US 11,835,709 B2
Optical sensor with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micro-mirror array (MMA) steering of the optical transmit beam
Gerald P. Uyeno, Tucson, AZ (US); Benn H. Gleason, Tucson, AZ (US); Sean D. Keller, Tucson, AZ (US); Mark K. Lange, Tucson, AZ (US); Eric Rogala, Tucson, AZ (US); Vanessa Reyna, Tucson, AZ (US); Craig O. Shott, Tucson, AZ (US); Jon E. Leigh, Tucson, AZ (US); and Garret A. Odom, Tucson, AZ (US)
Assigned to Raytheon Company, Waltham, MA (US)
Filed by Raytheon Company, Waltham, MA (US)
Filed on Feb. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/171,577.
Prior Publication US 2022/0252865 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 26/08 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G01S 17/933 (2020.01)
CPC G02B 26/0833 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4811 (2013.01); G01S 7/4817 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G01S 17/933 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical sensor, comprising:
a detector responsive to light in a band of wavelengths;
an optical source that emits an optical transmit beam along an optical axis at a transmission wavelength within the band;
a first steering Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Micro-Mirror Array (MMA) positioned at an angle to the optical axis to receive and re-direct the optical transmit beam along a first optical path at a first reflection angle, said first steering MEMS MMA comprising at least one mirror responsive to command signals to tip and tilt to scan the optical transmit beam at a scan angle in first and second angular directions about the first reflection angle over a primary transmit field-of-regard (FOR);
a fold mirror positioned to intercept the re-directed optical transmit beam at a range of scan angles within the primary transmit FOR and re-direct the optical transmit beam along a second optical path;
a second steering MEMS MMA positioned to receive and re-direct the optical transmit beam from the fold mirror along a third optical path at a second reflection angle and offset from the first optical path, said second steering MEMS MMA comprising at least one mirror responsive to command signals to tip and tilt to scan the optical transmit beam at a scan angle in said first and second directions about the second reflection angle over a secondary transmit FOR;
a controller configured to issue command signals to said first and second steering MEMS MMAs to scan the optical transmit beam over the primary and secondary transmit FOR;
a receive telescope that receives light within a receive FOR; and
an optical system that couples light from the receive telescope to the detector to image a portion of a scene within the receive FOR.