Protective Glass Diffractive Optical Element for 3D Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 3D laser scanners for capturing three-dimensional objects require complex spatial arrangements and a large number of components, making them expensive and difficult to manufacture, while also being bulkier than desired due to the need for precise tolerances and additional adjustment steps.
Innovation Solution
The use of a protective glass within the device that functions as both a coupling-in and coupling-out facet for the optical dot pattern, allowing for reduced component count and size by acting as a deflection mirror at specific angles, thereby eliminating the need for an additional deflection mirror and simplifying the assembly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional diffraction gratings are used to generate dot patterns, then the device structure is simple, but the image quality and number of projected pixels are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the protective glass function with the dot pattern generation function by using the protective glass as a diffractive optical element. This merging allows the device to maintain structural simplicity while achieving high image quality and sufficient number of projected pixels through the diffractive properties of the protective glass itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective glass is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a protective barrier and a diffractive optical element for generating the dot pattern. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components, reducing device complexity while maintaining or improving image quality.
2Measurement precision
If MEMS are used to increase the number of projected pixels and image quality, then the dot pattern quality improves, but the device requires complex spatial arrangements and a large number of components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the protective glass with the diffractive optical element function, eliminating the need for separate MEMS components and complex spatial arrangements. The protective glass itself generates the dot pattern through diffraction, reducing the number of components while maintaining dot pattern quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the diffractive function from complex MEMS systems and implements it directly in the protective glass. This extraction simplifies the overall device structure by removing unnecessary components while preserving the essential dot pattern generation capability.
3Manufacturing precision
If additional components are added to compensate for tolerances, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the protective glass function with the diffractive optical element function, the patent reduces the number of components that require precise tolerance compensation. Fewer components mean fewer adjustment steps and lower production costs while maintaining manufacturing precision.
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 configuration allows for a compact, economically manufacturable device with high image quality and a sufficient number of projected pixels, facilitating precise three-dimensional object capture while minimizing the number of components and assembly complexity.
Implementation Method 1
the transmission of the protective glass for the radiation of the optical dot pattern, that is incident on the protective glass with respect to the surface normal of the protective glass at an angle having a magnitude that is smaller than a first critical angle, is greater than a first transmission value, and wherein the transmission the protective glass for radiation, that is incident on the protective glass with respect to the surface normal of the protective glass at an angle having a magnitude that is greater than a second critical angle, is smaller than a second transmission value
Data Source
AI summary
A device for capturing a three-dimensional object is presented, which allows, on one hand, a sufficiently large number of projected pixels and a high image quality of the projected pixels, and which has, on the other hand, a compact size and low assembly costs.