OPTICAL DEVICE

Abstract

The following invention relates to an optical device for use in a system that requires optical zoom or focus abilities, particularly for providing pre-set zoom parameters with a very low energy requirement. There is provided an optical magnification device comprising at least one pair of optically aligned deformable reflectors, wherein each reflector pair has at least two configurations, wherein selection of a first and a second configuration of said deformable reflector pairs provides pre-defined magnification states, such that in any configuration one reflector is substantially concave and the other is substantially convex; at least one controller may cause both the reflectors to move between said at least two configurations.

Claims

1. An optical magnification device comprising: at least one pair of optically aligned deformable reflectors; and a controller for said deformable reflectors; wherein each reflector pair has at least two configurations, wherein selection of a first and a second configuration of said one or more deformable reflector pairs provides pre-defined magnification states, such that in any configuration one reflector is substantially concave and the other is substantially convex, wherein said each deformable reflector pair comprises a first deformable reflector and a second deformable reflector, wherein the first deformable reflector is optically aligned with the second deformable reflector wherein the pair of reflectors are operably linked, such that causing the first reflector to deform from a first state to a second state causes the concomitant deforming of the second reflector from its first to second state, and wherein the deformable reflectors are bistable reflectors.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first configuration of the pair of reflectors is substantially magnifying, and the second configuration is substantially de-magnifying.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first deformable reflector has its first state with a first focal length f.sub.2, and second state with a second focal length f.sub.1, and the second deformable reflector has its first state with a first focal length f.sub.2, and second state with a second focal length f.sub.1, such that in each configuration of said pair of reflectors, at least one reflector has a concave focal length f.sub.1 and the other reflector a convex focal length f.sub.2.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first state of the first deformable reflector has a first focal length and the second state of the first deformable reflector has a second focal length, and the first state of the second deformable reflector has a first focal length and the second state of the second deformable reflector has a second focal length.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the reflectors in each pair are located at distance d, where df.sub.1+f.sub.2, wherein f.sub.1 is the focal length associated with the first state, and f.sub.2 is the focal length associated with the second state.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein each pair are located at distance d, where d>f.sub.1+f.sub.2.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two deformable reflectors are made from a metal, alloy or a resilient substrate with a reflective layer.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said deformable reflectors are sprung reflectors.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein the at least one reflective layer is a metal or metal alloy.

10. (canceled)

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first state and the second state are caused by application of a force on said deformable reflectors.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the force is magnetic force applied to said deformable reflectors.

13. (canceled)

14. An optical system, comprising at least one optical magnification device according to claim 1.

15. A method of providing optical magnification using a pair of deformable reflectors, wherein the deformable reflector pair includes a first bistable reflector optically aligned with a second bistable reflector, and wherein the pair of reflectors are operably linked, such that causing the first bistable reflector to deform from a first state to a second state causes the concomitant deforming of the second bistable reflector from its first to second state, the method comprising: causing said first and second bistable reflectors to concomitantly deform to a positive focal length and a negative focal length, respectively.

16. An optical magnification device comprising: a pair of deformable reflectors, the pair including a first bistable reflector that is optically aligned with a second bistable reflector, wherein the first and second bistable reflectors are operably linked, such that causing the first bistable reflector to deform from a first state to a second state causes the concomitant deforming of the second bistable reflector from a first to a second state; and a controller to select a configuration of the pair to provide a pre-defined magnification state, such that the first bistable reflector is one of concave and convex and the second bistable reflector is the other of concave and convex.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further to select from a plurality of configurations of the pair of deformable reflectors, the plurality including a first configuration that is substantially magnifying, and a second configuration is substantially de-magnifying.

18. A device according to claim 16, wherein the first state of the first bistable reflector has a positive focal length and the second state of the first bistable reflector has a negative focal length, and the first state of the second bistable reflector has a positive focal length and the second state of the second bistable reflector has a negative focal length.

19. A device according to claim 16, wherein the first and second bistable reflectors are made from a metal, alloy or a resilient substrate with a reflective layer.

20. A device according to claim 16, wherein said deformable reflectors are sprung reflectors.

21. A device according to claim 16, wherein each of the first and the second states is caused by application of a magnetic force on said bistable reflectors.

22. An optical system, comprising at least one optical magnification device according to claim 16.

Description

[0038] An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

[0039] FIGS. 1a and 1b show ray diagrams with a pair of deformable reflectors in an afocal arrangement.

[0040] FIGS. 2a and 2b show ray diagrams with a pair of deformable reflectors in a focusable arrangement.

[0041] Turning to FIG. 1a there is provided an afocal magnification device 1, which is formed of a pair of deformable reflectors 2, 3. In FIG. 1a is a first configuration 13a, where the output 8a is an afocal demagnified image at the receiver 10. FIG. 1b is a second configuration 13b, where the output 8b is an afocal magnified image at receiver 10. The receiver 10 may be an observer, CCD, or other form of image capture device. The image 9 to be magnified maybe generated from a screen, or may be an image of surroundings or terrain.

[0042] In FIG. 1a, the light 6a from image 9 is reflected off of a first reflector 2, which has a first state 4a, generally a concave state. The action of the concave lens is to focus the beam 11, onto the second reflector 3. The first reflector 2 is optically aligned 7a, with a second reflector 3. The second reflector 3 is in a second state 5a, which is generally a convex state. The incoming focused beam 11 impinges on the second reflector 3, which is in a convex state which provides output beam 8a.

[0043] In FIG. 1b the light 6b from image 9 is reflected off of a first reflector 2, which has a second state 4b, generally a convex state. The action of the convex lens is to diverge the beam 11, onto the second reflector 3. The first reflector 2 is optically aligned 7b, with a second reflector 3. The second reflector 3 is in a first state 5b, which is generally a concave state. The incoming diverged beam 11 impinges on the second reflector 3, which is in a concave state which provides output beam 8b, which is a magnified output of image 9.

[0044] Turning to FIG. 2a there is provided a focussed magnification device 21, which is formed of a pair of deformable reflectors 22, 23. In FIG. 2a is a first configuration 33a, where the output 28a is a focussed demagnified image at the receiver 30. FIG. 2b is a second configuration 33a, where the output 28b is a focussed magnified image at receiver 30. The receiver 30 may be an observer, CCD, or other form of image capture device. The image 29 to be magnified maybe generated from a screen, or may be an image of surroundings or terrain.

[0045] In FIG. 2a, the light 26a from image 29 is reflected off of a first reflector 22, which has a first state 24a, generally a concave state. The action of the concave lens is to focus the beam 21, onto the second reflector 23. The first reflector 22 is optically aligned 27a, with a second reflector 23. The second reflector 23 is in a second state 25a, which is generally a convex state. The incoming focused beam 31 impinges on the second reflector 23, which is in a convex state which provides output beam 28a.

[0046] In FIG. 2b the light 26b from image 29 is reflected off of a first reflector 22, which has a second state 24b, generally a convex state. The action of the convex lens is to diverge the beam 31, onto the second reflector 23. The first reflector 22 is optically aligned 27b, with a second reflector 23. The second reflector 23 is in a first state 25b, which is generally a concave state. The incoming diverged beam 31 impinges on the second reflector 23, which is in a concave state which provides output beam 28b, which is a magnified output of image 29.

[0047] The reflector 22 is deformable substrate 35 with a reflective layer 36 located thereon. The deformable substrate 35 comprises a magnetic 37, such that when the controller 34, a solenoid, is activated is causes the deformable substrate 35 to flip between states 24a and 24b, i.e. concave to convex. The pair of deformable reflectors 22 and 23 may be operably linked 38 by a tether, such that movement of the reflector 22, causes the movement of the reflector 23.