Method and system for determining the local position of at least one optical element in a machine for laser processing of a material, using low-coherence optical interferometry techniques
US12214441B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 4, 2020 |
| Grant date | Feb 4, 2025 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 19, 2041 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P10/25
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for determining local position of an optical element associated with an optical path for transporting a laser beam in a working head of a machine for laser processing a material, includes generating a measurement beam of low coherence optical radiation traveling a measurement optical path, leading the measurement beam towards the optical element and the reflected or diffused measurement beam towards an optical interferometric sensor arrangement, generating a reference beam of low coherence optical radiation traveling a reference optical path and leading the reference beam towards the interferometric optical sensor arrangement, superimposing the measurement and reference beams on a common region of incidence, detecting a position of a pattern of interference fringes between the measurement and reference beams, and determining a difference in optical length between the measurement and reference optical paths as a function of the position of the interference pattern along an illumination axis, or of the frequency of the interference pattern in the frequency domain.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.