IP Library Granted Patent US 11,389,896
Granted Patent B2
US 11,389,896 · App. 16/557,863 · Granted Jul 19, 2022

Calibration test piece for galvanometric laser calibration

Inventors: Aaron Brown (Vancouver, WA); Jay Small (Vancouver, WA); Robert J. Martinsen (West Linn, OR)
Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
B23K26/082B23K26/032B23K26/042B23K26/0736
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,389,896
App. No.
16/557,863
Granted
Jul 19, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Some embodiments may include a galvanometric laser system, comprising: a laser device to generate a laser beam; an X-Y scan head module to position the laser beam on a work piece, the X-Y scan head module including a laser ingress to receive the laser beam and a laser egress to output the laser beam; a support platen located below the laser egress; an in-machine imaging system integrated with the galvanometric laser, wherein a camera of the in-machine imaging system is arranged to view a surface of an object located on the support platen using one or more optical components of the X-Y scan head module to generate assessment data associated with a calibration of the X-Y scan head module by imaging the surface of the object, wherein a calibration fiducial is located on the surface of the object.

Claims (42)

1. A galvanometric laser system, comprising:

a laser device to generate a laser beam;

an X-Y scan head module to position the laser beam on a work piece, the X-Y scan head module including a laser ingress to receive the laser beam and a laser egress to output the laser beam;

a support platen located below the laser egress and arranged to receive the work piece;

an in-machine imaging system integrated with the galvanometric laser system, wherein a camera of the in-machine imaging system is arranged to use one or more optical components of the X-Y scan head module to view an object located on the support platen; and

a light-emissive calibration test piece to place on the support platen during a calibration routine prior to positioning the laser beam on the work piece, the light-emissive calibration test piece with a planar surface including a first region and a second region having greater light transmissibility than the first region in which a calibration fiducial is located in the second region, the calibration fiducial usable by the camera to generate calibration data associated with a calibration of the X-Y scan head module.

2. The galvanometric laser system of claim 1 , further comprising a selective optic located between the laser ingress and the laser device, the selective optic being optically transmissive to the laser beam and optically non-transmissive to light reflected or emitted from the light-emissive calibration test piece.

3. The galvanometric laser system of claim 1 , wherein the light-emissive calibration test piece is arranged to emit light of a selected wavelength into the laser egress.

4. The galvanometric laser system of claim 1 , wherein the calibration fiducial comprises a polygon or an ellipse.

5. The galvanometric laser system of claim 4 , further comprising one or more processors coupled to the in-machine imaging system, the one or more processors configured to:

recognize a calibration feature in an image of the light-emissive calibration test piece, wherein the image is generated by the camera;

fit a polygon or an ellipse to the calibration feature; and

determine an offset between a center of the polygon or the ellipse and a reference, wherein the offset is indicative of an accuracy of a calibration of the X-Y scan head module.

6. The galvanometric laser system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more processors coupled to the in-machine imaging system, the one or more processors configured to:

recognize a calibration feature in an image of the light-emissive calibration test piece, wherein the image is generated by the camera;

fit a pre-characterized pattern to the calibration feature to select a point in the image; and

determine an offset between the selected point and a reference, wherein the offset is indicative of an accuracy of the calibration of the X-Y scan head module.

7. The galvanometric laser system of claim 6 , wherein the selected point comprises a line intersection of the pre-characterized pattern.

8. The galvanometric laser system of claim 6 , wherein the selected point comprises a center of an ellipse or polygon of the pre-characterized pattern.

9. The galvanometric laser system of claim 1 , wherein the light-emissive calibration test piece comprises a back-lit calibration test plate or an edge-lit calibration test plate.

10. The galvanometric laser system of claim 1 , wherein the second region of the planar surface of the light-emissive calibration test piece comprises an optically transmissive part of the planar surface surrounded by an optically non-transmissive part of the planar surface.

11. A galvanometric laser system, comprising:

a laser device to generate a laser beam;

an X-Y scan head module to position the laser beam on a work piece, the X-Y scan head module including a laser ingress to receive the laser beam and a laser egress to output the laser beam;

a support platen located below the laser egress;

an in-machine imaging system integrated with the galvanometric laser system, wherein a camera of the in-machine imaging system is arranged to receive light of a selected wavelength from a surface of an object located on the support platen using one or more optical components of the X-Y scan head module to generate assessment data associated with a calibration of the X-Y scan head module by imaging the surface of the object, wherein the surface of the object includes a first region and a second region having greater light transmissibility or reflectivity in the selected wavelength than the first region in which a calibration fiducial located on the surface of the object is located in the second region.

12. The galvanometric laser system of claim 11 , further comprising one or more processors coupled to the in-machine imaging system, the one or more processors configured to:

recognize a calibration feature in an image of the surface of the object, wherein the image is generated by the camera;

fit a pre-characterized pattern to the calibration feature to select a point in the image; and

determine an offset between the selected point and a reference, wherein the offset is indicative of an accuracy of the calibration of the X-Y scan head module.

13. The galvanometric laser system of claim 12 , wherein the pre-characterized pattern comprises intersecting lines.

14. The galvanometric laser system of claim 11 , wherein the calibration fiducial comprises a polygon or an ellipse.

15. The galvanometric laser system of claim 14 , further comprising one or more processors coupled to the in-machine imaging system, the one or more processors configured to:

recognize a calibration feature in an image of the surface of the object, wherein the image is generated by the camera;

fit a polygon or an ellipse to the calibration feature; and

determine an offset between a center of the polygon or the ellipse and a reference, wherein the offset is indicative of an accuracy of the calibration of the X-Y scan head module.

16. The galvanometric laser system of claim 11 , wherein the object comprises a laser processing target or a calibration test piece, and wherein the calibration fiducial comprises a transient calibration fiducial or a non-transient calibration fiducial, respectively.

17. The galvanometric laser system of claim 11 , wherein the second region is arranged to reflect or emit light of the selected wavelength into the laser egress.

18. The galvanometric laser system of claim 11 , wherein the second region comprises an optically transmissive part of the object surrounded by an optically non-transmissive part of the surface of the object.

19. The galvanometric laser system of claim 11 , further comprising a selective optic located between the laser ingress and the laser device, the selective optic being optically transmissive to the laser beam and optically non-transmissive to the selected wavelength.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a back-lit or edge lit calibration test piece to place on a support platen of a galvanometric laser system during a calibration routine prior to positioning a laser beam on a work piece, the light-emissive calibration test piece with a planar surface including a first region and a second region having greater light transmissibility than the first region in which a light-emissive calibration fiducial is located in the second region, the light-emissive calibration fiducial usable by an in-machine imaging system integrated with the galvanometric laser system to generate calibration data associated with a calibration of an X-Y scan head module of the galvanometric laser system.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2022
From: NLIGHT, INC.
To: PACIFIC WESTERN BANK
Reel/Frame 059963/0032 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2019
From: BROWN, AARON; SMALL, JAY; MARTINSEN, ROBERT J.
To: NLIGHT PHOTONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050269/0743 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 4, 2019
From: NLIGHT PHOTONICS CORPORATION
To: NLIGHT, INC.
Reel/Frame 050274/0132 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,578,571