Device and method for reducing optical blurring
View Patent ↗A camera-movement compensation device includes a first liquid-crystal cell with a pair of parallel transparent plates and a first voltage source coupled to the first liquid-crystal cell and able to apply and alter a first voltage gradient across the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell. The device also includes a second liquid-crystal cell having a pair of parallel transparent plates and disposed so that each of the plates of the second liquid-crystal cell is parallel to the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell and in light communication with at least one wave of light passing through the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell, a second voltage source coupled to the second liquid-crystal cell and able to apply and alter a second voltage gradient across the surfaces of the second liquid-crystal cell, and a movement detector coupled to the voltage sources to alter the slope of the voltage gradients in proportion to a movement.
1. A camera-movement compensation device comprising:
a first liquid-crystal cell having a pair of parallel transparent plates;
a first voltage source coupled to the first liquid-crystal cell and able to apply and alter a first voltage gradient across the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell;
a second liquid-crystal cell having a pair of parallel transparent plates and disposed so that each of the plates of the second liquid-crystal cell is parallel to the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell and in light communication with at least one wave of light passing through the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell and a rubbing direction of the pair of transparent plates of the first liquid-crystal cell is orthogonal to a rubbing direction of the pair of transparent plates of the second liquid-crystal cell;
a second voltage source coupled to the second liquid-crystal cell and able to apply and alter a second voltage gradient across the surfaces of the second liquid-crystal cell; and
a movement and orientation detector communicatively coupled to the first and second voltage sources,
wherein the first voltage source alters a slope of the first voltage gradient in proportion to a movement sensed by the detector and the second voltage source alters a slope of the second voltage gradient in proportion to a movement sensed by the detector.
2. The compensation device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first voltage source has a low-voltage state; and
the second voltage source has a low-voltage state, and
when the first voltage source is in the low-voltage state, a liquid crystal director of the first liquid-crystal cell is one of parallel and perpendicular to the plates of the first liquid crystal cell and when the second voltage source is in the low-voltage state, a liquid crystal director of the second liquid-crystal cell is one of parallel and perpendicular to the plates of the second liquid crystal cell.
3. The compensation device according to claim 2 , wherein:
when the liquid-crystal director of the second liquid-crystal cell is the same as the liquid-crystal director of the first liquid-crystal cell, the first voltage gradient is parallel to the second voltage gradient.
4. The compensation device according to claim 2 , wherein:
when the liquid-crystal director of the second liquid-crystal cell is the same as the liquid-crystal director of first liquid-crystal cell, the slope of the first voltage gradient and the slope of the second voltage gradient are constants such that a resulting variation in a refractive index across each of the liquid-crystal cells is linear.
5. The compensation device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an image detector; and
a lens disposed between the image detector and the first liquid-crystal cell.
6. The compensation device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lens; and
an image detector,
wherein the first and second liquid-crystal cells are disposed between the lens and the image detector.
7. The compensation device according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least a portion of at least one of the first voltage gradient and the second voltage gradient is a produced by an indium tin oxide trace.
8. A camera-movement compensation device comprising:
a first liquid-crystal cell having a pair of parallel transparent plates;
a first voltage source coupled to the first liquid-crystal cell and able to apply and alter a first voltage gradient across the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell;
a second liquid-crystal cell having a pair of parallel transparent plates and disposed so that each of the plates of the second liquid-crystal cell is parallel to the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell and in light communication with at least one wave of light passing through the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell;
a second voltage source coupled to the second liquid-crystal cell and able to apply and alter a second voltage gradient across the surfaces of the second liquid-crystal cell;
a first mirror parallel with and adjacent to the first and second liquid-crystal cells for reflecting light rays passing through the first and second liquid-crystal cells into the first and second liquid-crystal cells; and
a movement and orientation detector communicatively coupled to the first and second voltage sources,
wherein the first voltage source alters a slope of the first voltage gradient in proportion to a movement sensed by the detector and the second voltage source alters a slope of the second voltage gradient in proportion to a movement sensed by the detector.
9. A method for compensating for a camera movement, the method comprising:
providing a first liquid-crystal cell that includes a first plurality of liquid-crystal molecules sandwiched between a first pair of parallel transparent plates;
providing a second liquid-crystal cell that includes a second plurality of liquid-crystal molecules sandwiched between a second pair of parallel transparent plates;
aligning the first liquid-crystal cell with the second liquid-crystal cell so that each of the plates of the second liquid-crystal cell is parallel to the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell and in light communication with at least one wave of light passing through the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell and a rubbing direction of the first pair of parallel transparent plates of the first-liquid crystal cell is orthogonal to a rubbing direction of the second pair of parallel transparent plates of the second liquid-crystal cell;
detecting a movement of a camera; and
compensating for the detected movement by applying at least one of:
a first voltage gradient to the first liquid-crystal cell; and
a second voltage gradient to the second liquid-crystal cell, where a slope of the applied gradient is in proportion to the detected movement.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein:
the applying the at least one voltage gradient changes an orientation of a liquid-crystal director of at least one of the first and second one of the liquid-crystal cell with respect to the other of the first and second liquid-crystal cells dependent upon the detected movement.
11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein:
the applying the at least one voltage gradient changes at least one of the first and second plurality of liquid-crystal molecules from an initial state where a liquid-crystal director of the at least one of the first and second one of the liquid-crystal cells is one of parallel and perpendicular to the plates of the at least one of the first and second liquid-crystal cells.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein:
when the liquid-crystal director of the second liquid-crystal cell is the same as the liquid-crystal director of the first liquid-crystal cell, the first voltage gradient is parallel to the second voltage gradient.
13. The compensation device according to claim 11 , wherein:
when the liquid-crystal director of the second liquid-crystal cell is the same as the liquid-crystal director of first liquid-crystal cell, the slope of the first voltage gradient and the slope of the second voltage gradient are constants such that a resulting variation in a refractive index across each of the liquid-crystal cells is linear.
14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein:
the second liquid-crystal cell is in light communication with at least one wave of light passing through the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell.