Single-Aperture Laser Range Finder with Simplified Optical Circulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical circulators for single aperture optical devices are complex, oversized, expensive, and inefficient, requiring significant engineering effort and resources to interface with single aperture optical devices like laser range finders.
Innovation Solution
A customized optical isolator-based non-reciprocal optical element (NROE) is used in a simplified optical circulator design that changes the direction of light propagation differently for transmitted and received signals, allowing a combination of light sources with linear polarization into a common output optical path shared with a detector path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional optical circulators are used in single aperture optical devices, then light transmission and reception functions are achieved, but device complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the emitter channel and detector channel into a single shared optical path using a beam splitter. The beam splitter merges the outgoing laser beam from the emitter with the incoming reflected light to the detector, eliminating the need for separate optical paths and complex conventional optical circulators. This merging approach maintains reliable light transmission and reception while significantly reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single aperture serves multiple functions: it acts as both the emission aperture for the outgoing laser beam and the reception aperture for the incoming reflected light. The shared optical path and beam splitter enable this multi-functionality, allowing the same physical aperture and optical components to handle both transmission and reception tasks, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If conventional optical circulators are used in single aperture optical devices, then light transmission and reception functions are achieved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the emitter and detector optical paths into a single shared path using a beam splitter, the patent eliminates the need for separate, bulky optical circulator components. This consolidation reduces the overall volume of the optical device while maintaining reliable light transmission and reception functions through the compact shared optical path.
3Reliability
If conventional optical circulators are used in single aperture optical devices, then light transmission and reception functions are achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the optical paths using a beam splitter, which is a simpler and more cost-effective component compared to conventional optical circulators. This approach maintains reliable light transmission and reception functions while significantly reducing manufacturing costs and engineering effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simpler, more affordable optical components like beam splitters and standard lenses instead of expensive conventional optical circulators. This substitution with cheaper components reduces manufacturing cost while still achieving the required light transmission and reception reliability.
4Reliability
If conventional optical circulators are used in single aperture optical devices, then light transmission and reception functions are achieved, but light loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beam splitter is configured to efficiently merge the outgoing laser beam and incoming reflected light with minimal loss. By using optimized beam splitter coatings and alignment, the patent reduces light loss at the merging point while maintaining reliable transmission and reception functions, outperforming conventional optical circulators in terms of light efficiency.
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
The solution provides an inexpensive, low-loss optical combiner for single aperture optical devices, enabling a compact and lightweight package that supports multiple optical device solutions, with adjustable emission and detection characteristics through replaceable components.
Implementation Method 1
A customized optical isolator-based non-reciprocal optical element (NROE) is used in a simplified optical circulator design that changes the direction of light propagation differently for transmitted and received signals
Implementation Method 2
A first optical component associated with the emitter element collimates light emitted by the emitter element; A second optical component associated with the detector element collimates light received by the detector element
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a single aperture laser range finder (SALRF). In an implementation, the single aperture laser range finder includes a beam extender including an aperture and an input aperture lens. A matching lens collimates light emitted from an emitter element associated with a single aperture optical circulator and received by the beam extender, respectively. A single aperture optical circulator has an emitter channel associated with the emitter element and a detector channel associated with a detector element. The emitter channel and the detector channel merge together at an input/output aperture. A light gating mechanism is configured to permit received light to enter the detector channel and to prevent the received light from entering the emitter channel. The SALRF has an electronics end cap.