Optical sensor with one or more sensing interference elements
AssigneeOxsensis Limited
InventorRalf-Dieter Pechstedt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical sensor having one or more sensing interference elements is disclosed. A first detector function generates a coarse optical path difference signal for example using a discrete Fourier transform of a detected interference spectrum, and a second detector function generates a refined optical path difference signal using the coarse optical path difference signal and for example a cross correlation of the interference spectrum with one or more sets of periodic transfer functions.
Claims39
An optical sensor comprising:
- one or more sensing interference elements each having an optical path difference;
- an optical source arranged to deliver probe light to the one or more sensing interference elements;
- a spectral engine arranged to detect an interference spectrum in probe light received from the one or more sensing interference elements;
- a first optical path difference signal generator arranged to generate one or more coarse optical path difference signals, corresponding to the optical path differences of the one or more sensing interference elements, from the interference spectrum;
- and
- a second optical path difference signal generator arranged to generate one or more refined optical path difference signals, corresponding to the optical path differences of the one or more sensing interference elements, from the interference spectrum and the corresponding coarse optical path difference signals.
A method of detecting an optical path difference of each of one or more sensing interference elements comprising:
- delivering probe light to the one or more sensing interference elements;
- detecting an interference spectrum in probe light received from the one or more sensing interference elements;
- generating one or more coarse optical path difference signals, corresponding to the optical path differences of the one or more sensing interference elements, from the interference spectrum;
- and
- generating one or more refined optical path difference signals, corresponding to the optical path differences of the one or more sensing interference elements, from the interference spectrum and the corresponding coarse optical path difference signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.