Multi-Tube Collimator Unit for Wide Field Optical Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional collimators are expensive, fragile, have a small field of view, and are cumbersome due to their size and weight, limiting their effectiveness in calibrating optical devices, especially for wide fields of view where they require frequent adjustments to capture off-axis optical testing.
Innovation Solution
A collimator unit comprising multiple collimator tubes, including one on-axis tube and several off-axis tubes evenly spaced around it, allowing simultaneous capture of multiple field points without the need for physical adjustments, with the angle between off-axis and on-axis tubes being symmetrical and fixed, enabling the simulation of a wide field of view target.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single full aperture collimator is used for alignment and measurement, then the collimator can cover a wide field of view, but the collimator requires frequent physical adjustments to capture off-axis optical testing
Solution Approach 1:
The single collimator is divided into multiple collimator tubes (on-axis and off-axis tubes) that can simultaneously capture different field points. This segmentation allows the system to cover a wide field of view without requiring frequent physical adjustments, as each tube is oriented to capture light from a specific direction.
2Measurement precision
If traditional collimators are used for calibrating optical devices, then the collimators can provide precise measurement, but the collimators are expensive, fragile, and cumbersome due to size and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The complex single collimator structure is segmented into multiple simpler collimator tubes that can be independently manufactured and assembled. Each tube maintains the necessary optical precision while the modular structure reduces overall complexity and improves portability.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple collimator tubes are merged into a single integrated unit with a common housing and shared optical components. This combining approach maintains measurement precision while reducing the overall size, weight, and fragility compared to using multiple separate collimators.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the collimator is tilted to give the effect of a field point spaced infinitely far away, then off-axis optical testing can be accomplished, but the angle between the camera and collimator must be physically adjusted between each measurement
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of tilting a single collimator to achieve off-axis testing, the system uses multiple collimator tubes fixed at different angles. This allows simultaneous capture of on-axis and off-axis field points without requiring time-consuming physical adjustments between measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The collimator tubes are pre-positioned at specific angles during manufacturing to correspond to the desired field points. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for time-consuming adjustments during actual measurements, as the geometry is already optimized for the specific optical device being calibrated.
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
Enables efficient calibration of optical devices by capturing a large field of view in a single image, reducing the need for frequent adjustments and improving the portability and robustness of the calibration process.
Implementation Method 1
Each collimator tube may include a lens, a light source and a target positioned at the focal point of the lens
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
A collimator unit (100) includes an on-axis (A) collimator tube (106a; 206a; 306a) fixedly attached to at least two off-axis collimator tubes (106b, 106c, 106d, 106e; 206b, 206c; 306b, 306c, 306d). The off-axis collimator tubes are angled relative to the on-axis collimator tube. Each collimator tube can include a lens (108), a light source (110), and a target (112) placed at the lens' focal point. The collimator tubes can be positioned within a housing (102) such that the on-axis colimator tube is coaxial (A) and centered with respect to the housing. Also disclosed is a method of calibrating an optical device (400), the steps including simultaneously displaying target images (410a, 410b, 410c, 410d, 410e) on a focal plane (406) from each collimator tube (106a, 106b, 106c, 106d, 106e; 206a, 206b, 206c; 306a, 306b, 306c, 306d) of a collimator unit (100) including at least two collimator tubes fixedly attached together.