Optical scanner

Claim 2

A scanning mirror comprising in combination: a mirror having a reflective surface; support means for pivotly supporting said mirror about a pivot axis; torquer means distributed over the rear of said mirror symmetrically with respect to said axis; and circuit means for energizing said torquer means on opposite sides of said pivot axis so as to simultaneously apply mutually aiding torques to said mirror on opposite sides of said axis.

Claim 3

The scanning mirror according to claim 1 wherein said torquer means are distributed to provide a distribution of moments of force about said pivot axis so as to minimize bending moments in said mirror.

Claim 4

The scanning mirror according to claim 1 and further comprising: counterweights extending perpendicular to the mirror surface to statically and dynamically balance the weight of said torquer means on the rear of said mirror.

Claim 5

The scanning mirror according to claim 3 and further comprising: counterweight torquer means connected between said counterweights and said support means for applying a torque to said counterweights to minimize the bending moments transmitted to said mirror.

Claim 6

A scanning mirror comprising in combination: a mirror having a reflective surface; a support means for pivotly supporting said mirror about a pivot axis; a plurality of parallel rows of torquer means positioned on either side of and parallel with the pivot axis of said mirror; and circuit means for activating said torquer means in a push-pull manner on opposite sides of said pivot axis to impart motions to said mirror.

Claim 7

A scanning mirror comprising in combination: a mirror having a reflective surface; a support means for pivotly supporting said mirror about a pivot axis; a plurality of parallel rows of torquer means positioned on either side of and parallel with the pivot axis of said mirror; and circuit means for activating said torquer means in a push-pull manner on opposite sides of said pivot axis to impart motions to said mirror.

Claim 8

The scanner mirror according to claim 5 wherein said plurality of parallel rows of torquer means are each angled with respect to the surface of said mirror such that each torquer exerts a force normal to radii extending from the pivot axis.

Claim 9

The scanning mirror according to claim 5 wherein each torquing means is comPrised of: a coil affixed to the rear of said mirror; a permanent magnet affixed to said support means; and a current source for supplying current to said coil.

Claim 10

The scanning mirror according to claim 5 wherein said circuit means is comprised of: means for periodically providing pulses of one polarity to said torquer means to impart a ballistic motion in one direction to said mirror; and means for periodically providing pulses of an opposite polarity to said torquer means to impart a ballistic motion in an opposite direction to said mirror, so as to cause said scanning mirror to scan a desired area.

Claim 11

The scanning mirror according to claim 5 wherein said circuit means is comprised of: a pickoff connected between said mirror and said support means for providing a signal indicative of the position of said mirror with respect to said support means; signal generating means for generating a position signal proportional to the desired positioning of said mirror; comparing means providing a difference signal indicative of the difference between the pickoff signal and the position signal; and means receiving said difference signal and providing a current to said torquing means so as to minimize said difference signal.

Claim 12

The scanning mirror according to claim 5 and further comprising: counterweights extending perpendicular to the mirror surface to statically and dynamically balance the weight of said torquer means on the rear of said mirror.

Claim 13

The scanning mirror according to claim 10 and further comprising: counterweight torquer means connected between said counterweights and said support means for applying a torque to said counterweights to minimize the bending moments transmitted to said mirror.

Claim 14

A ballistic reciprocatable system comprising a support, a driven member mounted to the support for reciprocating motion relative to the support, and drive means for ballistically driving said driven member to alternately displace the member in opposite directions relative to the support between first and second terminal positions, whereby the driven member will repetitively travel with a reciprocating motion between said terminal positions, said drive means comprising means for applying to said driven member a ballistic forcing pulse having a duration considerably less than the time required for the driven member to travel from one of said terminal positions to the other whereby said member is driven by said drive means for only a small portion of its travel and travels free of externally applied driving force for a major portion of its travel between said terminal positions.

Claim 15

A ballistic reciprocatable system comprising a support, a driven member mounted to the support for reciprocating motion relative to the support, and drive means for ballistically driving said driven member to alternately displace the member in opposite directions relative to the support between first and second terminal positions, whereby the driven member will repetitively travel with a reciprocating motion between said terminal positions, said drive means comprising means for applying to said driven member a ballistic forcing pulse having a duration considerably less than the time required for the driven member to travel from one of said terminal positions to the other whereby said member is driven by said drive means for only a small portion of its travel and travels free of externally applied driving force for a major portion of its travel between said terminal positions.

Claim 16

The ballistic system of claim 12 including means for applying said forcing pulse to said member at each of said terminal positions and in a sense and magnitude sufficient to reverse the direction of motion of said member and ballistically drive it to the other of said terminal positions.

Claim 17

The ballistic system of claim 13 including position pickoff means for sensing attainment of at least one of said terminal positions by said member, and means responsive to said pickoff means for initiating said ballistic forcing pulses.

Claim 18

The ballistic system of claim 14 wherein said means for initiating said ballistic forcing pulses comprises means for generating an electrical signal representing amplitude of the displacement of said member relative to said support, means for comparing said electrical signal with the output of said pickoff means, and means responsive to said comparing means for generating said ballistic forcing pulses.

Claim 19

The ballistic system of claim 14 including means for selectively adjusting the energy content of each of said ballistic forcing pulses to selectively adjust the frequency of reciprocation of said member between said terminal positions.

Claim 20

The ballistic system of claim 13 wherein said driven member comprises a mirror mounted to said support for periodic reciprocating pivotal motiOn about a pivotal axis, wherein said drive means comprises torque means on opposite sides of said pivot axis for simultaneously applying said forcing pulses as mutually aiding torque pulses to said mirror, said torque pulses each having a duration considerably less than the period of pivotal reciprocation of the mirror and each being applied to achieve reversal of the mirror at one of said terminal positions and to ballistically drive the mirror in reverse direction to the other of said terminal positions.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17 including a second mirror pivotably mounted about a second pivot axis that is angulated with respect to said first mentioned pivot axis, second torque means for incrementally displacing said second mirror about the second axis, and means responsive to reversal of direction of the first mirror for operating said second torque means of the second mirror.

Claim 22

The system of claim 17 wherein said torque means comprises a plurality of substantially flat coils carried by said mirror on opposite sides of said pivot axis, said coils being mutually spaced from each other in a direction substantially normal to said pivot axis, a plurality of magnets carried by said support and providing a plurality of gaps, each said gap receiving a respective one of said coils.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19 including a counterweight fixed to said mirror, and means for torqueing the counterweight in synchronism with the torque pulses applied to the mirror by said torque means.

Claim 24

The system of claim 19 including servo means for driving said mirror, and switch means for alternatively coupling said mirror to said servo means or to said first mentioned drive means.

Claim 25

A ballistic optical scanner comprising a support, a mirror having a reflective surface and being pivoted to the support about an axis lying in the plane of the reflective surface, a first group of torquer coils fixed to the mirror and mutually spaced from each other in a direction substantially normal to said axis, said first group of torquer coils being fixed to the mirror on one side of said axis, a second group of torquer coils fixed to the mirror on the other side of said axis and being mutually spaced from each other in a direction substantially normal to said axis, a magnetic structure carried by said support and having a plurality of magnetic gaps, each gap receiving a respective one of said torquer coils, and means for energizing said first and second groups of torquer coils so as to apply mutually aiding torques to said mirror on opposite sides of said axis.

Claim 26

A ballistic optical scanner comprising a support, a mirror having a reflective surface and being pivoted to the support about an axis lying in the plane of the reflective surface, a first group of torquer coils fixed to the mirror and mutually spaced from each other in a direction substantially normal to said axis, said first group of torquer coils being fixed to the mirror on one side of said axis, a second group of torquer coils fixed to the mirror on the other side of said axis and being mutually spaced from each other in a direction substantially normal to said axis, a magnetic structure carried by said support and having a plurality of magnetic gaps, each gap receiving a respective one of said torquer coils, and means for energizing said first and second groups of torquer coils so as to apply mutually aiding torques to said mirror on opposite sides of said axis.

Claim 27

The scanner of claim 22 wherein each of said torquer coils lies in a plane that is substantially normal to a radius extending through said pivot axis, whereby a torque imparted to the mirror about said axis will be exerted at a distance from the axis and in a direction substantially normal to a radius extending through the axis.

Claim 28

The scanner of claim 22 wherein said means for energizing said torquer coils comprises clockwise and counterclockwise ballistic pulsing circuits, each said circuit comprising a pulse generator, a threshold device having an output to said pulse generator and having a first and second inputs, a pickoff for sensing a first terminal position of said mirror at the end of one direction of its motion and having an output connected to a first input of said threshold device, and an amplitude controller having a selectively variable output connected to the second input of said threshold device.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 24 including servo means for generating a mirror positioning signal and switch means for alternatively coupling the torquer coils to said servo means or to said pulse generator whereby the mirror may be ballistically reciprocated or servo controlled.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 25 including a counterweight connected to the mirror, clockwise and counterclockwise counterweight pulsing circuits, and means for torqueing said counterweight In response to said counterweight pulsing circuits or said servo means.