Method and system for adjusting the alignment of a photonic beam

Abstract

The method comprises: detecting the positions (u.sub.o, v.sub.o) and (u.sub.1, v.sub.1) of said photonic beam (L) according to the coordinate axes X, Y on a first and second plane XY, which cut an optical axis X at a first and second point, respectively; comparing the results of said positional detections (u.sub.o, v.sub.o) and (u.sub.1, v.sub.1), and: if there are discrepancies which lie outside the margin of error (p), adjusting the angle of the photonic beam (L) according to the angle and/or the angle in order to overcome said discrepancies; or if there are no discrepancies which lie outside said margin of error (p), considering the angle of said photonic beam (L) as being properly adjusted. The system is adapted to implement the method set out by the invention.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting the alignment of a photonic beam, where said photonic beam is initially misaligned with respect to an optical axis Z, according to at least one of the two coordinate axes X, Y which are perpendicular to the optical axis Z, and/or at least one of the two angles , , which exist in XZ and YZ planes, respectively, defined between an orthogonal projection of the photonic beam and the optical axis Z, the method comprising the execution of the following steps in sequential order and automatically: detecting a first position of the photonic beam according to the two X,Y coordinate axes on a first plane XY which intersects the optical axis Z at an initial point; detecting a second position of said photonic beam according to the two X, Y coordinate axes on a second plane XY which intersects the optical axis Z at a second point which is distanced from the initial point wherein the steps for detecting are undertaken by first and second sensors, wherein each of the first and second sensors are in respective positions in the first and second XY planes; comparing coordinates of the first position with coordinates of the second position and, if there are discrepancies between the coordinates of the first position and the coordinates of the second position which lie outside a given margin of error, adjusting the angle of the photonic beam according to the angle and/or the angle in order to overcome said discrepancies, or if there are not any discrepancies which lie outside of the given margin of error considering said photonic beam as being properly angularly adjusted, wherein said sequential detections are performed directly on the photonic beam path, without modifying the trajectory thereof, and wherein each of and are between 90 degrees and 90 degrees of Z.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: repeating the steps for detection steps and the step for comparing if, and until, there are not any discrepancies outside of the margin of error such that the photonic beam is properly angularly adjusted.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: re-adjusting the position of the photonic beam along one or both of the X-axis or the Y-axis to coordinate one or both of the X-axis and the Y-axis if the steps for positional detections indicate that the photonic beam is positionally misaligned in relation to at least one of the X,Y coordinate axes outside a margin of error, in order to correct said positional misalignment, wherein the step of adjusting the position of the photonic beam occurs: after there are no discrepancies which lie outside of the given margin of error; after the step of detecting said first position of the photonic beam and before the step of detecting said second position of the photonic beam; or after both the steps of detecting the first position of the photonic beam and the step of detecting the second position of the photonic beam.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the step of adjusting the position of the photonic beam is automatically executed.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the position of the photonic beam, in terms of both angle and position, is executed via an opto-mechanical adjustment system with four degrees of freedom.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the photonic beam is a laser beam.

7. A system for adjusting the alignment of a photonic beam, where said photonic beam is initially misaligned with respect to an optical axis Z, which defines its trajectory using at least one of the two X,Y coordinate axes, which are perpendicular to said optical axis Z, and/or at least one of the two angles , , which exist on planes XZ and YZ respectively, defined between an orthogonal projection of the photonic beam and the optical axis Z, this system comprising: a mobile sensor movably positioned about the optical axis Z along a guide member and movable between first and second positions occupied by first and second XY planes, the mobile sensor adapted to carry out positional detections in each of a first and second XY planes that intersect the optical axis Z at an initial point and at a second point which is distanced from the first point wherein the mobile sensor further comprises first and second sensors, wherein each of the first and second sensors are in respective positions in the first and second XY planes; means of control including one or more processors connected to said mobile sensor to execute the positional detections and providing a comparison of the results of said positional detections; motors providing automatically an angular adjustment to adjust the angle of the photonic beam according to the angle and/or the angle , if the means of control determine from said comparison that there are discrepancies between said positional detections which lie outside a margin of error, in order to overcome said discrepancies and to determine that the angle of said photonic beam is correctly adjusted, if the comparison determines that there are not any discrepancies which lie outside said margin of error.

8. A method for adjusting the alignment of a photonic beam, where said photonic beam is initially misaligned with respect to an optical axis Z, according to at least one of the two coordinate axes X,Y which are perpendicular to said optical axis Z, and/or at least one of the two angles , , which exist on planes XZ and YZ respectively, defined between an orthogonal projection of the photonic beam and the optical axis Z, the method comprising the execution of the following steps in sequential order and automatically: detecting a first position of said photonic beam according to said two X, Y coordinate axes on a first plane XY which intersects the optical axis Z at an initial point; detecting a second position of said photonic beam according to the two X, Y coordinate axes on a second plane XY which intersects the optical axis Z at a second point which is distanced from the initial point wherein the steps for detecting are undertaken by first and second sensors, wherein each of the first and second sensors are in respective positions in the first and second XY planes; comparing the coordinates of the first position and the second position, and if the difference between the first position and the second position lies outside a given margin of error, adjusting the angle of the photonic beam according to the angle and/or the angle in order to overcome said discrepancies, or if there are no discrepancies which lie outside of said given margin of error considering said photonic beam as being properly angularly adjusted; wherein said sequential detections are performed directly on the photonic beam path, without modifying the trajectory thereof; and wherein the step of adjusting the position of the photonic beam, in terms of both angle and position is executed via an opto-mechanical adjustment system with four degrees of freedom, and wherein each of and are between 90 degrees and 90 degrees of Z.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The previous features as well as other features and characteristics of the system will be better understood from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings included, which should be taken as illustrative and are not limitative, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a coordinate system which consists of the photonic beam L, the axes X and Y, and the angles , of the misalignment or misadjustment of the photonic beam L with respect to the optical axis Z;

(3) FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the system proposed by the second aspect of the invention for an exemplary embodiment; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a flow diagram which illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the method proposed by the first aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 2 illustrates the system proposed by the second aspect of the invention, together with a source of laser light FL, to create an exemplary embodiment in which the means of detection include a mobile sensor S, which moves up and down the optical axis Z, along the guide means G, between the positions which are occupied by the previously described first and second XY planes, in order to carry out positional detections in both XY planes.

(6) Said mobile sensor S is connected with the computational unit PC of the means of control, so that it is controlled by that unit, and it supplies it with the positional readings which it carries out, in order that this unit carry out the comparisons between those readings, and also adjust the angle according to the angle and/or the angle , as well as carry out positional adjustments according to the X coordinate axis and/or the Y coordinate axis of the photonic beam L, or consider the beam as correctly adjusted, if that is the case.

(7) Such angular and positional adjustments are carried out through an opto-mechanical adjustment system with four degrees of freedom, which allows regulation of the two axes X,Y and the two angles , , independently from one another, and which is illustrated in FIG. 2 with the reference A, which is associated with an optical area of correction O, and is controlled by the computational unit PC, with which it is connected.

(8) The computational unit PC is also connected to the source of laser light FL, in order to control its operation.

(9) FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the method proposed by the first aspect of the invention, applied to an automatic adjustment system with motors x, y to adjust the position according to the coordinate axes X and Y and with motors and to adjust the angle according to the angle and/or the angle , as well as a motor z to move the sensor S along the guide means G.

(10) According to this exemplary embodiment, the adjustment of the laser takes place through a recursive method of measuring and correcting. With this method, the position of the laser is measured with a sensor S in two positions along a trajectory which is defined by the optical path Z. Then, the optical system is corrected so that the second measurement is equal to the first one (within a margin of error.) This is repeated until the second measure no longer requires correction.

(11) The process which then adjusts the laser is as follows:

(12) First, the laser FL is installed in a frame which is calibrated and aligned with the axis of movement of the sensor S. Afterwards, the actions described in the flow diagram in FIG. 3 are carried out, that is to say:

(13) A1: A margin of error p is defined for the alignment.

(14) A2: The adjustments to the optical system are placed in their initial positions and the sensor S is placed in its initial positions, or position z.sub.0, sending the motors x, y, , y z to their initial positions.

(15) A3: A measurement is taken of the laser L on the sensor S, which is indicated as position u.sub.o, v.sub.o, according to the axes X,Y in the said initial position z.sub.0.

(16) A4: The sensor S is placed in the second position, or position z.sub.1, activating the motor z.

(17) A5: The position of the beam L is measured again on the sensor S, and indicated as position u.sub.1, v.sub.1, according to the axes X,Y in said second position z.sub.1

(18) A6: Both positional detections are compared, and: If the difference in the measurements does not fall within the margin of error p:

(19) A7: The angular adjustments to the optical system are adjusted, activating the motors and until both measurements fall within the margin of error p; and

(20) A8: The motor z is activated in order to move the sensor S back to its initial position z.sub.0, and the system returns to step A3. If the difference between the measurements does fall within the margin of error p:

(21) A9: The positional adjustments made to the optical system are corrected by activating the motors x, y, until the sensor S indicates that the position of the beam L falls within the margin of error p.

(22) After step A9, the optical system is aligned.

(23) One skilled in the art could introduce changes and modifications to the exemplary embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.