Digital Diffractive Optic Regions in Optical Encoders
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional incremental optical encoders are expensive to manufacture and have limited sensitivity in detecting small positional changes, which affects their overall performance and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The use of an encoder member with digital diffractive optic regions, fabricated using compact disc injection molding technology, to optically manipulate light and extract relative displacement information, reducing manufacturing costs and enhancing sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional encoder members with openings on tracks are used, then the encoder can detect positional changes, but the manufacturing cost is high and sensitivity to small positional changes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital diffractive optic regions that create optical copies or representations of positional information through light diffraction patterns. Instead of physically moving or opening structures, the encoder creates optical field copies that represent position, enabling high-resolution detection without complex mechanical structures. This reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical/optical structures (openings, tracks, physical masks) with digital diffractive optical elements. The encoder member uses diffractive optics to manipulate light fields directly, substituting physical mechanical structures with optical field manipulation. This substitution enables higher sensitivity to positional changes while simplifying manufacturing processes.
2Ease of manufacture
If digital diffractive optic regions are used in the encoder member, then manufacturing cost is reduced and sensitivity is improved, but the optical manipulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the encoder member by incorporating digital diffractive optic regions with specific diffraction patterns. These regions are designed with particular phase profiles and spatial frequencies that enable controlled light manipulation. By optimizing these optical parameters during design, the system achieves simplified manufacturing through standard fabrication processes while managing optical complexity through computational design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional physical structures (openings on tracks) to three-dimensional optical field manipulation using diffractive optics. The digital diffractive regions modulate light in multiple dimensions (amplitude, phase, spatial distribution), adding optical dimensionality to encode positional information. This dimensional transition enables compact design with reduced manufacturing complexity while achieving high sensitivity.
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 significantly reduces the manufacturing cost of optical encoders while improving their sensitivity in detecting small positional changes, making them more cost-effective and efficient.
Implementation Method 1
The encoder member includes a plurality of first digital diffractive optic regions and a plurality of second digital diffractive optic regions. Each of the first digital diffractive optic regions is configured to optically manipulate the beam of light from the original propagating direction to a first modified propagating direction. Each of the second digital diffractive optic regions is configured to optically manipulate the beam of light from the original propagating direction to a second modified propagating direction.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical encoder uses an encoder member with one or more digital diffractive optic regions to optically manipulate an incident beam of light to extract relative displacement information of the encoder member.