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US 7,679,533 B2Granted
Photodiode array for an optical encoder, photodiode detection system, and optical encoder
AssigneeRenco Encoders, Inc.
InventorRuth E. Franklin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photodiode detector array for an optical encoder includes a sequence of photodiodes having a pitch between adjacent photodiodes that alternates between a first pitch and a second pitch, the second pitch being different than the first pitch.
Claims31
A photodiode detector array for an optical encoder, comprising:
- a sequence of photodiodes having a pitch distance between adjacent photodiodes that alternates between a first pitch distance and a second pitch distance, the second pitch distance being different than the first pitch distance.
An optical encoder, comprising:
- a light source;
- a photodiode detector array including a sequence of photodiodes having a pitch distance between adjacent photodiodes that alternates between a first pitch distance and a second pitch distance, the second pitch distance being greater than the first pitch distance;
- and
- a scale index member configured to direct light from the light source to the photodiodes.
1 more element
An optical encoder, comprising:
- a light source;
- a photodiode detector array including a sequence of photodiodes having a pitch between adjacent photodiodes that alternates between a first pitch and a second pitch, the second pitch being greater than the first pitch;
- and
- a scale index member configured to direct light from the light source to the photodiodes;
- wherein at least one of the following equations is satisfied:
- second pitch=first pitch*((3+4i)/(2+4i));
- and (a)
- second pitch=first pitch*((2+4i)/(1+4i));
- (b)
- i representing an integer greater than or equal to 0.
7 more elements
An optical encoder, comprising:
- a light source;
- a photodiode detector array including a sequence of photodiodes having a pitch between adjacent photodiodes that alternates between a first pitch and a second pitch, the second pitch being greater than the first pitch;
- and
- a scale index member configured to direct light from the light source to the photodiodes;
- wherein each of the first complementary photodiode and the second complementary diode repeats with a third pitch, the third pitch one of (a) alternating between 4 times the first pitch and 6 times the first pitch and (b) alternating between 5.4 times the first pitch and 3.4 times the first pitch.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.