The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 03, 1984
Filed:
Jan. 28, 1982
John W Hardy, Lexington, MA (US);
Itek Corporation, Lexington, MA (US);
Abstract
A relatively simple wavefront sensor is constructed with an astigmatic optical system which focuses an indicent wavefront to x and y focal planes, with the x and y focal planes being relatively displaced along the optical axis because of the astigmatic nature of the optical system. An x modulation reticle is positioned at the x focal plane, and an x drive tuning fork drives the x modulation reticle in linear oscillation at a frequency f.sub.x to modulate the wavefront thereat. A y modulation reticle is positioned at the y focal plane, and a y drive tuning fork drives the y modulation reticle in oscillation, substantially perpendicular to the direction of oscillation of the x modulation reticle, at a frequency f.sub.y, different from the frequency f.sub.x, to also modulate the wavefront thereat. A detector array then receives the modulated wavefront, with each detector in the array receiving and detecting a different zone of the incident wavefront. An x electrical filter is coupled to the output of each detector, tuned to the frequency f.sub.x, to filter out the modulated signal derived from modulation by the x modulation reticle, and a y electrical filter is also coupled to the output of each detector, tuned to the frequency f.sub.y, to filter out the modulated signal derived from modulation by said y modulation reticle. The arrangement is such that the time relationships between the signals produced by the detectors in the array ar representative of the slopes of different portions of the wavefront.