Beam Alignment Offset Correction Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beam tracking systems struggle to accurately distinguish the desired signal from extraneous power sources, leading to inaccuracies in pointing error determination and requiring additional hardware to support rapid pointing adjustments.
Innovation Solution
The system processes signals from beam sensors to isolate the desired signal by subtracting offset corrections, generating X and Y signals to determine beam position, and using position control signals to maintain alignment, even with changing device orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If low-frequency AM modulation is used to distinguish desired signal from extraneous power, then signal identification accuracy is improved, but control system sample rate becomes insufficient for rapid pointing adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the signal processing by separating DC offset correction from AC modulation detection. The sensor output is divided into DC component (offset) and AC component (modulated signal), processed independently. This allows the AC path to operate at high sample rates for rapid tracking while the DC path handles offset compensation at lower rates, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and control speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary DC offset correction to the sensor signals before further processing. By removing the DC offset component in advance, the subsequent AC coupling and modulation detection stages operate on cleaned signals with improved accuracy. This preliminary action enables the system to achieve both high precision in signal identification and high speed in response to pointing disturbances.
2Speed
If additional colinear light beam and tracking sensor are used to support rapid pointing determinations, then control system sample rate is improved, but device complexity and hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing beam sensor serve multiple functions: it simultaneously detects both the DC offset component and the AC modulated signal component. By processing both components from the same sensor output, the system achieves rapid pointing determination capability without requiring additional sensors or beams, thus improving speed while avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own existing sensor and signal processing infrastructure to achieve rapid pointing determinations. The single beam sensor provides all necessary information through dual-component processing (DC and AC), eliminating the need for additional self-service hardware and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high control rates.
3Measurement precision
If extraneous power is present in sensor readings, then apparent nominal power becomes inaccurate, but signal identification remains challenging without additional hardware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the DC offset component from the sensor signal, which represents the extraneous power that is not part of the desired modulated signal. By separating and eliminating this unwanted DC component, the system achieves accurate signal power measurement without needing additional hardware to filter or distinguish between desired and extraneous power sources.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach improves the accuracy and speed of beam alignment, reducing the influence of extraneous power sources and enabling more reliable and rapid control of beam pointing without the need for additional hardware.
Implementation Method 1
The offset correction circuit subtracts the first portion from the values of each of the electrical signals to generate respective corrected values of each of the electrical signals
Implementation Method 2
beam sensors that provide a plurality of electrical signals with values that correspond to an amount of the beam striking each sensor
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary beam alignment system uses beam sensors that generate electrical signals corresponding to an amount of beam striking each sensor. An offset correction circuit determines an amount of undesired beam striking the sensors. The offset correction circuit subtracts the undesired beam value from each of the electrical signals to generate respective corrected values. X and Y signals, generated based on the corrected values, determine an X-axis and Y-axis location of the beam on the beam sensors. Position control signals, generated based on the X and Y signals, control the position of the beam relative to the sensors resulting in a corresponding X-axis and Y-axis location of the beam on the sensors. This provides compensation for changes in orientation of the incoming beam relative to the sensors to maintain the beam location on the sensors.