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US 10,295,405 B2Granted
Active monitoring of multi-laser systems
AssigneenLIGHT, Inc.
InventorsScott R. Karlsen, Jay Small, Mitch Stanek, Vito P. Errico, Cary S. Kiest
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A monitoring system for a multi-laser module includes detectors corresponding to each laser and situated to receive a portion of the associated laser beam uncombined with other beams. Laser characteristics are measured and stored, and in operation are used to identify device failures. A comparator receives a reference value and compares the reference value with a current operational value. If the current value is less that the reference value, a possible failure is indicated. Signal cross-coupling among the detectors is also used to identify undesirable scattering that can be associated with surface contamination or device failure.
Claims18
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of laser modules and associated laser drivers, each laser module including an array of laser diodes and a beam combining system including one or more reflectors and one or more transmissive regions, wherein the laser diodes are situated to emit beams that are spatially offset from each other that are directed with the beam combining system to form a combined beam;
- a detection system situated to receive portions of each of emitted beams and to produce corresponding detector output signals;
- a memory configured to store at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- and
- a processor coupled to the laser drivers, the detection system, and the memory so as to establish the at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- wherein the processor is configured to increase drive current associated with one or more other laser modules in response to a channel error associated with a particular laser module;
- wherein the processor is configured to terminate operation of a selected laser diode if detector output signal is less than a reference signal.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of laser modules and associated laser drivers, each laser module including an array of laser diodes and a beam combining system including one or more reflectors and one or more transmissive regions, wherein the laser diodes are situated to emit beams that are spatially offset from each other that are directed with the beam combining system to form a combined beam;
- a detection system situated to receive portions of each of emitted beams and to produce corresponding detector output signals;
- a memory configured to store at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- and
- a processor coupled to the laser drivers, the detection system, and the memory so as to establish the at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- wherein the detection system includes a plurality of optical detectors, each situated in a respective optical path associated with one or more of the laser diodes;
- wherein the processor is configured to energize a selected one or more of the laser diodes and to receive a detector signal associated with at least one optical detector associated with at least one of the unselected laser diodes, and based on the received detector signal, identify a channel error.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of laser modules and associated laser drivers, each laser module including an array of laser diodes and a beam combining system including one or more reflectors and one or more transmissive regions, wherein the laser diodes are situated to emit beams that are spatially offset from each other that are directed with the beam combining system to form a combined beam;
- a detection system situated to receive portions of each of emitted beams and to produce corresponding detector output signals;
- a memory configured to store at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- and
- a processor coupled to the laser drivers, the detection system, and the memory so as to establish the at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- wherein the processor is configured to energize a laser driver associated with a selected laser module and to receive a detector output signal from the detection system that is associated with an optical detector corresponding to at least one of the unselected laser modules, and based on the received detector output signal, identify a channel error.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of laser modules and associated laser drivers, each laser module including an array of laser diodes and a beam combining system including one or more reflectors and one or more transmissive regions, wherein the laser diodes are situated to emit beams that are spatially offset from each other that are directed with the beam combining system to form a combined beam;
- a detection system situated to receive portions of each of emitted beams and to produce corresponding detector output signals;
- a memory configured to store at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- and
- a processor coupled to the laser drivers, the detection system, and the memory so as to establish the at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- wherein the processor is configured to increase drive current associated with one or more other laser modules in response to a channel error associated with a particular laser module;
- wherein the detector output signals are associated with a scattered optical power from at least one laser module.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of laser modules and associated laser drivers, each laser module including an array of laser diodes and a beam combining system including one or more reflectors and one or more transmissive regions, wherein the laser diodes are situated to emit beams that are spatially offset from each other that are directed with the beam combining system to form a combined beam;
- a detection system situated to receive portions of each of emitted beams and to produce corresponding detector output signals;
- a memory configured to store at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- and
- a processor coupled to the laser drivers, the detection system, and the memory so as to establish the at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- wherein at least one measured optical signal is obtained by reflection from a dielectric coating, and an associated reference level is established to compensate wavelength dependence of the dielectric coating.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of laser modules and associated laser drivers, each laser module including an array of laser diodes and a beam combining system including a plurality of directional reflectors situated to receive and directionally reflect a plurality of incident laser beams, emitted by the laser diodes, to propagate along parallel reflected beam propagation axes and including one or more transmissive regions, wherein the laser diodes are situated to emit laser beams that are spatially offset from each other that are directed with the beam combining system to form a combined beam;
- a detection system situated to receive portions of each of emitted laser beams and to produce corresponding detector output signals;
- a memory configured to store at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- and
- a processor coupled to the laser drivers, the detection system, and the memory so as to establish the at least one characteristic parameter for each of the laser diodes;
- wherein the processor is configured to energize a laser driver associated with a selected laser module and to receive a detector output signal from the detection system that is associated with an optical detector corresponding to at least one of the unselected laser modules, and based on the received detector output signal, identify a channel error.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.