Patent ID: 9496682
Filing Date: 2016-11-15
CPC Classification: G02B,H01S,H04N

Claim Text:
1. A method comprising: defining an intensity value for a light beam to be output from a laser; determining whether the defined intensity value is greater than a threshold intensity for the laser, the threshold intensity corresponding to an intensity of light to be output from the laser when an input current to the laser is equal to a threshold current, the threshold current corresponding to an input current value below which the laser would operate in its light emitting region and equal to, or above which, the laser will operate in its laser region; and operating the laser using current from a digital to analog converter (DAC) current source based on a determination that the defined intensity value is greater than the threshold intensity, the DAC current source to supply a current to the laser, the current to have a first amplitude equal to or greater than the threshold current to cause the laser to generate a light beam to have an intensity substantially equal to the defined intensity value; or operating the laser using current from a pulse width modulated (PWM) current source based on a determination that the defined intensity value is not greater than the threshold intensity, the PWM current source to supply the current to the laser for a duration of time to cause the laser to generate the light beam to have an intensity substantially equal to the defined intensity value, the current to have a second amplitude equal to or greater than the threshold current value.