Patent · US Expired

Optical devices having array detectors with light receiving photo arrays larger than an incident laser beam cross-section

US5566151A · kind A · utility

3Cited by
9References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 1995
Grant dateOct 15, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 7, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B2007/13722
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An optical device has an optical array detector with an array of optical receptors (each receptor is an individual photo detector) that has a greater cross-sectional extent than an impinging light beam. The receptors have respective light receiving areas smaller than the a cross-sectional area of the impinging light beam. A ring lens passes a received light beam to the receptor array. A ring lens refracts a defocused and off-track impinging light beam whereby the optical refractive properties of the ring lens change the cross-sectional form of the received light beam in accordance with status of the light beam. Refraction of the received light beam in the ring lens distorts the beam cross-sectional shape for indicating focus and location errors. Provisions are made for automatic calibration of the impinging beam to a current position of the array detector physical position by the optical device. Optical detection and re-calibration is effected by a digital signal processor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.