BEAM STEERING FOR LASER RADAR AND OTHER USES
First Claim
1. An optical system, comprising:
- a beam-forming unit comprising a first optical element;
a beam-scan unit comprising a second optical element; and
a controller coupled to the beam-forming unit and beam-scan unit;
wherein the first optical element is movable to shape and direct an optical beam out along a nominal propagation axis, and the second optical element comprises at least one movable beam deflector that moves the optical beam in a scanning manner relative to the nominal propagation axis; and
the controller is configured to induce movement of the first optical element as required for shaping and directing the optical beam along the nominal propagation axis and to induce motion of the beam deflector of the second optical element as required to scan the optical beam relative to the nominal propagation axis.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Optical systems suitable for use as or in laser radar systems and other uses include a beam-forming unit, a beam-scan unit, and a controller. The beam-forming unit includes a first optical element, and the beam-scan unit includes a second optical element. The first optical element is movable to shape and direct a substantially collimated optical beam along a nominal propagation axis to a target, and the second optical element includes at least one movable beam deflector that moves the optical beam in a scanning manner relative to the nominal propagation axis. The controller is coupled to the beam-forming unit and beam-scan unit, and is configured to induce movement of the first optical element required for shaping and directing the optical beam along the nominal propagation axis and to induce independent motion of the beam deflector of the second optical element as required to scan the optical beam relative to the nominal propagation axis. The beam deflector can be refractive or reflective.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. An optical system, comprising:
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a beam-forming unit comprising a first optical element; a beam-scan unit comprising a second optical element; and a controller coupled to the beam-forming unit and beam-scan unit; wherein the first optical element is movable to shape and direct an optical beam out along a nominal propagation axis, and the second optical element comprises at least one movable beam deflector that moves the optical beam in a scanning manner relative to the nominal propagation axis; and the controller is configured to induce movement of the first optical element as required for shaping and directing the optical beam along the nominal propagation axis and to induce motion of the beam deflector of the second optical element as required to scan the optical beam relative to the nominal propagation axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 30)
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11. An optical system, comprising:
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a beam-shaping optical system producing an optical beam; a movable beam deflector directing the optical beam to a target; and a beam-scan controller operably coupled to the beam deflector to produce an optical-beam scan angle, relative to a nominal propagation axis, based on an orientation of at least a portion of the beam-shaping optical system and a setting of the movable beam deflector. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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31. A method, comprising:
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establishing a beam orientation of an optical beam along a nominal propagation axis using a beam-shaping optical system; scanning the optical beam about the nominal propagation axis using a movable beam deflector; delivering the scanned beam to a target; receiving at least a portion of the beam back from the target; and determining a characteristic of the target based on the received portion. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An optical apparatus, comprising:
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a beam-forming optical system configured to produce an optical beam; a primary beam scanner situated and configured to produce a primary scan of the optical beam, using the beam-forming optical system; a secondary beam scanner situated and configured to receive the optical beam from the primary beam scanner and produce a secondary scan, such that the scanning optical beam is directed along a scan path defined by the primary and secondary beam scanners; and an optical detection system configured to estimate target distances associated with at least a portion of the scan path based on portions of the optical beam received from the target. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A laser radar apparatus, comprising:
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an optical fiber situated to emit an optical beam along an axis; a corner cube situated along the axis so as to receive the emitted optical beam; a displacement stage coupled to the corner cube and configured to displace the corner cube along the axis; a return reflector situated along the axis to receive the emitted optical beam from the corner cube and reflect the emitted optical beam as a returned beam to the corner cube; a beam-forming lens situated along the axis to receive the returned beam from the corner cube and produce an interrogation beam; a focus controller coupled to the displacement stage and configured to adjust a separation of the corner cube and the beam forming lens so as to focus the interrogation beam at a selected target distance; a primary beam scanner configured to direct the axis toward a selected target location; and a secondary beam scanner coupled to produce scan-inducing movement of an optical element so as to produce an angular deviation of the interrogation beam with respect to the axis so as to define a scan path. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification