390 results about "Light diffraction" patented technology

A transparent hydrophobic article having self-cleaning and liquid repellent features is disclosed. The article comprises a transparent substrate comprising a subwavelength structured surface including arrays of protuberances. Each protuberance has a predetermined distance to its adjacent neighbor and a predetermined height to minimize light diffraction and random scattering therethrough. The article further comprises a hydrophobic material disposed on the subwavelength structured surface. The hydrophobic material has a predetermined thickness and a predetermined hydrophobicity for self-cleaning and repelling from fluids thereon.

In order to minimize light diffraction along the direction of switching and more particularly light diffraction into the acceptance cone of the collection optics, in the present invention, micromirrors are provided which are not rectangular. Also, in order to minimize the cost of the illumination optics and the size of the display unit of the present invention, the light source is placed orthogonal to the rows (or columns) of the array, and/or the light source is placed orthogonal to a side of the frame defining the active area of the array. The incident light beam, though orthogonal to the sides of the active area, is not however, orthogonal to any substantial portion of sides of the individual micromirrors in the array. Orthogonal sides cause incident light to diffract along the direction of micromirror switching, and result in light ‘leakage’ into the ‘on’ state even if the micromirror is in the ‘off’ state. This light diffraction decreases the contrast ratio of the micromirror. The micromirrors of the present invention result in an improved contrast ratio, and the arrangement of the light source to micromirror array in the present invention results in a more compact system. Another feature of the invention is the ability of the micromirrors to pivot in opposite direction to on and off positions (the on position directing light to collection optics), where the movement to the on position is greater than movement to the off position. A further feature of the invention is a package for the micromirror array, the package having a window that is not parallel to the substrate upon which the micromirrors are formed. One example of the invention includes all the above features.

The present disclosure relates to display systems and, more particularly, to augmented reality display systems. A diffraction grating includes a plurality of different diffracting zones having a periodically repeating lateral dimension corresponding to a grating period adapted for light diffraction. The diffraction grating additionally includes a plurality of different liquid crystal layers corresponding to the different diffracting zones. The different liquid crystal layers have liquid crystal molecules that are aligned differently, such that the different diffracting zones have different optical properties associated with light diffraction.

A transparent anti-reflective article includes a transparent substrate having a first refractive index and a first surface. An anti-reflective layer is formed within the first surface of the transparent substrate through use of one of nanosphere lithography, deep ultra-violet photolithography, electron beam lithography, and nano-imprinting. The anti-reflective layer includes a subwavelength nano-structured second surface including a plurality of protuberances. Such protuberances have a predetermined maximum distance between adjacent protuberances and a predetermined height for a given wavelength such that the anti-reflective layer includes a second refractive index lower than the first refractive index to minimize light diffraction and random scattering therethrough. The predetermined height is approximately equal to a quarter of the given wavelength divided by the second refractive index.

A high speed, low cost, wide spectrum light scanning and sensor unit (10) for receiving reflected light from an object and diffracting the light into segments of wavelengths and a linear sensor array (32) having elements positioned to receive the segments and to measure the relative magnitude of such segments to define a spectral distribution of the object together with a digital identifier-controller (36) connected to said sensing device and having a memory for memorizing a spectral distribution of light representing a first standard object, and additional memory for receiving a spectral distributions of other objects and programmable logic circuitry containing a program for determining the similarity between the standard object and the other objects.

The present invention is a method and system for projecting an image from a vehicle onto a surface, such as a road or sidewalk. A laser diode assembly is installed in the vehicle and comprises: a light beam source; a power source; a power regulating chip; an image creation means; and, power activating means. A lens is secured to an output end of the laser diode assembly, and comprises a light diffraction image which can be a message, logo, or graphic design Activation is initiated by switching on the assembly from a position within the interior of the vehicle, or by an activity such as the opening of a door. The activation is ramped up to a full-on state over a pre-set period of time.

In order to minimize light diffraction along the direction of switching and more particularly light diffraction into the acceptance cone of the collection optics, in the present invention, micromirrors are provided which are not rectangular. Also, in order to minimize the cost of the illumination optics and the size of the display unit of the present invention, the light source is placed orthogonal to the rows (or columns) of the array, and/or the light source is placed orthogonal to a side of the frame defining the active area of the array. The incident light beam, though orthogonal to the sides of the active area, is not however, orthogonal to any substantial portion of sides of the individual micromirrors in the array. Orthogonal sides cause incident light to diffract along the direction of micromirror switching, and result in light ‘leakage’ into the ‘on’ state even if the micromirror is in the ‘off’ state. This light diffraction decreases the contrast ratio of the micromirror. The micromirrors of the present invention result in an improved contrast ratio, and the arrangement of the light source to micromirror array in the present invention results in a more compact system. Another feature of the invention is the ability of the micromirrors to pivot in opposite direction to on and off positions (the on position directing light to collection optics), where the movement to the on position is greater than movement to the off position. A further feature of the invention is a package for the micromirror array, the package having a window that is not parallel to the substrate upon which the micromirrors are formed. One example of the invention includes all the above features.

An illumination panel for illuminating an object, comprising a substrate, a light diffractive grating and a light source. The substrate is made from an optically transparent material having first and second area surfaces disposed substantially parallel to each other and a light input surface for conducting a light beam into the substrate. The light diffractive grating is mounted to the first areal surface and has a slanted fringe structure embodied therein for diffracting the light beam falling incident thereto, along a first diffractive order of the slanted fringe structure. The light source produces a light beam for transmission through the input surface and direct passage through the substrate to the slanted fringe structure so as to produce an output light beam of areal extent that emerges from either the first or second areal surface along the first diffractive order, for use in illuminating an object. A spatial-intensity modulation panel can be mounted to the illumination panel to form a color image display device. In the illustrative embodiments, the light diffractive grating is a volume hologram that is pixelated and spectrally-tuned in order to carry out spectral filtering functions within the color image display device.

An indicator timepiece having a light diffraction function is provided. Therein a light diffusion unit is provided between a timepiece movement and a time indicating unit of the indicator timepiece for receiving a lighting device and providing at least light diffraction to a light generated from the lighting device. Thereby the light diffraction of the light diffusion unit converts the light into a sheet-like lighting presented on the time indicating unit.

The present invention provides an automated analyzer system for performing chemical, biochemical or biological assays using changes/no changes in diffraction of light by the presence/absence of analytes which may or may not be present in a sample binding to their analyte specific receptors laid out in a preselected pattern in a disposable sensor. The analyzer is a modular, bench-top instrument that compactly integrates subsystems for sample dispensing, liquid handling, and optical generation of laser light beams and detectors for detecting for diffracted light. An internal processor is included for automating the instrument, and a user interface to provide communication with the operator.

An apparatus, a system and a method use a light-emitting diode (LED) to identify the presence of a material in a gas and/or a fluid and/or to determine properties of the material. The LED and a light detector may be used to determine a chemical compound in the material. The gas and/or the fluid may be located in a chamber. A first light detector may be positioned on the opposite side of the chamber relative to the LED, a second light detector may be positioned on the same side of the chamber as the LED, and/or a third light detector may be positioned inside the chamber. Additional light detectors with coatings may enable measurements to be corrected for the effects of temperature. The light detectors may determine light reflection, light refraction, light transmission, light diffraction, light interference, light diffusion, light collimation, light absorption and/or light focusing of the material.

Methods and systems for positioning a specimen and characterizing an x-ray beam incident onto the specimen in a Transmission, Small-Angle X-ray Scatterometry (T-SAXS) metrology system are described herein. A specimen positioning system locates a wafer vertically and actively positions the wafer in six degrees of freedom with respect to the x-ray illumination beam without attenuating the transmitted radiation. In some embodiments, a cylindrically shaped occlusion element is scanned across the illumination beam while the detected intensity of the transmitted flux is measured to precisely locate the beam center. In some other embodiments, a periodic calibration target is employed to precisely locate the beam center. The periodic calibration target includes one or more spatially defined zones having different periodic structures that diffract X-ray illumination light into distinct, measurable diffraction patterns.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting analytes in a medium, and more particularly the present invention relates to an assay based on light diffraction which appears or changes upon the binding of analytes to their specific receptors laid out in patterns on a substrate, which has high sensitivity due to the appropriate choice of such patterns. The present invention is based on the principle that the pattern of recognition elements, which gives rise to the diffraction of the incident light in a diffraction-based assay, can be chosen in such a way so as to facilitate detection, and to enhance the signal to be detected compared to known gratings such as parallel straight lines. In one aspect the substrate itself has a surface topography designed to enhance the diffraction pattern signals. In another aspect the substrate is a diffractive optic element having the analyte-specific receptors affixed to the optic element. In another aspect the diffractive optic element is used as a master stamp for producing patterns of analyte-specific receptors which give the signal enhancements.