Patent ID: 7724347
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: G02B,G02F

Abstract:
1. A zoom lens control system comprising: at least one electronically tunable liquid crystal lens module comprising a liquid crystal lens, and a pair of ITO electrodes sandwiching opposed sides of said liquid crystal lens; at least one conventional optical element attached to at least one of said electronically tunable liquid crystal lens modules, said conventional optical element operable to receive light from a scene; a power supply for applying a controlled voltage across the two electrodes of said electronically tunable liquid crystal lens module so as to adjust the refractive index of said liquid crystal lens module; an operator control for generating a signal representative of a desired zoom level; an image sensor operative to receive light passing through said electronically tunable liquid crystal lens module and said conventional optical element to generate an output signal; and an image signal processor operative to receive the output signal from said image sensor and said desired zoom level signal and to adjust the voltage applied across the two electrodes of said electronically tunable liquid crystal lens module in order to achieve the inputted zoom level.