Method and apparatus for controlling a deformable mirror

Abstract

A deformable mirror system includes a mechanical assembly housing a deformable mirror and electronics. A thermal insulator may be employed to insulate the deformable mirror from thermal output of the electronics. Wireless communications may be used to send information to the electronics for use in operating the deformable mirror. Multiplexer techniques may be used to control the mirror. In some embodiments, low-side multiplexing techniques are used in which a reference potential is switched to enable and disable actuators used to deform the deformable mirror. The deformable mirror system may also use a power source at the deformable mirror. The deformable mirror system provides for a compact realization of deformable mirror and electronics for a wide variety of applications, and multiplexer embodiments have low power consumption, small size, and low cost.

1 . A deformable mirror system, comprising: 
 a mechanical assembly comprising: 
 a deformable mirror assembly including a mirror element with reflective surface and actuators coupled to the mirror element in a configuration to change a shape of the reflective surface;  
 a circuit configured to drive the actuators to change the shape of the reflective surface in a selectable manner; and  
 electrical interconnections between said circuit and actuators to enable said circuit to drive the actuators.  
   
   
   
       2 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 1  wherein the mechanical assembly includes a mechanical housing configured to house said deformable mirror assembly and an electrical housing configured to house said circuit, and further including a thermal insulator disposed between said mechanical housing and said electrical housing to insulate the deformable mirror element from thermal output of said circuit.  
   
   
       3 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 1  wherein the mechanical assembly includes: 
 a mechanical housing configured to house said deformable mirror assembly;    an electrical housing configured to house said circuit; and    a mechanical coupler configured to couple said mechanical and electrical housings.    
   
   
       4 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 3  further comprising at least one alignment element to align said mechanical and electrical housings.  
   
   
       5 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 1  wherein said electrical interconnections include a first bus connected to a second bus via a connector.  
   
   
       6 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 5  wherein the first and second buses include cables.  
   
   
       7 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 1  wherein said circuit includes a wireless receiver to receive commands wirelessly from an external system.  
   
   
       8 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 1  wherein a majority of said electrical interconnections are configured to provide a reference potential to the actuators in a selectable manner.  
   
   
       9 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 8  wherein at least one of said electrical interconnections is coupled to the actuators to provide a drive signal to at least a subset of the actuators continuously during operation of said deformable mirror.  
   
   
       10 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 1  wherein said electronics include at least one first circuit board having switches disposed thereon and at least one second circuit board having at least one amplifier to drive the actuators disposed thereon.  
   
   
       11 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 1  further including a power source at the deformable mirror system to provide power to said electronics.  
   
   
       12 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 1  wherein said electronics are further configured to enable and disable the actuators to control the shape of the mirror in a multiplexing manner.  
   
   
       13 . A method for operating a deformable mirror system, comprising: 
 operating a circuit, in a mechanical assembly also containing a deformable mirror assembly, to drive actuators coupled to a mirror element with reflective surface of the deformable mirror assembly to change a shape of the reflective surface of the deformable mirror element.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13  further including thermally insulating the deformable mirror element from thermal output of the circuit.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 13  further comprising: 
 housing the mirror in a mechanical housing of the mechanical assembly;    housing the circuit in an electrical housing of the mechanical assembly; and    coupling the mechanical and electrical housings.    
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein coupling the mechanical and electrical housings include aligning the mechanical and electrical housings.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 13  further including conveying electrical potentials between the circuit and the actuators via a first bus connected to a second bus via a connector.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein conveying the electrical potentials includes conveying the electrical potentials via at least one cable.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 13  further including converting wireless signals to electrical signals from an external system to said circuit.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein operating the circuit includes selectively providing a reference potential to a majority of the actuators.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein operating the circuit further includes continuously providing a drive signal to the actuators.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein operating the circuit includes operating switches disposed on at least one first circuit board and at least one amplifier disposed on at least one second circuit board.  
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 13  further including supplying power to the circuit from a power source at the deformable mirror system.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein operating the circuit includes driving the actuators in a multiplexing manner.  
   
   
       25 . A deformable mirror system, comprising: 
 means for driving actuators coupled to a mirror element with reflective surface of a deformable mirror assembly to change a shape of the reflective surface; and    means for housing said means for driving the actuators with the deformable mirror assembly.    
   
   
       26 . The deformable mirror system according to  claim 25  further including thermally insulating the deformable mirror element from thermal output of the circuit.