Compact wide-angle optical beam steering assemblies and methods thereof

摘要

A compact wide-angle optical beam steering device includes a first rotor with a first mirror surface and a second rotor with a second mirror surface. The rotors are arranged to rotate about an axis in response to frictionally coupled vibration motors. Drive circuits are coupled to the vibration motors and a control device is coupled to the drive circuits. The control device is configured to execute programmed instructions comprising generating and providing one or more driving signals to the vibration motors to drive the rotors to an angular position about the axes. A light source is positioned to emit a beam directed to the first mirror surface. The beam is reflected from the first mirror and contacts the second mirror. The second mirror is positioned to reflect the beam to exit the steering device at a pointing direction determined by the angular position of the mirrors.

主权项

1. A compact wide-angle optical beam steering device comprising:
a first rotor with a first mirror surface and a second rotor with a second mirror surface pivotally disposed within a housing; a first vibration motor frictionally coupled to the first rotor, the first rotor arranged to rotate in at least one direction about a first axis in response to the first vibration motor; a second vibration motor frictionally coupled to the second rotor, the second rotor arranged to rotate in at least one direction around a second axis in response to the second vibration motor; a first drive circuit coupled to first vibration motor and a second drive circuit coupled to second vibration motor; a control device coupled to first and second drive circuits, the control device comprising a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising:
generating and providing one or more driving signals to first and second vibration motors to drive the first and second rotors to an angular position about the first and second axes; and a light source positioned to emit a beam directed to a center of the first mirror surface, wherein the beam is reflected from the first mirror and contacts a centerline of the second mirror, wherein the second mirror is positioned to reflect the beam to exit the steering device at a pointing direction determined by the angular position of the first and second mirrors, wherein the angular position of the first and second mirrors causes the beam to exit the steering device with the pointing direction substantially orthogonal to the first axis and parallel to the second axis and the beam is reflected from the first mirror at substantially 90 degrees when the first mirror surface is rotated to substantially its center-of-travel and the beam is reflected from the second mirror at substantially 90 degrees when the second mirror surface is rotated to substantially its center-of-travel.