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US 2014/0368939 A1Published application
Apparatus and method for a flexible adaptive telescope mirror
OwnerRachel Andreaseninventor
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Abstract
This invention is for a flexible telescope mirror. A mirrored film is stretched across a frame, and deformed into a rough parabola using a partial vacuum. The film is then deformed into a more perfect parabola using electric fields. In some embodiments, a feedback system based on a laser projector and a camera is used to fine tune the resulting parabola for optical performance. The invention allows the creation of large telescope mirrors for a substantially lower price than conventional ground glass mirrors, and allows the creation of substantially lighter mirrors, suitable for space-based applications.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a mirrored, electrically conductive film having a first face which is highly reflective and a second face facing the frame, wherein the mirrored, electrically conductive film is stretched across the frame in a manner which creates an enclosed chamber against the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- a pump operably coupled to the enclosed chamber facing the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- an electrode array located in the enclosed chamber facing the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- a camera facing the first face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- and
- a computer-control system operably coupled receive signals from the camera, and configured to send control signals to the pump and to the electrode array, in order to reshape the mirrored, electrically conductive film into an optically suitable shape.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a frame;
- providing a mirrored, electrically conductive film having a first face which is highly reflective and a second face facing the frame;
- stretching the mirrored, electrically conductive film across the frame in a manner which creates an enclosed chamber against the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- pumping a fluid from the enclosed chamber facing the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- applying an electrostatic force to one or more sub-areas of the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- acquiring an image of the first face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- and
- calculating correction factors based on the acquired image;
- and
- sending control signals to control the pumping and to control the applying of electrostatic force to the one or more sub-areas of the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film, in order to reshape the mirrored, electrically conductive film into an optically suitable shape.
7 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a mirrored, electrically conductive film having a first face which is highly reflective and a second face facing the frame;
- means for stretching the mirrored, electrically conductive film across the frame in a manner which creates an enclosed chamber against the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- means for pumping a fluid from the enclosed chamber facing the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- means for applying an electrostatic force to one or more sub-areas of the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- means for acquiring an image of the first face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film;
- and
- means for calculating correction factors based on the acquired image;
- and
- means for sending control signals to control the pumping and to control the applying of electrostatic force to the one or more sub-areas of the second face of the mirrored, electrically conductive film, in order to reshape the film into an optically suitable shape.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.