METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATING WITH A LASER POWER DRIVER

• US 20130114632A1
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Telford, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,711,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/38.02
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0021 Degradation or life time measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0428 for applying pulses to the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06216 Pulse modulation or generation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4025 Array arrangements, e.g. constituted by discrete laser diodes or laser bar H01S5/42 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for controlling a plurality of laser diodes includes an optical transmitter coupled to the laser diode driver for each laser diode. An optical signal including bi-phase encoded data is provided to each laser diode driver. The optical signal includes current level and pulse duration information at which each of the diodes is to be driven. Upon receiving a trigger signal, the laser diode drivers operate the laser diodes using the current level and pulse duration information to output a laser beam.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a laser diode driver coupled to an optical receiver;

wherein the laser diode driver includes a processor;

providing a laser source coupled to the laser diode driver;

receiving, by the laser diode driver, an optical signal, the optical signal including information about a current value for operating the laser source and a duration for which the laser source is to be turned on;

analyzing, by the laser diode driver, the optical signal to determine the current value and the duration; and

operating, by the laser diode driver, the laser source based on the current value and the duration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the current value is between 0 amperes and 550 amperes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the duration ranges from about 1 μ

s to about 300 μ

s.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical signal further includes address information associated with the laser diode driver.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

analyzing the optical signal to decode the address information;

determining that the address information matches an address associated with the laser diode driver; and

extracting the current value and the duration in response to the determination.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein operating the laser source further comprises:

receiving a command to provide a current to the laser source based on the current value; and

providing the current to the laser source in response to the command and for the duration.

7. A laser diode array comprising:

a plurality of laser diodes; and

a plurality of laser diode drivers, wherein each laser diode driver is coupled to at least one laser diode from the plurality of laser diodes and an optical receiver;

wherein each of the plurality of laser diode drivers in conjunction with the optical receiver is configured to;

receive an optical signal including information about a current value for operating the at least one laser diode and a time for which the current value is to be applied to the at least one laser diode;

analyze the optical signal to extract the current value and the time information; and

provide a current equal to the current value to the at least one laser diode for the time specified in the optical signal.

8. The laser diode array of claim 7 wherein each laser diode driver has a unique address associated with it and the optical signal comprises a plurality of addresses for communicating with the plurality of laser diode drivers.

9. The laser diode array of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of laser diode drivers in conjunction with the optical receiver is further configured to:

analyze the optical signal to determine whether the optical signal includes an address that matches its unique address;

if the optical signal includes the address that matches its unique address, extracting the current value and the time information from the optical signal; and

if the optical signal does not include the address that matches its unique address, ignoring the optical signal.

10. The laser diode array of claim 7 wherein the current value ranges between 0 amperes and 550 amperes.

11. The laser diode array of claim 7 wherein the time ranges from about 1 μ

s to about 300 μ

s.

12. The laser diode array of claim 7 wherein the plurality of laser diodes comprise more than 500 laser diodes.

13. The laser diode array of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of laser diode drivers in conjunction with the optical receiver is configured to:

analyze a subsequent optical signal only if the subsequent optical signal includes current and time values for the at least one laser diode that are different from previously received current and time values for the at least one laser diode.

14. A system comprising:

a laser diode controller configured to provide a current value and a duration value for operating a laser diode;

an optical signal generator coupled to the laser diode controller, wherein the optical signal generator is configured to;

receive the current value and the duration value from the laser diode controller; and

generate an optical signal comprising encoded data that includes the current value and the duration value;

an optical transmitter coupled to the optical signal generator and configured to transmit the optical signal; and

a laser diode driver coupled to the optical transmitter, an optical receiver, and to the laser diode, wherein the laser diode driver in conjunction with the optical receiver is configured to;

receive the optical signal;

decode the encoded data to determine the current value and the duration value; and

provide a current equal to the current value to the laser diode and for a time equal to the duration value.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the current value ranges between 1 amperes and 550 amperes.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the time ranges from about 1 μ

s to about 300 μ

s.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the laser diode driver is addressable using a unique address value.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the unique address value is represented by a 10-bit sequence.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the unique address value is included in the optical signal.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the laser diode controller is further configured to generate a command instructing the laser diode driver to provide the current to the laser diode immediately upon receiving the command.