Fiber optical monitor for detecting motion based on changes in speckle patterns
First Claim
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1. A fiber optic motion monitor comprising:
- a light source,an optical fiber waveguide including an input end, and an output end, and a sensing section intermediate said input and output ends, said optical fiber being positioned to receive light from said light source at said input end,movable means for transmitting motion of an object being monitored, said sensing section being coupled to said moveable means so as to move therewith,photodetector means positioned proximate to said output end for receiving therefrom a speckle pattern of light representative of approximately half the light guided by said optical waveguide, which pattern changes in response to movement of said sensing section, said photodetector means generating electrical signals representative of changes in said speckle pattern, andmeans for identifying electrical signals indicative of normal motion and for differentiating them from electrical signals indicative of deviations from normal motion.
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Abstract
A motion monitor using coherent or partially coherent light passing through an optical fiber which is in contact or close to an object whose motion is to be monitored. An optical speckle pattern is formed near the output of the optical fiber which pattern changes as the fiber moves in response to the motion of the object being monitored. An optical detector monitors all or a part of the speckle pattern and electronically processes the optical detector'"'"'s electrical output signals to derive information on the status of the object being monitored.
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19 Claims
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1. A fiber optic motion monitor comprising:
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a light source, an optical fiber waveguide including an input end, and an output end, and a sensing section intermediate said input and output ends, said optical fiber being positioned to receive light from said light source at said input end, movable means for transmitting motion of an object being monitored, said sensing section being coupled to said moveable means so as to move therewith, photodetector means positioned proximate to said output end for receiving therefrom a speckle pattern of light representative of approximately half the light guided by said optical waveguide, which pattern changes in response to movement of said sensing section, said photodetector means generating electrical signals representative of changes in said speckle pattern, and means for identifying electrical signals indicative of normal motion and for differentiating them from electrical signals indicative of deviations from normal motion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification