Range-finder apparatus, methods, and applications
First Claim
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1. An optical scanning device, comprising:
- an objective lens having an optical axis;
a controllable pixelated light modulator having a plurality of individual pixel elements and a lateral dimension, disposed along the optical axis on an image side of the objective lens, wherein a direct field of view of the optical scanning device is set by said lateral dimension;
a pair of reflective surfaces disposed in opposed tangential planes on opposite sides of the optical axis between the objective lens and the pixelated light modulator and tilted with respect to a sagittal plane, such that a wide angle point on an object side of the objective lens is mapped to a respective pixel of the pixelated light modulator;
a controller coupled to the pixelated light modulator in a manner to selectively control any of a plurality of selected arrangements of the pixel elements so as to map the point on the object side of the objective lens to a single point on an image side of the objective lens; and
a detector disposed so as to produce a signal representative of the intensity of light emitted from one or more points in front of the objective lens as the controller selectively controls the pixelated light modulator.
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Abstract
An imaging laser range finder including an objective lens having an optical axis, an object side, and an image side, a controllable pixelated light modulator disposed along the optical axis on the image side of the lens, and a detector disposed optically downstream from the pixelated light modulator on the image side of the lens. The controllable pixelated light modulator is advantageously a MEMS-based system such as a digital mirror device (DMD). An increased field of view may be obtained by incorporating a pair of opposing surface reflectors between an imaging lens and the controllable pixelated light modulator. Associated methods are disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical scanning device, comprising:
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an objective lens having an optical axis; a controllable pixelated light modulator having a plurality of individual pixel elements and a lateral dimension, disposed along the optical axis on an image side of the objective lens, wherein a direct field of view of the optical scanning device is set by said lateral dimension; a pair of reflective surfaces disposed in opposed tangential planes on opposite sides of the optical axis between the objective lens and the pixelated light modulator and tilted with respect to a sagittal plane, such that a wide angle point on an object side of the objective lens is mapped to a respective pixel of the pixelated light modulator; a controller coupled to the pixelated light modulator in a manner to selectively control any of a plurality of selected arrangements of the pixel elements so as to map the point on the object side of the objective lens to a single point on an image side of the objective lens; and a detector disposed so as to produce a signal representative of the intensity of light emitted from one or more points in front of the objective lens as the controller selectively controls the pixelated light modulator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An optical scanning method, comprising:
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providing a controllable pixelated light modulator having a plurality of individual pixel elements and a lateral dimension that determines a direct object side scanning field; providing a pair of reflective surfaces disposed in opposed tangential planes on opposite sides of the optical axis between the objective lens and the pixelated light modulator and tilted in a sagittal plane; imaging light from one or more points in the object side scanning field onto the pixelated light modulator by reflection from the pair of reflective surfaces , the shape, position and dimensions of which establish an indirect scanning field; and selectively controlling any of a plurality of selected arrangements of the pixel elements so as to map one or more points in the direct scanning field and the indirect scanning field to a single point in an image side a detection field. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A laser range finder, comprising:
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an objective lens having an optical axis, an object side, and an image side; a controllable pixelated light modulator disposed along the optical axis on the image side of the lens, the pixelated light modulator having a lateral dimension that determines a direct object side field of view (FOV) of the laser range finder; a pair of reflective surfaces disposed in opposed tangential planes on opposite sides of the optical axis between the objective lens and the pixelated light modulator and tilted with respect to a sagittal plane, wherein at least one of a shape, a position, an orientation, and a dimension of which establish an indirect FOV of the laser range finder; and a detector disposed optically downstream from the pixelated light modulator on the image side of the lens. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification