Apparatus and method for determining the configuration of a reflective surface
US4316670A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 29, 1979 |
| Grant date | Feb 23, 1982 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 29, 1999 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B11/2513
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Disclosed is a system for the precision, high speed, non-contacting measurement of the shapes of reflective surfaces. This system consists of multiple laser fringe pattern transmitters, a random access image dissector camera or receiver, and a computer analysis system. Three laser transmitters project three fringe patterns onto a specimen surface such that the coordinates of the surface of the specimen can be obtained with an image dissector camera, imaged on the specimen, by separate measurement of the reflection by the surface from each transmitter. The computer analysis system decides which picture elements (pixels) are of interest, directs the receiver to "look at" those pixels, directs a digitizer to interrogate alternately the input numbers that are proportional to the coordinates of the specimen point. In a similar manner the shape of the entire specimen surface can be characterized and stored in computer memory.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.