Wavelength-division multiplex digital optical position sensor
US5498867A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 21, 1994 |
| Grant date | Mar 12, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 21, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01D5/34715
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
According to a first aspect of the invention, an optical position sensor employs a position encoder having collimators and reflectors with mutually aligned optical axes mounted in a support. A slotted code plate moves between the collimators and reflectors in a plane non-perpendicular to their optic axes. This encoder converts position to optical signals reliably, regardless of mechanical shock or vibration. According to a second aspect of the invention, an optical position sensing system employs wavelength-division multiplexing to distribute light pulses to different position encoders and time-division multiplexing to further distribute pluses to the collimators in each encoder. This permits multiple position encoders to be served by a single light source and optical fiber.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.