Patent US3748014A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3748014A
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Near-confocal device for optical scan enhancement
Assignee: COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYS Inc
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Filing: 1971-12-22
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Granted: 1973-07-24
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Expires: 1991-12-22
Abstract
Abstract Two scanning mirrors are mounted in near-confocal relation to a constraining mirror with which they cooperate to define an optical cavity. An optical beam is introduced into this nearresonator and experiences alternate reflection from one of the scanning mirrors on the one hand and the constraining mirror on the other. The reflection from the scanning mirrors occurs alternately from two fixed positions respectively centered on the two scanning mirrors, and the reflection from the constraining mirror occurs from a succession of nonrecurring positions (because of the adjustment of the scanning mirrors to provide a near-confocal resonator configuration). The scanning mirrors are given oscillations of small amplitude to produce beam scans on the constraining mirror of increasing amplitude at successive ones of the succession of positions. Ultimately the beam is reflected to a position where it is beyond constraint by the constraining mirror, and it escapes as an output beam executing a large-amplitude scan. The two basic embodiments may be described as spherical and planar. The latter comprises either a positive lens or a concave reflector to transfer the beam between the scanning mirrors and the constraining mirror. Additional features include the adaptation of the device to other deflection means such as gradient or Bragg scanning, the retro-reflection of the output beam as an input beam for additional cycling within the same device, and operation of a plurality of devices as modules in a system, the principle of periodic aperture transfer being employed so that the output beam of one device can serve as the input beam of another device.
Inventors
- 👤 L Beiser
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 20:21
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
190 words
A device for optical scan enhancement comprising: first and second mirrors and optical constraining means having a predetermined area positioned relative to each other so as to share almost the same focal point and to define an almostconfocal optical cavity having an optical axis lying in a plane of symmetry disposed between and substantially equidistant from said first and second mirrors and substantially bisecting said optical constraining means, means for introducing an optical input beam into said optical cavity from a direction to be incident on one of said first and second mirrors, said first and second mirrors being quiescently oriented to cause said beam to be cycled between alternate ones of said first and second mirrors and progressively shifting nonrecurring positions upon said constraining means, and means for controllably angularly deflecting said optical beam, said almost-confocal cavity being operative to increase the amplitude of the angular deflection of said beam in successive cycles while constrained within said constraining means until said beam is ultimately deflected to a position beyond the constraint of said constraining means and leaves said optical cavity as an output beam executing an enhanced angular scan.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
190 words
A device for optical scan enhancement comprising: first and second mirrors and optical constraining means having a predetermined area positioned relative to each other so as to share almost the same focal point and to define an almostconfocal optical cavity having an optical axis lying in a plane of symmetry disposed between and substantially equidistant from said first and second mirrors and substantially bisecting said optical constraining means, means for introducing an optical input beam into said optical cavity from a direction to be incident on one of said first and second mirrors, said first and second mirrors being quiescently oriented to cause said beam to be cycled between alternate ones of said first and second mirrors and progressively shifting nonrecurring positions upon said constraining means, and means for controllably angularly deflecting said optical beam, said almost-confocal cavity being operative to increase the amplitude of the angular deflection of said beam in successive cycles while constrained within said constraining means until said beam is ultimately deflected to a position beyond the constraint of said constraining means and leaves said optical cavity as an output beam executing an enhanced angular scan.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
122 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said first and second mirrors have an aperture width d and said constraining means comprises a concave spherical mirror having a radius of curvature Ro substantially centered on said optical axis, and said first and second mirrors are disposed on a radius of curvature Rd > Ro so as to be tilted by an angle Alpha with respect to the orientation they would have if placed on an imaginary surface having a radius of curvature Ro, characterized in that Alpha ad/4Ro whereby said beam is imaged on said spherical mirror in successive cycles at points separated by a desired distance ad proportional to the aperture width d by the factor a.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
103 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said means for angularly deflecting said optical beam comprises means for changing the angular positions of said first and second mirrors from their quiescent positions and said constraining means comprises a concave spherical mirror, and wherein said beam-introducing means introduces said input beam into said optical cavity from a point beyond the constraint of said constraining means and onto said one of said first and second mirrors at such an Angle that said output beam is angularly separated from said input beam, whereby separation of said output and input beams is facilitated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
155 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said means for angularly deflecting said optical beam comprises means for changing the angular positions of said first and second mirrors from their quiescent positions and wherein said first and second mirrors each have an aperture width d, said constraining means comprises a concave spherical mirror having a radius of curvature Ro, and said first and second mirrors and said concave spherical mirrors are dimensioned and arranged to cause said beam to execute p cycles in said optical cavity; and wherein said first and second mirrors are tilted through opposite angles gamma 2 about an axis passing through each mirror, characterized in that gamma 2 + or - a/4p d/Ro where ad is the desired separation of the image of said beam on said spherical mirror in successive cycles proportional to the aperture width d, whereby separation of input and output beams is facilitated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
172 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said optical beam is a light beam, said first and second mirrors are plane mirrors of aperture width d and said constraining means comprises a plane mirror, further comprising: a positive lens of focal length fo positioned on said optical axis, said first and second mirrors being mounted on one side of said lens at a distance fo therefrom and said constraining plane mirror being mounted on the other side of said lens at a distance fo therefrom, and means for changing the angular positions of said first and second plane mirrors from their quiescent positions to angularly deflect said light beam, the deflecting apertures associated with said first and second plane mirrors being illuminated by light collimated by said lens and the foci of the light waves emanating from said deflecting apertures being spaced apart on said constraining plane mirror at the ends of successive cycles by a distance proportional to the aperture width d divided by the distance fo.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
203 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said optical beam is a beam of light, said first and second mirrors are plane mirrors of aperture width d and said constraining means comprises a plane mirror, and further comprising: a positive lens of focal length fo positioned on said optical axis, said first and second mirrors being mounted on one side of said lens at a distance fo therefrom and said constraining plane mirror being mounted on the other side of said lens at a distance fo therefrom, said first and second mirrors being illuminated by light collimated by said lens, and the foci of the light waves emanating from each of said first and second mirrors and passing through said lens being spaced apart on said constraining plane mirror a desired distance a delta , and normals to each of said first and second plane mirrors being tilted with respect to said optical axis through opposite angles Alpha , characterized in that Alpha (a'' delta /4fo) (a delta /4fo) where a is proportionality factor having a value to provide said desired distance a delta , and delta is the size of the focal spot on said constraining plane mirror.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said first and second mirrors are spaced unequally by distances R1 and R2 from the constraining means such that the value of Ro is substantially equal to the geometric mean between R1 and R2 and the aperture sizes of said mirrors are in the ratio of R1/R2.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
82 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said first and second mirrors are plane mirrors eaCh supported to be operative to function as a deflector and said constraining means comprises a plane mirror, and further comprising: concave mirror means having a focal length fo for transferring the beam between said first and second mirrors and said plane mirror, said first and second mirrors and said plane mirror being positioned side-by-side at a distance fo from said concave mirror.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 8 wherein said concave mirror means of focal length fo is spherical.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 8 wherein said concave mirror means of focal length fo is parabolic.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
148 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said means for angularly deflecting said beam comprises a pair of Bragg scanners each having an input and an output and said constraining means comprises a pair of concave spherical mirrors positioned in confronting relationship on said optical axis, and further comprising: a separate lens of focal length equal to that of said concave mirrors coupled to the input and to the output of each of said Bragg scanners, one of said concave spherical mirrors being positioned relative to said Bragg scanners to reflect the output of a first of said Bragg scanners as input to the second of said Bragg scanners, and the other of said concave spherical mirrors being positioned relative to said Bragg scanners to reflect the output of the second of said Bragg scanners as input to the first of said Bragg scanners.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said means for deflecting said optical beam comprises means for actuating said first and second mirrors simultaneously and in complementary phase, whereby the scanning effect produced is cumulative.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein said means for deflecting said optical beam comprises means for actuating said first and second mirrors independently, whereby the scanning effect produced has two degrees of freedom.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
77 words
A device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 wherein the input beam after executing a number of cycles in said cavity leaves said cavity as an output beam, further comprising: retro-reflection means positioned relative to said cavity to reintroduce the output beam from said cavity into said cavity from said direction to be incident on said one of said first and second mirrors, whereby said beam executes an additional number of cycles in said device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
144 words
Apparatus for optical scan enhancement comprising: the device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1 in combination with a second device for optical scan enhancement according to claim 1, the combination further comprising aperture transfer means including a concave mirror positioned in almost-confocal relation to the exit aperture of a first of said devices and the input aperture of the second of said devices for transferring said output optical beam from the first-named of said devices to the input aperture of said second device for additional cycling in the cavity thereof, and wherein said means for angularly deflecting said optical beam in each of said first and second devices comprises means for changing the angular positions of said first and second mirrors in such a manner that said second device produces an output beam which executes a scan conforming to a predetermined pattern.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-23 | 1977-01-22 | 1977-07-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-23 | 1981-01-22 | 1981-07-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-23 | 1985-01-22 | 1985-07-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |