Optical devices, systems, and methods

Abstract

An adjustable optic device for providing light field information includes: (a) at least one counter electrode; (b) one or more working electrodes; (c) an insulating framework separating the counter electrode from each working electrode; and (d) an electrolyte medium between the counter electrode and the one or more working electrodes. Each working electrode is reversibly transitionable from a stripped state toward a plated state when a plating charge voltage is applied to induce plating with ions from the electrolyte medium. When in the stripped state, the one or more working electrodes are transparent and present a passage through the optic device for transmission of electromagnetic radiation. When in the plated state, the one or more working electrodes are plated with ions from the electrolyte medium to provide a coded aperture in the passage. The coded aperture has a pattern of subapertures for providing light field information.

1 . An adjustable optic device for providing light field information, comprising:
 a) at least one counter electrode;   b) one or more working electrodes, each working electrode having an arrangement of electrodeposition sites;   c) an insulating framework separating the counter electrode from each working electrode; and   d) an electrolyte medium between the counter electrode and the one or more working electrodes for conducting ions therebetween;   e) wherein each working electrode is reversibly transitionable from a stripped state toward a plated state when a plating charge voltage is applied across the working electrode and the counter electrode to induce plating at the electrodeposition sites with ions from the electrolyte medium, and when in the stripped state, the one or more working electrodes are generally transparent and present a passage through the optic device for transmission of electromagnetic radiation, and when the one or more working electrodes are in the plated state, the electrodeposition sites are plated with ions from the electrolyte medium to provide a coded aperture in the passage, the coded aperture comprising a pattern of subapertures for providing light field information.   
     
     
         2 . The optic device of  claim 1 , wherein each subaperture has a respective subaperture size, the subaperture size adjustable as a function of a value and application time of the plating charge voltage. 
     
     
         3 . The optic device of  claim 1 , wherein each subaperture has a respective subaperture size, the subaperture size adjustable as a function of a pattern of the plating charge voltage. 
     
     
         4 . The optic device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the working electrodes has a conductor pattern providing progressively increasing resistivity toward each subaperture such that electrodeposition sites further from the subaperture are plated prior to electrodeposition sites adjacent the subaperture to progressively reduce the subaperture size during application of the plating charge voltage. 
     
     
         5 . The optic device of  claim 1 , wherein the device includes a plurality of the working electrodes including at least one first working electrode and at least one second working electrode, each of the working electrodes independently connected to the counter electrode for application of a respective plating charge voltage thereacross and selectively transitionable between the stripped state and the plated state independently of one another. 
     
     
         6 . The optic device of  claim 5 , wherein the electrodeposition sites are arranged to provide a first coded aperture in the passage when the at least one first working electrode is in the plated state and the at least one second working electrode is in the stripped state, and to provide a second coded aperture in the passage when the at least one second working electrode is in the plated state and the at least one first working electrode is in one of the stripped state and the plated state, the first coded aperture having a first subaperture pattern and the second coded aperture having a second subaperture pattern different from the first subaperture pattern. 
     
     
         7 . The optic device of  claim 6 , wherein the electrodeposition sites are arranged to provide the second coded aperture when the at least one second working electrode is in the plated state and the at least one first working electrode is in the stripped state, and to provide a third coded aperture in the passage when both the at least one first working electrode and the at least one second working electrode are in the plated state, the third coded aperture having a third subaperture pattern different from the first and second subaperture patterns. 
     
     
         8 . The optic device of  claim 7 , wherein the first coded aperture includes a pattern of first blocking portions and the second coded aperture includes a pattern of second blocking portions, and wherein the third coded aperture comprises a pattern of third blocking portions defined by a combination of the first and second blocking portions. 
     
     
         9 . An optic device comprising a coded aperture mask reversibly transitionable from a first state toward a second state in response to application of a charge voltage, and when in the first state, the coded aperture mask has transmissivity of at least 70 percent, and when in the second state, the coded aperture mask has transmissivity of less than 30 percent and defines a pattern of subapertures for providing light field information. 
     
     
         10 . The optic device of  claim 9 , wherein when in the first state, the coded aperture mask has transmissivity of at least 90 percent, and when in the second state, the coded aperture mask has transmissivity of less than 10 percent. 
     
     
         11 . The optic device of  claim 10 , wherein when in the second state, the coded aperture mask has transmissivity of less than 1 percent. 
     
     
         12 . The optic device of  claim 9 , wherein the coded aperture mask comprises electrodeposition sites arranged on one or more working electrodes. 
     
     
         13 . An optic device comprising:
 a) a multifocal lens having a plurality of discrete optical zones;   b) a coded aperture mask in alignment with at least one of the optical zones, the coded aperture mask transitionable from a first state toward a second state in response to application of a charge voltage, and when in the first state, the coded aperture mask is generally transparent, and when in the second state, the coded aperture mask is generally opaque and defines a pattern of subapertures extending over the at least one of the optical zones.   
     
     
         14 . The optic device of  claim 13 , wherein the optical zones comprise at least one of a refractive zone, a diffractive zone, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . A method of generating light field information, comprising:
 a) receiving first image data representing a scene from electromagnetic radiation passing through an open aperture in a passage of the optic device;   b) after step (a), applying a first plating charge voltage across at least one first working electrode and a counter electrode of the optic device to induce a first plating of the first working electrode with ions from an electrolyte medium, the first plating arranged to provide a first coded aperture in the passage;   c) receiving second image data representing the scene from electromagnetic radiation passing through the first coded aperture; and   d) generating light field information relating to the scene based on at least the first image data and the second image data.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the light field information comprises depth information relating to the scene. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 applying a second plating charge voltage across the first working electrode and the counter electrode to induce a second plating of the first working electrode with ions from the electrolyte medium, the second plating arranged to provide a second coded aperture in the passage, the second coded aperture having a subaperture size different from that of the first coded aperture;   receiving third image data representing the scene from electromagnetic radiation passing through the second coded aperture; and   wherein step (d) includes generating light field information relating to the scene based on at least the first, second, and third image data.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 applying a second plating charge voltage across at least one second working electrode and the counter electrode of the optic device to induce a second plating of the second working electrode with ions from the electrolyte medium, the second plating arranged to provide a second coded aperture in the passage, the second coded aperture having a subaperture pattern different from that of the first coded aperture;   receiving third image data representing the scene from electromagnetic radiation passing through the second coded aperture; and   wherein step (d) includes generating light field information relating to the scene based on at least the first, second, and third image data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the subaperture pattern of the second coded aperture is an inverse of that of the first coded aperture. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first coded aperture forms at least a portion of a first coded aperture set defining a first subaperture pattern and the second coded aperture forms at least a portion of a second coded aperture set defining a second subaperture pattern, and wherein the first subaperture pattern is an inverse of the second subaperture pattern.