20I to produce an energy relay material that exhibits an ordered energy localization consistent with the present disclosure.

[0212] Figure 20J illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transverse plane of module 2050 of a pre-fusion energy relay comprising a non-random pattern of particles including one of CES2052, CES2054, or CES2056. CES2056 may preferably be selected as a material having energy suppression characteristics or energy absorption characteristics, and the particles including CES2056 may preferably be arranged to form a micro-sized energy suppression structure that can be embedded within the non-random pattern of module 2050. By adding the energy suppression structure to the pattern of the ordered energy localization distribution within the energy relay module, a more facile manufacturing method may be provided for controlling the energy propagation characteristics through the material, such as controlling the numerical aperture of the energy relay. Further, by leveraging the principle of ordered energy localization to control factors such as the numerical aperture, focal length, and chief ray angle, it may be possible to achieve a higher energy transport efficiency through the ordered energy localization inducing material and to reduce the amount of the suppression material.

[0213] Figure 20K illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transverse plane of module 2060 of a pre-fusion energy relay comprising a non-random pattern of particles including one of CES2052, CES2054, or CES2056 and a surrounding energy suppression material including CES2058. Also, rather than arranging the suppression structure within the non-random pattern distribution shown in Figure 20J, it is also possible to surround the non-random patterned energy relay module having the energy suppression material. This approach ensures that the energy is contained and localized within the non-random pattern of module 2060 and also ensures a reduction in the diffusion of the energy outside the boundaries of module 2060 by leveraging the energy suppression CES2058.

[0214] FIG. 21A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transverse plane of a pre-fusion energy relay 2100 that includes a flexible outer housing 2102, an end cap 2104, and an energy transport material in which energy pellets are arranged in a non-random pattern including one of CES 2106, CES 2108, or CES 2110. Relay 2100 is similar to the flexible energy relay shown in FIG. 7A, but features a non-random pattern of energy transport material rather than a randomized distribution of energy transport material. Importantly, the composition at any transverse point, such as plane 2114, should maintain the non-random pattern of CES material to effectively induce an ordered energy localization effect. Additionally, along the longitudinal direction, such as path 2116, there should be a constant amount of CES material to facilitate the propagation of longitudinal energy waves.

[0215] A system for forming the flexible relay 2100 can include providing a flexible housing 2102 and adding CES material to the flexible housing 2102 in a non-random pattern. The end cap 2104 is then positioned at a fixed position at the end of the housing 2102 to seal the CES material within the flexible relay 2100. Finally, the relay 2100 can be fused to fix the CES material at their designated positions within the non-random pattern.

[0216] There can be voids, such as void 2112, between the CES material within the flexible relay 2100. The void 2112 can preferably remain empty, and during fusion, the CES material can flow in to fill the void 2112 or a gap material can be introduced into the relay 2100 to fill the gap between the CES material. The gap material can also have energy wave propagation or energy wave suppression characteristics as desired.

[0217] FIG. 21B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a fused version of the flexible relay 2100. Importantly, the CES materials 2106, 2108, and 2110 are longitudinally continuous and can facilitate more efficient energy transport through the relay 2100.

[0218] FIG. 21C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the flexible relay 2100 in a non-fused and non-flexed state, and FIG. 21D illustrates a cross-sectional view of the flexible relay 2100 in a fused and non-flexed state. The flexible housing 2100 can be in a flexed or non-flexed state, either before or after fusion, and it should be noted that the energy transport and underlying design criteria and principles utilized in the flexible energy relay remain valid.

[0219] Method for Microscale Fabrication of an Ordered Energy Relay Microstructure FIG. 22A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a system for forming a non-random pattern of an energy-relay material (for an ordered energy localization relay of energy). In FIG. 22A, the energy-relay module 2200 is shown with a non-random pattern of particles including one of CES 2202, CES 2204, or CES 2206. As illustrated in FIG. 22A, the module 2200 can have a specific initial size that is a result of the size of the CES particles that define the module 2200, as well as a specific pattern in which the particles are arranged. As described above in the present disclosure, by applying heating along the longitudinal direction and pulling on the module 2200, it is possible to reduce the size of the module 2200 to a smaller diameter while maintaining the specific non-random pattern of the CES material that defines the module 2200. The resulting reduced-size module 2208 shown in FIG. 22B can have a non-random pattern of substantially the same material as the module 2200, but can be substantially smaller in the lateral direction and effectively change the energy wavelength region of the energy that can be effectively transported longitudinally through the module 2208. The general distribution of the CES material is maintained in the reduced-size module 2208, but the fusion process causes some local variations or deformations in the shape of the CES material regions. For example, a single rod of CES 2202 becomes CES material 2203, CES 2204 and its two continuously adjacent ones become a fusion region 2205 having approximately the same shape, and a single rod of CES 2206 is deformed into approximately hexagonal CES 2207.

[0220] FIG. 22B illustrates a cutaway view of a horizontal plane of a system for forming a non-random pattern of energy relay material and represents a fused version of module 2200 shown in FIG. 22A. The principles described with reference to FIG. 22A are also applicable to FIG. 22B. By fusing the material before pulling it into a reduced-size module 2208, the variations imposed as a result of the pulling process can be reduced, and the reduced-size energy relay can have a more predictable material distribution. In one embodiment, the fusing process can include heating the relay material to a temperature below one or more glass transition temperatures of the component-operated structure comprising the relay. In different embodiments, the relay material is heated to a temperature near one or more glass transition temperatures of the component-operated structure or near the average glass transition temperature of the component-operated structure comprising the relay. In one embodiment, the fusing process can include using a chemical reaction, optionally with a catalyst, to fuse the relay materials together. In one embodiment, the fusing process can include placing the arrangement of the component-operated structure in a constrained space and then applying heat. The constrained space can be provided by fixtures similar to those shown in FIGS. 26A-26E configured to define a constrained space 2606. In one embodiment, the fusing process can include placing the arrangement of the component-operated structure in the constrained space, applying a compressive force to the energy relay material, and then applying heat. This is particularly useful when the component-operated structure is a polymer with biaxial tension, and the compressive force prevents the material from warping or shrinking when fusing or annealing the materials together. In this way, the fusing step also includes relaxing the material and can also be referred to as the fusing and relaxation step.In one embodiment, the fusing and relaxing process may include a series of steps having process parameters, each step optionally involving various levels of catalyst and using a chemical reaction to fuse energy relay materials, constraining the placement and applying a compressive force at a desired force level, applying heat to a desired temperature that may be near one or more glass transition temperatures of the structure in which the relay components are manipulated, and applying cooling to the desired temperature. The fused and relaxed material may then be released from the constrained space after fusion is complete.

[0221] Figure 23 illustrates the continuation of process 2300 shown in Figure 22B. The module 2208 with reduced numbers of energy relays can be arranged in a group as shown in portion 2301. As described above, as shown in Figures 22A and 22B, by applying heat to module 2301 and pulling it longitudinally, while maintaining a specific non-random pattern of the CES material that defines module 2301, the size of the composite module 2301 can be tapered into smaller microstructure modules 2302. This process can be repeated using module 2302 to yield even smaller microstructure modules 2304. Any desired number of repetitions of this process can be performed to achieve the desired microstructure size. Since module 2301 consists of module 2208 that has itself shrunk, the original distribution of the CES material that defines 2208 is maintained in such a manner that 2304 also shares the same non-random pattern as portion 2301, as illustrated by the blowout 2306 of a sub-portion of portion 2304, although the lateral dimension is even smaller. The contour 2308 represents the original size of portion 2301 as compared to the reduced-size portion 2304. This process can then be repeated any number of times to yield energy relays with non-random patterns of the desired lateral size starting from larger materials. For example, a number of modules 2304 can be arranged in a similar group to 2301 and the process repeated. This system means that it is possible to form distribution patterns at the micro level without the need to manipulate individual CES materials at the microscale, and the manufacturing of energy relays can be maintained at the microscale. This can simplify the entire manufacturing process and reduce manufacturing complexity and expense. This size reduction process can also provide more accurate control of the actual lateral dimensions and patterning of the CES material, making it possible to specially adjust the relay to the desired energy wavelength region.

[0222] FIG. 24 illustrates a block diagram of a heating and pulling process for forming an energy relay material. At step 2402, first, the CES material is arranged in a desired non-random pattern. At step 2404, further, the material can be arranged in a confinement space. At step 2406, the energy relay materials are fused together within the confinement space, where the fusing / relaxing can be a series of steps, each step can include applying compressive stress to the arrangement of the energy relay material, applying heat, applying cooling, or using a chemical reaction optionally with a catalyst. At step 2408, the non-random material is removed from the confinement space. Then, at the next step 2410, the energy relay material is heated to an appropriate temperature, which can be one or more glass transition temperatures of the non-random CES material in some embodiments. Then, at step 2412, the material is pulled into microstructured rods of reduced size as shown above in FIGS. 22B and 23. Then, at step 2414, the microstructured rods of reduced size produced at step 2412 are re-arranged in a desired non-random pattern similar to the bundle 2301 in FIG. 23. The non-random arrangement of the microstructured rods can return to step 2404 again to perform confinement, fusing / relaxing, heating, pulling, and arranging to form secondary microstructured rods of reduced size similar to the microstructures 2304 shown in FIG. 23. If further heating and pulling are needed to adjust their energy transport regions for the secondary microstructured rods produced at step 2414, step 2404 can return to the use of the secondary microstructured rods, and the following steps can be repeated a desired number of times to produce an energy relay material of a desired size and configuration for relaying energy to a desired energy region including n-th order microstructured rods. At the final step 2416 of the process, the final arrangement of the microstructured rods is fused / relaxed to form the energy relay.

[0223] Figure 25 illustrates one embodiment for forming an energy relay having a reduced lateral dimension and represents a visualization of some of the steps of the process described in Figure 24. First, a material having a non-random pattern of CES, such as module 2502, is provided and subjected to confinement, fusion / relaxation, and release. The material is then heated and pulled to form module 2504 with reduced dimensions. The discontinuity seen between the original module 2502 and the reduced-dimension module 2504 is an artistic representation of the process described above, whereby the lateral dimension of the original module 2502 is reduced to that of module 2504, although these are actually the same material. When a sufficient number of reduced-dimension modules 2504 are produced, they can be reassembled in a new non-random pattern, shown at 2508. This new non-random pattern 2508 comprises a plurality of reduced-dimension modules 2504 and is then subjected to a similar process of confinement, fusion / relaxation, release, heating, and pulling to produce a reduced-dimension module, shown at 2506. The discontinuity seen between the non-random pattern 2508 and the reduced-dimension module 2506 is an artistic representation of the process described above, whereby the lateral dimension of the original distribution 2508 is reduced to that of module 2506, although these are actually the same material. This process can be repeated as desired to produce an energy relay of a preferred size, including a preferred density of energy relay material channels for relaying energy.

[0224] Fixed method for addressing biaxial stress for forming an energy relay FIG. 26A illustrates a perspective view of a system 2600 for fusing an energy relay material by attaching a pre-fusion relay material 2606 to a fixture including two pieces 2602 and 2604. The material 2606 can be arranged in a non-random pattern before being placed within the fixtures 2602 and 2604 and is then held by the non-random pattern of fixtures. In an embodiment, the non-random pattern of the material 2606 can be formed within the internal space between the fixtures after assembling the fixtures 2602 and 2604 together. In one embodiment, relaxation of the material 2606 can occur before, during, or after fusing the relay material 2606.

[0225] Figure 26B illustrates one embodiment in which fixtures 2602 and 2604 are assembled and include an energy-relay material as part of fusing the energy-relay material. The assembled fixtures 2602 and 2604, which include a non-random pattern of material 2606, can then be heated by applying heat 2614 at a suitable temperature for a suitable time. In one embodiment, the amount of time for the application and the temperability can be determined based on the material properties of the relay material, including changes in structural stress by addition or removal of heat. In one embodiment, tempering the material 2606 can be a pre-fusion process of holding the material at a temperature or within a range of temperatures for an extended period of time to relieve structural stress, including, for example, relieving the stress of a biaxial material by annealing, and can aid in the material forming a more effective bond during the fusion process. If the energy-relay material is not tempered prior to fusion, the material can "temper" after the fusion process occurs, suffer deformation or delamination from adjacent materials, or otherwise have the CES material distribution impaired by shifting in an undesirable manner. The tempering method is intended to prevent this by preparing a non-random pattern of the relay material for the fusion process such that the non-random pattern can be maintained to a greater extent after fusion. Additionally, tempering the material can aid in a more effective draw or pull of the material during the process illustrated in FIG. 24. When the tempering process is complete, the material 2606 can remain within the fixtures 2602 and 2604 when the system heats to the fusion temperature by adjusting the heat 2614 to fuse the material 2606 together, or the material can be removed from the fixtures 2602 and 2604 prior to fusion.

[0226] FIG. 26C illustrates the materials shown as 2606 in FIG. 26B that are fused together to form the fused ordered energy relay material 2608. In the illustrated embodiment, the relay material is held inside fixtures 2604 and 2602 during the relay fusion process, and then, as illustrated in FIG. 28, the resulting fused relay 2608 is removed from the fixtures. In an embodiment, the energy relay material can be removed from fixtures 2602 and 2604 prior to fusion.

[0227] In addition, in one embodiment, fixtures 2602 and 2604 can be configured to apply a compressive force 2610 to the energy relay material. The compressive force 2610 can be directed along the transverse plane of the energy relay material to provide resistance to expansion or deformation along the transverse plane when the internal stress of the material is relaxed. This compressive force 2610 can be adjustable such that the amount of the compressive force can be increased or decreased as desired in combination with the temperature change applied to the energy relay material. In an embodiment, the compressive force 2610 can be further variable along the longitudinal orientation such that different portions of the energy relay material can experience different amounts of compressive force simultaneously. This compressive force 2610 can be applied by bolts 2612 that clamp components 2602 and 2604 of the fixtures together, and the bolts 2612 are distributed along the length of the relay.

[0228] Figure 26D illustrates a perspective view of fixture 2601 for fusing energy relay material having movable strips on each inner surface of the fixture to apply a radially inward compressive force. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 26D, the inner sides of components 2602 and 2604 of the fixture may apply a force 2610 towards a restraint space 2606 defined by fixture 2601 and may be oriented towards the center of a relay material such as material 2608 from Figure 26C that may be constrained within fixture 2601 and may include movable strips 2621 extending along the length of fixture 2601. Each strip 2621 may consist primarily of a structurally rigid material such as aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, or a composite material and may be tightened via a number of bolts 2623 threaded through each side of components 2602 and 2604 of the fixture. Each strip 2621 may have a flexible surface 2622 such as a rubber fitting mounted on the inside of strip 2621, and the inner surface of flexible surface 2622 defines restraint space 2606. Flexible surface 2622 may assist in evenly distributing the force 2610 applied to each strip 2621 to the energy relay material constrained within restraint space 2606. In this embodiment, clamp bolts 2612 are used to hold components 2602 and 2604 of fixture 2601 together when force 2610 is applied to strip 2621 via tightening of bolts 2623.

[0229] FIG. 26E illustrates a cross-section of the fixture 2601 along a transverse plane of the fixture 2601. The bolt 2623 may extend through the fixture from the inside to the outside and may be screwed in to fix the bolt 2623 in place and allow adjustment of their positions. Adjusting the bolt 2623 increases or decreases the force 2610 applied to the movable strip 2621, thereby allowing adjustment of the compressive force 2610 applied to the restraint space 2606 and any energy-relay material, such as the material 2608 from FIG. 26C, that may be restrained therein. Since the individual bolts 2623 can be adjusted independently of each other, the fixture 2601 allows variation of the compressive force in both the longitudinal direction from one end of the fixture to the other and also in the transverse direction. Further, the bolts 2623 can be adjusted at different times, also allowing adjustment of the compressive force 2610 over time.

[0230] FIG. 27 illustrates a block diagram of a process for forming an energy relay. In step 2702, a CES energy-relay material is arranged in a desired non-random pattern. Then, in step 2704, the energy-relay material is fixed within a fixture. In step 2706, the fixture containing the energy-relay material arranged in a non-random pattern is subjected to one or more processing steps, each processing step may include applying a compressive force to the energy-relay material, applying heat to the energy-relay material, cooling the relay material, or fusing the relay material using a chemical reaction that may include the use of a catalyst. In one embodiment, the energy-relay material is heated to an appropriate temperature or temperature range for a desired time to sufficiently relax and fuse the material, and the compressive force on the relay material can be adjusted at different temperatures to ensure that voids are removed and the component-manipulated structural materials fuse together. Then, in step 2708, the relaxed and fused energy-relay material is removed from the fixture.

[0231] Figure 28 illustrates a perspective view of the fusion block of the ordered energy relay material 2606 after being relaxed, fused, and released from the fixtures 2602 and 2604 of FIG. 26B. At this point, the material 2608 no longer has distinguishable individual particles, but rather is a continuous block of the energy relay material having a continuous arrangement of the aggregated particles (AP) of the CES material. However, the non-random material distribution is still maintained and induces an ordered energy localization along the lateral direction of the material. At this point, the block 2608 can be subjected to additional heating and tension to reduce the lateral dimension of the block 2606 while reducing the risk of material deformation, as shown in FIGS. 22B, 23, and 25. FIG. 24 illustrates a block diagram of the overall combined process for manufacturing the microscale ordered energy relay material.

[0232] In one embodiment, some material deformation may exist. The deformation can occur during any of the processes described herein, including during the heating, tensioning, fixing, or other disclosed steps or processes described above. One of ordinary skill in the art can take care to avoid unwanted deformation of the material, but should recognize that the material can still experience unexpected deformation. For example, comparing the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 20E and 20F, FIGS. 20A and 20B, or FIGS. 26B and 26C, a slight deformation of the boundaries of the individual CES materials can be seen. This may lead to some uniqueness for each particular CES, but it should be understood that the minor deformations of the CES materials that occur during processing should not be considered when identifying the substantially non-random patterns disclosed herein and do not represent a deviation from the non-random pattern.

[0233] Due to the flexibility of the selected materials used to relay energy in accordance with the present disclosure, preferably, a flexible or partially flexible material that can be bent or deformed without impairing the structure or energy wave propagation characteristics of the material can be used to design the energy-relaying material. With respect to conventional glass optical fibers, the glass rods remain inflexible throughout mainly the entire manufacturing process, which makes manufacturing difficult and expensive. By leveraging more robust materials with greater flexibility, more inexpensive and more efficient manufacturing means can be used.

[0234] Combination of reduction of lateral dimension and method of forming fixture Figures 29A and 29B illustrate a system 3000 for efficiently manufacturing an ordered microstructure energy relay material using a rotating drum. In system 3000, an energy relay material 3004 arranged in a non-random pattern is provided and can be held in place by a fixture 3002, which can be in a form similar to fixture 2600. At 3006, a furnace or another type of forming device designed to generate the required form, size, or order of the relay material 3004 can be provided. At 3006, the material 3004 can be pulled or drawn into a flexible thread with a reduced size of the energy relay material as shown at 3008. Importantly, the lateral dimension of the material 3008 is smaller than the lateral dimension of the material 3004, but the non-random arrangement of the energy relay material present within the material 3004 is substantially maintained within the flexible material 3008. The flexible material 3008 can be conveyed by a motorized control system that can be used to maintain an appropriate speed for processing the material into a consistent size, shape, order, design, or other parameters. Alignment hardware 3010 is provided that can be configured to relay the material within the required tolerance of flexibility of the material to avoid breakage and maintain proper alignment of the material along the manufacturing process 3000. At 3012, a positioner can be provided that provides an automatic or semi-automatic geometric alignment of the flexible material 3008 for proper spacing and positioning relative to the drum 3014. The positioner can have a positioning head (not shown) with a specific shape that conforms to the flexible material 3008 and provides increased accuracy when aligning the material 3008 with the drum 3014. The drum 3014 can be a computer-controlled or motor-controlled drum that rotates at a speed corresponding to the withdrawal speed of the flexible material 3008. The drum 3014 can include a mechanical or laser / optical measurement system (not shown) to automatically adjust the speed of rotation or other movement of the drum 3014 to ensure that a consistent and accurate order is maintained. The drum 3014 can include several ordered molds 3016 along the circumference as shown in Figure 29A or a single circumferential mold 3016 as shown in Figure 29B.The ordering mold 3016 recovers the material 3008 when it is drawn from the relay material 3004, and the material has a predetermined non-random ordering maintained by the speed of the drum and the movement of the positioner 3012. The ordering mold 3016 can be any parent shape (e.g., circular, hexagonal, etc.) for fusion as desired, and generally, it is configured as a half or a partial section of a material fixture similar to the fixture 3002, and 3002 can be similar to the shape illustrated in the system 2600. In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 29B, the drum 3014 can include a single fixture extending around the circumference of the drum. As the drum 3014 rotates, the flexible material 3008 is positioned in the appropriate place within the ordering mold 3016 and ultimately fills the mold 3016, forming a second arrangement of the material 3005. When the mold 3016 is filled with the second arrangement 3005 of the flexible material 3008 having a non-random arrangement, the material 3005 can be cut at the gap site 3018 to separate the filled mold 3016. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 29B, the continuous spool of the second arrangement material 3005 can be cut at the desired location to produce segments of the desired length, whether the final product or reused through the illustrated process. Before cutting, the mold 3016 can be fused, sealed, compressed, or fixed so that the ordering of the material 3005 within the mold 3016 is maintained. This process can be repeatedly repeated by using the filled mold 3016 as the preform fixture 3002, and the second arrangement of the material 3005 can be used in place of the material 3004 at the start of the process shown in FIGS. 29A and 29B until the desired energy-relay material is obtained.

[0235] The embodiment of the second arrangement of the material 3005 comprises a plurality of segments of the flexible material 3008, which is a version with reduced lateral dimensions of the energy-relay material 3004 arranged in a non-random pattern themselves. Thus, this embodiment of the second arrangement of the material 3005 comprises a plurality of miniaturized non-random arrangements of the energy-relay material, and thus, the ordering energy localization inducing material is also considered to be in a non-random arrangement.

[0236] Once the second arrangement of the material 3005 is obtained, it can be reused through the illustrated process to replace the energy relay material 3004. The result of reusing the second arrangement 3005 is a corresponding third arrangement (not shown) that itself comprises a plurality of miniaturized (reduced lateral dimension) segments of the second arrangement 3005. This process can be repeated any number of times in order to bring the material to have a lateral dimension such that the original non-random arrangement of the energy relay material (originally present within material 3004) is configured at this point to localize energy in a desired region (such as a desired frequency range in the case of optical energy).

[0237] In one embodiment, the fixture 3002 that secures the energy relay material 3004 can be further configured to apply a compressive force to the material in order to force the material 3004 through the forming device 3006 and facilitate reformation of the material into the reduced lateral dimension material 3008. In another embodiment, the fixture 3002 can instead be configured to apply an external force to the material by, for example, an electric motor or other similar source of force, in order to ultimately force the relay material 3004 through the forming device 3006.

[0238] Optimized ordered shapes for ordered energy localization Heretofore, a number of different shapes for the preforms of CES particles and materials have been illustrated. One aspect of the present disclosure is that any arrangement or shape of the material can be utilized so long as the material comprises the non-random pattern discussed above. However, the shape of the pre-fused relay material can have a significant impact on the efficiency of localization and the energy propagation characteristics of the material. In one embodiment, a particular shape known as a convex uniform tiling can provide an advantageous distribution of the relay material by arranging the material in an efficient configuration.

[0239] In general, a tiling or mosaic is an arrangement of geometric shapes where there is substantially no overlap between the shapes and no appreciation between the shapes. A mosaic can be arranged in two dimensions on a planar surface using planar shapes or in three dimensions using volumetric structures. Further, within the area of tiling, there are subtypes. For example, a regular tiling is a mosaic where each tile is of the same shape. There are numerous irregular tilings that comprise a set of two or more shapes configured in a mosaic-like manner that match each other. There are also aperiodic tilings that have no repeating pattern, as well as aperiodic tilings that use a set of repeating tile shapes that cannot form a repeating pattern, such as Penrose tilings. All subtypes of tiling are within the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that while the definition of tiling excludes the presence of gaps or voids between tiles, there are real-world circumstances that sometimes result in a deviation from the strict definition, and it should be clear that the presence of a slight gap or void between certain tiles should not be considered a deviation from a particular tiling or mosaic pattern.

[0240] In the case of relaying in a particular energy region, there may also be a desirability to use air as a CES energy transport material that can be incorporated into the tiling patterns disclosed herein. Thus, the presence or gap of air between other types of CES tiles can be an intentionally designed gap and, in certain embodiments, can be a continuation of the mosaic.

[0241] Mosaics can also be implemented in higher dimensions such as three-dimensional space. The same principles disclosed above are applied to these mosaics.

[0242] A Laves tiling has vertices at the centers of regular polyhedra, for example, and edges that connect the centers of regular polyhedra sharing an edge. The tiles of a Laves tiling are called planigons and include three regular tiles (triangle, square, and pentagon) and eight irregular tiles. Each vertex has edges evenly spaced around it. The three-dimensional analogs of planigons are called stereohedrons.

[0243] All reflective forms can be created by the Wythoff construction, represented by a Wythoff symbol or a Coxeter-Dynkin diagram, each operating on one of three Schwarz triangles (4,4,2), (6,3,2), or (3,3,3) by a symmetry represented by the Coxeter group [4,4], [6,3], or [3[3]]. Only one uniform tiling cannot be constructed by the Wythoff process but can be made by an extension of the triangular tiling. There is also a right-angled mirror configuration [∞,2,∞] that can be regarded as two sets of parallel mirrors creating a rectangular fundamental region. When the region is a square, this symmetry can be doubled to the [4,4] family by a diagonal mirror. We disclose shapes that can be utilized.

[0244] The percolation model consists of a regular lattice such as a square lattice and makes it a random network by randomly "occupying" sites (vertices) or bonds (edges) with a statistically independent probability p. The threshold p c at which large structures and long-range connectivity first appear is called the percolation threshold. Depending on the method for obtaining the random network, a distinction is made between the site percolation threshold and the bond percolation threshold. More general systems have multiple probabilities p1, p2, etc., and the transitions characterize surfaces or manifolds. It can also be regarded as a continuous system such as overlapping disks and randomly placed spheres, or negative space.

[0245] When the occupancy of sites or bonds is completely random, this is so-called Bernoulli percolation. In the case of a continuous system, random occupancy corresponds to points placed by a Poisson process. Further variations include correlated percolation such as the percolation structures related to the ferromagnetic Ising and Potts models where bonds are represented by the Fortuin-Kasteleyn method. In bootstrap or k-sat percolation, sites and / or bonds are first occupied if the site has at least k neighbors and then sequentially screened from the system. Another important model of percolation, in a completely different universality class, is induced percolation where the connectivity along bonds depends on the direction of the flow.

[0246] Briefly, two-dimensional duality means that all fully triangulated lattices (e.g., triangular, union jack, cross dual, Martini dual, and hemp leaf, or 3 - 12 dual, and Delaunay triangulation) all have a site threshold of 1 / 2, and self-dual lattices (square, Martini B) have a bond threshold of 1 / 2.

[0247] Utilizing a tiled structure can have the result of changing each holographic pixel aspect ratio and, on the other hand, providing variations in the spatial and / or volumetric view.

[0248] Reduction of moiré or repeating patterns can also provide an improvement in effective resolution and, at the same time, a higher potential level of accuracy (increase in depth of field) due to the various convergence positions that can be targeted. The improvement in the efficiency of resolution can also be achieved by packing more effective resolution into potential dimensions in a way that is more ideal for its application by not necessarily utilizing a single orientation or pattern repetition.

[0249] In FIGS. 30 to 58G, a plurality of embodiments of patterns representing the spatial distribution of relay materials in a plane transverse to the longitudinal direction of energy wave propagation are illustrated, in which the energy waves in this transverse plane are spatially localized through the principle of localization of the ordering energy.

[0250] FIG. 30 illustrates a cutaway view of a transverse plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of two different energy-relay materials having one of two shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 30 is a square tiling (or cardile tiling).

[0251] FIG. 31 illustrates a cutaway view of a transverse plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy-relay materials having one of two shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 31 is a truncated square tiling (or truncated cardile).

[0252] FIG. 32 illustrates a cutaway view of a transverse plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy-relay materials having one of two shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 32 is a modified version of the truncated square tiling.

[0253] FIG. 33 illustrates a cutaway view of a transverse plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of two different energy-relay materials all sharing the same shape. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 33 is a tetrakis square tiling (kisquadrille).

[0254] FIG. 34 illustrates a cutaway view of a transverse plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of two different energy-relay materials having one of two shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 34 is a snub square tiling (snub cardile).

[0255] FIG. 35 illustrates a cutaway view of a transverse plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of two different energy-relay materials all sharing the same shape. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 35 is a Cairo pentagonal tiling (4-fold pentille).

[0256] FIG. 36 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy-relay materials, all sharing the same shape. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 36 is a hextille.

[0257] FIG. 37 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of two different energy-relay materials, all sharing the same shape. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 37 is a deltille.

[0258] FIG. 38 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of two different energy-relay materials having one of two shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 38 is a hexadeltille.

[0259] FIG. 39 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy-relay materials, all sharing the same shape. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 39 is a rhombille.

[0260] FIG. 40 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy-relay materials having one of two shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 40 is a truncated hextille.

[0261] FIG. 41 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy-relay materials, all sharing the same shape. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 41 is a kisdeltille.

[0262] FIG. 42 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy-relay materials having one of three shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 42 is a rhombihexadeltille.

[0263] Figure 43 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials, all sharing the same shape. The specific tiling shown in Figure 43 is a delta-shaped triple hexagonal tiling (tetrille).

[0264] Figure 44 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials, one having one of three shapes. The specific tiling shown in Figure 44 is a truncated triple hexagonal tiling (truncated hexadeltille).

[0265] Figure 45 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of two different energy relay materials, all sharing the same shape. The specific tiling shown in Figure 45 is a kisrhombille tiling.

[0266] Figure 46 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials, one having one of two shapes. The specific tiling shown in Figure 46 is a snub triple hexagonal tiling (snub hextille).

[0267] Figure 47 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials, all sharing the same shape. The specific tiling shown in Figure 47 is a floret pentagonal tiling (6-fold pentille).

[0268] Figure 48 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of four different energy relay materials, one having one of two shapes. The specific tiling shown in Figure 48 is an elongated triangular tiling (isosnub kadrille).

[0269] Figure 49 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of two different energy relay materials, all sharing the same shape. The specific tiling shown in Figure 49 is a prism pentagonal tiling (iso(4-)pentille).

[0270] Figure 50 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials having one of two shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 50 is a triple hexagonal tiling.

[0271] Figure 51 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials having one of three shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 51 is a rhombille triple hexagonal tiling.

[0272] Figure 52 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials having one of three shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 52 is a truncated triple hexagonal tiling.

[0273] Figure 53 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials having one of two shapes. The particular tiling shown in FIG. 53 is a snub hexagonal tiling.

[0274] Figure 54 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the non-convex surfaces of four different energy relay materials having one of two shapes.

[0275] Figure 55 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials all sharing the same shape.

[0276] Figure 56 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of three different energy relay materials having one of two shapes.

[0277] Figure 57 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a horizontal plane of a uniform tiling of the convex surfaces of four different energy relay materials having one of two shapes.

[0278] Figures 58A - 58G illustrate cross - sectional views of a planar surface of a uniform tiling of one, two, three, or more additional convex surfaces of different energy - relay materials.

[0279] The patterns illustrated in FIGS. 30 - 58G can be utilized not only to represent the distribution of relay materials, but can also be added to design an energy waveguide array that projects energy from a particular location on the energy - relay surface at a particular angle in space. For example, in the visible electromagnetic energy spectrum, the above - mentioned patterns can bring about an ordering for projection patterns that cannot be achieved via a typical regularly - spaced microlens array pattern, by representing varying aperture sizes, aperture orientations, and different effective focal lengths across the lens array.

[0280] The tilings shown in FIGS. 30 - 58G are merely illustrative, and the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to these illustrated tilings.

[0281] Higher - dimensional ordered energy localization In addition to the shapes previously disclosed herein that were all cross - sectional and planar, at this point, additional multi - dimensional non - random patterns of energy - relay materials are introduced. By arranging specific three - dimensional shapes composed of various CES materials into the disclosed non - random patterns, it becomes possible to form non - random energy - relays using three - dimensional non - random patterns that can exhibit an ordered energy - localization effect.

[0282] The three-dimensional shapes can be configured such that they can be made into a three-dimensional mosaic. This allows for an efficient way to arrange the CES materials three-dimensionally with substantially no gaps between the materials. Further, the three-dimensional shapes can be all similar or selected from a set of shapes configured in a three-dimensional mosaic, and embodiments thereof are disclosed below. FIG. 59 illustrates a perspective view of a disassembled assembly of an ordered pyramid 6000 comprising three different CES materials 6004, 6006, and 6008. In FIG. 59, there are three square pyramids of CES 6004, two square pyramids of CES 6006, and one square pyramid of CES 6008. By combining the six square pyramids shown in FIG. 59, a solid cube of energy relay material can be formed. After assembly, the cube of material can exhibit energy localization in both the lateral and longitudinal orientations. The energy propagation path 6002 can be seen to move through three square pyramid shapes of similar CES material 6004, which is shaded gray in FIG. 59. The three-dimensional arrangement of different CES materials can be configured to localize the energy transport in the lateral plane of the energy relay and can be further configured to facilitate the propagation of energy in the longitudinal plane of the energy relay, consistent with the ordered energy localization principle disclosed herein.

[0283] FIG. 60 illustrates a perspective view of a partially disassembled configuration of an assembly of an ordered pyramid 6000 including CES materials 6004, 6006, and 6008. By separating only the pyramids of CES 6004, it can be seen that the path 6002 creates a longitudinal energy propagation path that propagates only along the material of CES 6004 and can exhibit an energy localization effect. When the ordered pyramid 6000 is assembled into the volumetric structure 6300 shown in FIG. 62, the path 6002 becomes substantially straight and extends through only the similar CES 6004 material. The remaining three pyramids of CES 6006 and 6008 are then moved to positions that interlock with the CES 6004 pyramids.

[0284] The solid assembly can be formed via any method, including heat, fusion, chemical methods, time, adhesives, molding, or any method of forming relay materials previously disclosed herein. As illustrated in FIG. 60, longitudinal localization with an ordering energy localization property can be maintained when the non-random distribution criteria are appropriately applied considering not only the cross-section but also the dimensions.

[0285] FIG. 61 illustrates a perspective view of an extended assembly of an ordering pyramid 6001 that includes three different CES materials 6004, 6006, and 6008. The original six square pyramids of the material formation assembly 6000 from FIGS. 59 and 60 can be seen at the center of the extended assembly 6001. An additional pyramid 6010 that includes one of the original three CES materials can also be seen abutting the central cube and extending outwardly from the assembly 6000 with a particular CES material type. The plurality of square pyramid-shaped material formation assemblies 6000, in addition to the additional square pyramid-shaped material 6010, act as sub-structures that form a composite shape with a rhombic dodecahedron when combined with the extended assembly 6001. The longitudinal cross-section of the extended assembly 6001 can be seen at 6012, and the cross-section can be seen at 6014.

[0286] To enable the self-alignment of a number of volume-type structures, various forms of interlocking and irregular dimensional shapes are disclosed. In FIG. 61, the rhombic dodecahedron is illustrated by appropriate ordering considering the provision of appropriate localization in any orientation and also considering the boundary conditions that form the interlocking of adjacent volume-type structures.

[0287] The assembled (or otherwise processed) assembly forms a one-dimensional geometric shape that is designed such that all space is dimensionally filled. Nevertheless, there is a possibility of an incomplete shape where fusion or other processes (including liquid light materials or others) may be applied to fill the remaining gaps. However, the ability to form or manufacture any of these geometric forms with order is thought to provide the ability to directly or indirectly generate these manufactured ordered shapes, which can be generated more easily without the need for a number of additional manufacturing steps (such as pulling, fusing, material collection drums, etc.), and can interlock and self-align with each other and maintain an appropriate non-random configuration regardless of the individual rotation / placement of each volumetric structure.

[0288] Throughout the medium of the volumetric structure, ordered energy localization is maintained for efficient energy propagation when forming a mosaic with other volumetric structures.

[0289] FIG. 62 illustrates a perspective view of an assembled ordered volumetric structure 6300. A plurality of structures 6300 can be arranged in three-dimensional space to generate an energy relay having a non-random patterning of a three-dimensional material capable of inducing an energy localization effect in the longitudinal and transverse (not shown) directions along a propagation path 6302 and the like. The propagation path 6302 can be substantially straight through the volumetric structure 6300. In one embodiment, energy propagation along a substantially straight longitudinal propagation path 6302 through the volumetric structure may experience a higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal direction due to the localization effect described herein.

[0290] FIG. 63 illustrates a perspective view of a plurality of ordered volumetric structures 6300 from the geometric mosaic of FIG. 62 having boundary conditions that allow for efficient localization of energy.

[0291] For the interlocking design of a rhombic dodecahedron or any other desired dimensional configuration, the volumetric structures can be aligned together to fill all remaining space within the volume and appropriately account for the localization of the ordering energy. These structures can be formed together with vibrations, pressure, vacuum, heat, liquids, gases, or any other processes to interlock them together and form materials with the fewest possible gaps. Further processing (compression, heat, fusion, etc.) as defined in the previous section can be further applied, and these structures can be considered as dimensional preforms for receiving all other disclosed inventions. Additionally, it can include a number of patterns, a number of dimensional interlocking (or non-interlacing) shapes, a number of sizes, patterns, etc. for considering various energy propagation and localization designs. It should also be noted that the resulting interlocking structure may not be solid and may potentially be a flexible structure that allows liquids or the ordered structure to be moved for various applications.

[0292] The ordered energy localization volume type structure used in manufacturing the energy relay material may have further characteristics to assist the manufacturing process. For example, the non-random volume type structure may be characterized by a mechanism for orienting the structure in space. The structure may, for example, be weighted on one side or have a magnetic moment and react to a magnetic field to orient itself in a specific direction in space. By carefully controlling these characteristics, it may be possible to self-assemble or partially self-assemble the ordered volume type structure into the energy relay material. In one embodiment, each of a plurality of ordered volume type structures may have a specific electric dipole moment and may exist within a common incompressible medium. When an electromagnetic field is applied to the plurality of structures, the electromagnetic field may orient itself so that they can be effectively compressed within the energy relay assembly. There may be other ways to orient the ordered volume type structure other than weighting and electrical / magnetic polarization, and it may also include manual or computer-controlled mechanical operation of the structure. Certain embodiments of the CES volume type structure may further be self-assembling due to their specific engineered characteristics. For example, embodiments may be able to self-orient when introduced in large quantities to each other or may be stimulated to cause ordering of the volume type structure.

[0293] FIG. 64 illustrates a perspective view of an assembly 6500 with additional ordered volume type structures 6300 and shows that they can be added in all dimensions to form a much larger assembly to achieve the desired size or configuration.

[0294] FIG. 65A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the assembly 6500 of the structure 6300 from FIG. 64 in the lateral direction. When appropriately designed by the ordered energy localization, as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 65A, these shapes maintain a higher order of similar materials for localization in the longitudinal orientation, and also may exhibit further suppressing the energy propagation in the lateral orientation, so that the same "rules" can be applied to any given cross-section of the resulting material after processing / formation. Multiple non-viable propagation paths 6602 are illustrated showing how the design of the ordered volume type structure can suppress the lateral energy propagation through the assembly 6500.

[0295] FIG. 65B illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the assembly 6500 of the ordered volume type structure of the energy-relay material. The dot regions such as region 6702 are positions attached to the entire or back surface of the cross-section that allow the longitudinal propagation of energy. The ordering of the material in FIG. 65B requires ordering one of the dimensions in an appropriate orientation (e.g., the axis cannot be changed), but all other aspects of the design can rotate freely. The wavy solid line passing through 6500 indicates a possible energy propagation path 6302 where the variation of the manipulated characteristics is minimized and the energy propagation is promoted. The propagation path 6302 may be substantially straight in a three-dimensional sense, but is illustrated as wavy due to the way the cross-sectional view of FIG. 65B is represented.

[0296] FIGS. 66A-66C, FIGS. 67A-67C, FIGS. 68A-68F, FIGS. 69A-69C, FIGS. 70A-70C, and FIG. 71 illustrate multiple variations and figures of the concept of the ordered volume type structure that utilize various shapes and configurations embodying the principles disclosed herein to form an assembly having a non-random arrangement of materials that induce ordered energy localization in one or more planes of the assembly throughout.

[0297] FIGS. 66A and 66C illustrate embodiments of the volume type structure with three different sub-structures, while FIG. 66B illustrates an embodiment of the volume type structure with two different sub-structures.

[0298] Figures 67A - 67C illustrate assemblies of a plurality of different volumetric structures having differently shaped sub - structures.

[0299] Figures 68A - 68F illustrate further embodiments of volumetric structures having different sub - structure components, as well as wire models that illustrate the internal structure of an embodiment of a particular volumetric structure.

[0300] Figure 69A illustrates one embodiment of a plurality of volumetric structures arranged within an assembly, while Figures 69B and 69C illustrate cross - sectional views of the assembly shown in Figure 69A along the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively.

[0301] Figure 70A illustrates one embodiment of a plurality of volumetric structures arranged within an assembly, while Figures 70B and 70C illustrate cross - sectional views of the assembly shown in Figure 70A along the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively.

[0302] Figure 71 illustrates one embodiment of an assembly of two different volumetric structures, where the first volumetric structure is mosaically configured at the vertices of a plurality of larger second volumetric structures.

[0303] Although various embodiments in accordance with the principles disclosed herein have been described above, it should be understood that those embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration only and are not limiting. Accordingly, the breadth and scope of the present invention(s) should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the claims of the present disclosure and their equivalents. Further, the above advantages and features are provided in the described embodiments, but do not limit the application of such claims of origin to processes and structures that achieve any or all of the above advantages.

[0304] It should be understood that the principle features of the present disclosure can be used in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will be able to recognize or identify many equivalents to the specific procedures described herein using only routine experimentation. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure and are covered by the claims.

[0305] Furthermore, the section headings herein are provided to give consistency with the suggestions under 37 CFR 1.77 or to otherwise provide a structural cue. These headings are not intended to limit or characterize the invention(s) recited in any claim of the present disclosure. Specifically, by way of example, even if a heading refers to the "Field of the Invention", the claims should not be limited by the language of this heading for purposes of describing the so-called technical field. Further, the description of the technology in the "Background of the Invention" section should not be construed as an admission that the technology is prior art to any invention(s) within the present disclosure. The "Summary" is never to be considered as a characterization of the invention(s) recited in the claims at issue. Further, the use of the singular "invention" within the present disclosure should not be used to assert that there is only a single novelty within the present disclosure. Multiple inventions may be described in accordance with the limitations of the multiple claims derived from the present disclosure, and accordingly, such claims define the inventions(s) and their equivalents protected thereby. In all instances, the scope of such claims will be considered on their own merits in light of the present disclosure, but should not be constrained by the headings set forth herein.

[0306] When used in conjunction with the term "comprising" in the claims and / or the specification, the words "a" or "an" can mean "one", but it is also consistent with the meanings of "one or more", "at least one", and "one or more than one". The term "or" as used in the claims is used to mean "and / or" unless explicitly referring only to alternatives or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, but the present disclosure supports definitions that refer only to alternatives and to "and / or". Throughout this application, the term "about" is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent error variation of the device, and the method is used to determine that value or the variation that exists during the research problem. Generally, but subject to the foregoing considerations, values in this specification modified by approximating words such as "about" or "substantially" can vary by at least ±1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, or 15% from the stated value.

[0307] As used in this specification and the claims (if any), the word "comprising" (and any form of "including" such as "contains" and "contain") is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

[0308] Words related to comparison, measurement, and timing such as "at the time", "equivalent", "during", "complete", etc. should be understood to mean "substantially at the time", "substantially equivalent", "substantially during", "substantially complete", etc., where "substantially" means that such comparison, measurement, and timing are practical in order to achieve the desired result, either implicitly or explicitly described. Words related to the relative position of elements such as "near", "proximate to", "adjacent to", etc. shall be taken to mean close enough to substantially affect the interaction of the respective system elements. Other words of approximation are similarly understood to refer to conditions that, while not necessarily considered absolute or complete when so modified, would be considered close enough for one of ordinary skill in the art to warrant specifying the condition as being present. The degree to which the description may vary depends on how great a change is brought about, and one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize modified features that still have the required characteristics and capabilities of the unmodified features.

[0309] As used herein, the term "or combinations thereof" refers to all permutations and combinations of the listed items preceding that term. For example, "A, B, C, or combinations thereof" is intended to include at least one of A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and, where order is important in a particular context, BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB as well. Continuing with this example, combinations including repetitions of one or more items or terms such as BB, AAA, AB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, etc. are explicitly included. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand, unless clearly apparent from the context, that typically there is no limit to the number of items or terms in any combination.

[0310] All of the compositions and / or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. The compositions and methods of the present disclosure are described from the perspective of preferred embodiments, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various variations can be applied to the compositions and / or methods, as well as to the steps or the order of steps of the methods described herein, without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the present disclosure. All such similar substitutions and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of the spirit, scope, and concept of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0311] [Item 1] An energy relay, comprising a plurality of modules assembled within a structure, each module having a first component-operated structure and a second component-operated structure, wherein each module within the structure has an arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures in a substantially non-random pattern within a horizontal plane of the energy relay. The first and second component-operated structures are configured to cooperate to transport energy along a longitudinal plane that is perpendicular to the transverse plane. The energy relay has a substantially higher energy transport efficiency in the longitudinal plane than in the transverse plane. [Item 2] The energy relay according to item 1, wherein both the first and second component-operated structures are configured to transport at least 10% of the energy transported along the longitudinal plane. [Item 3] The energy relay according to item 1, wherein both the first and second component-operated structures are configured to transport energy through means other than internal reflection. [Item 4] The energy relay according to item 1, further comprising a third component-operated structure. [Item 5] The energy relay according to item 4, wherein the plurality of modules further comprise the third component-operated structure, and the third component-operated structure is arranged in the substantially non-random pattern within the transverse plane. [Item 6] The energy relay according to item 4, wherein the third component-operated structure is arranged in a gap region between the plurality of modules within the structure. [Item 7] The energy relay according to item 4, wherein the third component-operated structure is configured to transport energy along the longitudinal plane. [Item 8] Furthermore, the energy relay according to item 4, wherein the third component-operated structure is configured to suppress energy transport within the transverse plane. [Item 9] The energy relay according to item 1, wherein the plurality of modules are periodically distributed across the transverse plane of the energy relay. [Item 10] Furthermore, the substantially non-random pattern of the first and second component-operated structures in the transverse plane of the energy relay comprises a transverse distortion of the substantially non-random pattern, the energy relay according to item 1. [Item 11] The energy relay according to item 10, wherein the transverse distortion comprises a distortion of the boundary between adjacent first and second component-operated structures. [Item 12] The energy relay according to item 1, wherein the energy relay includes a first surface and a second surface, and the energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface travels along a path substantially parallel to the longitudinal plane. [Item 13] The energy is electromagnetic energy, and the variability of the refractive index between the first component-operated structure and the second component-operated structure is spatially localized in the transverse plane of the energy relay, resulting in the electromagnetic energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface, the energy relay according to item 12. [Item 14] The energy is mechanical energy in the form of a sound wave, and the variability of the acoustic impedance between the first component-operated structure and the second component-operated structure is spatially localized in the transverse plane of the energy relay, resulting in the sound wave propagating between the first surface and the second surface, the energy relay according to item 12. [Item 15] The energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface has a first spatial resolution when passing through the first surface and a second spatial resolution of about 50% or more of the first spatial resolution when passing through the second surface, the energy relay according to item 12. [Item 16] The first surface has a surface area different from that of the second surface, the energy relay further comprises an inclined profile portion between the first surface and the second surface, and the energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface is spatially expanded or spatially reduced. The energy relay according to item 12. [Item 17] The energy relay according to item 16, wherein the inclined profile portion is angled, linear, curved, tapered, fluted, or aligned at an angle non-perpendicular to the longitudinal plane. [Item 18] The energy having a uniform profile shown on the first surface passes through the second surface and substantially fills a cone with an opening angle of + / - 10 degrees with respect to the perpendicular to the second surface, regardless of the position on the second surface. The energy relay according to item 12. [Item 19] The energy relay according to item 12, wherein the energy relay includes a plurality of relay elements stacked in an end-to-end configuration in the longitudinal direction, a first element of the plurality of elements includes the first surface, and a second element of the plurality of elements includes the second surface. [Item 20] The first surface is configured to receive the energy from an energy source unit, and the energy source unit includes a mechanical envelope having a width different from at least one of the widths of the first surface and the second surface. The energy relay according to item 12 [Item 21] At least one of the first surface or the second surface is any one of a concave surface, a convex surface, or a flat surface, and the flat surface is inclined with a surface normal angled with respect to the path substantially parallel to the longitudinal plane. The energy relay according to item 12. [Item 22] The energy relay according to item 1, wherein each of the first component-operated structure and the second component-operated structure comprises at least one energy relay of atoms or subatomic particles, glass, carbon, optical fiber, optical film, polymer, or a mixture thereof. [Item 23] The energy relay according to item 1, wherein each of the first and second component-operated structures further comprises a cross-sectional shape of one or more shapes along the horizontal plane. [Item 24] The energy relay according to item 23, wherein the substantially non-random pattern in the horizontal plane of the energy relay comprises tiles of the cross-sectional shape of the first and second component-operated structures such that there is substantially no gap between the first component-operated structure and the second component-operated structure along the horizontal plane of the energy relay. [Item 25] An energy relay, comprising a plurality of first and second component-operated structures, each comprising a cross-sectional shape of one or more shapes along the horizontal plane of the energy relay, wherein the plurality of first and second component-operated structures are arranged substantially in a tiled pattern across the horizontal plane of the energy relay, and the energy relay has a substantially higher energy transport efficiency along the longitudinal plane than along the horizontal plane. [Item 26] The energy relay according to item 25, wherein at least one of the one or more shapes of the set comprises a polygon. [Item 27] The energy relay according to item 26, wherein the polygon of the one or more shapes of the set is convex. [Item 28] The energy relay according to item 25, wherein the plurality of first and second component-operated structures are configured to cooperate to transport energy along the longitudinal plane of the energy relay. [Item 29] The energy relay according to item 28, wherein both the first and second component-operated structures are configured to transport at least 10% of the energy transported along the longitudinal plane. [Item 30] The energy relay according to item 28, wherein both the first and second component-operated structures are configured to transport energy through means other than internal reflection. [Item 31] The energy relay according to item 25, further comprising a plurality of third component-operated structures, each having a cross-sectional shape of one or more of the set along the transverse plane of the energy relay. [Item 32] The energy relay according to item 31, wherein the tile across the transverse plane of the energy relay further comprises the plurality of third component-operated structures. [Item 33] The energy relay according to item 31, wherein the plurality of third component-operated structures are arranged separately from the tile across the transverse plane of the energy relay. [Item 34] The energy relay according to item 31, wherein the plurality of third component-operated structures are configured to cooperate with the first and second component-operated structures to transport energy along the longitudinal plane of the energy relay. [Item 35] The energy relay according to item 31, wherein the plurality of third component-operated structures are configured to absorb energy propagating within the transverse plane of the energy relay. [Item 36] The energy relay of item 25, having lateral distortion of the tile. [Item 37] The energy relay according to item 36, wherein the lateral distortion includes distortion of the boundary between adjacent tiles of the tile. [Item 38] The energy relay of item 28, wherein the energy relay includes a first surface and a second surface, and the energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface travels along a path that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal plane. [Item 39] The energy relay according to item 38, wherein the energy is electromagnetic energy, and the variability of the refractive index between the first component-operated structure and the second component-operated structure is spatially localized within the transverse plane of the energy relay, resulting in the electromagnetic energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface. [Item 40] The energy relay according to item 38, wherein the energy is mechanical energy, and the variability of the acoustic impedance between the first component-operated structure and the second component-operated structure is spatially localized within the transverse plane of the energy relay, resulting in the propagation of sound between the first surface and the second surface. [Item 41] The energy relay according to item 38, wherein the energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface has a first spatial resolution when passing through the first surface and a second spatial resolution of 50% or more of the first spatial resolution when passing through the second surface. [Item 42] The energy relay according to item 38, wherein the first surface has a different surface area from the second surface, the energy relay further includes an inclined profile portion between the first surface and the second surface, and the energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface is spatially expanded or spatially reduced. [Item 43] The energy relay according to item 42, wherein the inclined profile portion is angled, linear, curved, tapered, fluted, or aligned at an angle non-perpendicular to the longitudinal plane. [Item 44] The energy relay according to item 38, wherein the energy having a uniform profile shown on the first surface passes through the second surface and substantially fills a cone with an opening angle of + / - 10 degrees with respect to the perpendicular to the second surface, regardless of the position on the second surface. [Item 45] The energy relay according to item 38, wherein the energy relay includes a plurality of relay elements stacked end-to-end in the longitudinal direction, a first element of the plurality of elements includes the first surface, and a second element of the plurality of elements includes the second surface. [Item 46] The energy relay according to item 38, wherein the first surface is configured to receive the energy from an energy source unit, and the energy source unit includes a mechanical envelope having a width different from at least one of the widths of the first surface and the second surface. [Item 47] The energy relay according to item 38, wherein at least one of the first surface or the second surface is any one of a concave surface, a convex surface, or a flat surface, and the flat surface is inclined with a surface perpendicular angled with respect to a path substantially parallel to the longitudinal plane. [Item 48] The energy relay according to item 25, wherein each of the first component-operated structure and the second component-operated structure includes at least one of any atomic or subatomic particle, glass, carbon, optical fiber, optical film, polymer, or a mixture thereof. [Item 49] An energy relay, comprising a plurality of volume-type structures configured in a volumetrically mosaic pattern, each comprising one or more component-operated structures. The plurality of volumetric structures are arranged in an assembly substantially following a three-dimensional mosaic of the volumetric structures, the assembly being configured to transport energy longitudinally therethrough and having a substantially higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal direction than in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The three-dimensional mosaic of the volumetric structures is configured such that there is at least one substantially straight path passing through the volumetric mosaic, the substantially straight path coinciding with only similarly component-operated structures and being oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction, an energy relay. [Item 50] The energy relay according to item 49, wherein the plurality of volumetric structures have a rhombic dodecahedron shape. [Item 51] The energy relay according to item 49, wherein each of the plurality of volumetric structures includes a plurality of sub-structures, and each sub-structure includes one of a first, second, or third component-operated structure. [Item 52] The energy relay according to item 51, wherein each of the first, second, or third component-operated structures includes at least one of any atomic or sub-atomic particles, glass, carbon, optical fiber, optical film, polymer, or mixtures thereof. [Item 53] The energy relay according to item 51, wherein each sub-structure of the plurality of sub-structures has a square pyramid shape and is configured to be assembled into the rhombic dodecahedron shape. [Item 54] The energy relay according to item 49, wherein the substantially straight path coincides with only one of the first, second, or third component-operated structures. [Item 55] The energy relay according to item 49, wherein the energy relay includes a first surface and a second surface, and the energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface travels along a path that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction. [Item 56] The energy is electromagnetic energy, and the variability of the refractive index between the structures in which the one or more components are operated is spatially localized in the lateral direction of the energy relay, resulting in the propagation of the electromagnetic energy between the first surface and the second surface. The energy relay according to item 55. [Item 57] The energy is mechanical energy, and the variability of the acoustic impedance between the structures in which the one or more components are operated is spatially localized in the lateral direction of the energy relay, resulting in the propagation of sound between the first surface and the second surface. The energy relay according to item 55. [Item 58] The energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface has a first spatial resolution when passing through the first surface and a second spatial resolution of 50% or more of the first spatial resolution when passing through the second surface. The energy relay according to item 55. [Item 59] The first surface has a different surface area from the second surface, the energy relay further includes an inclined profile portion between the first surface and the second surface, and the energy propagating between the first surface and the second surface is spatially expanded or spatially reduced. The energy relay according to item 55. [Item 60] The inclined profile portion is angular, linear, curved, tapered, fluted, or aligned at an angle non-perpendicular to the vertical axis of the energy relay. The energy relay according to item 59. [Item 61] The energy having a uniform profile shown on the first surface passes through the second surface and substantially fills a cone with an opening angle of + / - 10 degrees with respect to the perpendicular to the second surface, regardless of the position on the second surface. The energy relay according to item 55. [Item 62] The energy relay according to item 55, wherein the energy relay includes a plurality of relay elements stacked in an end-to-end configuration in the longitudinal direction, a first element of the plurality of elements includes the first surface, and a second element of the plurality of elements includes the second surface. [Item 63] The energy relay according to item 55, wherein the first surface is configured to receive the energy from an energy source unit, and the energy source unit includes a mechanical envelope having a width different from at least one of the widths of the first surface and the second surface. [Item 64] The energy relay according to item 55, wherein at least one of the first surface or the second surface is any one of a concave surface, a convex surface, or a flat surface, and the flat surface is inclined with a surface normal angled with respect to a path substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction. [Item 65] A method for fusing an energy relay, comprising: providing a plurality of first component-operated structures and a plurality of second component-operated structures; forming an arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures comprising a substantially non-random pattern of the first and second component-operated structures within a transverse plane of the energy relay; wherein the arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures is configured to transport energy along a longitudinal plane perpendicular to the transverse plane, and the arrangement has a substantially higher energy transport efficiency in the longitudinal plane than in the transverse plane. [Item 66] further comprising processing the arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures, the processing including a series of one or more steps, each step comprising: applying a compressive force to the arrangement; applying heat to the arrangement; applying cooling to the arrangement, or The method according to item 65, including one of performing a chemical reaction in the arrangement. [Item 67] Before the processing step, accommodating the arrangement of the structures of the first and second components operated in a confinement space; After the processing step, further including removing the arrangement of the structures of the first and second components operated from the confinement space, the method according to item 66. [Item 68] Processing includes applying a first compressive force to the arrangement of the confined component-operated structure at least along the horizontal plane; Applying heat to the compressed arrangement in one or more stages, each stage including applying the stage temperature and stage time length; Applying a second compressive force to the heated arrangement in one or more stages, each stage including applying the stage compressive force and stage time length; Further including cooling the heated arrangement, the method according to item 67. [Item 69] The method according to item 68, wherein at least one stage temperature of the one or more stages is substantially at least one glass transition temperature of at least one of the first or second component-operated structures, or substantially the average glass transition temperature of all of the component-operated structures. [Item 70] Processing includes Applying heat to the confined arrangement; Further including cooling the heated arrangement while it is stationary in the confinement space, the method according to item 67. [Item 71] Further, applying heat to the arrangement includes heating the constrained component actuated structure to a first temperature and, prior to applying cooling to the arrangement, further applying heat to change the temperature of the heated arrangement to a second temperature different from the first temperature, the method of claim 67. [Claim 72] The method of claim 67, wherein the constrained space is defined by a fixture comprising first and second components configured to join together to form the constrained space therebetween. [Claim 73] The method of claim 72, wherein the fixture is further configured to apply an adjustable compressive force to the constrained space. [Claim 74] The method of claim 73, wherein after the processing step is completed, the fixture is configured to release the processed arrangement. [Claim 75] A method for forming an energy relay, providing a plurality of first component actuated structures and a plurality of second component actuated structures, forming a first arrangement of the plurality of first and second component actuated structures having a substantially non-random pattern of the first and second component actuated structures within a lateral plane of the energy relay, repeating at least the following steps until the arrangement has a desired actuated property, the steps being processing the first arrangement of the first and second component actuated structures into an assembly, heating at least a first portion of the assembly, wherein the formed energy relay has a first lateral dimension prior to being heated. Applying tension longitudinally at least along the first part of the heated assembly, thereby changing the first part to have a second transverse dimension that is thinner than the first transverse dimension, while substantially maintaining a substantially non-random pattern of the first and second component-operated structures in the transverse plane, and applying Forming a second arrangement of a plurality of substantially similar modified first parts, wherein this second arrangement can be used in place of the first arrangement for further repetition of the preceding processing, heating, and applying steps, and repeating, including [Item 76] Furthermore, when the first arrangement has the desired operated characteristics, performing a final processing step including fusing the arrangement having the desired operated characteristics, as described in item 75. [Item 77] Processing includes a series of one or more steps, each step Applying a compressive force to the arrangement, Applying heat to the arrangement, Applying cooling to the arrangement, or Performing a chemical reaction on the arrangement, as described in item 75. [Item 78] The heating step includes heating the assembly of the first and second component-operated structures to substantially the glass transition temperature of the first or second component-operated structure, as described in item 75. [Item 79] A method for forming an energy relay, Providing a plurality of first and second component-operated structures, placing the plurality of first and second component-operated structures in a first agglomerated structure having an arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures, the arrangement comprising a substantially non-random pattern of the first and second component-operated structures within a lateral plane of the agglomerated structure; drawing out a portion of the first agglomerated structure to a reduced size such that a lateral dimension of the drawn-out portion is less than a lateral dimension of the first agglomerated structure while substantially maintaining the arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures within the lateral plane; positioning the drawn-out portion of the first agglomerated structure on a rotatable structure comprising at least one fixture; forming, in the lateral direction, a second agglomerated structure of the drawn-out portion having the arrangement of the drawn-out portion, when the rotatable structure rotates, the drawn-out portion being positioned within the at least one fixture; [Item 80] the fixture comprising a plurality of molds for fusing the second agglomerated structure of the drawn-out portion, the plurality of molds being separated by an opening therebetween; when the rotatable structure rotates, the drawn-out portion being positioned within the plurality of molds and forming therein the second agglomerated structure of the drawn-out portion; the method comprising: dividing the second agglomerated structure of the drawn-out portion at the opening between the plurality of molds; separating the plurality of molds from the rotatable structure; the method according to item 79. [Item 81] the method according to item 80, further comprising fusing the second agglomerated structure within the plurality of molds into a fused second agglomerated structure. [Item 82] The method according to item 81, further comprising repeating said pulling, positioning, dividing, separating, and fusing steps for the placement of the fused second agglomerated structure. [Item 83] Pulling the fused second agglomerated structure to a reduced size, whereby the reduced lateral dimension of the pulled portion of the fused second agglomerated structure is less than the lateral dimension of the initial lateral dimension of the fused second agglomerated structure, while substantially maintaining the placement of the first and second component-operated structures in the horizontal plane; pulling Further comprising positioning the pulled portion of the fused second agglomerated structure on the rotatable structure provided with at least one fixture When the rotatable structure rotates, the pulled portion of the second agglomerated structure is positioned within the at least one fixture, thereby forming a third agglomerated structure of the pulled portion of the second agglomerated structure having the placement of the pulled portion of the second agglomerated structure in the lateral direction, the method according to item 81. [Item 84] The method according to item 79, further comprising removing the pulled portion of the second agglomerated structure from the rotatable structure and placing the pulled portion of the second agglomerated structure within a fusion fixture. [Item 85] The method according to item 84, further comprising fusing the second agglomerated structure within the fusion fixture to the fused second agglomerated structure. [Item 86] The method according to item 85, further comprising said pulling, positioning, removing, and fusing steps for the placement of the second agglomerated structure. [Item 87] To draw out the fused second agglomerated structure to a reduced size, whereby the reduced lateral dimension of the drawn-out portion of the fused second agglomerated structure is less than the lateral dimension of the initial lateral dimension of the fused second agglomerated structure, while substantially maintaining the arrangement of the first and second component-operated structures within the horizontal plane, the drawing out; Further comprising positioning the drawn-out portion of the fused second agglomerated structure on the rotatable structure comprising at least one fixture; When the rotatable structure rotates, the drawn-out portion of the second agglomerated structure is positioned within the at least one fixture, whereby a third agglomerated structure of the drawn-out portion of the second agglomerated structure comprising the arrangement of the drawn-out portion of the second agglomerated structure is formed in the lateral direction, the method according to item 85. [Item 88] Further comprising, prior to the drawing out step, treating the first agglomerated structure of the component-operated structure, the treating comprising Applying a compressive force to the agglomerated structure; Applying heat to the agglomerated structure; Applying cooling to the agglomerated structure, or Performing a chemical reaction on the agglomerated structure, the method according to item 79 comprising at least one of these. [Item 89] Further comprising fusing the second agglomerated structure positioned within the at least one fixture, the method according to item 79. [Item 90] The drawing out of the first portion of the first agglomerated structure comprises applying heat to the first portion while applying a tension longitudinally to the first agglomerated structure, the method according to item 79. [Item 91] The drawing out step is performed continuously, the method according to item 79. [Item 92] The method according to item 79, further comprising providing, at a position corresponding to the at least one fixture that holds the second agglomeration structure of the drawn-out portion, one or more positioners configured to perform the step of positioning the drawn-out portion of the first agglomeration structure on the rotatable structure. [Item 93] The method according to item 92, further comprising one or more alignment mechanisms configured to guide the drawn-out portion of the first agglomeration structure to the one or more positioners positioned on the rotatable structure. [Item 94] The method according to item 79, wherein the fixture is configured to constrain the second agglomeration structure, thereby applying a compressive force to the second agglomeration structure. [Item 95] The method according to item 79, wherein the fixture is further configured to be removable from the rotatable structure.

Claims

[Claim 1] An energy relay comprising: a plurality of modules assembled into a structure, each module comprising a first component-engineered structure and a second component-engineered structure; each module within the structure comprises an arrangement of the first component-operated structure and the second component-operated structure in a substantially non-random pattern within a lateral plane of the energy relay; the first component-engineered structure and the second component-engineered structure are configured to cooperate to transport energy along a longitudinal plane that is perpendicular to the transverse plane; An energy relay, wherein the energy relay has a substantially higher energy transport efficiency in the longitudinal plane than in the transverse plane.

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