System and method for providing active refraction feedback for devices with variable index of refraction

• US 9,971,174 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Keller, Sean D., Uyeno, Gerald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): AKANBI, ISIAKA O
• Application Number:
  US14/625,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20160238524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 356128, 385 3, 385 4, 359333
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1309 Repairing; Testing

Abstract

A system for providing active refraction feedback for devices with a variable index of refraction includes a reference beam generator and an altered reference beam sensor. The reference beam generator is configured to generate a reference beam and to apply the reference beam to a variable-index-of-refraction (VIR) device. The VIR device is configured to generate an altered reference beam based on the reference beam and based on an index of refraction for the VIR device. The altered reference beam sensor is configured to detect the altered reference beam and to sense a characteristic of the altered reference beam corresponding to the index of refraction.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a reference beam generator configured to generate a reference beam and to apply the reference beam to a variable-index-of-refraction (VIR) device, wherein the VIR device is configured to receive an input beam and output a steered beam, the input beam generated by a source that is different from the reference beam generator, the VIR device further configured to generate and output an altered reference beam that is different from the output steered beam, the altered reference beam based on the reference beam and based on an index of refraction for the VIR device;

an altered reference beam sensor configured to detect the altered reference beam and to sense a characteristic of the altered reference beam corresponding to the index of refraction; and

a voltage adjuster configured to (i) determine the index of refraction based on the characteristic of the altered reference beam, and (ii) generate a voltage adjustment based on the index of refraction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the altered reference beam comprises a position.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the altered reference beam comprises an intensity.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the voltage adjuster is configured to receive the characteristic of the altered reference beam from the altered reference beam sensor.

5. A system, comprising:

a reference beam generator configured to generate a reference beam and to apply the reference beam to a variable-index-of-refraction (VIR) device, wherein the VIR device is configured to generate and output an altered reference beam based on the reference beam, the VIR device further configured to receive and steer an input beam of light to generate and output a steered beam at a steered angle, the output steered beam different from the output altered reference beam, the input beam generated by a source that is different from the reference beam generator;

an altered reference beam sensor configured to detect the altered reference beam and to sense a characteristic of the altered reference beam related to an actual index of refraction corresponding to the steered angle; and

a voltage adjuster configured to (i) determine the actual index of refraction based on the sensed characteristic, and (ii) generate a voltage adjustment based on the actual index of refraction.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a voltage source configured to apply a voltage to the VIR device, wherein the voltage adjuster is further configured to feed back the voltage adjustment to the voltage source, and wherein the voltage source is further configured to adjust the voltage applied to the VIR device based on the voltage adjustment.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the voltage adjustment includes an updated voltage to apply to the VIR device.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the voltage adjustment includes a change to a current voltage applied to the VIR device.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the voltage adjuster is further configured to generate the voltage adjustment based on a difference between the actual index of refraction and a desired index of refraction.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the characteristic of the altered reference beam comprises a position.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the characteristic of the altered reference beam comprises an intensity.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the voltage adjuster is configured to receive the sensed characteristic from the altered reference beam sensor.

13. A method, comprising:

applying a reference beam to a variable-index-of-refraction (VIR) device, wherein the VIR device is configured to receive an input beam and output a steered beam, the input beam generated by a source that is different from a source that generates the reference beam, the VIR device further configured to generate and output an altered reference beam that is different from the output steered beam, the altered reference beam based on the reference beam and based on an actual index of refraction for the VIR device;

detecting the altered reference beam;

sensing a characteristic of the altered reference beam corresponding to the actual index of refraction;

determining the actual index of refraction based on the sensed characteristic; and

generating a voltage adjustment based on the actual index of refraction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the VIR device is further configured to generate the steered beam at a steered angle, and wherein the actual index of refraction corresponds to the steered angle.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

applying a voltage to the VIR device;

feeding back the voltage adjustment; and

adjusting the voltage applied to the VIR device based on the voltage adjustment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the voltage adjustment comprises an updated voltage to apply to the VIR device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the voltage adjustment comprises a change to a current voltage applied to the VIR device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the characteristic of the altered reference beam comprises a position.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the characteristic of the altered reference beam comprises an intensity.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining of the actual index of refraction is performed by a voltage adjuster that receives the sensed characteristic from an altered reference beam sensor.