Patent · US Active

Multi-track absolute encoder

US9933284B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
4References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 26, 2015
Grant dateApr 3, 2018
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 19, 2036

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D5/34776
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical position encoder includes a scale having multiple tracks separated in a direction perpendicular to travel, the tracks including an incremental track and an absolute track, the scale interacting with an incident first light beam to generate a second light beam having components carrying respective optical patterns produced by the incremental track and absolute track respectively. The encoder further includes a set of optical detectors including at least first and second detector arrays of differing properties to detect the respective optical patterns produced by the incremental track and absolute track respectively, each of the first and second detector arrays spanning multiple tracks of the scale and configured to respond to a respective detector-specific component of the second light beam more strongly than to another component of the second beam specific to another of the detector arrays.

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