Patent · US Expired

Method for locating points on a three-dimensional surface using light intensity variations

US4443706A · kind A · utility

42Cited by
4References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 4, 1983
Grant dateApr 17, 1984
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 4, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B11/24
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for locating points on a surface in which the surface is irradiated selectively with an irradiating volume which has a varying intensity that defines a first pattern. After irradiating the surface with the first pattern, the surface is irradiated similarly with volumes having varying intensities defining a second or more patterns. Both of these patterns are applied to a point to be located on the surface. The radiation impinging on the surface is recorded by a camera which forms images of the patterns. The images are scanned to find the intensities of the point in the two or more patterns. More than one pattern may be simultaneously irradiated, using different frequencies to distinquish the data. The location of the point on the surface is dependent on a predetermined ratio or difference of the intensities of the point in the two or more patterns. The patterns may be linear, sinusoidal, smooth, non-smooth and/or two dimensional functions ultimately producing a single valued ratio or difference result.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.