A
system for detecting deviations from an
optical axis of one or more individual component beams associated with plural
laser beams. The
system includes a first mechanism that selectively isolates individual component beams from plural
laser beams and provides the individual component beams as output in response thereto. A second mechanism detects deviations from a desired
optical axis of the individual component beams output from the first mechanism. In the specific embodiment, the
system further includes a mechanism that automatically corrects the detected deviations of each component beam of the plural beams. A beam pick-off device, such as a pick-off collimating lens or
beam splitter, redirects a sample of the plural beams, which represents separated plural beams to a
color wheel. The individual component beams include red, green, and
blue laser beams. The
color wheel selectively isolates the red, green, and / or blue beams from the separated plural beams and provides an isolated component beam as output in response thereto. A
beam splitter splits the isolated component beam into a first split beam and a second split beam and directs the first split beam and the second split beam along a first
optical path that terminates at a first
detector and a second
optical path that terminates at a second
detector, respectively. The lengths of the first and second optical paths differ by a predetermined distance.
Software running on a computer compares the relative position of the first split beam on the first
detector to the position of the second split beam on the second detector with reference to the predetermined distance and provides a beam deviation
signal in response thereto. The
software then actuates a beam deviation
correction system to correct for beam deviations indicated by the beam deviation
signal associated with the isolated beam in the plural beams.