A DIRECTIONAL LASER SENSOR FOR EYE PROTECTION SYSTEMS

AN INNOVATIVE, COMPACT AND FAST DIRECTIONAL LASER SENSOR BASED ON THE LATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN PHOTODETECTION TECHNOLOGY IS PROPOSED. THE LASER SENSING DEVICE USES A SPHERE LENS AS A DIRECTION IDENTIFIER, WITH A WIDE (+OR-90 DEG) FIELD OF VIEW. AN INCIDENT LASER BEAM IS FOCUSED BY THE SPHERE LENS ONTO A HEMISPHERICAL, AMORPHOUS SILICON, POSITION SENSITIVE DETECTOR LOCATED AT OR NEAR THE FOCAL SURFACE. A TWO-DIMENSIONAL RESISTIVE ANODE READS THE SIGNAL CURRENT. A SIGNAL PROCESSING CIRCUIT PRODUCES A TRIGGER SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO LASER ILLUMINATION. ADDITIONAL OUTPUT SIGNALS PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF THE POWER LEVEL AND DIRECTION OR ORIGIN OF THE LASER BEAM. THE OUTPUT SIGNALS ARE APPROPRIATE TO TRIGGER AND CONTROL THE EXECUTION PART OF A DYNAMIC EYE PROTECTION SYSTEM.