ENGLISH TRANSLATION
`International Application PCT/EP2017/070173
`Docket No. 2450.014US1
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`Claims
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`1.
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`An optical device, preferably according to the light time—of—flight
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`principle, in particular for obtaining items of 3D spatial information and/or for
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`detecting polarization-changing materials, comprising:
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`— a light generating unit (102), which has at least one light emitter (103)
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`for emitting light into a spatial region;
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`— a light receiving unit (110), comprising at least one light detector,
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`which can be aligned or is aligned on the spatial region;
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`— a polarization manipulator (108), comprising at least one first optical
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`modulator (106) for influencing a polarization of light traversing the modulator
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`(106) and at least one polarization filter (111), which is connected optically
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`downstream of the modulator (106), wherein the first optical modulator (106) is
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`designed to generate at least three different polarization states and/or wherein a
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`superposition unit is provided and is designed in such a way that at least three
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`polarization states can be generated, in particular by time multiplexing; and
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`— an analysis unit for analysis, which is successive in particular, of the at
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`least three polarization states of the light passing through the polarization
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`manipulator.
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`2.
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`The optical device according to Claim 1,
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`characterized in that the polarization manipulator (108) comprises,
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`between the polarization filter (111) and the light receiving unit (1 10), at least
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`one second optical modulator (112), which is preferably aligned or can be
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`aligned in relation to the first optical modulator (106) in such a way that its slow
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`axis encloses an angle of 0° or 180° or 90° with the slow axis of the first optical
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`modulator.
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`3.
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`The optical device according to Claim 1 or 2,
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`characterized in that at least one camera, preferably at least one light
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`time-of—flight camera, is provided, which preferably has the at least one light
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`detector.
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`4.
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`The optical device according to any one of the preceding claims,
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`ENGLISH TRANSLATION
`International Application PCT/EP2017/070173
`Docket No. 2450.014US1
`
`characterized in that a further polarization manipulator, which is in
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`particular constructed inversely with respect to the sequence of the components,
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`is arranged in front of the light generating unit (102).
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`5.
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`The optical device according to any one of the preceding claims,
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`characterized in that the light generating unit (102) emits polarized light
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`or light having a preferential direction in the polarization, or the light generating
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`unit emits unpolarized light or light without a preferential direction in the
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`polarization.
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`6.
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`The optical device according to any one of the preceding claims,
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`characterized in that the at least one light emitter comprises a laser and/or
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`at least one LED (103), preferably at least 10 LEDs, particularly preferably at
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`least 100 LEDs.
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`7.
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`The optical device according to any one of the preceding claims,
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`characterized in that the at least one first (106) and/or second (112)
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`optical modulator comprises a liquid crystal arrangement, which is
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`electrooptically controlled in particular, or consists thereof, and/or the at least
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`one first (106) and/or second (1 12) optical modulator comprises at least one
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`electrooptical and/or at least one magnetooptical and/or at least one
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`acou stooptical apparatus.
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`8.
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`The optical device according to any one of the preceding claims,
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`characterized in that the polarization manipulator (108) comprises a
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`quarter-wave plate, and/or a parallelization optical unit for parallelization of
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`entering light beams is arranged in front of the polarization manipulator (108).
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`9.
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`The optical device according to any one of the preceding claims,
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`characterized in that the at least one optical modulator (106) has, in an
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`active state, a slow axis, which is designed in such a way that it is aligned or can
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`be aligned perpendicularly to the light propagation direction and/or at a 45°
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`angle to the transmission direction of the polarization filter. wherein the optical
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`modulator (106) preferably acts like a half-wave plate in the active state,
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`ENGLISH TRANSLATION
`International Application PCT/EP2017/070173
`Docket No. 2450.014US1
`
`or the at least one optical modulator (106) has, in an active state, a slow
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`axis, which is designed in such a way that it is aligned or can be aligned in the
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`longitudinal direction, wherein the optical modulator (106) preferably enables a
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`continuous phase shift.
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`10.
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`The optical device according to any one of the preceding claims,
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`characterized in that a control unit is provided for controlling the optical
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`modulator, and/or the optical device is designed for time multiplexing of various
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`polarization states, in particular for simulating an intermediate polarization state
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`predetermined by the various polarization states.
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`11.
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`A polarization manipulator (108), preferably for an optical device
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`according to any one of the preceding claims, in particular for obtaining items of
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`3D spatial information and/or for detecting polarization-changing materials,
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`comprising at least one optical modulator (106), preferably formed by a liquid
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`crystal unit, for influencing a polarization of light traversing the modulator
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`(106), and at least one polarization filter (111), wherein at least three, preferably
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`at least five different polarization states can be transmitted by the optical
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`modulator (106), and/or wherein a superposition unit is provided and is designed
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`in such a way that at least three, preferably at least five polarization states can be
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`generated, in particular by time multiplexing.
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`12.
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`A metrological system or image processing system, in particular for
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`obtaining items of 3D spatial information and/or for detecting polarization—
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`changing materials, which comprises an optical device according to any one of
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`Claims 1 to 10 and/or a polarization manipulator (108) according to Claim 1 l.
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`13.
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`An optical method, in particular for obtaining items of 3D spatial
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`information and/or for detecting polarization—changing materials using an optical
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`device according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 and/or a polarization manipulator
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`according to Claim 11 and/or a metrological system or image processing system
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`according to Claim 12, wherein the analysis unit preferably simulates, in
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`particular Via time multiplexing, at least one intermediate state between various
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`polarization states.
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`ENGLISH TRANSLATION
`International Application PCT/EP2017/070173
`Docket No. 2450.014US1
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`14.
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`A use of an optical device according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 and/or
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`a polarization manipulator according to Claim 11 and/or a metrologieal system
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`or image processing system according to Claim 12 for obtaining items of 3D
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`spatial information and/or for detecting polarization-changing materials.
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