Variable Angle Light Source Optical System for Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical instruments with variable angle light sources face challenges due to pointing errors and power fluctuations, which cause position shifts on detectors, especially in the mid and far infrared range, leading to noise in measurements.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus featuring a variable angle light source with a pivot point, a variable response optical receiver, and an optical system that images the pivot point to a fixed point on the receiver surface, ensuring that the light covers more than half the receiving surface, thereby stabilizing the light beam and reducing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the light source emits light over a wide angle range, then coverage of the receiving surface is improved, but beam position stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system serves as a mediator that accepts light from a wide angular range and redirects all rays to a common focal point on the detector. This allows the system to maintain both wide coverage and position stability by transforming the spatial distribution of rays while preserving their intensity information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the problem from a two-dimensional position variation on the detector surface to a one-dimensional focal point convergence. By using the optical dimension (focal length) to map different angular positions to the same spatial location, the system achieves stability in the critical detection dimension while maintaining coverage in the angular dimension
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 solution effectively reduces pointing-error noise by maintaining the light beam's position on the detector, even with variations in the light source's angle, enhancing measurement accuracy and stability.
Implementation Method 1
The first optical system images the pivot point to a fixed point relative to the receiver surface
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus having a variable angle light source characterized by a pivot point, a variable response optical receiver, and a first optical system is disclosed. The variable response optical receiver receives light generated by the light source on a receiving surface, the receiver generating a signal indicative of an intensity of light that impinges on a receiving surface. The first optical system images the pivot point to a fixed point relative to the receiver surface. In one aspect of the invention the first optical system is chosen such that light from the variable angle light source covers more& than half the receiving surface. The variable angle light source can include a gain chip in a semiconductor laser having a pivot point located substantially on a facet of the gain chip.