EP0460890A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Optical tracking system
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1991-06-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-06-03
Abstract
Abstract An optical tracking and positioning system is provided which comprises a beam source 14 which generates a beam which is transmitted through a splitter/filter 16. The beam issues from splitter/filter 16 and is selectively deflected to areas of an optical storage medium 12 by a mirror 18 which is controlled by a mirror control system 20. The beam is transmitted from mirror 18 through correction optics 22 and reflects off the surface of the optical storage medium 12. The beam returns along a coincident path and is separated by splitter/filter 16 and directed to a detector 24 which reads the data stored in optical storage medium 12. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mirror 18 comprises a deformable mirror device 26.
Inventors
- 👤 Giles A. Pauli
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 20:15
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B7/00; G11B7/08; G11B7/09; G11B7/0901; G11B7/085; G11B7/08547; G11B7/08564
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
57 words
An optical tracking system for positioning a beam of light on an optical storage medium, comprising: a light source operable to generate the beam; and a mirror rotatable about an axis fixed a predetermined distance from said light source and operable to selectively deflect the beam toward a plurality of selected portions of the optical storage medium.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of Claim 1 and further comprising: a mirror control system coupled to said mirror and operable to control the rotation of said mirror.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of Claim 2 wherein said mirror comprises a deformable mirror device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The system of Claim 3 wherein said deformable mirror device is linearly responsive to analog control signals received by said deformable mirror device from said mirror control system such that the beam may be directed toward a plurality of selectable portions of the optical storage medium to access a plurality of data storage positions resident in said selected portions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
79 words
The system of Claim 4 wherein said optical storage medium comprises a plurality of tracks, each track comprising a plurality of data storage positions, and wherein said mirror control system and said deformable mirror device are operable to select any of said plurality of tracks and wherein the system further comprises: an optical storage medium movement system operable to move said optical storage medium such that data positions within a selected track may be sequentially accessed by the beam.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The system of Claim 2 wherein the beam comprises an impinging beam and where the impinging beam is reflected by the surface of the optical medium to create a reflected beam and further comprising: a detector disposed in the path of the reflected beam operable to read data stored by the optical medium responsive to the reflected beam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of Claim 6 wherein the reflected beam and the impinging beam have a substantially coincident path and further comprising: a beam splitter disposed in the coincident path and operable to direct the reflected beam to said detector.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
147 words
An optical tracking system for positioning a beam of light on a surface of an optical storage medium, comprising: a light source operable to generate the beam; a mirror rotatable about an axis fixed a predetermined distance from said light source and operable to selectively deflect the beam toward a plurality of selected positions on the surface of the optical storage medium, the optical storage medium operable to reflect the beam to generate a reflected beam; a mirror control system coupled to said mirror and operable to control the rotation of said mirror; a detector disposed in the path of the reflected beam operable to read data stored by the optical medium responsive to the reflected beam, the reflected beam and the impinging beam having substantially coincident paths; and a beam splitter disposed in the coincident paths and operable to direct the reflected beam to said detector.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of Claim 8 wherein said mirror comprises a deformable mirror device formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system of Claim 9 wherein said deformable mirror device is responsive to analog control signals received by said deformable mirror device from said mirror control system such that the beam may be directed toward a plurality of selectable positions on the surface of the optical storage medium to access said plurality of positions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
79 words
The system of Claim 10 wherein said optical storage medium comprises a plurality of tracks, each track comprising a plurality of data storage positions and wherein said mirror control system and said deformable mirror device are operable to select any of said plurality of tracks and wherein the system further comprises: an optical storage medium movement system operable to move said optical storage medium such that data positions within a selected track may be sequentially accessed by the beam.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of accessing data positions on an optical storage medium comprising the steps of: generating a beam of light from a light source; and rotating a mirror about an axis fixed a predetermined distance from the light source in the path of the beam of light a predetermined distance from the light source to direct the beam of light to a selected portion of the optical storage medium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of Claim 12 and further comprising the steps of: detecting the beam reflected from the optical storage medium; and reading data stored in the selected portion of the optical storage medium responsive to said detection of the reflected beam.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of Claim 12 wherein said step of rotating comprises the steps of: rotating a deformable mirror device formed on a semiconductor substrate a selected amount; and providing control signals to the deformable mirror device to control said rotation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of Claim 12 and further comprising the step of moving the optical storage medium subsequent to said step of rotating such that a plurality of data storage positions in the selected portion of the optical storage medium may be accessed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4596992A
Cited
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