Patrick J Doneen

US Patent:

48423572, Jun 27, 1989

Filed:

Aug 8, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/229612

Inventors:

Patrick M. Doneen - Bellevue WA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

International Classification:

G02B 610

US Classification:

350 9612

Abstract:

An optical sensor system for multiplexing a plurality of channels conveying information encoded by light reflected from areas on a moving surface. An optical sensor head (10,10') is connected to a plurality of discrete wavelength light sources (122,126,130) by an optical fiber (14). Alternatively, a single source 70 of relatively wide spectral bandwidth may be coupled to the optical fiber. Light is conveyed by the optical fiber to the optical sensor head, passes through a waveguide channel to a plurality of branching junctions (18 and 42) long pass interference filters (20 and 44) are disposed. Light having a wavelength shorter than a predetermined value is reflected into a branching waveguide channel (24 and 48), while light having a longer wavelength is transmitted through the filter. Light that passes through both of the long pass interference filters enters a waveguide channel (60). In one embodiment, the three branching waveguide channels terminate in lenses (26, 50 and 62), so that light traveling through the waveguide channels is collimated or focused on refletive areas of a moving surface (30), reflecting back from reflective areas (32) into the lenses.