Patent ID: 8194253

Claim:
A fiber optic sensor head for detecting one of the shape or the distance of a test object, comprising: an optical fiber for conducting partial beams to and from the test object; a lens positioned on a test object side for injecting and extracting a ray beam; and a Fizeau interferometer having a nondiscrete design and associated with the optical fiber, wherein partial beams injected on a sensor head side and having an optical path length difference are conducted to the test object, and wherein returning partial beams injected on the test object side without an optical path length difference are conducted, the Fizeau interferometer compensating for the optical path length difference between the partial beams injected on the sensor head side and the returning partial beams injected on the test object side, wherein the Fizeau interferometer is integrated into the optical fiber and wherein for forming the Fizeau interferometer, the optical fiber includes a fiber grating which acts as a Bragg reflector.