Hologram production technique
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsBrian J. Monaghan, Anthony W. Heath
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for producing dot matrix holograms through laser ablation utilizing only two two-axis, low-inertia beam deflectors to control the maximum holographic direction, and the holographic coloration of the individual pixels of the holograms, and the method of utilizing that apparatus.
Claims38
A system for ablating a workpiece with a laser beam to produce holographic pixels with controllable maximum holographic directions and colorations, said system including:
- a plurality of system components which collectively determine said maximum holographic directions and colorations,
- only two of said components having properties which are controllable to vary said directions or colorations for different pixels wherein said only two components are a pair of low-inertia, two-axis beam deflecting means.
A system for forming interference patterns on the surface of a workpiece through laser ablation of the surface, the system comprising:
- a laser generating a laser beam;
- means for dividing the beam from said laser into separate halves;
- and
- means for guiding said halves along different paths toward said surface;
- said guiding means including beam half deflecting means stationed at predetermined locations along each path, including low-inertia means for controllably deflecting said guided beam halves in directions deviating from said different paths;
- wherein said low inertia means is at least one of a two axis galvanometer, a two axis piezoelectric beam deflector and a two axis acousto-optic beam deflector.
A system for ablating holographic pixels on the surface of a workpiece, the system comprising:
- a laser generating a laser beam;
- a beam splitter dividing the laser beam into a first beam and a second beam;
- a controller providing as output at least one control signal;
- and
- a pair of low-inertia, two-axis beam deflectors receptive of the first and second laser beams guiding the first and second laser beams along different paths to a prescribed pixel location on the surface of the workpiece, thereby combining the first and second laser beams at a prescribed azimuthal direction and included angle;
- wherein at least one of the beam deflectors includes a beam deflector receptive of the at least one control signal thereby controllably deflecting at least one of the first laser beam and the second laser beams to the prescribed pixel location.
A system for forming interference patterns on the surface of a workpiece, the system comprising:
- a laser generating a laser beam;
- a beam splitter splitting the laser beam into a first laser beam and a second laser beam;
- a controller providing as output at least one control signal;
- and
- a pair of low-inertia, two-axis beam deflectors receptive of the first and second laser beams guiding the first and second laser beams along different paths to a prescribed pixel location on the surface of the workpiece, thereby combining the first and second laser beams at a prescribed azimuthal direction and included angle;
- wherein at least one of the beam deflectors includes a beam deflector receptive of the at least one control signal thereby controllably deflecting at least one of the first and second laser beams to the prescribed pixel location.
A method of ablating a workpiece, the method comprising:
- generating a laser beam;
- dividing the laser beam into a first beam and a second beam;
- and
- controllably guiding the first and second laser beams along different paths to a prescribed pixel location on the surface of the workpiece by rotating about two axes a pair of beam deflectors receptive of the first and second laser beams, thereby combining the first and second laser beams at a prescribed azimuthal direction and included angle.
A method of forming interference patterns on the surface of a workpiece, the method comprising:
- generating a laser beam;
- dividing the laser beam into a first beam and a second beam;
- and
- controllably guiding the first and second laser beams along different paths to a prescribed pixel location on the surface of the workpiece by rotating about two axes a pair of beam deflectors receptive of the first and second laser beams, thereby combining the first and second laser beams at a prescribed azimuthal direction and included angle.
A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code, the computer program code including instructions for causing an electro-optic system to implement a method of forming interference patterns on the surface of a workpiece, the method comprising:
- generating a laser beam;
- dividing the laser beam into a first beam and a second beam;
- and
- controllably guiding the first and second laser beams along different paths to a prescribed pixel location on the surface of the workpiece by rotating about two axes a pair of beam deflectors receptive of the first and second laser beams, thereby combining the first and second laser beams at a prescribed azimuthal direction and included angle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.