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. 26, 1994
Filed:
Nov. 04, 1992
Claude Tinet, Paris, FR;
Thomson-CSF, Paris, FR;
Abstract
The present invention concerns an arrangement for reading an optically readable carrier with diffractive tracks having a longitudinal axis and contours parallel to the axes. Along each of the contours, the reference surface deviates towards zones which are not coplanar with the reference surface. The tracks are diffractive all along the longitudinal contours in order to diffract a light spot when that light spot illuminates one of the tracks. The track is substantially the same width as the light spot. The contours are such that light emerging from the diffractive track has a spatial distribution which represents the amount of track misregistration between the spot and the axis of the track. The system of the present invention particularly involves a photoelectric detector arranged for collecting radiant energy emerging from the portion of the track which is illuminated by the spot and for detecting an amount and direction of track axis misregistration based upon the spatial distribution. The photoelectric detection system includes a photodetector assembly for sensing the spatial distribution and a positional control device which causes the spot to displace with respect to the illuminated track in order to compensate for any misregistration.