Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Optical or pre-photocell system
Patent
1993-03-22
1994-04-12
Nelms, David C.
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Optical or pre-photocell system
356 1, G01V 904
Patent
active
053028350
ABSTRACT:
An optical detection system includes a transmitting device for transmitting a light beam to create a field of view, a detecting arrangement for detecting a beam of reflected light resulting from reflection of the transmitted light off at least one object in the field of view, and a deflecting device for deflecting either the transmitted light beam or the reflected light beam. The detecting arrangement can include a range channel having a first detector for sensing reflected light from the at least one object to determine a distance to the object, and an angle channel having a second detector for sensing reflected light from the at least one object to determine an angle of the reflected light beam. The deflecting device can be in the form of a polarizing beamsplitter. An arrangement can also be disposed between the deflecting device and the detecting device for splitting the reflected light beam into a first beam component which is directed to the first detector and a second beam component that is directed to the second detector. The transmitting device and the deflecting device are positioned with respect to one another in such a way that the transmitted light beam emerging from the deflecting device is coaxial with the reflected light beam entering the deflecting device. The system is particularly useful in the context of a vehicle guidance system for optically guiding a moving vehicle along a path. The sensing of the reflected light by the first and second detectors allows the distance from the moving vehicle to the at least one object and the angle of the reflected light beam to be accurately determined.
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"Polarizing Beamsplitters", published by Melles Griot, pp. 14.18-14.19, copyrighted in Jan. 1990.
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Bendett Mark
Nakamura Masahiko
Imra America Inc.
Le Que T.
Nelms David C.
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