Granted Patent B2

US 12,613,428 · App. 17/427,472 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Inventors: Roman Kleindienst (Weimar, DE); Christoph Erler (Jena, DE); Petr Vojtisek (Jena, DE); Marc Junghans (Jena, DE); Daniel Thomae (Jena, DE); Alexandre Gatto (Bergisch Gladbach, DE); Mirko Riethmueller (Leipzig, DE); Matthias Burkhardt (Eichenberg, DE); Andreas Luetz (Dornburg-Camburg, DE)

Assignee: Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH

G02B27/4205G02B5/32G02B6/0016G02B6/0036

Abstract

Claims (37)

1 . A functionalized waveguide for a detector system and an illumination and/or projection system, comprising:

a singular transparent base body having a continuous front side and a continuous rear side, wherein the base body comprises a partly transparent first input coupling region, a second input coupling region, a first output coupling region spaced apart from the first input coupling region in a first direction and a second output coupling region spaced apart from the first output coupling region in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction,

wherein radiation from an object to be detected is coupled into the functionalized waveguide via the first input coupling region, the first input coupling region comprising a diffractive structure which deflects only a portion of radiation coming from an object to be detected and impinging on the front side, such that the deflected portion propagates as coupled-in radiation in the base body along the first direction as far as the first output coupling region via reflections and impinges on the first output coupling region, and the first output coupling region deflecting at least one portion of the coupled-in radiation impinging on it, such that the deflected portion emerges from the base body via the front side or rear side in order to impinge on the detector system,

wherein an extent of the first input coupling region in a third direction transverse to both of the first direction and the second direction is greater than an extent of the first output coupling region in the third direction,

wherein the functionalized waveguide illuminates or projects illumination radiation via the second output coupling region, wherein light from a light or image source located external to the base body impinges on the second input coupling region as the illumination radiation which propagates as coupled-in illumination radiation in the base body along the second direction as far as the second output coupling region via reflections and impinges on the second output coupling region where the second output coupling region deflects at least a portion of the coupled-in illumination radiation impinging on it such that the deflected portion emerges from the base body via the front side or rear side in order to serve for illumination and/or projection, and

wherein the first input coupling region deflects the deflected portion such that a diffraction is performed in a plane that is oriented perpendicular to the front side and that extends in the first direction but does not diffract in a second plane that is perpendicular to the front side and that extends along the third direction.

2 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive structure of the first input coupling region comprises a reflective or transmissive volume hologram.

3 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive structure of the first input coupling region comprises a relief grating.

4 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second output coupling region comprises a reflective or transmissive volume hologram.

5 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second output coupling region comprises a reflective or transmissive relief grating.

6 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second output coupling region comprises a mirror surface or a prism.

7 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second output coupling region comprises a reflective or transmissive Fresnel structure.

8 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first input coupling region has a greater extent transverse to the first direction than the first output coupling region and the second output coupling region has a greater extent transverse to the first direction and a greater extent along the first direction than the second input coupling region.

9 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the second input coupling region also comprises an imaging optical function in addition to the beam deflection.

10 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the light from the light or image source impinges as a free beam on the base body and, as a result, on the second output coupling region, such that it is not guided in the base body via reflections.

11 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first input coupling region, the first output coupling region and/or the second output coupling region also comprises an imaging optical function in addition to the beam deflection.

12 . The waveguide of claim 11 , wherein the base body further comprises a plurality of first output coupling regions arranged next to one another in the third direction.

13 . The waveguide of claim 12 , in which at least one of the first output coupling regions additionally comprises the function of deflection transversely to the first direction.

14 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first input coupling region transmits a portion of the radiation coming from the object to be detected and impinging on the front side, such that said portion emerges from the base body via the rear side.

15 . A detector system and illumination and/or projection system comprising the functionalized waveguide of claim 1 .

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the detector system comprises a detector, on which that portion of the radiation which is deflected by the first output coupling region impinges.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the detector is connected to the front side or the rear side of the base body.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein no separate imaging optical element is arranged between the detector and the front and/or rear side.

19 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a light or an image source.

20 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first input coupling region and the second output coupling region are embodied jointly in an integrated manner, are embodied in a manner stacked one above another or they partly overlap.

21 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first input coupling region and the first output coupling region are arranged centered with respect to one another in the third direction such that a line running parallel to the first direction and through a center of the first input coupling region also runs through a center of the first output coupling region.

22 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first output coupling region is spaced apart from the second input coupling region in the first direction or the second direction.

23 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first input coupling region and the second output coupling region are configured at least in part in the same region in the base body and at least partially overlap one another in the first direction.

24 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the front side and the rear side of the base body are each planar.

25 . The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the first input coupling region, the second input coupling region, the first output coupling region and the second output coupling region are each disposed within the base body.

26 . A functionalized waveguide for a detector system and an illumination and/or projection system, comprising:

a singular transparent base body having a continuous front side and a continuous rear side, wherein the base body comprises a partly transparent first input coupling region, a second input coupling region, a first output coupling region spaced apart from the first input coupling region in a first direction and a second output coupling region spaced apart from the first output coupling region in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction,

wherein the first input coupling region is spaced apart from the second output coupling region in the first direction,

wherein radiation from an object to be detected is coupled into the functionalized waveguide via the first input coupling region, the first input coupling region comprising a diffractive structure which deflects only a portion of radiation coming from an object to be detected and impinging on the front side, such that the deflected portion propagates as coupled-in radiation in the base body along the first direction as far as the first output coupling region via reflections and impinges on the first output coupling region, and the first output coupling region deflecting at least one portion of the coupled-in radiation impinging on it, such that the deflected portion emerges from the base body via the front side or rear side in order to impinge on the detector system,

wherein an extent of the first input coupling region in a third direction transverse to both of the first direction and the second direction is greater than an extent of the first output coupling region in the third direction, and

wherein the functionalized waveguide illuminates or projects illumination radiation via the second output coupling region, wherein light from a light or image source located external to the base body impinges on the second input coupling region as the illumination radiation which propagates as coupled-in illumination radiation in the base body along the second direction as far as the second output coupling region via reflections and impinges on the second output coupling region where the second output coupling region deflects at least a portion of the coupled-in illumination radiation impinging on it such that the deflected portion emerges from the base body via the front side or rear side in order to serve for illumination and/or projection.

27 . The waveguide of claim 26 , wherein the front side and the rear side of the base body are each planar.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (60)