US 11,740,356 B2
Dual-optical displacement sensor alignment using knife edges
Michael Kon Yew Hughes, Vancouver (CA); Sudhir Thalore, Surrey (CA); Ian Charles Baron, North Vancouver (CA); Mayank Kalra, Burnaby (CA); and Tal Katz, New Westminster (CA)
Assigned to HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by Honeywell International Inc., Morris Plains, NJ (US)
Filed on Apr. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/229,537.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/035,371, filed on Jun. 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0382173 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 17/48 (2006.01); G01B 9/02 (2022.01); G01B 11/27 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 17/48 (2013.01) [G01B 9/02036 (2013.01); G01B 11/27 (2013.01); G01S 7/4817 (2013.01); G01S 7/4972 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical alignment system for a dual-optical displacement sensor including a scanner comprising a first scanner head including a first optical displacement sensor for providing a first beam having a first optical axis (OA) extending substantially in a first direction and a second scanner head including a second optical displacement sensor for providing a second beam having a second OA extending substantially in the first direction, comprising:
at least one alignment target, each alignment target comprising an integrally-formed knife edge pair including a first knife edge and a second knife edge offset from the first knife edge in the first direction, wherein the at least one alignment target is oriented along a first plane that is essentially perpendicular to the first direction and positioned between the first scanner head and the second scanner head for interacting with the first beam and the second beam;
a photodetector in at least one of the first and second scanner head for collecting time versus position data comprising from measurements involving the alignment target in a path of the first beam and measurements involving the alignment target in a path of the second beam path, and
a computing device or a programmed circuit implementing at least one equation coupled to receive and analyze the time versus position data for determining a degree of alignment of the first OA relative to the second OA.