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:
Jun. 02, 2009
Filed:
Aug. 16, 2002
Gabor Devenyi, Pentang, CA;
Gabor Devenyi, Pentang, CA;
Raytheon Company, Waltham, MA (US);
Abstract
A position sensor includes a light source, and a light-emitting optical fiber having an insertion end that receives a light input from the light source, and a plurality of light emitters disposed along an emitting length of a lateral surface of a lateral surface of the light-emitting optical fiber. A light-collecting-and-detecting structure is operable to receive light from each of the plurality of light emitters of the light-emitting optical fiber. The light-collecting-and-detecting structure preferably includes a light detector, and a light-collecting optical fiber in a parallel but spaced-apart relation to the light-emitting optical fiber. The light-collecting optical fiber has an extraction end that provides a light output to the light detector, and a plurality of light collectors disposed along a collecting length of a lateral surface of the light-collecting optical fiber in a facing relation to the light emitters of the light-emitting optical fiber. An opaque light shield is disposed between and movable parallel relative to the light-emitting optical fiber and the light-collecting-and-detecting structure, so that a movement of the light shield progressively changes the number of light emitters that are exposed to the light-collecting-and-detecting structure.