Industrial device with adaptive optics

• US 7,652,759 B1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Rollins, George E., Schuster, George K., Delcher, Ray C., Jones, Derek W., Galera, Richard, Dogul, James E., Nair, Suresh R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, SANG H
• Application Number:
  US11/360,174
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 356/218, 356445-448, 356 72- 73, 250/339.05, 250/339.07, 250/341.1, 250/341.2, 250/458.1, 353/85, 353/121, 353/122, 351/159, 385/12, 385/15
• US Class Current: 356/218
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/144 using light grids

Abstract

An industrial device comprises a light emitter and a detector that is optically coupled to the emitter. A first deformable mirror/lens is optically coupled to the emitter, the first deformable mirror/lens is dynamically shaped to facilitate receipt of light at the detector. For example, the deformable mirror/lens can be associated with one or more actuators that causes the mirror/lens to be shaped in a desirable manner.

Claims

1. An industrial device, comprising:

a light emitter;

a detector that is optically aligned with the light emitter;

a first deformable mirror/lens that is optically coupled to the light emitter, the first deformable mirror/lens is dynamically shaped to correct misalignment between the light emitter and the detector;

an actuator associated with the first deformable mirror/lens;

a power component that provides at least one of voltage or current to the actuator to shape the first deformable mirror/lens;

an analysis component that analyzes the strength of an optical signal received at the detector and provides instructions to the power component to shape the first deformable mirror/lens based at least in part upon the analyzed strength of the optical signal.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second deformable mirror/lens that is optically coupled to the detector, the second deformable mirror/lens is dynamically shaped to direct light to the detector.

3. The device of claim 1, the analysis component converts the optical signal strength to at least one of an amount of misalignment or a percent difference between strength of the optical signal and an optimal optical signal strength.

4. The device of claim 1, the first deformable mirror/lens is associated with a plurality of actuators and the power component provides voltages or currents to at least two actuators of the plurality of actuators to reshape the first deformable mirror/lens.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising an alarm component that generates an alarm if the strength of the received signal is below a predefined threshold signal strength, wherein the reduced strength of the received signal is due to misalignment so that the first deformable mirror/lens is incapable of further enhancing the optical signal.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a data store that retains a subset of measurements generated by the analysis component; and

an estimation component analyzes the subset of measurements and outputs a time in the future when the light emitter and detector should be realigned.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a control component that determines whether an obstruction exists between the light emitter and the detector based upon the optical signal received at the detector and alters operation of a machine associated with the industrial device if it is determined that the obstruction exists.

8. The device of claim 7, the control component is configured to one of shut down the machine or stop a hazardous motion of the machine if it is determined that the obstruction exists.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising an alarm generator component that generates an alarm if it is determined that an obstruction exists between the light emitter and the detector.

10. The device of claim 1 is a barcode scanner.

11. The device of claim 1 is a single beam safety device.

12. The device of claim 1 is a safety light curtain.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising an optical signal analysis component that analyzes the optical signal received by the detector and determines information resident within a scanned barcode.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising an initialization component that receives optical signals from the detector, analyzes the optical signals to determine signal strength received at the detector, dynamically shapes the first deformable mirror/lens to alter the signal strength received at the detector or produces an amount of translation and a direction for optimal alignment of the light emitter and the detector to increase the signal strength received at the detector.

15. The device of claim 14, the initialization component enables the light emitter and detector to locate one another.

16. The device of claim 1, the first deformable mirror/lens is one of a micromachined membrane deformable mirror, a piezoelectric deformable mirror, or a continuous membrane deformable mirror.

17. The device of claim 1, the first deformable mirror/lens is one of a liquid lens, a magnetic fluidic lens, or a liquid crystal lens.

18. The device of claim 1, the first deformable mirror/lens configured to act as a filter with respect to light of particular wavelengths.

19. The device of claim 1, the light emitter is physically coupled to a plurality of deformable mirrors/lenses.

20. An industrial device, comprising:

a light emitter optically coupled to a first adaptive optic device;

a detector aligned with the emitter and optically coupled to a second adaptive optic device, wherein

the first adaptive optic device comprises a first deformable mirror/lens and a first plurality of actuators and facilitates receipt of light at the detector and

the second adaptive optic device comprises a second deformable mirror/lens and a second plurality of actuators and facilitates transmittal of light to the detector;

an analysis component that analyzes the light signal received at the detector and determines whether the emitter and the detector are misaligned; and

a power supply that receives an indication that the emitter and detector are misaligned and delivers at least one of voltage or current to at least one of the first plurality of actuators or the second plurality of actuators to change the shape of at least one of the first deformable mirror/lens or the second deformable mirror/lens to optimize the light signal received at the detector.

21. A method for automatically aligning an emitter and a detector, comprising:

optically coupling a deformable mirror/lens to an emitter;

providing an optical signal to a detector from the emitter, wherein the deformable mirror/lens is in a neutral position;

analyzing a strength of the optical signal received at the detector;

applying a plurality of voltages or currents to at least one actuator associated with the deformable mirror/lens to dynamically shape the deformable mirror/lens in a plurality of configurations;

analyzing the strength of the optical signal received at the detector for each of the plurality of configurations; and

recommending a best one of the plurality of configurations or recommending alterations in an alignment of the detector and the emitter by an optical signal analysis component.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

optically coupling a second deformable mirror/lens to the detector; and

dynamically shaping the second deformable mirror/lens to enhance the strength of the optical signal received at the detector.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

monitoring the optical signal at the detector, if the signal strength received at the detector is reduced, dynamically shaping the deformable mirror/lens;

determining that the optical signal is obstructed based upon the monitoring;

detecting an object between the emitter and the detector based upon the determination; and

altering operation of a machine associated with the emitter and the detector based at least in part upon the detection.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising shutting down hazardous motion of the machine based at least in part upon the detection.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising generating an alarm upon detecting the object between the emitter and the detector.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

comparing the signal strength received at the detector with a threshold; and

generating an alarm if the signal strength received at the detector is below the threshold.

27. An industrial safety system, comprising:

means for generating a beam of light;

means for receiving the beam of light;

means for analyzing the strength of the received beam of light and determining that an adaptive optic element at the means for generating the beam of light is misaligned; and

means for applying at least one of voltage or current to an actuator associated with the adaptive optic element to dynamically shape the adaptive optic element to enhance the strength of the received beam of light.