Interferometry system having a dynamic beam steering assembly for measuring angle and distance

An angle-measuring interferometry system comprising:

• an interferometer which during operation receives an input beam, separates the input beam into a measurement beam and at least one other beam, and directs the measurement beam to contact a measurement object;
• a beam steering assembly having a beam steering element positioned to direct the input beam into the interferometer and an electronic positioning system to selectively orient the beam steering element relative to the interferometer;
• and
• an angle measurement system which during operation calculates a change in angular orientation of the measurement object based on a measurement signal derived from the measurement beam and calculates a change in optical path length to the measurement object based on interferometric information derived from the measurement beam and another beam.

An interferometry system comprising:

• an interferometer which during operation receives an input beam, separates the input beam into a measurement beam and at least one other beam, and directs the measurement beam to contact a measurement object;
• a beam steering assembly having a beam steering element positioned to direct the input beam into the interferometer and an electronic positioning system to selectively orient the beam steering element relative to the interferometer;
• and
• a control circuit which during operation causes the positioning system to reorient the beam steering element based on an interferometric control signal derived from the measurement beam indicative of a change in the angular orientation of the measurement object.

An angle-measuring interferometry system comprising:

• an interferometer which during operation directs a measurement beam to contact a measurement object, the interferometer comprising a beam steering assembly having a beam steering element positioned to contact and direct the measurement beam and an electronic positioning system to selectively orient the beam steering element within the interferometer;
• and
• an angle measurement system which during operation calculates a change in angular orientation of the measurement object based on a measurement signal derived from the measurement beam;
• wherein the measurement signal is derived from at least two interferometric signals produced by combining at least two portions of the measurement beam with corresponding portions of another beam after the measurement beam contacts the measurement object.

An angle-measuring interferometry system comprising:

• an interferometer which during operation directs a measurement beam to contact a measurement object, the interferometer comprising a beam steering assembly having a beam steering element positioned to contact and direct the measurement beam and an electronic positioning system to selectively orient the beam steering element within the interferometer;
• and
• an angle measurement system which during operation calculates a change in angular orientation of the measurement object based on a measurement signal derived from the measurement beam;
• wherein the beam steering element has two reflective faces and wherein during operation the interferometer directs the measurement beam to contact the first face before contacting the measurement object and directs the measurement beam to contact the second face after contacting the measurement object.

An angle-measuring interferometry system comprising:

• an interferometer which during operation receives an input beam, separates the input beam into a measurement beam and at least one other beam, and directs the measurement beam to contact a measurement object;
• a beam steering assembly having a beam steering element positioned to direct the input beam into the interferometer and an electronic positioning system to selectively orient the beam steering element relative to the interferometer;
• an angle measurement system which during operation calculates a change in angular orientation of the measurement object based on a measurement signal derived from the measurement beam;
• a control circuit which during operation causes the positioning system to reorient the beam steering element in response to the change in the angular orientation of the measurement object based on a control signal derived from the measurement beam;
• and
• an angle displacement interferometer positioned to receive at least a portion of the measurement beam after it contacts the measurement object, and wherein during operation the angle displacement interferometer generates the control signal,
• wherein the measurement signal is derived from the angle displacement interferometer.

An angle-measuring interferometry system comprising:

• an interferometer which during operation receives an input beam, separates the input beam into a measurement beam and at least one other beam, and directs the measurement beam to contact a measurement object;
• a beam steering assembly having a beam steering element positioned to direct the input beam into the interferometer and an electronic positioning system to selectively orient the beam steering element relative to the interferometer;
• an angle measurement system which during operation calculates a change in angular orientation of the measurement object based on a measurement signal derived from the measurement beam;
• and
• a control circuit which during operation causes the positioning system to reorient the beam steering element in response to the change in the angular orientation of the measurement object based on a control signal derived from the measurement beam,
• wherein the measurement signal is derived from at least two interferometric signals produced by combining at least two portions of the measurement beam with corresponding portions of another beam after the measurement beam contacts the measurement object.

An angle-measuring interferometry system comprising:

• an interferometer which during operation receives an input beam, separates the input beam into a measurement beam and at least one other beam, and directs the measurement beam to contact a measurement object;
• a beam steering assembly having a beam steering element positioned to direct the input beam into the interferometer and an electronic positioning system to selectively orient the beam steering element relative to the interferometer;
• and
• an angle measurement system which during operation calculates a change in angular orientation of the measurement object based on a measurement signal derived from the measurement beam,
• wherein the beam steering element has two reflective faces and wherein during operation the input beam contacts the first face and at least a portion of measurement beam contacts the second face after contacting the measurement object.