Method and apparatus for the automatic photoelectric trapping of local changes of optically effective object structures

Claim 2

Method for the automatic photoelectric trapping of local changes of optically effective object structures in one or two coordinate directions, comprising: a. producing from a source a beam of light rays having a rotating plane of polarization; b. producing a reference signal of which the phase is correlated with the phase of azimuth of said rotating plane of polarization; c. splitting said beam into two components having complementary polarization states; d. conducting said components to said objects; e. converting said components into electric measuring signals with or without taking into account polarization according to the number of coordinates, after said components have been influenced by said object being locked-in; f. combining said measuring signals with said reference signal for producing output signals, the arithmetic sign of said output signals being determined from the phase difference between said signals; and g. evaluating said output signals with respect to the amplitude and the arithmetic sign for obtaining the position of said object structures relative to the aiming axis of said beam components.

Claim 3

Method for the automatic photoelectric trapping of local changes of optically effective object structures in one or two coordinate directions, comprising: a. producing from a source a beam of light rays having a rotating plane of polarization; b. producing a reference signal of which the phase is correlated with the phase of azimuth of said rotating plane of polarization; c. splitting said beam into two components having complementary polarization states; d. conducting said components to said object; e. converting said components into electric measuring signals with or without taking into account polarization according to the number of coordinates, after said components have been influenced by said object being locked-in; f. combining said measuring signals with said reference signal for producing output signals, the arithmetic sign of said output signals being determined from the phase difference between said signals; and g. shifting said beam of light rays emanating from said source by means of said output signals via at least one optically deflecting means disposed in the beam path to lock in said object.

Claim 4

Method for the automatic photoelectric trapping of local changes of optically effective object structures in one or two coordinate directions, comprising: a. producing from a source a beam of light rays having a rotating plane of polarization; b. producing a reference signal of which the phase is correlated with the phase of azimuth of said rotating plane of polarization; c. splitting said beam into two components having complementary polarization states; d. conducting said components to said object; e. converting said components into electric measuring signals with or without taking into account polarization according to the number of coordinates, after said components have been influenced by said object being locked-in; f. combining said measuring signals with said reference signal for producing output signals, the arithmetic sign of said output signals being determined from the phase difference between said signals; and g. shifting said beam of light rays emanating from said source by means of said output signals via at least one optically deflecting means disposed in the beam path to lock in said object.

Claim 5

Apparatus for the automatic photoelectric trapping of local changes of optically effective object structures, in one or two coordinate directions comprising: a. means for generating a beam of light rays having a rotating plane of polarization; b. means for splitting said beam into two components having differing polarization directions; c. means for conducting said components simultaneously to the object and to at least one photoelectric reference receiver stage; d. means for converting said components into electric reference or measuring signals partially prior to and after being influenced by said object being locked in; e. meAns for rectifying said measuring signals with phase selection regarding said reference signals; and f. means for shifting said beam by means of the signals derived from the rectification via at least one optically deflecting means disposed in the beam path to lock in said object.

Claim 6

Apparatus for the automatic photoelectric trapping of local changes of optically effective object structures, in one or two coordinate directions comprising: a. means for generating a beam of light rays having a rotating plane of polarization; b. means for splitting said beam into two components having differing polarization directions; c. means for conducting said components simultaneously to the object and to at least one photoelectric reference receiver stage; d. means for converting said components into electric reference or measuring signals partially prior to and after being influenced by said object being locked in; e. meAns for rectifying said measuring signals with phase selection regarding said reference signals; and f. means for shifting said beam by means of the signals derived from the rectification via at least one optically deflecting means disposed in the beam path to lock in said object.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for generating a beam of light is a laser (1) having a frequency-dividing magnetic unit (2), followed by a beam expander (3,4) and an optically deflecting means (5), said means for splitting is a beam-splitting polarizing component (6), as well as a beam splitter (7), wherein said beam splitter (7) is followed in the direction toward the object (8), by a microobjective (9) disposed in front of an auxiliary mirror (23) and wherein the second exit surface of said beam splitter is followed, via a collecting optic (10), by said means for converting comprising a photoelectric receiver (11) with an associated amplifier (17), as well as wherein the third exit surface of said splitter is followed, via a further collecting optic (12) and a polarizing splitter (13), by two photoelectric receivers (14, 15), the outputs of which are connected to the inputs of a differential amplifier (16); and the outputs of the amplifiers (16,17) are connected to said means for rectifying comprising a phase-selective rectifier (18), followed by an indicating instrument (19); that furthermore the phase-selective rectifier (18) is followed by said means for shifting comprising a servo amplifier (20), a further measuring device (21) as well as a driver stage (22) for an optically deflecting means (5).

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for generating a beam of light is a laser (1) having a frequency-dividing magnetic unit (2), followed by a beam expander (3,4) and an optically deflecting means (5), said means for splitting is a beam-splitting polarizing component (6), as well as a beam splitter (7), wherein said beam splitter (7) is followed in the direction toward the object (8) by a microobjective (9) disposed in front of an auxiliary mirror (23) and wherein the second exit surface of said beam splitter is followed, via a collecting optic (10), by said means for converting comprising a photoelectric receiver (11) with an associated amplifier (17), as well as wherein the third exit surface of said splitter is followed, via a further collecting optic (12) and a polarizing filter, a photoelectric receiver, the output of which is connected to the input of a one-channel amplifier; and that the output of said amplifier is connected to said means for rectifying comprising a phase-selective rectifier (18), followed by an indicating instrument (19); that furthermore the phase-selective rectifier (18) is followed by said means for shifting comprising a servo amplifier (20), a further measuring device (21), as well as a driver stage (22) for an optically deflecting means (5).

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for generating a beam of light is a laser (1) having a frequency-dividing magnetic unit (2), followed by a beam expander (3,4) and an optically deflecting means (5), said means for splitting is a beam-splitting polarizing component (6), as well as a quarter-wave plate (24), wherein said quarter-wave plate (24) is followed by a second polarizing component (6''), which is orthogonal to the first component and has a beam-splitting action, as well as by a beam splitter (7), the latter being followed, in the direction toward the object (8) by said means for conducting comprising, disposed in front of an auxiliary mirror (23), a microobjective (9), and wherein the second exit surface of this splitter is followed, via a polarizing splitter (13'') and a collecting optic (10) by said means for converting comprising two photoelectric receivers (11, 11'') with two associated amplifiers (17, 17''); a second exit surface of a second neutral splitter (7'') inserted between said components (5) and (6) is followed, via a collecting optic (12) and a polArizing splitter (13), by two photoelectric receivers (14, 15), the outputs of which are connected to the inputs of a differential amplifier (16); and wherein the outputs of the amplifiers (16, 17, 17'') are connected with said means for rectifying comprising a phase-selective rectifier (18), followed by an indicating instrument (19); and wherein furthermore said phase-selective rectifier (18) is associated, with said means for shifting via a servo amplifier (20), a further measuring unit (21), as well as a driving stage (22) for an optically deflecting means (5).

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said laser (1) has a rear exit (25) followed by a beam-splitting polarizing component (6''''), a collecting optic 12''), and thereafter two photoelectric receivers (14'', 15''), the outputs of which are connected to the inputs of a differential amplifier (16''); and wherein, in place of the amplifier (16), the amplifier (16'') is connected to the phase-selective rectifier (18).

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for generating a beam is a two-mode TEMoo laser (1'') with a frequency stabilizing circuit (2'''') and a magnetic mode stabilizing unit (2''), the output of which laser (1'') is associated with a quarter-wave plate (24'').

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said phase-selective rectifier (18) is followed by a trigger (26) which controls a gate (28), wherein the gate (28) is disposed between a clock oscillator (27) and a counter (30).