Laser system, learning device, and inference device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11734810-B2
Application number	US-202018008740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2020
Priority date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A laser system for amplifying laser light generated from a laser light source and emitting the laser light includes an optical element in an optical path of the laser light and transmits the laser light, a control device to control power to be supplied to the laser system, an imager to capture an image of the optical element, and an image processing circuitry to process the image of the optical element captured by the imager. The image processing circuitry in which reference images of the optical element corresponding to power information relating to the power are prepared in advance includes a comparison unit to compare a captured image of the optical element captured by the imager with a reference image selected by a reference image selection unit, the reference image corresponding to the power information at a time of image capturing by the imager.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laser system for amplifying laser light generated from a laser light source and emitting the laser light, the laser system comprising:
an optical element that is provided in an optical path of the laser light and transmits the laser light;
controlling circuitry to control power to be supplied to the laser system;
an imager to capture an image of the optical element; and
an image processing circuitry to process the image of the optical element captured by the imager, wherein
the image processing circuitry comprises reference image selecting circuitry in which reference images of the optical element corresponding to power information relating to the power are prepared in advance and one of the reference images corresponding to the power information is selected, and comparing circuitry to compare a captured image of the optical element captured by the imager with the reference image selected by the reference image selecting circuitry, the reference image corresponding to the power information at a time of image capturing by the imager.

2. The laser system according to claim 1 , wherein the image processing circuitry further comprises determining circuitry to determine damage of the optical element on a basis of difference information indicating damage of the optical element, the difference information being detected from the comparison by the comparing circuitry.

3. The laser system according to claim 1 , wherein
the image processing circuitry further comprises damage degree calculating circuitry to calculate a damage degree of the optical element on a basis of difference information indicating damage of the optical element, the difference information being detected from the comparison by the comparing circuitry, and
the damage degree calculating circuitry calculates the damage degree on a basis of an occurrence position of the damage and an area of the damage that are contained in the difference information.

4. The laser system according to claim 3 , wherein
the comparing circuitry calculates a total damage area in the difference information included in at least one determination region that is set, and
the damage degree calculating circuitry calculates the damage degree on a basis of the total damage area.

5. The laser system according to claim 4 , wherein
the comparing circuitry sets a plurality of the determination regions and calculates the total damage area in each of the determination regions from the difference information included in each of the determination regions, and
the damage degree calculating circuitry calculates the damage degree on a basis of a plurality of the total damage areas.

6. The laser system according to claim 5 , wherein
the comparing circuitry sets a damage coefficient corresponding to the determination region, the damage coefficient indicating a degree of influence on the laser system, and
the damage degree calculating circuitry calculates the damage degree on a basis of the total damage area and the damage coefficient.

7. The laser system according to claim 6 , wherein the image processing circuitry further comprises:
damage degree storing circuitry to store the damage degree calculated by the damage degree calculating circuitry; and
prediction formula calculating circuitry to calculate a prediction formula indicating a future transition of the damage degree on a basis of the damage degree stored in the damage degree storing circuitry.

8. The laser system according to claim 6 , wherein
the image processing circuitry further comprises power upper limit determining circuitry to determine a power upper limit value that is an upper limit value of the power on a basis of the damage degree calculated by the damage degree calculating circuitry, and
the power upper limit determining circuitry determines the power upper limit value from a relationship with the power upper limit value set in advance corresponding to the damage degree, and
the controlling circuitry controls supply of the power on a basis of the power upper limit value determined by the power upper limit determining circuitry.

9. The laser system according to claim 5 , wherein the image processing circuitry further comprises:
damage degree storing circuitry to store the damage degree calculated by the damage degree calculating circuitry; and
prediction formula calculating circuitry to calculate a prediction formula indicating a future transition of the damage degree on a basis of the damage degree stored in the damage degree storing circuitry.

10. The laser system according to claim 5 , wherein
the image processing circuitry further comprises power upper limit determining circuitry to determine a power upper limit value that is an upper limit value of the power on a basis of the damage degree calculated by the damage degree calculating circuitry, and
the power upper limit determining circuitry determines the power upper limit value from a relationship with the power upper limit value set in advance corresponding to the damage degree, and
the controlling circuitry controls supply of the power on a basis of the power upper limit value determined by the power upper limit determining circuitry.

11. The laser system according to claim 4 , wherein
the comparing circuitry sets a damage coefficient corresponding to the determination region, the damage coefficient indicating a degree of influence on the laser system, and
the damage degree calculating circuitry calculates the damage degree on a basis of the total damage area and the damage coefficient.

12. The laser system according to claim 4 , wherein the image processing circuitry further comprises:
damage degree storing circuitry to store the damage degree calculated by the damage degree calculating circuitry; and
prediction formula calculating circuitry to calculate a prediction formula indicating a future transition of the damage degree on a basis of the damage degree stored in the damage degree storing circuitry.

13. The laser system according to claim 4 , wherein
the image processing circuitry further comprises power upper limit determining circuitry to determine a power upper limit value that is an upper limit value of the power on a basis of the damage degree calculated by the damage degree calculating circuitry, and
the power upper limit determining circuitry determines the power upper limit value from a relationship with the power upper limit value set in advance corresponding to the damage degree, and
the controlling circuitry controls supply of the power on a basis of the power upper limit value determined by the power upper limit determining circuitry.

14. The laser system according to claim 3 , wherein the image processing circuitry further comprises:
damage degree storing circuitry to store the damage degree calculated by the damage degree calculating circuitry; and
prediction formula calculating circuitry to calculate a prediction formula indicating a future transition of the damage degree on a basis of the damage degree stored in the damage degree storing circuitry.

15. The laser system according to claim 14 , wherein
the image processing circuitry further comprises power upper limit determining circuitry to determine a power upper limit value that is an upper limit value of the power on a basis of the damage degree calculated by the damage degree calculating circuitry, and
the power upper limit determining circuitry determines the power upper limit value from a relationship with the power upper limit value set in advance corresponding to the damage degree, and
the controlling circuitry contr

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kawashima Takuya
• Ebihara Sei
• Yamamoto Tatsuya
• Naruse Masashi
• Hamachiyo Ken

Classifications

• G06T7/0002 Primary

  Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection · CPC title

• G01N21/8851

  Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002) · CPC title

• G01N21/958

  Inspecting transparent materials {or objects, e.g. windscreens (for conveyed flat sheet or rod G01N21/896)} · CPC title

• G06T7/62

  of area, perimeter, diameter or volume · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title