Scanning device

• US 6,937,375 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ADC GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: ADC GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Schanz, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US10/487,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 359/196, 359/201, 359/205, 359/209, 359/211, 359/222, 359/833, 359/834, 359/837, 359/741, 359/742
• US Class Current: 359/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/108 having one or more prisms as scanning elements

Abstract

A scanning apparatus includes a radiation source for emitting a light beam, a rotatable prism for deflecting the light beam, and a lens arrangement for projecting the light beam onto a scene to be scanned. The path length that is traversed by the light beam from the radiation source to the lens arrangement is dependent on the angular position of the prism. To avoid a defocussing, the light beam is collimated so that it penetrates through the lens arrangement in a lens section that is dependent on the angular position of the prism, and the lens arrangement has different focal lengths for various lens sections. The focal lengths of the lens sections are thereby selected so that the radiation source respectively lies in the focal point of the lens section that is penetrated by the light beam. A preferred application is for optical spacing distance radar for motor vehicles.

Claims

1. Scanning apparatus with an emitting part (1) that comprises a radiation source (11) for emitting a light beam (T), a rotatable prism (10) for deflecting the light beam (T), and a lens arrangement (12) for projecting the deflected light beam (T) onto a scene that is to be scanned, characterized in that the light beam (T) is collimated in such a manner so that it penetrates through the lens arrangement (12) in a lens section that is dependent on the angular position (α

) of the prism (10), in that the lens arrangement (12) comprises lens sections (120, 121, 122, 123) with different focal lengths, and in that the focal lengths of the lens sections (120, 121, 122, 123) are selected in such a manner so that the radiation source (11) respectively lies in the focal point of the lens section (120) that is penetrated by the light beam (T).

2. Scanning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the radiation source (11) is positioned with respect to the prism (10) in such a manner so that the light beam (T) is deflected by total reflection in the prism (10) to the lens arrangement (12).

3. Scanning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the lens arrangement (12) is embodied as a Fresnel lens.

4. Scanning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the radiation source (11) is embodied as a laser diode.

5. Scanning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the scanning apparatus further comprises a receiving part (2) with a photodetector (21), a further prism (20) similar to the prism (10) of the emitting part (1), and a further lens arrangement (22) similar to the lens arrangement (12) of the emitting part (2), in that the prisms (10, 20) are rotatable synchronously with respect to one another about the same rotation axis (4) or about rotation axes that are parallel to one another, and in that the photodetector (21) is positioned in such a manner so that a reflection beam (R) resulting from the light beam (T) is projected thereonto via the further lens arrangement (22) and the further prism (21).

6. Use of the scanning apparatus according to claim 1 as a spacing distance radar for motor vehicles.