Optical potentiometer
First Claim
1. An optical potentiometer, comprising:
- a housing;
a light source within said housing;
a light sensor within said housing; and
selectively moveable reflecting means within said housing for receiving light from said light source and reflecting a quantom of said light to said light sensor as a function of the position of said reflecting means within said housing, said light sensor providing an ouput signal corresponding to said quantom of light sensed thereby, wherein said reflecting means comprises a slide having a flat surface, said slide moveable longitudinally within said housing, said flat surface being laterally disposed within said housing.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Optical and digital potentiometers and controllers. In one embodiment of the invention, a paddle slider is maintained within a housing along with a light source and sensor. The amount of light received by the sensor is a function of the position of the slider and, accordingly, a control signal output may be developed corresponding to the mechanical position of the slider. In other embodiments, light sources are caused to impinge on reflective surfaces which reflect the light through a film onto additional reflective surfaces which direct the light to a sensor. The film may be of varying optical density along the length thereof such that the amount of light received corresponds to the position of the slider, or the film may be digitally encoded such that separate light beams received by the sensor will correspond to a digital position of the slider. In another embodiment, a cylindrical digitally encoded film is rotated between a light source and sensor, thereby varying the output of the sensor. In still another embodiment, a pressure bar is maintained upon a slide and transverses a switch pad which is connected to an electronic decoding circuit. As the slide is moved, the output of the switch pad changes as a digital function of the position of the slide.
14 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An optical potentiometer, comprising:
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a housing; a light source within said housing; a light sensor within said housing; and selectively moveable reflecting means within said housing for receiving light from said light source and reflecting a quantom of said light to said light sensor as a function of the position of said reflecting means within said housing, said light sensor providing an ouput signal corresponding to said quantom of light sensed thereby, wherein said reflecting means comprises a slide having a flat surface, said slide moveable longitudinally within said housing, said flat surface being laterally disposed within said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A optical potentiometer, comprising:
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a housing; a light source within said housing; a light source within said housing in juxtaposition to said light source; and a media of varying optical density maintained between said light source and light sensor, said media adapted for relative movement between said light source and light sensor, wherein said media comprises a film of circular configuration, wherein said film is connected to a handle for rotation between said light source and light sensor, and wherein said light source comprises a plurality of light-emitting members and said light sensor comprises an equal plurality of light sensing members, one light sensing member uniquely associated with each light emitting member wherein said film is divided into an equal plurality of tracks, one said track uniquely associated with each said pair of uniquely associated light-emitting and sensing members, and wherein said film is digitally conded, each said track representing a specific digital power.
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5. An optical potentiometer, comprising:
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a housing; a light source within said housing; a light sensor within said housing; and selectively moveable reflecting means within said housing for receiving light from said light source and reflecting a quantum of said light to said light sensor as a function of the position of said reflecting means within said housing, said light sensor providing an output signal corresponding to said quantum of light sensed thereby, and wherein said reflecting means comprises a slide having angled reflective surfaces thereon, a first reflective surface in alignment with said light source and receiving light therefrom, and a second reflective surface in alignment with said light sensor and transmitting light thereto. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An optical potentiometer, comprising:
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a housing; a light source within said housing; a light sensor within said housing in juxtaposition to said light source; and a solid media of varying optical density maintained between said light source and light sensor, said media adapted for relative movement between said light source and light sensor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A digital encoder, comprising:
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a housing; a switch pad maintained along an inner first side of said housing; and a slide received within a second side of said housing opposite said first side, said slide movable along said second side and having a bar transversely engaging said switch pad for selectively activating transverse areas of said switch pad. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An opticasl potentiometer, comprising:
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a housing; a light source within said housing; a light sensor within said housing; and selectively moveable reflecting means within said housing for receiving light from said light source and reflecting a quantum of said light to said light sensor as a function of the position of said reflecting means within said housing, said light sensor providing an output signal corresponding to said quantum of light sensed thereby, wherein said reflecting means comprises a slide having angled reflective surfaces thereon, a first reflective surface in alignment with said light source and receiving light therefrom, and a second reflective surface in alignment with said light sensor and transmitting light thereto, wherein said first reflective surface is angled to reflect light from said light source to said second reflective surface, said second reflective surface angled to transmit said reflected light to said light sensor, said optical potentiometer further including a media between said first and second reflective surfaces extending longitudinal within said housing, said media having varying light passing characteristics along the length thereof, wherein said light source comprises a plurality of collimated light beams and said light sensor comprises an equal plurality of photodetectors, each photodetector uniquely associated with a separate one of said collimated light beams, wherein said media comprises a coded film having uniquely positioned transparent and opaque areas thereon, and wherein said film has a plurality of coded tracks thereon equal to the plurality of paired photodectors and light beams.
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28. An optical potentiometer, comprising:
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a housing; a light source within said housing; a light sensor within said housing and selectively moveable reflecting means within said housing for receiving light from said light source and reflecting a quantum of said light to said light sensor as a fucntion of the position of said reflecting means within said housing, said light sensor providing an output signal corresponding to said quantum of light sensed thereby, wherein said reflecting means comprises a slide having angled reflective surfaces thereon, a first reflective surface in alignment with said light source and receiving light therefrom, and second reflective surface in alginment with said light sensor and transmitting light thereto, wherein said first reflective surface is angled to reflect light from said light source to said second reflective surface, said second reflective surface angled to transmit said reflected light to said light sensor, said optical potentiometer further including a media between said first and and second reflective surfaces extending longitudinally within said housing, said media having varying light passing characteristics along the length thereof, wherein said light source comprises a plurality of collimated light beams and said light sensor comprises an equal plurality of photodetectors, each photodetector uniquely associated with a separate one of said collimated light beams, wherein said media comprises a coded film having uniquely positioned transparent and opaque are as thereon, wherein said film has a plurality of coded tracks thereon equal to the plurality of paired photodectors and light beams, and wherein said film is binary coded.
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29. An optical potentiometer, comprising:
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a housing; a light source within said housing; a light sensor within said housing; and selectively moveable reflecting means within said housing for receving light from said light source and reflecting a quantum of said light to said light sensor as a function of the position of said reflecting means within said housing, said light sensor providing an output signal corresponding to said quantum of light sensed thereby, wherein said reflecting means comprises a slide having angled reflective surfaces thereon, a first reflective surface in alignment with said light source and receiving light therefrom, and a second reflective surface in alignment with said light sensor and transmitting light thereto, wherein said first reflective surface is angled to reflect light from said light source to said second reflective surface, said second reflective surface angled to transmit said reflected light to said light sensor, said optical potentiometer further including a media between said first and second reflective surfaces extending longitudinally within said housing, said media having varying light passign characteristics along the length thereof, wherein said light source comprises a plurality of collimated light beams and said light sensor comprises an equal plurality of photodetectors, each photodetector uniquely associated with a separate one of said collimated light beams, wherein said media comprises a coded film having uniquely positioned transparent and opaque areas thereon, wherein said film has a plurality of coded tracks thereon equal to the plurality of paired photodetectors and light beams, wherein said film is binary coded, and wherein said light beams are generated by a collimated light source connected to a plurality of optical fibers.
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30. An optical potentiometer, comprising:
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a housing; a light source within said housing; a light source within said housing in juxtapositioned to said light source; and a media of varying optical density maintained between saids light source and light sensor, said media adapted for relative movement between said light source and light sensor, wherein said media comprises a film of circular configuration, wherein said film is connected to a handle for rotation between said light source and light sensor, and wherien said light source comprises a plurality of light-emitting members and said light sensor comprises an equal plurality of light sensing members, one light sensing member uniquely associated with each light emitting member and wherein said film is divided into an equal plurality of tracks, one said track uniquely associated with each said pair of uniquely associated light emitting and sensing members.
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Specification