VCSEL Illumination Assembly for 3D Data Acquisition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current illumination assemblies for 3D data acquisition face inefficiencies due to the need for aperture stops, which block light and introduce vignetting, and are prone to thermally induced optical instabilities, especially when using high-intensity laser sources.
Innovation Solution
The design of an illumination assembly that uses a laser-based illumination source with an array of monochromatic light sources and aspheric optical elements, eliminating the need for aperture stops and incorporating a focal-length correction layer and thermal compensation spacers to maintain high-intensity, high-contrast patterned illumination over a wide field-of-view and temperature range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an aperture stop is used to mitigate optical aberrations, then optical quality is improved, but light efficiency deteriorates due to blocked light
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the aperture stop from the optical system entirely. The illumination assembly uses an array of VCSELs with specific emission characteristics and optical elements that naturally control the light path without requiring an aperture stop, thereby eliminating the trade-off between optical quality and light efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical aperture stop with an optical design using VCSELs and aspheric lenses that inherently define the light cone and control aberrations through geometric optics rather than mechanical blocking.
2Illumination intensity
If high-power laser sources are used to generate high-intensity features, then illumination intensity is improved, but thermal stability deteriorates due to thermally induced optical instabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the light source by using VCSELs with specific numerical apertures and emission angles, and by selecting optical elements with appropriate thermal expansion coefficients and refractive index temperature dependencies to maintain stability at high illumination intensities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite optical designs combining multiple materials with complementary thermal properties, including aspheric lenses and structural components selected for their thermal stability characteristics, allowing the system to maintain optical precision under thermal load from high-power VCSELs.
3Reliability
If a single aperture stop with small diameter is used to block stray light, then optical quality is improved, but device complexity increases and light efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the aperture stop component entirely from the optical assembly, simplifying the device structure while maintaining optical quality through the inherent light-controlling properties of the VCSEL array and optical element geometry.
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 ensures that substantially all light converges at an exit aperture, maximizing illumination efficiency while maintaining high contrast and optical quality across a wide field-of-view and temperature range, thus overcoming the inefficiencies and instabilities of existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination assembly including an optical assembly and an illumination source operable to generate features suitable for 3D data acquisition
Implementation Method 2
substantially all light converges at an exit aperture
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes illumination assemblies operable to generate a patterned illumination that maintain high contrast over a wide temperature range. An implementation of the illumination assembly can include an array of monochromatic light sources positioned on an illumination plane, first and second optical elements, and an exit aperture. A chief ray of each light source within the array of monochromatic light sources can substantially converge at an exit aperture. In such implementations light generated by the array of monochromatic light sources can be used efficiently.