Patent ID: 10642053

Abstract:
Apparatus and associated methods relate to projecting a linear beam onto a distant object. One or more laser diodes are configured to emit one or more elliptical beams of light in an emission direction. If more than one laser diodes are used, they are aligned so as to have coplanar emission facets and common slow-axis and fast-axis directions, which are perpendicular to one another and to the emission direction. A first cylindrical lens is configured to receive the emitted beam(s) and to collimate the emitted beam(s) in the fast-axis direction perpendicular to a slow-axis direction. A second cylindrical lens is configured to receive the emitted beam(s) and to diverge the emitted beam(s) in the slow-axis direction such that if more than one beams are emitted, they are diverged so as to overlap one another in the slow-axis direction.