Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B3/00—Simple or compound lenses
  • G02B3/02—Simple or compound lenses with non-spherical faces
  • G02B3/08—Simple or compound lenses with non-spherical faces with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B30/00—Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
  • G02B30/50—Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images the image being built up from image elements distributed over a 3D volume, e.g. voxels
  • G02B30/56—Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images the image being built up from image elements distributed over a 3D volume, e.g. voxels by projecting aerial or floating images

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an optical device generating a three-dimensional shape detached from any support; said shape being a sphere, an ellipsoid, a cylinder, a cone, a cube, a pyramid, etc.
• This element is applicable to the projection of orthoscopic light sources that do not rest on any material support and are visible in natural light without wearing an accessory.
• the information is projected inside the generated non-material form.
• the invention applies to the luminaire, the presentation of electroluminescent information, the presentation of objects and the presentation of video information.
• the invention particularly relates to the projection of light sources to give a clear impression to the observers that said produced sources are detached from all surrounding material sources and therefore "float" in space within an intangible induced form. .
• the present invention consists of an optical element formed by three microstructured plates with concentric steps forming refractive microprisms; the third plate may be devoid of microstructure depending on whether a single or double ellispoid is generated.
• the object of the invention is to provide an optical device adapted for the production of light sources that do not rely on any material support that makes it possible to partially or totally eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.
• An "immaterial” light source results from the intersection of the light beams from a projection screen based on an optical principle of refraction. These correspond to induced sources of light that do not rely on any physical physical medium.
• projection distance we mean the distance that separates such a given pixel from the screen.
• a first object of the present invention consists in proposing an optical device that produces a realism of detachment of immaterial light spots with respect to their original source;
• a second object of the present invention is to provide a device for delivering a set of light spots that do not rest on any support
• a third object of the present invention is to provide a device that generates by optical effect an immaterial ellipsoid detached from any support;
• a fourth object of the present invention is to provide a device for application to immaterial object presentation within said ellipsoid
• a fifth object of the present invention is to provide a device for application to the luminaire
• a sixth object of the present invention is to provide an optical element generating a double immaterial ellipsoid detached from any support;
• a seventh object of the present invention is to provide an optical method which generates an immaterial ellipsoid detached from any support at an increased viewing angle;
• An eighth object of the present invention is to provide a device which is in the form of an independent module, several modules can be assembled in the form of an "image wall" of desired size;
• a ninth object of the present invention is that the generated ellipsoid is a sphere
• a tenth object of the present invention is that the generated ellipsoid is a cylinder; but may also be in the form of a cone;
• an eleventh object of the present invention is that the induced ellipsoid is of any type: for example, a cube, a pyramid; the shape being generated by the anisotropic deformation of the plane of the optics;
• a twelfth object of the present invention is that the generated ellipsoid can be detached or not from the element that gives it birth.
• the invention is based on two optical principles: the principle of the angle of refraction induced by a prism as a function of the angle of observation and the principle of the production of real "immaterial" sources by crossing the refracted beams.
• the optical element according to the invention comprises three flat or microstructured microstructured flat Fresnel lenses, made in a high light transmittance material each comprising microprisms distributed in concentric turns; the microstructured zones face each other inside the sandwich constituted by the two thin plates of the first optical assembly; the microstructured face of the third plate is turned towards the said optical assembly.
• the device can be integrated as non-limiting examples within the following specially designed systems:
• Figure 1 shows a front view of the invention
• Figure 2 shows a side view of the invention
• Figure 3 shows a side view of the invention
• Figure 4 shows a side view of the principle of the invention
• FIGS 5 and 6 illustrates the invention and its operating principle
• FIG. 7 shows the invention and its operating principle according to another variant
• Figure 8 shows a variant of the invention
• Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 show a side view of an embodiment of the invention.
• Figures 13, 14 and 15 illustrate the principle of limit refraction.
• FIG. 17 represents a sectional view of the device according to the invention where a double immaterial sphere is generated.
• the method is characterized by an optical device composed of two optical assemblies 25 and 26:
• the first set 25 is composed of two microstructured Fresnel lenses Ia and Ib whose striated faces are arranged in vis-à-vis so that the respective tips of the different streaks are approximately opposite.
• the second optical assembly 26 is composed of a Fresnel lens Ic, and has its striated face oriented towards the first optical assembly 25.
• the optical device 1 generates the three-dimensional image of an 'immaterial' shape 2 (sphere, ellipsoid, cone or cylinder ...) resting on any support. Said form 2 may be detached 6 (d) from the device 1 and will be visible by an observer 7.
• the invention is characterized in that the plates Ia and Ib are Fresnel lenses which are by definition constituted by micro prisms 8 organized in turns 3 (Fig.1) (top view) 3a and 3b (Fig.2) (sectional view) and distributed in concentric circles of center 5a and 5b respectively.
• One of the objects of the invention consists in proposing a specific mode of variation of the slopes A (x) and B (x) of the microprisms S of the lenses 1a and 1b respectively relative to their distance 'x' at the center 5a and 5b to generate 'immaterial' form 2 detached from any support.
• the plate Ic is either a Fresnel lens of the type Ia or Ib or a simple plate devoid of microstructure.
• the invention is characterized in that the optical device 1 generates zones that are optically translucent or opaque depending on the viewing angle; the distribution of said zones takes place (for the illustrated case of a sphere) according to the principle presented in FIGS. 4,5 and 6:
• the opaque zone (of whitish appearance if the material which constitutes the doublet is colorless) constitutes the periphery of the sphere T; the ellipsoid is translucent; so ; observers lla, b, c, d, e (FIG 4) which look at a quasi-point area 14 of the surface of the doublet 1 (lens side la) see said zone in an aspect which depends on their direction of observation: According to the drawing, the observers 11a and 11e see an opaque zone 14 (whitish); the observer binds a translucent zone 14; observers 1 Ib and 1 Id see an area 14 on the border between the translucent state and the opaque state.
• Modulation of the state of opacity as a function of the direction of observation is obtained by exploiting the optical phenomenon of the refraction limit angle (Figs 13, 14 and 15) Transition from a translucent state to a an opaque state occurs when the observer 7 looks in a direction such that the passage of the light beam through the prisms is no longer possible.
• All observation directions pointing to zone 14 and forming part of a hatched area correspond to a vision in the opaque form of zone 14.
• all observation directions pointing to zone 14 and not not forming part of a hatched area corresponds to a translucent vision of zone 14.
• ⁇ and ⁇ are calculated as a function of the distance 'x' at the center.
• the special case of the sphere has been illustrated.
• We have d (detachment 6) and 'r' (the radius of the sphere) as parameters 5 (D 2r).
• ⁇ and ⁇ are functions of 'x' only because the sphere presents a symmetry of revolution with respect to the optical axis 4 of the doublet 1.
• ⁇ and ⁇ are calculated by the intersection of the tangent to the slice T (x, ⁇ ) of the form 2 with the normal N (x, ⁇ ) at the plane of the optic 1 (FIG. ).
• ⁇ is the polar coordinate of the slice T (x, ⁇ ) of axis 4.
• a (x) arcsine (l / n) - arcsine (sin ⁇ / n);
• the angle A (x) is such that any observer 7 who looks at the prism at an angle of observation greater than the exit angle ⁇ (x) of the boundary beam sees no beam refracted by the prism 8 of the lens 1a.
• the angle B (x) is such that any observer 7 looking at an angle greater than the exit angle ⁇ (x) will see no beam refracted by the prism 8 of the lens 1a.
• R is the radius of the lenses Ia and Ib and n the refractive index of the lenses Ia and Ib.
• the angle A (x) is such that any observer 7 looking at the prism at an observation angle less than the exit angle ⁇ (x) of the limit beam does not see any beam refracted by the prism 8 of the lens la.
• the angle B (x) is such that any observer looking at an angle greater than the exit angle ⁇ (x) will see no beam refracted by the prism 8 of the lens 1a.
• Fresnel lenses having the following characteristics are exemplified:
• the lenses 1a and 1b form a first optical assembly 25 to which is added a lens 1a or Ib of optical property similar to one of the lenses 1a and 1b of the optical assembly 1.
• the adjoined optics forms a second optical assembly 26.
• the turns of the lenses that are added are turned towards the optical assembly 1, as shown in FIG. 17. It appears that the addition of a third lens of the type Ia or Ib as illustrated on FIG. FIG. 17 makes it possible to generate two double spheres 2c and 2d visible on each face of the optical system 25 formed.
• the double spheres 2c and 2d each comprise two spheres nested one inside the other; 2f and 2e for the double sphere 2c and 2h and 2g for the double sphere 2d.
• the invention is characterized by a Fresnel lens doublet la and Ib of special manufacture such that the variation equations of the slopes A (x) and B (x) of the prisms of each lens 1a and 1b can to express by least-squares approximation by 4 polynomials where A (x) and B (x) satisfy for the particular case of a sphere the equations (1), (2), (3) and (4) above.
• ⁇ (x, ⁇ ) and ⁇ (x, ⁇ ) can be written in a more general form in the case of any 'immaterial' form 2 (as illustrated in FIG. 16): 1) ⁇ is determined and ⁇ which are calculated by the intersection of the tangent to the slice T (x, ⁇ ) of the form 2 with the normal N (x, ⁇ ) at the plane of the optics 1 (Fig.16). ⁇ is the polar coordinate of the slice T (x, ⁇ ) of axis 4. 2) ⁇ (x, ⁇ ) and ⁇ (x, ⁇ ) represent a distribution function of the cone of vision ⁇ with x and ⁇ as parameters .
• a zone of type Z1 includes the constraints illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, ie equations (1) and (2); a zone of type Z2 includes the constraints illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, being equations (3) and (4).
• the invention makes it possible to produce an 'immaterial' ellipsoid which does not rest on any support; said ellipsoid will be in a particular case a sphere as previously illustrated, or more generally and as its name indicates an ellipsoid (see Fig. 7) the principle for generating any 'immaterial' ellipsoid is the same as illustrated above for a sphere; or more generally according to steps 1 to 4; the zone 14 (FIG. 7) of the optical assembly 25 appears translucent or opaque in the observation direction: the observers 13a and 13c see an opaque zone 14 and the observer 13b a translucent zone 14.
• the principle of the invention makes it possible to generate as non-limiting examples various shapes: spheres, cylinders, slabs and also by deformation (see below) elements that are not automatically objects having a symmetry of revolution: cube, pyramid.
• the optical device 1 may undergo deformation; for example a stretch in a direction of the plane of the lenses 1a, 1b and 1c in order to generate an asymmetrical shape 2 such as an ovoid, see angular shapes such as cubes or pyramids (concentric turns 3 organized in concentric squares or triangles) )
• each device 1, 1 'and 1 "generates a sphere such as those These are superimposed to form a sphere or a single double sphere 2 'immaterial'
• the invention allows to project the image 16 of a real object 15 within the
• the device 1 refracts the beams 17 emitted by the source 15 into beams 18 to form a real image 16, not resting on any support and visible by an observer 7.
• the sources 15a, 15b and 15c represent several sources whose respective images formed by the
• the invention applies as non-limiting examples to the object presentation (see Fig. 11) and the luminaires (see Fig.12):
• a device for presenting objects in 'immaterial' form within a sphere 2 'immaterial'.
• the device consists of a monolithic housing 19 characterized in that it comprises two zones: a "back lighting" zone and an "object” zone. The zones are separated by a semi-translucent sandblasted and diffusing plate (anti-reflective) and curved.
• the object is arranged in the hollow of the plate
• Diffuse light sources 22b and 22c illuminate the object 15 and are masked from above by curved 22d covers which optionally act as light reflectors.
• a source 22a is optionally installed at the rear of the plate 21 in the "lighting" zone to illuminate the rear of the object 15; which allows to accentuate the effect of
• the optical device 1 is placed at a distance correct of the object 15 to form an image thereof within the sphere or double sphere 2.
• the present device is particularly applicable to the presentation of objects and may be integrated in a totem or presentation device any intended for advertising or sale: display, terminal, subwoofer in the ground ...
• the invention may be incorporated by way of non-limiting example in elements for the presentation of objects, videos in displays, terminals, walls, false ceilings and totems.
• a luminaire is produced, characterized in that the optical device 1 is associated with a diffusing filter 24 and a light source 22.
• Said filter may be colored or colorless.
• the light source will be characterized by one or more elements such as diodes, neon lights or any other devices for producing light.
• the light source may be coupled to a color modulation system.
• a filter 24 of studied geometry is integrated making it possible to let light coming from the source 12 pass directly through the optical device 1 (beams 18); an adequate form of the filter makes it possible to obtain a uniform luminosity transition between the periphery of the optical device 1 and the edge of the 'immaterial' form 2. This geometry is connected to the distance separating the filter 24, the source 22 and the doublet 1.
• a filter such that the image thereof given by the optical device 1 covers almost the entire surface of the form 'immaterial' 2 for all viewing angles.
• fluid elements can be set in motion, be illuminated by secondary light sources, be mixed with diffusing and / or particulate substances. The association of such elements may generate an alteration of the sphere as a function of the corrugations of the fluid.
• a diffusing filter is placed between the optical device 1 and the color filter.
• the diffusing or dispersive filter is characterized by a dense microstructure (scale of "defects" between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm) whose role is to spread the incident beam; non-limiting example: a plate comprising a network of microbeads or micro hemispheres may be used.
• the optical device 1 can be integrated without limitation in different systems: watches, mobile phone screen, PC towers, dashboards, scales, viewers, furniture item (coffee tables, pub tables, bars ), displays, clothes, toys etc.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Optical Elements Other Than Lenses (AREA)
• Lenses (AREA)
• Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)

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• 2006
  • 2006-03-22 US US11/909,327 patent/US20080192207A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2006-03-22 WO PCT/FR2006/000619 patent/WO2006100380A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2006-03-22 EP EP06726117A patent/EP2100181A2/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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