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US 10,768,022 B2Granted
Optical encoder system and method
AssigneeMichael Naor
InventorMichael Naor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved optical encoder uses an optical pick-up unit that provides for degrees of freedom in the tracking and focus axes that are unavailable in conventional optical encoders thereby improving the encoders' performance. In an embodiment the encoder employs an optical disc marked with pits and lands which may be arranged in a spiral pattern. The optical disc is mounted on the shaft whose motion is to be monitored by the optical encoder. The encoder may be arranged to read the markings on the optical disc using the three-beam pickup method.
Claims29
An optical encoder, comprising:
- a light focusing element;
- a light detector that receives light from a substrate containing position markings via the light focusing element and converts the received light into at least one electrical signal, wherein the substrate is encoded with information to provide any one of:
- an incremental position and an absolute position so that the optical encoder is respectively operable as any one of:
- an incremental encoder and an absolute encoder;
- a servomechanism that adjusts a position of the light focusing element based on the at least one electrical signal;
- a processor receiving the at least one electrical signal and adapted to report motion of the substrate based on the received at least one electrical signal, the motion being indicative of any one of:
- an incremental position of the substrate and an absolute position of the substrate;
- an optical element that splits light originating at a light source into at least a central beam and two flanking beams, and wherein electrical representations of reflection of the flanking beams from the substrate are used to determine the reported motion.
5 more elements
A method for use in an optical encoder comprising:
- a light focusing element;
- a light detector that receives light from a substrate containing position markings via the light focusing element and converts the received light into at least one electrical signal, wherein the substrate is encoded with information to provide any one of:
- an incremental position and an absolute position so that the optical encoder is respectively operable as any one of:
- an incremental encoder and an absolute encoder;
- a servomechanism adapted to adjust a position of the light focusing element based on the at least one electrical signal;
- and
- an optical element that splits light originating at a light source into at least a central beam and two flanking beams;
- the method comprising:
- responsive to the at least one electrical signal, adjusting the position of the light focusing element;
- and
- providing an electrical indication of motion of the substrate, the motion being determined based on the received at least one electrical signal and electrical representations of reflection of the flanking beams from the substrate, the motion being indicative of any one of:
- an incremental position of the substrate and an absolute position of the substrate.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.