Remote optical position sensing device and methods
US9423277B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 9, 2014 |
| Grant date | Aug 23, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 20, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01D5/34
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical position sensing system and method for sensing a gimbal position in a gimbal-based optical system. One example of an optical position sensing system includes an off-gimbal light source that generates a position sensing light beam and transmits the position sensing light beam along an optical coude path of the optical system, and an on-gimbal optical element that causes a change in an intensity of the position sensing light beam based on rotation of the gimbal about the axis. The system further includes an off-gimbal detector configured to receive the position sensing light beam returned from the optical element and to detect the change in the intensity of the position sensing light beam, and a controller coupled to the detector and configured to determine the gimbal position based on a correlation between the change in the intensity of the position sensing light beam and the gimbal position.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.