Laser-based apparatus utilizing multiple laser beams
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first laser transmitter having a first self-mix carrier frequency;
a second laser transmitter having a second, different, self-mix carrier frequency;
a first monitor photodiode to receive a first optical signal from the first laser transmitter, and to output a first electric signal;
a second monitor photodiode to receive a second optical signal from the second laser transmitter, and to output a second electric signal;
an electric connection to connect together the first electric signal and the second electric signal, forming a combined electric signal;
a single laser receiver to receive the combined electric signal and to generate from it a spectrum that corresponds to both (i) a self-mix signal of the first laser transmitter, and (ii) a self-mix signal of the second laser transmitter;
a selective activation module to selectively de-activate one laser transmitter out of the first laser transmitter and the second laser transmitter, and to increase a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of the apparatus, based on a comparison between;
(i) estimated usefulness of said self-mix signal of the first laser transmitter, and (ii) estimated usefulness of said self-mix signal of the second laser transmitter.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A laser-based device or sensor includes: a first laser transmitter having a first self-mix carrier frequency; a second laser transmitter having a second, different, self-mix carrier frequency; a first monitor photodiode to receive a first optical signal from the first laser transmitter, and to output a first electric signal; a second monitor photodiode to receive a first optical signal from the second laser transmitter, and to output a second electric signal; an electric connection to connect together the first electric signal and the second electric signal, forming a combined electric signal; a single laser receiver to receive the combined electric signal and to generate from it a spectrum that corresponds to both (i) self-mix signal of the first laser transmitter, and (ii) self-mix signal of the second laser transmitter. Alternatively, a single monitor photodiode is used, receiving self-mix signals from multiple laser transmitters, and outputting a single electric signal to a single laser receiver.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first laser transmitter having a first self-mix carrier frequency; a second laser transmitter having a second, different, self-mix carrier frequency; a first monitor photodiode to receive a first optical signal from the first laser transmitter, and to output a first electric signal; a second monitor photodiode to receive a second optical signal from the second laser transmitter, and to output a second electric signal; an electric connection to connect together the first electric signal and the second electric signal, forming a combined electric signal; a single laser receiver to receive the combined electric signal and to generate from it a spectrum that corresponds to both (i) a self-mix signal of the first laser transmitter, and (ii) a self-mix signal of the second laser transmitter; a selective activation module to selectively de-activate one laser transmitter out of the first laser transmitter and the second laser transmitter, and to increase a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of the apparatus, based on a comparison between;
(i) estimated usefulness of said self-mix signal of the first laser transmitter, and (ii) estimated usefulness of said self-mix signal of the second laser transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification