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:
Oct. 12, 2010
Filed:
Apr. 03, 2008
John P. Sharpe, Los Osos, CA (US);
John P. Sharpe, Los Osos, CA (US);
California Polytechnic State University Corporation, San Luis Obispo, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for measuring the direction and velocity of a target in a measurement volume in a laser Doppler velocimetry system includes selecting a discrete number of grating positions for an electrically switchable grating, placing the electrically switchable grating in a light path of a laser source. The laser source outputs a laser beam along the light path. The method further includes switching the electrically switchable grating sequentially through the discrete number of grating positions at a grating frequency to generate diffracted light beams from the laser, directing the diffracted light beams through a lens, focusing the diffracted light beams on a measurement volume, passing a target through the measurement volume in a target direction at a target velocity and receiving scattered light in a detector and calculating the power spectrum of light intensity fluctuations. The power spectrum includes a maximum peak. The maximum peak occurs at a frequency shifted from the grating frequency an amount corresponding to the target velocity and in a direction corresponding to the target direction. A laser Doppler velocimetry system for measuring the direction and velocity of a target in a measurement volume is also disclosed.