Optical: systems and elements – Lens – With viewed object or viewed field illumination
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-29
2002-11-12
Mack, Ricky (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Lens
With viewed object or viewed field illumination
Reexamination Certificate
active
06480345
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image magnifying/reducing optical device used in an apparatus for displaying an image or taking an image, and a manufacturing method thereof, and, in particular, a two-dimensional magnifying/reducing optical device having advantages in that a light quantity is uniform throughout the device, and the device can be rendered thinner and light-weighted, and, other extremely remarkable advantages, and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Display apparatuses for displaying information include two types of ones, i.e., equal-size display apparatuses such as liquid-crystal monitors for personal computers called flat-panel display devices and magnifying projection display apparatuses such as rear-surface projection liquid-crystal televisions and so forth. In the equal-size display apparatus, it is possible to reduce the thickness of a display device, and, thereby, this requires a reduced space for setting it. However, when a large-sized screen is required, such as 30 inches or more, for example, a considerably high cost is needed due to complicateness of manufacturing process, a low production yield, and so forth. On the other hand, with regard to the magnifying projection display apparatus, it is possible to provide a large-sized display screen such as 50 inches or more while requiring a cost lower than that for the equal-size display apparatus. However, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the display device in the magnifying projection display apparatus to that of the equal-size display apparatus, due to a reason for the principle thereof. Accordingly, a larger space is needed for setting the magnifying projection display apparatus.
In a conventional magnifying projection display apparatus such as a liquid-crystal television, a method of magnification by using a lens or a mirror is employed. Other than this, as shown in
FIG. 1
, optical fibers
11
are arranged for a small image, and, as a result of the optical fibers
11
being disposed discretely, the image is magnified (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 05-88617, referred to as a method A). Further, as shown in
FIG. 2
, an image is magnified by using a plurality of blocks
1
a
,
1
b
each being obtained from cutting a set of optical fibers, obliquely (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 06-51142, referred to as a method B). Furthermore, as shown in
FIG. 3
, in order to magnify displayed images of a plurality of liquid-crystal display panels
2
a
,
2
b
, . . . ,
2
n
, these displayed images are transmitted to a display panel
4
by using optical fibers
3
(see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 09-252444, referred to as a method C). As shown in
FIG. 4
, a displayed size of each pixel is magnified by using tapered optical waveguides
3
(see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 07-43702, referred to as a method D).
In the above-mentioned method A shown in
FIG. 1
, although the area of the displayed image is magnified, the pixels are disposed discretely, while each pixel itself is not magnified.
In the above-mentioned method B shown in
FIG. 2
, it is difficult that light is coupled from the block
1
a
to the block
1
b
at high efficiency. Furthermore, it is very difficult to align the block
1
a
with the block
1
b
at high accuracy when the blocks
1
a
and
1
b
are bonded together in a manufacturing process, in a case where the diameter of each optical fiber is very small.
In the above-mentioned method C shown in
FIG. 3
, it is possible to render a thin, seamless wide screen display apparatus by combining display apparatuses
2
a
through
2
n
having small screens. However, same as in the above-mentioned method A, each pixel itself is not magnified.
In the above-mentioned method D shown in
FIG. 4
, although each pixel itself is magnified, the pitch between the pixels is not magnified. Accordingly, the entire image is not magnified.
Other than them, in one method, an image is magnified by using a through hole of a metal (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-80319). In another method, an image is magnified by using a reflection metal plate (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-294757). However, when optical transmission by using a metal reflection plate is employed, differently from optical transmission methods employing optical fibers or optical waveguides, loss of light through reflection is large, and, as a result, it is not suitable for a practical use.
Further, as a demand for apparatuses for reading images such as a facsimile machine, an image scanner, a digital copier, and so forth, it is desired to miniaturize an image sensor which converts image information into an electric signal, and development of a miniaturized image reducing device is desired. For example, as a method of transmitting a one-dimensional image read from a wide original into a small one dimensional CCD, a method has been proposed in that tapered optical waveguides are arranged on the original surface, and reduced areas of the optical waveguides are used for coupling to the CCD (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 09-37038). This method is advantageous when it is used for magnifying/reducing one-dimensional image. However, this method is not used for magnifying/reducing a two-dimensional image.
Further, a product for magnifying/reducing an image by not using a lens has been on sale as a name of “TaperMag” from Taper Vision Co. Ltd. of United States. In this device, many optical fibers are bundled up at high density, and are molten so as to be tapered. However, in this configuration, as glass fibers are bundled and worked, it is difficult to provide a large-scaled display area more than 100 mm square. Further, it is difficult to increase the tapering angle by the reason for a working process. In fact, when a display screen on the order of 30 inches is to be provided, it is not possible to reduce the thickens of the device less than 30 cm.
Further, although various manufacturing methods have been proposed for optical waveguides, they include methods for manufacturing a single fiber or a one-dimensional fiber array, but do not include a method for manufacturing a two-dimensional array which has a three-dimensional complicated shape- For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-326660 discloses a method of forming an opitcal waveguide along an optical axis by causing a specific light to be incident on photo-curing resin. However, this method merely produces a single optical waveguide, but does not produce a two-dimensional optical device made of a plurality of fiber arrays. Further, according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-157923, ions are provided into glass by electric field, and thereby, three-dimensional optical waveguide is produced. However, this method is not practical for producing a complicated structure which is desired for the present invention.
Further, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 07-230018 discloses a method of producing a tapered optical waveguide at an extending end of an optical fiber. In this method, an optical fiber is immersed into photo-reacting substance, and ultraviolet light is applied into the optical fiber. However, in this method, the fiber used is a quartz single-mode optical fiber. Also, this publication discloses neither specific ultraviolet light source nor specific ultraviolet-curing material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and thus, to provide a thin two-dimensional image magnifying/reducing optical device by which the entire image and also each pixel size can be magnified/reduced without employing a conventional projection system, and a manufacturing method therefor.
An image magnifying/reducing optical device according to the present invention comprises:
a base member having first and second surface which are approximately parallel to one another; and
a plurality of high-refractive-index regions formed
Kawashima Ikue
Nimura Shigeaki
Mack Ricky
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
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