US20050007578A1 - Real time ir optical sensor - Google Patents
Real time ir optical sensor Download PDFInfo
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- US20050007578A1 US20050007578A1 US10/604,303 US60430303A US2005007578A1 US 20050007578 A1 US20050007578 A1 US 20050007578A1 US 60430303 A US60430303 A US 60430303A US 2005007578 A1 US2005007578 A1 US 2005007578A1
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- light source
- invisible
- visible light
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01B11/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
- G01B11/26—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
- G01B11/27—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes for testing the alignment of axes
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- the present invention is directed to the alignment of optical sensors and, more particularly, is directed to a method and apparatus for visually aligning an optical sensor such as an infrared laser where the laser operates outside the visible spectrum.
- optical sensors where the laser operates outside the visible spectrum is common in many industrial applications as well as consumer applications such as hand held remote controllers for TV, stereo etc.
- IR sensing vehicle shown in FIG. 1 .
- This particular vehicle is used to transport semiconductor wafers in an automated clean room semiconductor wafer facility.
- Each vehicle contains IR sensors which project a three dimensional cone of light.
- a three dimensional cone of light will hereafter be referred to as a “beam”.
- the sensors are used in the safety and guidance of the moving vehicles. Any disruption in the IR beam will stop the motion of the vehicle.
- an initial sensor alignment and then periodic alignment checks are currently required to determine proper beam alignment and operation of the unit.
- a typical unit will utilize an IR light emitting diode (LED), for example, emitting light at a wavelength of approximately 870 nanometers. The human eye is unable to detect this wavelength and therefore reference fixtures or other detectors are required to align the sensors.
- LED IR light emitting diode
- an apparatus for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising: an invisible light source, such as an infrared or ultraviolet laser, emitting an invisible light beam; a visible light source, such as a He—Ne laser, emitting a visible light beam and positioned opposite from and approximately coaxial with the invisible light source; an optical polarizing beam splitter having an outer reflecting surface and an inner reflecting surface, the outer reflecting surface reflecting approximately 100% of the invisible light beam and the inner reflecting surface reflecting approximately 50% of the visible light beam in the same path as the invisible light beam, the optical polarizing beam splitter positioned between and approximately coaxial with both the invisible light source and the visible light source; and an optical detector positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the outer reflecting surface to collect both the reflected invisible and visible light beams.
- an invisible light source such as an infrared or ultraviolet laser
- a visible light source such as a He—Ne laser
- an optical polarizing beam splitter having an outer reflecting surface and an inner reflecting surface, the outer reflecting surface reflecting approximately 100% of the invisible light beam and the inner reflecting surface
- the apparatus may further comprise a motor connected to the optical beam splitter, which may be rotatable, with a rotatable shaft having a longitudinal opening concentric with its axis of rotation; and the visible light source positioned approximately coaxial with the longitudinal opening.
- a motor connected to the optical beam splitter, which may be rotatable, with a rotatable shaft having a longitudinal opening concentric with its axis of rotation; and the visible light source positioned approximately coaxial with the longitudinal opening.
- an apparatus for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising: an invisible light source; a visible light source; a reflecting mirror; means for alternatively shuttling the visible light source and the invisible light source in optical alignment with the reflecting mirror, and an optical detector positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror.
- an apparatus for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising: an invisible light source emitting an invisible light beam; a visible light source emitting a visible light beam and positioned opposite and approximately coaxial to the invisible light source; a dual mirror assembly positioned between and approximately coaxial with the visible light source and the invisible light source, the dual mirror assembly having a first side opposite the invisible light source and a second side opposite the visible light source such that in operation the invisible light beam and the visible light beam are both reflected and converge at a common point; a reflecting mirror positioned in alignment with the common point such that both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam are reflected in the same direction; and an optical detector positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror to collect both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam.
- an apparatus for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising: a laser emitting diode having a visible light source and an invisible light source such that the laser emitting diode emits both a visible light beam and an invisible light beam; a reflecting mirror positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the laser emitting diode; and an optical detector positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror to collect both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam.
- the laser emitting diode is a dual element laser emitting diode which emits a visible laser beam and an invisible laser beam from the same component.
- the light emitting diode is a dual light emitting diode comprising a visible laser source and an invisible laser source positioned adjacent to each other.
- the light emitting diode is a coaxial light emitting diode comprising a visible laser source aligned directly in front of or behind an invisible laser source.
- a method for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising the steps of: providing an invisible light source emitting an invisible light beam; positioning a visible light source emitting a visible light beam opposite from and approximately coaxial with the invisible light source; positioning an optical polarizing beam splitter between and approximately coaxial with the invisible light source and the visible light source, the optical polarizing beam splitter having an outer reflecting surface and an inner reflecting surface, the outer reflecting surface reflecting approximately 100% of the invisible light beam and the inner reflecting surface reflecting approximately 50% of the visible light beam in the same path as the invisible light beam; and positioning an optical detector opposite and approximately coaxial with the outer reflecting surface to collect both the reflected invisible and visible light beams.
- the method may further comprise the steps of connecting a motor to the optical beam splitter, which may be rotatable, with a rotatable shaft, the rotatable shaft having a longitudinal opening concentric with its axis of rotation; and positioning the visible light source approximately coaxial with the longitudinal opening.
- a method for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising the steps of: providing an invisible light source, a visible light source and a reflecting mirror; providing means for alternatively shutting the visible light source and the invisible light source in optical alignment with the reflecting mirror; and positioning an optical detector opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror.
- a method for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising the steps of: providing an invisible light source emitting an invisible light beam; positioning a visible light source emitting a visible light beam opposite and approximately coaxial to the invisible light source; positioning a dual mirror assembly between and approximately coaxial with the visible light source and the invisible light source, the dual mirror assembly having a first side opposite the invisible light source and a second side opposite the visible light source such that in operation the invisible light beam and the visible light beam are both reflected and converge at a common point; positioning a reflecting mirror in alignment with the common point such that both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam are reflected in the same direction; and positioning an optical detector opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror to collect the invisible light beam and the visible light beam.
- a method for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising the steps of: providing a laser emitting diode having a visible light source and an invisible light source such that the laser emitting diode emits both a visible light beam and an invisible light beam; positioning a reflecting mirror opposite and approximately coaxial with the laser emitting diode; and positioning an optical detector opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror to collect both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam.
- the laser emitting diode may be a dual element laser emitting diode which emits a visible laser beam and an invisible laser beam from the same component, a dual light emitting diode comprising a visible laser source and an invisible laser source positioned adjacent to each other, or a coaxial light emitting diode comprising a visible laser source aligned directly in front of or behind an invisible laser source.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional overhead IR sensing vehicle.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an overhead IR sensing vehicle including a visible light source and polarizing beam splitter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 3 is a schematical view of a polarizing beam splitter positioned between a visible and invisible light source in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 4 is a schematical view of a shuttle mechanism installed in a sensor unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 5 is a schematical view of a dual mirror positioned in a sensor unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 6 is a schematical view of an overhead IR sensing vehicle including a dual element LED in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 7 is a schematical view of an overhead IR sensing vehicle including a dual LED in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 8 is a schematical view of an overhead IR sensing vehicle including a coaxial LED in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 1 there is a shown an IR sensor unit 10 used in a conventional System Resource Controller (SRC) overhead vehicle.
- the invisible IR beam (not shown) originates from a conventional IR LED source 12 .
- An example of a typical IR LED source is an 870 nm wavelength Lambda Physik LED. The human eye is unable to detect this wavelength and therefore reference fixtures or other detectors are required to align the sensors.
- the IR beam is emitted from stationary source 12 and is reflected from a reflecting scanning mirror 11 .
- a drive motor 16 turns a drive shaft 15 which operates a drive belt 17 coupled to the reflecting scanning mirror 11 which causes the reflecting scanning mirror 11 to swing back and forth with a regular motion.
- the reflected IR beam (not shown) from source 12 propagates out to a predetermined scan angle and intensity to be reflected from any object in its path.
- the reflected beam is then captured by a synchronized scanning mirror 13 which is also coupled to drive motor 16 .
- the synchronized scanning mirror 13 is a reflecting mirror which oscillates in synchronization with reflecting scanning mirror 11 .
- the synchronized scanning mirror 13 captures reflected IR light from any detected object and irradiates an optical detector 14 . From the optical detector 14 signals are processed and the electronics, which are not shown and are well known in the art, impedes or stops forward progress of the vehicle.
- Typical IR or ultraviolet (UV) viewing scopes employ a high resolution image converter and photocathode arrangement to produce a visible image from invisible radiation. This alignment, and any subsequent monitoring, can only be performed when the unit is off line.
- the use of a viewing scope requires that the adjustment be performed while the unit is stationary. As discussed previously, it would be very advantageous to perform in-situ checks of the equipment to eliminate costly interruption of the manufacturing facility.
- a visible light source 19 is positioned opposite from and approximately coaxial with the stationary IR source 12 .
- the visible light source 19 is also positioned above a hollow drive motor shaft 18 .
- the hollow drive motor shaft 18 replaces the drive motor shaft 15 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the polarizing beam splitter 20 replaces the scanning mirror 11 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the polarizing beam splitter 20 is positioned between and approximately coaxial with the visible light source 19 and stationary IR source 12 .
- the polarizing beam splitter 20 shown in more detail in FIG. 3 , is well known in the optical field. It consists of an outer invisible light reflective surface 23 which will reflect approximately 100% of the incident invisible light beam 22 , in this embodiment an IR beam, at a positive 90° angle. It also has an inner surface 24 which is coated with a suitable coating material which will split the visible light beam 21 , in this example He—Ne radiation, with approximately 50% of the visible light beam reflected at a positive 90° angle and approximately 50% of the visible light beam reflected at a negative 90° angle. Such coating materials are well known in the art and have a horizontal or vertical polarization which is optimized to pass one or the other light wave.
- the polarizing beam splitter 20 for the scanning mirror 11 , and mounting and configuring the polarizing beam splitter 20 between visible light source 19 and IR source 12 , allows the visible He—Ne radiation (or other visible collimated light) to be projected to combine and travel the same path as the IR radiation after reflection from polarizing beam splitter 20 .
- An optical detector not shown, is positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the invisible light reflecting surface 23 of the optical polarizing beam splitter.
- the polarizing beam splitter is rotatable, coupled to a motor by a rotating shaft in a similar manner as the scanning mirror shown in FIG. 1 .
- the rotatable shaft 18 is hollow, i.e., the rotatable shaft 18 has a longitudinal opening concentric with its axis of rotation.
- the visible light source 19 is positioned above approximately coaxial with the rotatable shaft 18 to allow the visible light beam 21 to pass through the longitudinal opening.
- the present invention therefore implements a beam splitter cube which allows the IR wavelength to pass and reflects the visible wavelength in unison, therefore allowing an individual to visually view the sensor output and align the sensor correctly. Initially the IR and visible wavelengths combine at the beam splitter where they overlay on top of each other and therefore represent the optical path of both wavelengths.
- the two beams can be aligned by turning on the light source 19 and viewing the IR radiation with an IR viewer as discussed previously. By viewing the IR radiation and visible radiation the two optical paths can be aligned accurately and in real time.
- the IR viewer has certain limitations in contrast; range and resolution of the IR beam thereby making it a good initial alignment tool and then utilizing the visible light source 19 to be the in-situ resolving means.
- FIG. 4 there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention which shows another means of incorporating a visible light alignment path to an invisible light path.
- a shuttle mechanism 33 is installed in the sensor unit to position either the visible light source 32 or invisible light source 31 in the desired alignment position 34 .
- Both the invisible light source 31 in this particular example an IR LED, and visible light source 32 , for example an LED, laser diode, or collimated light source, are superimposed by the use of a shuttle mechanism 33 to position the invisible light source 31 or the visible light source 32 in the desired optical sensor position 34 .
- the shuttle mechanism 33 is preferably a shuttle or slide mechanism which can be configured and actuated in various ways and is not pertinent to the invention.
- a person of ordinary skill in the mechanical arts will recognize numerous ways to provide a shuttle mechanism 33 which can accurately and repeatably provide alignment between a visible light source 32 and a reflecting mirror 35 or other target, and then shuttle or move the invisible light source to the same location 34 and have the two beams align spatially and coaxially to the predetermined target 35 .
- Initial alignment can be accomplished with an invisible viewer as previously discussed.
- the alignment is accomplished with a visible LED and then the IR LED is shuttled back into the exact location to align in the same optical path.
- FIG. 5 there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention.
- An invisible light source 41 and a visible light source 42 are positioned coaxially with respect to each other and a single focal dual mirror 43 is positioned coaxially between them.
- the dual mirror assembly 43 has a first side 47 opposite the invisible light source 41 and a second side 48 opposite the visible light source 42 .
- both the invisible light beam 45 and the visible light beam 46 are diverged 90 degrees by the dual mirror assembly 43 to spatially align both the visible light beam 46 and invisible light beam 45 at the same predetermined location 44 .
- the opposite reflecting surfaces of the dual mirror assembly will have a different reflective coating to achieve the desired spatial alignment.
- the invisible light beam 45 and visible light beam 46 are typically collimated, but can be set at the desired focal length and aligned by the use of various optics well known in the art.
- the predetermined location 44 is a reflecting mirror similar the reflecting mirror illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- a dual element LED is used that can illuminate in both the visible and invisible wavelengths to provide both visible light and IR light from the same source.
- FIG. 6 there is a shown an IR sensor unit 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- the stationary IR source 12 is replaced with a dual element LED 51 positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with a reflecting mirror 11 .
- the dual element LED 51 projects a visible light beam 52 along with the invisible IR laser 53 from the same component.
- FIG. 7 Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7 .
- the IR sensor unit 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown, but now the stationary IR source 12 is replaced with a dual LED 61 with known offset.
- the dual LED 61 involves the use of two independent light sources, invisible light source 62 and visible light source 63 , mounted side by side simulating the function of the dual element LED 51 .
- FIG. 8 Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 8 .
- alignment is accomplished with the use of a visible laser aligned directly in front of or behind the IR LED which would again simulate the optical path in a visible means to ascertain direct alignment.
- the IR sensor unit 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown, but now the stationary IR source 12 is replaced with a coaxial LED 71 .
- the coaxial LED 71 uses two independent light sources, invisible light source 72 and visible light source 73 , mounted coaxially to provide an encompassing area of visible light 74 around the projected area of invisible light 75 .
- the problem solved by this invention is the ability to align an invisible sensor, such as IR or UV wavelength light, utilizing a visible means such as a visible LED or HeNe laser.
- the present invention accomplishes this using a green, red or other visible light source to align the invisible light to the required location.
- the advantage realized by the present invention is the ability in real time to align and periodically adjust the IR sensors without fixtures or jigs. Another advantage is the ability to see when the sensor needs adjustment in real time and not perform unnecessary adjustments. Another advantage is to achieve much faster alignment and more repeatable alignments utilizing the visible wavelength.
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Abstract
Description
- The present invention is directed to the alignment of optical sensors and, more particularly, is directed to a method and apparatus for visually aligning an optical sensor such as an infrared laser where the laser operates outside the visible spectrum.
- The use of optical sensors where the laser operates outside the visible spectrum is common in many industrial applications as well as consumer applications such as hand held remote controllers for TV, stereo etc.
- Automated sensing equipment using invisible optical sensors is being increasingly integrated into industrial and manufacturing facilities. A typical example is the overhead infrared (IR) sensing vehicle shown in
FIG. 1 . This particular vehicle is used to transport semiconductor wafers in an automated clean room semiconductor wafer facility. - Each vehicle contains IR sensors which project a three dimensional cone of light. For simplicity, such a three dimensional cone of light will hereafter be referred to as a “beam”. The sensors are used in the safety and guidance of the moving vehicles. Any disruption in the IR beam will stop the motion of the vehicle.
- Referring again to
FIG. 1 , an initial sensor alignment and then periodic alignment checks are currently required to determine proper beam alignment and operation of the unit. A typical unit will utilize an IR light emitting diode (LED), for example, emitting light at a wavelength of approximately 870 nanometers. The human eye is unable to detect this wavelength and therefore reference fixtures or other detectors are required to align the sensors. - This inability to visually monitor the sensor alignment requires that the unit be taken out of normal manufacturing operation for periodic monitoring using fixtures or jigs to check the beam alignment. What is needed is the ability to perform in-situ or real time checks on the sensor beam alignment, while the unit is in normal manufacturing operation, to eliminate costly interruption of the manufacturing operation.
- Accordingly, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to align an invisible light beam sensor utilizing a visible light beam such as a visible LED or HeNe laser.
- It is another purpose of the present invention to provide the ability to align and periodically adjust invisible light beam sensors without fixtures or jigs.
- It is another purpose of the present invention to provide the ability to visually monitor when the sensor needs adjustment in real time and avoid off line adjustments.
- It is another purpose of the present invention to achieve faster alignment and more repeatable alignments utilizing the visible wavelength.
- These and other purposes of the present invention will become more apparent after referring to the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
- The purposes and advantages of the present invention have been achieved by providing, according to a first embodiment of the invention an apparatus for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising: an invisible light source, such as an infrared or ultraviolet laser, emitting an invisible light beam; a visible light source, such as a He—Ne laser, emitting a visible light beam and positioned opposite from and approximately coaxial with the invisible light source; an optical polarizing beam splitter having an outer reflecting surface and an inner reflecting surface, the outer reflecting surface reflecting approximately 100% of the invisible light beam and the inner reflecting surface reflecting approximately 50% of the visible light beam in the same path as the invisible light beam, the optical polarizing beam splitter positioned between and approximately coaxial with both the invisible light source and the visible light source; and an optical detector positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the outer reflecting surface to collect both the reflected invisible and visible light beams.
- The apparatus may further comprise a motor connected to the optical beam splitter, which may be rotatable, with a rotatable shaft having a longitudinal opening concentric with its axis of rotation; and the visible light source positioned approximately coaxial with the longitudinal opening.
- According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising: an invisible light source; a visible light source; a reflecting mirror; means for alternatively shuttling the visible light source and the invisible light source in optical alignment with the reflecting mirror, and an optical detector positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror.
- According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising: an invisible light source emitting an invisible light beam; a visible light source emitting a visible light beam and positioned opposite and approximately coaxial to the invisible light source; a dual mirror assembly positioned between and approximately coaxial with the visible light source and the invisible light source, the dual mirror assembly having a first side opposite the invisible light source and a second side opposite the visible light source such that in operation the invisible light beam and the visible light beam are both reflected and converge at a common point; a reflecting mirror positioned in alignment with the common point such that both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam are reflected in the same direction; and an optical detector positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror to collect both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam.
- According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising: a laser emitting diode having a visible light source and an invisible light source such that the laser emitting diode emits both a visible light beam and an invisible light beam; a reflecting mirror positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the laser emitting diode; and an optical detector positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror to collect both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam.
- In one aspect of this embodiment the laser emitting diode is a dual element laser emitting diode which emits a visible laser beam and an invisible laser beam from the same component. In another aspect of this embodiment the light emitting diode is a dual light emitting diode comprising a visible laser source and an invisible laser source positioned adjacent to each other. In another aspect of this embodiment the light emitting diode is a coaxial light emitting diode comprising a visible laser source aligned directly in front of or behind an invisible laser source.
- According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising the steps of: providing an invisible light source emitting an invisible light beam; positioning a visible light source emitting a visible light beam opposite from and approximately coaxial with the invisible light source; positioning an optical polarizing beam splitter between and approximately coaxial with the invisible light source and the visible light source, the optical polarizing beam splitter having an outer reflecting surface and an inner reflecting surface, the outer reflecting surface reflecting approximately 100% of the invisible light beam and the inner reflecting surface reflecting approximately 50% of the visible light beam in the same path as the invisible light beam; and positioning an optical detector opposite and approximately coaxial with the outer reflecting surface to collect both the reflected invisible and visible light beams.
- The method may further comprise the steps of connecting a motor to the optical beam splitter, which may be rotatable, with a rotatable shaft, the rotatable shaft having a longitudinal opening concentric with its axis of rotation; and positioning the visible light source approximately coaxial with the longitudinal opening.
- According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising the steps of: providing an invisible light source, a visible light source and a reflecting mirror; providing means for alternatively shutting the visible light source and the invisible light source in optical alignment with the reflecting mirror; and positioning an optical detector opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror.
- According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising the steps of: providing an invisible light source emitting an invisible light beam; positioning a visible light source emitting a visible light beam opposite and approximately coaxial to the invisible light source; positioning a dual mirror assembly between and approximately coaxial with the visible light source and the invisible light source, the dual mirror assembly having a first side opposite the invisible light source and a second side opposite the visible light source such that in operation the invisible light beam and the visible light beam are both reflected and converge at a common point; positioning a reflecting mirror in alignment with the common point such that both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam are reflected in the same direction; and positioning an optical detector opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror to collect the invisible light beam and the visible light beam.
- According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method for performing alignment and monitoring of optical sensors comprising the steps of: providing a laser emitting diode having a visible light source and an invisible light source such that the laser emitting diode emits both a visible light beam and an invisible light beam; positioning a reflecting mirror opposite and approximately coaxial with the laser emitting diode; and positioning an optical detector opposite and approximately coaxial with the reflecting mirror to collect both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam. The laser emitting diode may be a dual element laser emitting diode which emits a visible laser beam and an invisible laser beam from the same component, a dual light emitting diode comprising a visible laser source and an invisible laser source positioned adjacent to each other, or a coaxial light emitting diode comprising a visible laser source aligned directly in front of or behind an invisible laser source.
- The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The Figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the detailed description which follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional overhead IR sensing vehicle. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an overhead IR sensing vehicle including a visible light source and polarizing beam splitter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 3 is a schematical view of a polarizing beam splitter positioned between a visible and invisible light source in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 4 is a schematical view of a shuttle mechanism installed in a sensor unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 5 is a schematical view of a dual mirror positioned in a sensor unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 6 is a schematical view of an overhead IR sensing vehicle including a dual element LED in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 7 is a schematical view of an overhead IR sensing vehicle including a dual LED in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 8 is a schematical view of an overhead IR sensing vehicle including a coaxial LED in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. - The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
- In a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed the use of an IR light source in conjunction with a visible light source to perform insitu alignment and monitoring of the invisible IR beam. Referring again
FIG. 1 there is a shown anIR sensor unit 10 used in a conventional System Resource Controller (SRC) overhead vehicle. The invisible IR beam (not shown) originates from a conventionalIR LED source 12. An example of a typical IR LED source is an 870 nm wavelength Lambda Physik LED. The human eye is unable to detect this wavelength and therefore reference fixtures or other detectors are required to align the sensors. - The IR beam is emitted from
stationary source 12 and is reflected from a reflectingscanning mirror 11. There are optics between thesource 12 and reflectingscanning mirror 11 which collimate and process the beam, which are common in the art, that are not shown. Such optics are well known and need not be described further herein. Adrive motor 16 turns adrive shaft 15 which operates adrive belt 17 coupled to the reflectingscanning mirror 11 which causes the reflectingscanning mirror 11 to swing back and forth with a regular motion. - As the reflecting
scanning mirror 11 oscillates, the reflected IR beam (not shown) fromsource 12 propagates out to a predetermined scan angle and intensity to be reflected from any object in its path. The reflected beam is then captured by a synchronizedscanning mirror 13 which is also coupled to drivemotor 16. The synchronizedscanning mirror 13 is a reflecting mirror which oscillates in synchronization with reflectingscanning mirror 11. The synchronizedscanning mirror 13 captures reflected IR light from any detected object and irradiates anoptical detector 14. From theoptical detector 14 signals are processed and the electronics, which are not shown and are well known in the art, impedes or stops forward progress of the vehicle. - The initial alignment of the IR beam is currently performed using a viewing scope. Typical IR or ultraviolet (UV) viewing scopes employ a high resolution image converter and photocathode arrangement to produce a visible image from invisible radiation. This alignment, and any subsequent monitoring, can only be performed when the unit is off line. The use of a viewing scope requires that the adjustment be performed while the unit is stationary. As discussed previously, it would be very advantageous to perform in-situ checks of the equipment to eliminate costly interruption of the manufacturing facility.
- Referring now to
FIG. 2 a visible alignment and tracking means is provided by the present invention to accomplish this task in real time. Avisible light source 19 is positioned opposite from and approximately coaxial with thestationary IR source 12. In the particular embodiment shown inFIG. 2 , the visiblelight source 19 is also positioned above a hollowdrive motor shaft 18. The hollowdrive motor shaft 18 replaces thedrive motor shaft 15 shown inFIG. 1 . This is to allow visible light from the visiblelight source 19, for example He—Ne laser radiation, to coaxially travel down the shaft and irradiate visible radiation on apolarizing beam splitter 20. Thepolarizing beam splitter 20 replaces thescanning mirror 11 shown inFIG. 1 . Thepolarizing beam splitter 20 is positioned between and approximately coaxial with the visiblelight source 19 andstationary IR source 12. - The
polarizing beam splitter 20, shown in more detail inFIG. 3 , is well known in the optical field. It consists of an outer invisible lightreflective surface 23 which will reflect approximately 100% of the incidentinvisible light beam 22, in this embodiment an IR beam, at a positive 90° angle. It also has aninner surface 24 which is coated with a suitable coating material which will split thevisible light beam 21, in this example He—Ne radiation, with approximately 50% of the visible light beam reflected at a positive 90° angle and approximately 50% of the visible light beam reflected at a negative 90° angle. Such coating materials are well known in the art and have a horizontal or vertical polarization which is optimized to pass one or the other light wave. - Referring again to
FIG. 2 , substituting thepolarizing beam splitter 20 for thescanning mirror 11, and mounting and configuring thepolarizing beam splitter 20 between visiblelight source 19 andIR source 12, allows the visible He—Ne radiation (or other visible collimated light) to be projected to combine and travel the same path as the IR radiation after reflection frompolarizing beam splitter 20. An optical detector, not shown, is positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with the invisiblelight reflecting surface 23 of the optical polarizing beam splitter. In this embodiment the polarizing beam splitter is rotatable, coupled to a motor by a rotating shaft in a similar manner as the scanning mirror shown inFIG. 1 . However in this embodiment therotatable shaft 18 is hollow, i.e., therotatable shaft 18 has a longitudinal opening concentric with its axis of rotation. The visiblelight source 19 is positioned above approximately coaxial with therotatable shaft 18 to allow thevisible light beam 21 to pass through the longitudinal opening. - As illustrated in
FIG. 3 , approximately 50% of thevisible light beam 21 and approximately 100% of theIR light beam 22 is reflected frompolarizing beam 20 to be collected by an optical detector (not shown). The present invention therefore implements a beam splitter cube which allows the IR wavelength to pass and reflects the visible wavelength in unison, therefore allowing an individual to visually view the sensor output and align the sensor correctly. Initially the IR and visible wavelengths combine at the beam splitter where they overlay on top of each other and therefore represent the optical path of both wavelengths. - The two beams can be aligned by turning on the
light source 19 and viewing the IR radiation with an IR viewer as discussed previously. By viewing the IR radiation and visible radiation the two optical paths can be aligned accurately and in real time. The IR viewer has certain limitations in contrast; range and resolution of the IR beam thereby making it a good initial alignment tool and then utilizing the visiblelight source 19 to be the in-situ resolving means. - Referring to
FIG. 4 there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention which shows another means of incorporating a visible light alignment path to an invisible light path. In this embodiment ashuttle mechanism 33 is installed in the sensor unit to position either the visiblelight source 32 or invisiblelight source 31 in the desiredalignment position 34. - Both the invisible
light source 31, in this particular example an IR LED, and visiblelight source 32, for example an LED, laser diode, or collimated light source, are superimposed by the use of ashuttle mechanism 33 to position the invisiblelight source 31 or the visiblelight source 32 in the desiredoptical sensor position 34. Theshuttle mechanism 33 is preferably a shuttle or slide mechanism which can be configured and actuated in various ways and is not pertinent to the invention. A person of ordinary skill in the mechanical arts will recognize numerous ways to provide ashuttle mechanism 33 which can accurately and repeatably provide alignment between a visiblelight source 32 and a reflectingmirror 35 or other target, and then shuttle or move the invisible light source to thesame location 34 and have the two beams align spatially and coaxially to thepredetermined target 35. Initial alignment can be accomplished with an invisible viewer as previously discussed. Preferably the alignment is accomplished with a visible LED and then the IR LED is shuttled back into the exact location to align in the same optical path. - Referring now to
FIG. 5 there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention. An invisiblelight source 41 and a visiblelight source 42 are positioned coaxially with respect to each other and a single focaldual mirror 43 is positioned coaxially between them. Thedual mirror assembly 43 has afirst side 47 opposite the invisiblelight source 41 and asecond side 48 opposite the visiblelight source 42. - In this embodiment both the
invisible light beam 45 and thevisible light beam 46 are diverged 90 degrees by thedual mirror assembly 43 to spatially align both thevisible light beam 46 andinvisible light beam 45 at the samepredetermined location 44. In a preferred embodiment the opposite reflecting surfaces of the dual mirror assembly will have a different reflective coating to achieve the desired spatial alignment. Theinvisible light beam 45 andvisible light beam 46 are typically collimated, but can be set at the desired focal length and aligned by the use of various optics well known in the art. In the particular example shown inFIG. 5 thepredetermined location 44 is a reflecting mirror similar the reflecting mirror illustrated inFIG. 1 . - In another embodiment of the present invention a dual element LED is used that can illuminate in both the visible and invisible wavelengths to provide both visible light and IR light from the same source. Referring to
FIG. 6 there is a shown anIR sensor unit 10 as illustrated inFIG. 1 . In this embodiment thestationary IR source 12 is replaced with a dual element LED51positioned opposite and approximately coaxial with a reflectingmirror 11. Thedual element LED 51 projects avisible light beam 52 along with theinvisible IR laser 53 from the same component. - Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in
FIG. 7 . Here theIR sensor unit 10 as illustrated inFIG. 1 is shown, but now thestationary IR source 12 is replaced with adual LED 61 with known offset. Thedual LED 61 involves the use of two independent light sources, invisiblelight source 62 and visiblelight source 63, mounted side by side simulating the function of thedual element LED 51. - Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in
FIG. 8 . In this embodiment alignment is accomplished with the use of a visible laser aligned directly in front of or behind the IR LED which would again simulate the optical path in a visible means to ascertain direct alignment. Here theIR sensor unit 10 as illustrated inFIG. 1 is shown, but now thestationary IR source 12 is replaced with acoaxial LED 71. Thecoaxial LED 71 uses two independent light sources, invisible light source 72 and visiblelight source 73, mounted coaxially to provide an encompassing area of visible light 74 around the projected area of invisible light 75. - In all the various embodiments discussed above the problem solved by this invention is the ability to align an invisible sensor, such as IR or UV wavelength light, utilizing a visible means such as a visible LED or HeNe laser. The present invention accomplishes this using a green, red or other visible light source to align the invisible light to the required location.
- The advantage realized by the present invention is the ability in real time to align and periodically adjust the IR sensors without fixtures or jigs. Another advantage is the ability to see when the sensor needs adjustment in real time and not perform unnecessary adjustments. Another advantage is to achieve much faster alignment and more repeatable alignments utilizing the visible wavelength.
- It will be apparent to those skilled in the art having regard to this disclosure that other modifications of this invention beyond those embodiments specifically described here may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, such modifications are considered within the scope of the invention as limited solely by the appended claims.
Claims (24)
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