Wavelength coded resonant optical sensor
First Claim
1. An optical sensor system for providing an output signal representative of a sensed parameter, the optical sensor system comprising:
- optical waveguide means for guiding a light beam, the optical waveguide means having an input and an output;
optical resonator means optically coupled to the optical waveguide means between the input and the output, the optical resonator means defining first and second resonant cavities which exhibit first and second sets of resonant frequencies, respectively;
the first and second cavities having characeteristics which are affected differently by changes in the parameter and which cause the first and second sets of resonant frequencies to vary differently in response to changes in the parameter, whereby a differential frequency shift occurs between resonant frequencies of the first and second sets which is a function of the parameter;
means for providing a light beam to the input which has a frequency which varies with time through a frequency range which includes at least one resonant frequency of each of the first and second sets; and
means responsive to the light beam from the output for providing the output signal as a function of a difference between resonant frequencies of the first and second sets.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical sensor for providing an output signal representative of a sensed parameter such as pressure or temperature which includes an input/output optical waveguide and an optical resonator. The input/output waveguide is coupled to the resonator so that a significant change in light intensity at the output of the input/output waveguide occurs at resonance of the optical resonator. The optical resonator exhibits first and second independent resonant modes which differ from one another as a function of the parameter to be sensed. A narrow bandwidth variable frequency light source provides a frequency swept light beam to the input/output waveguide, and one or more photodetectors sense the intensity of the light beam at the output of the input/output waveguide to produce an output signal representative of the parameter based upon the time difference between occurrence of the first and second resonant modes.
-
Citations
53 Claims
-
1. An optical sensor system for providing an output signal representative of a sensed parameter, the optical sensor system comprising:
-
optical waveguide means for guiding a light beam, the optical waveguide means having an input and an output; optical resonator means optically coupled to the optical waveguide means between the input and the output, the optical resonator means defining first and second resonant cavities which exhibit first and second sets of resonant frequencies, respectively;
the first and second cavities having characeteristics which are affected differently by changes in the parameter and which cause the first and second sets of resonant frequencies to vary differently in response to changes in the parameter, whereby a differential frequency shift occurs between resonant frequencies of the first and second sets which is a function of the parameter;means for providing a light beam to the input which has a frequency which varies with time through a frequency range which includes at least one resonant frequency of each of the first and second sets; and means responsive to the light beam from the output for providing the output signal as a function of a difference between resonant frequencies of the first and second sets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. An optical sensor system for providing an output signal representative of a sensed parameter, the optical sensor comprising:
-
light source means for providing a light beam having a frequency which varies with time through a frequency range; waveguide means for guiding the light beam between an input and an output; first optical resonator means coupled to the waveguide means between the input and the output for exhibiting a first resonant condition in which a portion of the light beam is absorbed when the light beam has one of a first set of resonant frequencies; second optical resonator means for exhibiting a second resonant condition in which a portion of the light beam is absorbed when the light beam has one of a second set of resonant frequencies, where the first and second optical resonator means have characteristics which are affected differently by the changes in the parameter which cause the first set and second sets to vary differently in response to a change in the parameter so that a difference between the resonant frequencies of the first and second sets of resonant frequencies varies as a function of the parameters; and means for receiving the light beam from the output and providing the signal as a function of the difference between the resonant frequencies of the first and second sets. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. An optical sensor system for providing an output signal representative of a parameter, the optical sensor comprising:
-
a variable frequency light source for providing a light beam which periodically varies in frequency within a frequency range in a predetermined manner with time; optical resonator means defining first and second resonant cavities for exhibiting first and second sets of resonant frequencies, respectively, the first and second resonant cavities having characteristics which are affected differently by changes in the parameter and which cause the first and second sets of resonant frequencies to vary differently as a function of the parameter, whereby a differential frequency shift occurs between resonant frequencies of the first and second sets which is a function of the parameter; input/output waveguide means for guiding the light beam from an input to an output, the input/output waveguide means being coupled to the optical resonator means so that intensity of the light beam at the output changes when the light beam has a resonant frequency of the first set and when the light beam has a resonant frequency of the second set; and output means responsive to changes in intensity of the light beam at the output for providing the output signal as a function of a time difference between occurrence of the resonant frequencies of the first and second sets.
-
-
31. An optical sensor for sensing a parameter, the optical sensor comprising:
-
optical resonator means defining first and second resonant cavities for exhibiting first and second sets of resonant frequencies, respectively, the first and second resonant cavities having characteristics which are affected differently by changes in the parameter and which cause the first and second sets of resonant frequencies to vary differently as a function of the parameter, whereby a differential frequency shift occurs between resonant frequencies of the first and second sets which is a function of the parameter; input/output waveguide means for guiding a light beam from an input to an output, the input/output waveguide means being coupled to the optical resonator means so that intensity of the light beam at the output changes when the light beam has a frequency approximately equal to a resonant frequency of the first set and when the light beam has a frequency approximately equal to a resonant frequency of the second set; and output means responsive to changes in intensity of the light beam at the output for providing an output signal representative of the parameter based upon a difference in the resonant frequencies of the first and second set. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. A pressure monitor, comprising:
-
pressure responsive means including a diaphragm having a waveguide loop located on one surface thereof, said diaphragm deflecting under pressure to cause stress-induced birefringence in said waveguide loop;
the waveguide loop defining first and second resonant cavities exhibiting first and second sets of resonant frequencies which vary depending on the amount of stress-induced birefringence in said waveguide loop;optical input means positioned adjacent said waveguide loop for coupling light energy into said waveguide loop; output means also positioned adjacent said waveguide loop for coupling a portion of light energy out of said waveguide loop; and whereby a differential frequency shift between resonant frequencies of the first and second sets occurs in the spectral response of light energy resonating in said first and second resonant cavities of said waveguide loop as a result of said stress-induced birefringence which is proportional to pressure acting on said diaphragm. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
-
-
48. A pressure measuring system comprising:
-
pressure responsive means including a diaphragm having a waveguide loop located on one surface thereof, said diaphragm causing a stress-induced birefringence in said waveguide loop in response to pressure acting on a surface thereof;
the waveguide loop defining first and second resonant cavities exhibiting first and second sets of resonant frequencies which vary depending on the amount of stress-induced birefringence in said waveguide loop;source means positioned to couple optical energy into said waveguide loop; and frequency detector means positioned to receive light energy coupled out of said waveguide loop; and whereby a differential frequency shift between resonant frequencies of the first and second sets occurs in the spectral response of light energy resonating in said first and second resonant cavities of said waveguide loop as a result of said stress-induced birefringence which is proportional to pressure acting on said diaphragm.
-
-
49. An optical sensor for sensing a parameter, the optical sensor comprising:
-
optical resonator means defining first and second resonant cavities for exhibiting first and second sets of resonant frequencies, respectively, the first and second cavities having characteristics which are affected differently by changes in the parameter and which cause the first and second sets of resonant frequencies to vary differently as a function of the parameter, whereby a differential frequency shift occurs between resonant frequencies of the first and second sets which is a function of the parameter; means for coupling light energy into the optical resonator means; and means responsive to light energy coupled out of the optical resonator means for providing an output signal representative of the parameter based upon the differential frequency shift. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53)
-
Specification