Lens positioning system
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorRami Boltanski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A scanner includes a lens assembly comprising a lens having a lens axis and a positioning system to adjust a focal plane of the lens assembly. The positioning system includes an outer element, an inner element that houses the lens assembly, and a linear-motion bearing that couples the inner element to the outer element. The linear-motion bearing includes a first element coupling and a second element coupling. The linear-motion bearing provides a single degree of translational movement of the inner element along the lens axis.
Claims20
An intraoral scanner comprising:
- a lens assembly comprising a lens having a lens axis;
- and
- a positioning system to adjust a focal plane of the lens assembly, the positioning system comprising an actuator having:
- an outer element;
- an inner element disposed within the outer element, wherein the lens assembly is housed in and coupled to the inner element;
- and
- a linear-motion bearing that couples the inner element to the outer element, wherein the linear-motion bearing provides a single degree of translational movement of the inner element along the lens axis and prevents any translational movement normal to the lens axis.
A method of adjusting a focus setting of an intraoral scanner, comprising:
- receiving, by a controller of the intraoral scanner, command data indicative of a target position of an inner element of a positioning system of the intraoral scanner with respect to an outer element of the positioning system, wherein the positioning system comprises the outer element, the inner element disposed within the outer element, a linear-motion bearing that couples the inner element to the outer element, and a lens assembly housed in the inner element, the lens assembly comprising a lens having a lens axis;
- inducing, by the controller, a current in one or more electromagnets to move the inner element with respect to the outer element along the lens axis and change a focal plane of the lens assembly, wherein the linear-motion bearing is to move in a manner that prevents translational movement of the lens assembly normal to the lens axis as the inner element is moved with respect to the outer element along the lens axis.
A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a controller of an intraoral scanner, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, by the controller, position data indicative of a current position of an inner element of a positioning system of the intraoral scanner with respect to an outer element of the positioning system, wherein the positioning system comprises the outer element, the inner element disposed within the outer element, a linear-motion bearing that couples the inner element to the outer element, and a lens assembly housed in the inner element, the lens assembly comprising a lens having a lens axis;
- receiving, by the controller, command data indicative of a target position of the inner element with respect to the outer element;
- determining, by the controller, a strength of a current to be applied to one or more electromagnets based on at least one of the command data or the position data;
- and
- inducing, by the controller, a current having the strength in the one or more electromagnets to move the inner element with respect to the outer element along the lens axis and change a focal plane of the lens assembly, wherein the linear-motion bearing is to rotate the inner element in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction around the lens axis and prevent translational movement of the lens assembly normal to the lens axis as the inner element is moved with respect to the outer element along the lens axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.