Patent ID: 6201210
Filing Date: 2001-03-13
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A laser marking system for marking a surface of an object, comprising:a plurality of laser diodes;a plurality of combiners, each combiner receiving laser light from a respective array of at least two laser diodes and producing a combined laser beam as output, the laser diodes associated with each particular combiner producing laser light which impinges the particular combiner in phase;an optical system receiving the laser beams and focusing the laser beams on the surface to be marked;a marking control unit comprising a character generator and producing control signals which are applied to the plurality of laser diodes to thereby produce a controllable N.times.M matrix of laser beam dots, each dot in the matrix formed by the laser beam from at least one laser diode;wherein selective illumination of the dots in the matrix in response to the control signals from the marking control unit produces a predetermined marking on the surface to be marked.