Reflector for laser interrogation of three-dimensional objects

• US 7,296,904 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2001
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Southern California
• Original Assignee: University of Southern California
• Inventors: Will, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer; Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US09/681,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,385 Days
• Field of Search: 359/850, 359/851, 359/855, 359/856, 359/857, 359/858, 359/861, 359/862, 359/863, 359/865, 359/846, 359/900, 385/18
• US Class Current: 359/857
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0816 by means of one or more reflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

A digital control for light beams. A position of an output light beam is changed based on a digital input control formed of a plurality of bits. The device may use movable mirrors to change the position of the output light beams.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

applying an input optical beam, of specified beam size to an array of reflector elements;

reflecting said input optical beam through said array to form an output optical beam at a location to form said output optical beam at said location without other optical beams that result from reflecting said input optical beam surrounding said location; and

controlling said reflector elements using multiple digital bits, such that each change of each single digital bit changes the location where said output optical beam is directed to at least one of multiple different spaced locations, the one of the spaced locations where the beam is directed being based on states of the multiple bits.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said array of reflector elements includes a plurality of moving mirrors, each of which deflects said input optical beam according to said digital bits.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein at least some of said plurality of moving mirrors are each moved by a different amount than others of said moving mirrors.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein said plurality of moving mirrors are each moved by the same amount.

5. A method as in claim 4, further comprising changing an angle of attack for each of a plurality of reflections.

6. A method as in claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of moving mirrors has a substantially different size.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein said array of reflector elements includes an array of movable mirrors, and at least one unmovable mirror, positioned in a location to reflect light from one of said movable mirrors to another of said movable mirrors.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein said unmovable mirror is substantially flat.

9. A method as in claim 7, wherein said unmovable mirror is substantially curved.

10. A method as in claim 7, wherein said unmovable mirror includes a plurality of separated parts, collectively defining a curved profile, but each of said separated parts being substantially flat.

11. A method as in claim 7, wherein said unmovable mirror includes a plurality of angled surfaces.

12. A method as in claim 7, wherein said angled surfaces are Fresnel surfaces.

13. A method as in claim 1, wherein said array of reflector elements includes a first sub array of movable mirrors extending along a first specified shaped surface, and a second sub array of movable mirrors extending along a second specified shaped surface.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said first and second shaped surfaces are substantially flat.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein said first and second specified shaped surfaces are substantially curved.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein each of said mirrors are substantially flat.

17. A method as in claim 13, wherein each of said reflector elements includes a reflective membrane which is moved between first and second positions.

18. A method as in claim 13, wherein each of said reflector elements includes first and second parts which are movable relative to one another.

19. A method as in claim 1, wherein said applying an input optical beam comprises applying a pencil-like beam from a laser device.

20. A method as in claim 1, wherein there are 2ⁿ different possible locations, where n is a number of bits.

21. A method as in claim 20, where there is more than one bit.

22. An optical device comprising:

an arrangement of movable reflector elements which are separated from one another, and arranged such that for at least a plurality of said reflector elements, each of said plurality of reflector elements reflect

a light beam producing part, projecting a light beam to said reflector elements; and

a controller for said arrangement of reflector elements, said controller operating based on a plurality of digital bits which each change a position of one of said reflector elements to thereby change a location of an output beam produced from said light beam, to one of a plurality of different locations that is based on said digital bits.

23. A device as in claim 22, wherein each of said reflector elements comprises a movable, reflective membrane.

24. A device as in claim 22, wherein each of said reflector elements comprises first and second parts, which reflect light from a first location when touching one and reflect light from a second location when not touching one another, and an element for moving said first and second parts relative to one another.

25. A device as in claim 22, further comprising a plane mirror, which reflects between different ones of said reflector elements.

26. A device as in claim 25, wherein said plane mirror is substantially flat.

27. A device as in claim 26, wherein said plane mirror is formed of a plurality of different mirrored elements, each of which is substantially flat.

28. A device as in claim 25, wherein said plane mirror is formed along a curved area.

29. A device as in claim 22, wherein each of said reflector elements are movable by different amounts.

30. A device as in claim 22, wherein each of said reflector elements are movable by the same amount.

31. A device as in claim 22, wherein each of said plurality of moving elements has a substantially same size.

32. A device as in claim 22, wherein each of said plurality of moveable reflector elements has a substantially different size.

33. A device as in claim 22, further comprising a laser, producing an output beam, directed towards one of said reflector elements, and thereafter reflected to others of said reflector elements, to produce a pencillike output beam at said location.

34. An assembly comprising:

an optical device comprising an array of movable reflector elements; and

a controller for said array of reflector elements, said controller operating based on a plurality of digital bits which operate to change a position of said array of reflector elements to produce an output beam at a position based on said digital bits;

wherein each of said plurality of reflector elements is movable and has a substantially different size and is arranged in a series; and

at least for a plurality of said reflector elements, each reflector element being twice as large as a reflector element directly prior to said each reflector element in said series.

35. A method, comprising:

applying an input optical beam of specified beam size to an array of reflector elements;

reflecting said input optical beam through said array to form an output optical beam at a location; and

controlling said reflector elements using multiple digital bits, such that each change of each single digital bit changes the location where said output optical beam is directed to at least one of multiple different spaced locations, the one of the spaced locations where the beam is directed being based on states of the multiple bits,

wherein there are 2ⁿ different possible locations, where n is a number of bits, where there is more than one bit.