Optical deflection scanning device
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorHiroshi Yuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical deflection scanning device has a transducer, a waveguide medium for unidirectionally propagating an elastic wave based on the oscillation of the transducer. The light emitted from a light source is incident to the waveguide medium in a direction opposite the group velocity of the elastic wave in the waveguide medium. The incident light and elastic wave interact, and the incident light is deflected within the same plane as the waveguide medium in conjunction with elastic wave travel.
Claims23
An optical deflection scanning device comprising:
- a transducer;
- a waveguide medium that defines a planar path for unidirectionally propagating an elastic wave produced by oscillation of said transducer, said elastic wave having a group velocity direction of travel along said path and a phase velocity direction which is different from said group velocity direction;
- and
- light incidence means for causing incident light to enter said waveguide medium from a direction opposite the group velocity direction of the elastic wave in said waveguide medium,
- wherein said incident light is deflected within said planar path as diffraction light at every position where said incident light and said elastic wave interact, such that said diffraction light is scanned along said path in conjunction with elastic wave travel.
An optical deflection scanning device comprising:
- a waveguide medium that defines a planar path for the propagation of elastic wave energy;
- a transducer for generating an elastic wave within said waveguide medium, said elastic wave having a group velocity direction of travel along said path and a phase velocity direction which is different from said group direction;
- and
- a light source,
- wherein the light emitted from said light source is incident to said waveguide medium, and is deflected within the planar path defined by said waveguide medium as diffraction light at every position where said light and said elastic wave interact, such that said diffraction light is scanned.
An optical deflection scanning device comprising:
- a single crystal substrate that defines a planar path for the propagation of elastic wave energy;
- a transducer for generating an elastic wave within said single crystal substrate, said elastic wave having a group velocity direction of travel along said path;
- and
- a light source for emitting light having a predetermined frequency,
- wherein the light emitted from said light source is incident to said single crystal substrate and deflected as diffraction light at every position where said light and said elastic wave traveling in the group velocity direction interact within the planar path defined by said single crystal substrate, such that said diffraction light emerges on the exterior of said substrate in a manner so as to be swept, to thereby perform a scanning operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.