# US 2014/0151535 A1 · Deflector, optical scanner, and scanning distance measuring equipment

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- Number: US 2014/0151535 A1
- Document ID: US20140151535A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/775,927
- Filed: 2013-02-25
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03
- Assignees: Hokuyo Automatic Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Hokuyo Automatic Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Toshihiro MORI; Norihiro ASADA; Kazuo TAKAI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151535A1

## CPC

- G02B 26/101: {with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129)}
- G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning}
- G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46)
- G02B 26/085: {the reflecting means being moved or deformed by electromagnetic means}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

Scanning distance measuring equipment includes a light emitter/receiver and a deflector for deflecting and reflecting measurement light emitted from the light emitter/receiver to outside through an optical window. The deflector is provided with a first deflection mechanism including a movable unit swingable about a first axis and a drive unit for driving to swing the movable unit; a second deflection mechanism for driving to rotate the first deflection mechanism about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and a contactless power supply unit including a second coil that is located to rotate about the second axis along with the rotating second deflection mechanism, and a first coil that is located to face the second coil on a common axis.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A deflector comprising:
a first deflection mechanism including a movable unit swingable about a first axis and a drive unit for driving to swing the movable unit;
a second deflection mechanism for driving to rotate the first deflection mechanism about a second axis different from the first axis; and
a contactless power supply unit including a second coil that is electrically connected to the drive unit and is located to rotate about the second axis along with the rotating second deflection mechanism, and a first coil that is located to face the second coil on a common axis, the contactless power supply unit for supplying power from the first coil to the second coil in accordance with an electromagnetic induction system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The deflector according to claim 1, wherein
the first deflection mechanism includes a fixed unit rotatably supported by the second deflection mechanism, and a beam with which the movable unit is supported by the fixed unit, and
the beam is driven by the drive unit to twist rotate or warp swing, and serves as the first axis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The deflector according to claim 2, further comprising:
a light emitter/receiver located on the second axis;
a light deflecting unit provided at the movable unit, for deflecting and reflecting measurement light emitted from the light emitter/receiver along the second axis and guiding, to the light emitter/receiver, light reflected by an object out of the measurement light thus deflected and reflected;
a reference reflection member irradiated with the measurement light emitted from the light emitter/receiver and deflected and reflected by the light deflecting unit; and
a swing controller for controlling the drive unit in accordance with reflected light from the reference reflection member and received by the light emitter/receiver; wherein
a control signal is transmitted from the swing controller to the drive unit by way of the contactless power supply unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The deflector according to claim 3, wherein
the reference reflection member includes regions of different reflectance along the second axis, and
the swing controller includes an amplitude detector for detecting swing amplitude by the first deflection mechanism in accordance with the reflected light from the reference reflection member and received by the light emitter/receiver, and an amplitude controller for controlling the drive unit such that the swing amplitude detected by the amplitude detector has a predetermined value.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The deflector according to claim 4, wherein
the drive unit includes a driving coil provided at the movable unit, and the amplitude controller controls a frequency of current applied to the coil by way of the contactless power supply unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The deflector according to claim 4, wherein
the drive unit includes a driving coil provided at the movable unit, and a power supply circuit for generating current applied to the coil,
the amplitude controller transmits, to the power supply circuit, frequency control information on current applied to the coil by way of the contactless power supply unit, the frequency control information being superposed on a high frequency current of contactless power supply unit, and
the power supply circuit controls the frequency of the current applied to the coil in accordance with the frequency control information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The deflector according to claim 4, further comprising:
a synchronization controller for adjusting a rotation cycle of the second deflection mechanism and/or a measurement cycle of reflected light with respect to measurement light emitted from the light emitter/receiver, in synchronization with a swing cycle of the movable unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The deflector according to claim 4, further comprising:
a light controller for adjusting intensity or an emission interval of measurement light emitted from the light emitter/receiver, in accordance with the reflected light from the reference reflection member and received by the light emitter/receiver.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The deflector according to claim 1, wherein
the contactless power supply unit includes paired coil support units each having a ring shape, supporting the first coil and second coil respectively wound therearound, and a contactless signal transmission unit for transmitting/receiving a signal from/to the first deflection mechanism is provided in a space formed at a center of each of the coil support units.

### Claim 10

An optical scanner comprising a deflector including:
a first deflection mechanism including a movable unit swingable about a first axis and a drive unit for driving to swing the movable unit;
a second deflection mechanism for driving to rotate the first deflection mechanism about a second axis different from the first axis;
a contactless power supply unit including a second coil that is electrically connected to the drive unit and is located to rotate about the second axis along with the rotating second deflection mechanism, and a first coil that is located to face the second coil on a common axis, the contactless power supply unit for supplying power from the first coil to the second coil in accordance with an electromagnetic induction system;
a light emitter/receiver located on the second axis;
a light deflecting unit provided at the movable unit, for deflecting and reflecting measurement light emitted from the light emitter/receiver along the second axis and guiding, to the light emitter/receiver, light reflected by an object out of the measurement light thus deflected and reflected;
a reference reflection member irradiated with the measurement light emitted from the light emitter/receiver and deflected and reflected by the light deflecting unit; and
a swing controller for controlling the drive unit in accordance with reflected light from the reference reflection member and received by the light emitter/receiver.

### Claim 11

Scanning distance measuring equipment comprising a deflector including:
a first deflection mechanism including a movable unit swingable about a first axis and a drive unit for driving to swing the movable unit;
a second deflection mechanism for driving to rotate the first deflection mechanism about a second axis different from the first axis;
a contactless power supply unit including a second coil that is electrically connected to the drive unit and is located to rotate about the second axis along with the rotating second deflection mechanism, and a first coil that is located to face the second coil on a common axis, the contactless power supply unit for supplying power from the first coil to the second coil in accordance with an electromagnetic induction system;
a light emitter/receiver located on the second axis;
a light deflecting unit, provided at the movable unit, for deflecting and reflecting measurement light emitted from the light emitter/receiver along the second axis and guiding, to the light emitter/receiver, light reflected by an object out of the measurement light thus deflected and reflected;
a reference reflection member irradiated with the measurement light emitted from the light emitter/receiver and deflected and reflected by the light deflecting unit; and
a swing controller for controlling the drive unit in accordance with reflected light from the reference reflection member and received by the light emitter/receiver.