Large field of view light beam transceiver having small motion of optics

Claim 1

A light beam scanner having a given field of view comprising: (a) a coherent light beams source for generating a coherent light beam; (b) first and second optically coupled lenslet arrays, each having a plurality of lenslets, and configured to diffract light outputted from said second array into a plurality of diffraction orders where constructive interference between beamlets produced by the lenslets of said second array will occur; (c) array actuator means for moving said first and second arrays relative to each other across said light beam for causing said beamlets to illuminate any one of said diffraction orders; (d) beam director means optically coupled to said coherent light beams source for directing the coherent light beam at said first lenslet array at a given angle of incidence and for changing the angle of incidence of the coherent light beam directed at said first lenslet array, for in turn causing light outputted from said second lenslet array to be redirected within the field of view of the scanner which maintaining constructive interference between said beamlets; and wherein said first and second lenslet arrays each comprise a two dimensional array of lenslets, and wherein said array actuator means includes means for producing relative motion between said arrays in both X and Y directions.