Patent US4008966A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4008966A
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Method and apparatus for beam sampling by acoustic pulses
Assignee: United States Department of the Army
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Filing: 1975-10-09
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Granted: 1977-02-22
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Expires: 1995-10-09
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for simultaneously sampling and scanning a portion a laser beam with acoustic energy. An acoustic pulse is propagated across the light beam and the pressure variations which comprise the pulse form a diffraction grating for deflecting the light beam over its volume of interaction with the pulse. As the pulse propagates, successive parts of the beam are deflected and an effective scan is performed. Focussing optics focus the diffracted beam on a photodetector and analyzing and controlling electronics is provided. Additionally, several embodiments for providing a two-dimensional scan of the laser beam portion are disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Konrad Frank
- 👤 Peter F. Klon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 13:35
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/29; G02F1/33
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
An apparatus for simultaneously sampling and scanning a portion of a light beam with acoustic energy, comprising, means for generating an acoustic pulse consisting of one or more cycles of a specified frequency and having a length shorter then the width of said light beam, means for propagating said acoustic pulse across said light beam, the pressure variations which comprise said pulse forming a diffraction grating for deflecting said light beam over its volume of interaction with said pulse, whereby as said pulse propagates across the width of said portion of said beam successive parts thereof are deflected.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
98 words
An apparatus for simultaneously sampling and scanning a portion of a light beam with acoustic energy, comprising, means for generating an acoustic pulse consisting of one or more cycles of a specified frequency and having a length shorter then the width of said light beam, means for propagating said acoustic pulse across said light beam, the pressure variations which comprise said pulse forming a diffraction grating for deflecting said light beam over its volume of interaction with said pulse, whereby as said pulse propagates across the width of said portion of said beam successive parts thereof are deflected.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
119 words
An apparatus for simultaneously sampling and scanning a portion of a light beam with acoustic energy, comprising, means in proximity to said light beam for generating an acoustic pulse and for propagating said pulse across said light beam, the pressure variations which comprise said pulse forming a diffraction grating for deflecting said light beam over its volume of interaction with said pulse, whereby as said pulse propagates across said portion of said beam successive parts thereof are deflected, and means for detecting said successive deflected beam parts, means for timing the travel of said pulse across said beam portion, and means for correlating said detecting with said timing so that the position of said detected beam parts is identified.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
119 words
An apparatus for simultaneously sampling and scanning a portion of a light beam with acoustic energy, comprising, means in proximity to said light beam for generating an acoustic pulse and for propagating said pulse across said light beam, the pressure variations which comprise said pulse forming a diffraction grating for deflecting said light beam over its volume of interaction with said pulse, whereby as said pulse propagates across said portion of said beam successive parts thereof are deflected, and means for detecting said successive deflected beam parts, means for timing the travel of said pulse across said beam portion, and means for correlating said detecting with said timing so that the position of said detected beam parts is identified.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for propagating comprises means for propagating said pulse approximately perpindicular to the direction of said light beam.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for generating an acoustic pulse comprises a linear array of acoustic source means oriented across the width of said beam, and means for causing each source means to generate an acoustic pulse after the pulse generated by an adjacent source means has propagated across said beam portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for generating an acoustic pulse comprises a linear array of acoustic source means oriented across the width of said beam, each said source means emitting an acoustic pulse when energized at a different frequency than the other source means of said array, and means for energizing said source means simultaneously.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a two-dimensional scan of said beam portion is provided, said means for generating an acoustic pulse comprising means for generating a pulse having a spatial length which extends across the width of said beam, and said means for detecting comprising a line scanner means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said line scanner means comprises a linear array of photodetectors.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of simultaneously sampling and scanning a portion of a light beam with acoustic energy comprising the steps of, generating an acoustic pulse consisting of one or more cycles of a specified frequency and having a length shorter than the width of said light beam, and propagating said acoustic pulse across said light beam, the pressure variations which comprise said acoustic pulse forming a diffraction grating for deflecting said light beam over its volume of interaction with said pulse, whereby as said pulse propagates across the width of said portion of said beam, successive parts thereof are deflected.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of simultaneously sampling and scanning a portion of a light beam with acoustic energy comprising the steps of, generating an acoustic pulse consisting of one or more cycles of a specified frequency and having a length shorter than the width of said light beam, and propagating said acoustic pulse across said light beam, the pressure variations which comprise said acoustic pulse forming a diffraction grating for deflecting said light beam over its volume of interaction with said pulse, whereby as said pulse propagates across the width of said portion of said beam, successive parts thereof are deflected.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of, detecting said successive deflected beam parts, timing the travel of said pulse across said beam portion and, correlating said detecting with said timing so that the position of any detected beam part is identified.
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) | 1980-02-22 | 1980-08-23 | 1981-02-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-02-22 | 1984-08-23 | 1985-02-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-02-22 | 1988-08-23 | 1989-02-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |