A control apparatus (13) includes a data acquirer (13a) that acquires correction data indicating a relationship between a temperature difference between a temperature detected by a temperature detector (12) and a reference temperature, and a focus movement amount, and a focus controller (13b) that performs focus correction based on the temperature difference and the correction data to perform focus control, and the focus controller (13b) changes the focus correction depending on a drive state of a temperature changer (17) that changes a temperature.

Methods, apparatuses and systems for detecting a flame zone are provided. The flame zone detecting apparatus includes a controller component; and at least one flame zone detecting component in electronic communication with the controller component. Each of the at least one flame zone detecting component comprises a freeform mirror, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror, and a sensor, and the controller component is configured to: reflect an incoming optical signal by a reflecting surface of the freeform mirror; reflect the incoming optical signal reflected by the freeform mirror by a reflecting surface of the MEMS mirror; detect the incoming optical signal reflected by the MEMS mirror by the sensor; and determine a flame zone according to the incoming optical signal.

Methods and apparatus are configured for focusing and imaging of translucent materials with decreased size and complexity and improve resolution. The methods and apparatus provide improved focusing and imaging with decreased size and weight, so as to allow use in many fields.

Image scanning apparatus and method of operating an image scanning apparatus, the image scanning apparatus including a line scan detector and being configured to image a surface of an object mounted in the image scanning apparatus in a plurality of swathes, wherein each swathe is formed by a group of scan lines, each scan line being acquired using the scan line detector from a respective elongate region of the surface of the object extending in a scan width direction, wherein each group of scan lines is acquired whilst the object is moved relative to the scan line detector in a scan length direction.

An optical scanning apparatus includes: an array of optical emitters to provide a plurality of optical beams; a plurality of corresponding microlenses to receive the optical beams; and a variable collimator to receive the plurality of optical beams from the microlenses. The microlenses and variable collimator are arranged to decouple the illumination spot size of the optical beams from the illumination spot separation of the optical beams such that the illumination spot size and the illumination spot separation at a scanning surface are independently controllable.

A time delay and integration charge coupled device includes an array of pixels and a clock generator. The array of pixels is distributed in a scan direction and a line direction perpendicular to the scan direction in which at least some of the pixels of the array include three or more gates aligned in the scan direction. The clock generator provides clocking signals to transfer charge along the scan direction between two or more pixel groups including two or more pixels adjacent in the scan direction. The clocking signals include phase signals to transfer the charge to an adjacent pixel group along the scan direction at a rate corresponding to the velocity of the target by driving the gates of the two or more pixel groups and generating a common potential well per pixel group for containing charge generated in response to incident illumination.

The invention provides a laser surveying device, which comprises a light emitting unit for emitting a pulsed distance measuring light, a photodetection unit for receiving a reflected pulsed distance measuring light and a control arithmetic unit for controlling the light emitting unit and for calculating a distance to an object to be measured based on a photodetection signal from the photodetection unit, wherein the light emitting unit has a pump laser source for emitting a pump laser beam, a spot diameter changing means for changing a spot diameter of the pump laser beam, and an optical cavity for emitting the pump laser beam entering via the spot diameter changing means as the pulsed distance measuring light.

An optical scanning system includes a variable-focus element, an imaging lens and a deflector, wherein the reciprocal of the focal length f of the variable-focus element is changed from 1/f.sub.MIN to 1/f.sub.MAX, and for the case that the equation
1/f={(1/f.sub.MAX)+(1/f.sub.MIN)}/2
holds, a beam which has passed through the variable-focus element is a divergent beam, and $\begin{array}{cc}{x}_2+\frac{x_2^2}{x_1}>x_3& \left(1\right)\end{array}$
is satisfied, where x.sub.1 represents a distance from a virtual image point of the divergent beam to the principal point on the entry side of the variable-focus element, x.sub.2 represents a distance from the principal point on the exit side of the variable-focus element to the principal point on the entry side of the imaging lens, and x3 represents a distance from the principal point on the exit side of the imaging lens to an image point.

A laser device includes a light source part; an optical path adjustment part; a light distribution part that splits a laser beam into a plurality of sub-beams to a substrate; a drive part that moves the light distribution part and adjusts relative positions between the light distribution part and the substrate; a sensing part; and a control part. The control part generates an image based on a signal sensed by the sensing part and measures an image contrast of the image. The control part records and compares a plurality of image contrasts according to the position of the light distribution part to determine an optimal position of the light distribution part.