Abstract:
An infrared sensor device for motor-vehicles, designed to detect the presence of an overtaking vehicle, comprising at least two cells sensitive to infrared radiation, placed on one side of the reflecting plate on the outside rear view mirror of a motor-vehicle, behind focusing optics. Each cell emits a signal proportional to the infrared radiation it receives. An electronic circuit emits a global signal proportional to the difference between the signals emitted by the two cells, so that said global signal enables the presence of an overtaking vehicle to be distinguished from that of other vehicles travelling in the opposite direction, as well as avoiding false alarms due to electronic and electromagnetic noise.
Abstract:
The radiation beam emitted by a polychromatic source of finite dimension is incident onto an array of microlenses which have the function of converging and dividing the beam into a plurality of microbeams directed towards a matrix containing colored microfilters. Once the microfilters have been passed, the radiation reaches a matrix of microchoppers which can be selected independently from each other by a controller, for generating images.
Abstract:
A light concentrator is described, for a device for the conversion of solar radiation into electrical, thermal or chemical energy, capable of conveying the radiation towards a surface of the conversion device. The concentrator comprises at least one portion of Fresnel lens of rotational symmetry, one face of which has a plurality of crests disposed concentrically about a center so as to form a segmented transverse profile of the portion of Fresnel lens. The profile is formed in such a manner that the focal distance of the Fresnel lens is variable in dependence on the radial distance from the center of the lens. The variation of the focal distance is determined such that, when the Fresnel lens is illuminated by polychromatic radiation, the superposition of the distributions of irradiance, produced by the lens at the individual wavelengths constituting the spectrum of the incident radiation, generates a substantially uniform distribution of polychromatic irradiance on the conversion device.
Abstract:
Described herein is a transparent-display device for motor vehicles, to be used for presentation of information to the driver and/or to the passengers, said device comprising a plurality of LED sources, addressable individually or in groups through a series of conductive paths, deposited on a transparent underlayer and connected to a control electronics, in which: i) said LED sources are integrated in the form of dice, i.e., of elements obtained by dividing up a semiconductor wafer and without package; ii) said dice are integrated on, and electrically connected to, said underlayer via technologies of the chip-on-board type; and iii) said transparent underlayer 1 is pre-arranged for being at least in part superimposed on the windscreen of the vehicle, in such a way that at least part of the information presented to the user is superimposed on the background, said background being visible to the user through said windscreen.
Abstract:
A speed-indicating instrument for a motor vehicle provided with a cruise-control system comprises a dial (1) provided with a speed-indicating pointer (3) that co-operates with a graduated scale (5). Displayed in a position adjacent to the graduated scale (5) is an arc of light (6) terminating at one end (6a) that indicates on the graduated scale (5) the cruise-speed value set. Said arc of light is displayed using a first optical filter (7) and a second optical filter (8) superimposed on one another and backlighted, at least one of which being controlled in angular position about the centre (4) of the dial (1) as a function of the cruise speed set.
Abstract:
Multifunctional optical sensor, comprising a matrix of photodetectors of the CCD or CMOS type, having a sensitive area divided into sub-areas, each of which, individually or combined with others, is dedicated to a specific function of monitoring the scene or measuring environmental parameters. The optical sensor comprises a matrix of microlenses, each of which is set to focus the radiation coming from a portion of solid angle on the associated photodetector or cluster of mutually contiguous photodetectors. Each function is associated to a single microlens or to a single subgroup of mutually contiguous microlenses or to multiple, not mutually contiguous microlenses or to multiple, not mutually contiguous subgroups of microlenses. The angular separation between the central directions of the portions of solid angle subtended by adjacent photodetectors or adjacent clusters of photodetectors is not constant within the matrix.
Abstract:
A light-emitting device comprises a light source in the form of an incandescent filament, a substantial part of which is integrated in a host element having at least one portion structured according to nanometric dimensions. The nano-structured portion is in the form of a photonic crystal or of a Bragg grating for the purpose of obtaining an amplified or increased emission of radiation in the region of the visible.
Abstract:
An optical device to measure the distance between the device itself and an obstacle/object comprising a unit to emit radiation including an aligned series of sources of radiation coupled to a series of arrangements of lenses to guide the radiation emitted by the sources. An optical acquisition unit comprising a matrix of photodetectors has a field of view including the scene in front of the optical device and including the obstacle. The signals leaving the acquisition unit are sent to a control and processing unit for calculation of the distance from the obstacle. The unit for the emission and conformation of the radiation emits a beam having a transverse section of a form elongated along an axis that is progressively rotated for transverse sections of the beam progressively more distant from the emission unit. In this manner, the distance of the obstacle may be calculated on the basis of the angular position of the section of the beam intercepted by the obstacle, as acquired by said acquisition unit.
Abstract:
An optical system for image projection, particularly for projection devices of the “head-mounted”type, includes a display, an optical system for focusing an image formed by the display, and a light guide having an extended body, with two opposite, longitudinal, plane and parallel faces, and opposite ends which define first reflecting surface for coupling into the light guide and second reflecting surface for extracting the image from the light guide. Each light ray which propagates through the light guide undergoes at least three internal total reflections on the parallel plane faces of the light guide. At least a surface of the focusing optical system is a portion of a surface free of rotational symmetry axes. Moreover, the two reflecting surfaces of the light guide are portions of surfaces free of rotational symmetry axes. Finally, the inlet pupil of the light guide coincides with the outlet pupil of the focusing system.
Abstract:
A display panel (1) for a motor-vehicle dashboard has—a front surface (3) substantially dark on which there can be displayed symbols or icons (4) and/or wordings or numbers generated by a liquid-crystal display (5) by means of activation of one or more light sources (6) that backlight them. The front surface (3) of the panel is defined by a structured film (10), which has a high transmittance in regard to the light coming from the light source set behind it, and a high absorbance in regard to the light coming from outside. The film (10) comprises a layer (10A) formed by an array of focusing optical elements (11; 15) and an array of areas with another transmittance (12; 18) set substantially in the focal plane of said array of focusing elements (10A), said high-transmittance areas (12; 18) being separated by substantially absorbent areas (13) and being arranged along the optical axes of the focusing optical elements (11; 15).