Optical fiber scanning apparatus
First Claim
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1. A method of scanning with a light transmitter having an exit tip, comprising:
- supporting said light transmitter in a mount located remotely from said exit tip;
applying a first driving force to said light transmitter between said mount and said exit tip to resonantly vibrate said light transmitter in a first direction; and
applying a second driving force to said light transmitter between said mount and said exit tip to non-resonantly vibrate said light transmitter in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction, wherein vibration of said light transmitter in said first direction and vibration of said light transmitter in said second direction are synchronized so that the exit tip of the light transmitter executes a scan pattern, wherein said scan pattern approximates a rectilinear raster scan and said light transmitter executes a sinusoidal vibration in said first direction and a linear vibration in said second direction.
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Abstract
A scanning apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising a light transmitter, a mount for supporting the light transmitter located remotely from its exit tip, a drive for driving the light transmitter to vibrate resonantly in a first direction and to vibrate non-resonantly in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a synchronizer for synchronizing vibration of the light transmitter in the first and second directions so that the exit tip of the light transmitter executes a scan pattern. The drive applies a driving force to the light transmitter between the mount and the exit tip.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of scanning with a light transmitter having an exit tip, comprising:
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supporting said light transmitter in a mount located remotely from said exit tip; applying a first driving force to said light transmitter between said mount and said exit tip to resonantly vibrate said light transmitter in a first direction; and applying a second driving force to said light transmitter between said mount and said exit tip to non-resonantly vibrate said light transmitter in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction, wherein vibration of said light transmitter in said first direction and vibration of said light transmitter in said second direction are synchronized so that the exit tip of the light transmitter executes a scan pattern, wherein said scan pattern approximates a rectilinear raster scan and said light transmitter executes a sinusoidal vibration in said first direction and a linear vibration in said second direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A scanning apparatus, comprising:
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a light transmitter having an exit tip; a mount configured to support said light transmitter and located remotely from said exit tip; and a drive circuit configured to apply a first driving force to said light transmitter between said mount and said exit tip to resonantly vibrate said light transmitter in a first direction and to apply a second driving force to said light transmitter between said mount and said exit tip to non-resonantly vibrate said light transmitter in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction, wherein vibration of said light transmitter in said first direction and vibration of said light transmitter in said second direction are synchronized so that the exit tip of the light transmitter executes a scan pattern, wherein said scan pattern approximates a rectilinear raster scan and said light transmitter executes a sinusoidal vibration in said first direction and a linear vibration in said second direction. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification