Abstract: An optical mount with a reversible face plate. The face plate supports an optical element. The face plate is reversible so that an optical element can be loaded from either the front or the rear of the optical mount. The mount includes a back plate and one or more actuators. The actuators can be manipulated to translate and/or tilt the face plate and the optical element. The actuators may engage flat pads attached to the face plate. The flat pads can be inserted into apertures on either side of the face plate. This allows the face plate to be reversed so that the optical element can be either front or rear loaded. The face plate may also have grooves located on each side of the plate to allow spring retention pins to be retained in either a front load or rear load position. The reversible feature of the face plate provides a single product that allows for both front loading and rear loading of an optical element.

Abstract: One or more optical fibers are provided with different numerical apertures for differently transmitting light from an object. Light is thus transmitted for a given range at a predetermined ratio corresponding to a difference between the different numerical apertures. That ratio is varied by variations in the range. The varying ratio is detected and a range finder operation is performed in response to that detected varying ratio.