Rotating Deflection Unit With Synchronous Focusing For Wide-Angle Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scanning systems face challenges in achieving a large usable scanning angle range while maintaining a compact construction, as they often require large rotating optical elements for deflection angles close to 180°, leading to signal loss and shadowing effects, and are limited by bandwidth and thermal management issues in movable configurations, and size constraints in static configurations.
Innovation Solution
A scanning system with a rotating deflection unit and a second focusing unit that synchronously move to reduce the beam diameter on the deflection unit, allowing for a smaller deflection unit diameter and increased scanning angle range, and includes a beam splitter for spatial separation of the transmitter and receiver to reduce shadowing and crosstalk, with converging lenses for focusing and collimating radiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a large diameter rotating optical element is used to achieve deflection angles close to 180°, then the scanning angle range is improved, but the device size and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the optical system into multiple segments: a first focusing unit, a rotating deflection unit, and a second focusing unit. This segmentation allows each component to have a smaller, more manageable size while collectively achieving the desired large scanning angle range. The beam is focused onto a small portion of the deflection unit at any given time, enabling compact design without sacrificing angular coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the dimension of beam focusing by implementing focusing units that concentrate the radiation beam onto a small area of the rotating deflection unit. This dimensional approach (focusing in the spatial domain) allows the system to achieve large deflection angles with a compact rotating element, as the effective beam diameter on the deflection unit is reduced while maintaining large angular coverage.
2Device complexity
If a small diameter rotating element is used to reduce device size, then the device complexity is improved, but signal loss and incomplete beam deflection occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by focusing the radiation beam onto the rotating deflection unit before deflection occurs. The first focusing unit concentrates the beam to a small diameter on the deflection unit surface, ensuring that the entire beam energy is directed onto the small rotating element. This preliminary focusing action prevents signal loss that would otherwise occur with a small deflection unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of beam diameter by implementing focusing units that dynamically adjust and reduce the beam diameter on the rotating deflection unit. This parameter transformation allows the system to use a small rotating element without experiencing signal loss, as the beam is concentrated to match the smaller aperture of the compact deflection unit.
3Adaptability or versatility
If transmitting and receiving units are movably mounted to achieve 360° coverage, then the scanning angle range is improved, but bandwidth restriction and thermal management issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by making the optical elements (deflection unit and focusing units) movable and rotating, while keeping the transmitting and receiving units stationary. This inversion allows the system to achieve wide scanning angle range through optical scanning rather than physically moving the electronic units, thereby maintaining wired connections and avoiding bandwidth restrictions associated with wireless transmission during rotation.
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 a larger scanning angle range up to nearly 180° with a more compact design, reduced signal loss, and improved thermal management, while minimizing shadowing effects and crosstalk, allowing for 3D geometry scanning.
Implementation Method 1
the first focusing unit reproduces the radiation emitted by the transmitter on the rotating deflection unit in such a way that the beam diameter on the rotating deflection unit is reduced
Implementation Method 2
the rotating second focusing unit reproduces the radiation received from the target object on the rotating deflection unit in such a way that the beam diameter on the rotating deflection unit is reduced
Implementation Method 3
The rotating deflection unit deflects the emitted radiation onto the rotating second focusing unit, this second focusing unit collimating the radiation toward the target object
Implementation Method 4
The rotating deflection unit deflects the emitted radiation onto the rotating second focusing unit
Data Source
AI summary
A scanning-system including transmit/receive paths, a transmitter, a receiver and a rotating-scanning-device. The transmitter emits radiation which propagates along an optical-axis on the transmit-path. The radiation from the target-object is detected by the receiver on the receive-path. The rotating-scanning-device includes an optical-system and a rotating-deflection-unit, which deflects the radiation of the transmit/receive paths. The optical-system includes a first-focusing-unit and a rotating-second-focusing-unit. The movements of the rotating-deflection-unit and the rotating-second-focusing-unit occur synchronously to ensure an alignment of the deflected radiation with the second-focusing-unit. The first-focusing-unit reproduces the radiation emitted by the transmitter on the rotating-deflection-unit so that the beam-diameter on the rotating-deflection-unit is reduced. The rotating-deflection-unit deflects the radiation onto the rotating-second-focusing-unit and the rotating-second-focusing-unit collimates the radiation toward the target-object. The rotating-second-focusing-unit reproduces the radiation from the target-object on the rotating-deflection-unit so that the beam-diameter on the rotating-deflection-unit is reduced, and the rotating-deflection-unit deflects the received radiation toward the receiver.