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US 7,252,236 B2Granted
Methods of driving a scanning beam device to achieve high frame rates
AssigneeUniversity of Washington
InventorsRichard S. Johnston, Charles D. Melville, Cameron M. Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides methods and systems for scanning an illumination spot over a target area. The present invention removes stored energy from a scanning element to stop the scanning element from vibrating and to substantially return the scanning element to its starting position so as to enable high frame rates.
Claims22
A method of driving a scanning beam device that comprises a scanning element, the method comprising:
- providing the scanning element in a first position;
- driving the scanning element, at a frequency within a Q-factor of a resonant frequency, with a first component of a drive signal to scan an illumination spot in a scan pattern over a target;
- and
- driving the scanning element with a second component of the drive signal to remove stored energy from the scanning element so as to cause the scanning element to substantially return to the first position.
1 more element
A scanning beam system comprising:
- a scanning beam device comprising a scanning element coupled to a drive assembly;
- and
- a base station coupleable to the drive assembly of the scanning beam device, the base station being adapted to deliver a drive signal to the drive assembly to drive the scanning element,
- wherein the drive signal comprises a first component that is configured to scan an illumination spot emitted from the scanning element from a starting position in a scan pattern and to drive the scanning element at a frequency within a Q-factor of a resonant frequency, and a second component that is configured to remove stored energy with from the scanning element so as to return the scanning element to the starting position.
1 more element
A method of driving a scanning beam device that comprises a scanning element, the method comprising:
- driving the scanning element, at a frequency within a Q-factor of a resonant frequency, with a first component of a drive signal to scan an illumination spot in a scan pattern over a target;
- and
- driving the scanning element with a phase shifted second component of the drive signal,
- wherein the second component of the drive signal removes stored energy from the scanning element.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.