Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for reconstruction of three-dimensional surfaces from interference fringes

US4525858A · kind A · utility

73Cited by
2References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 3, 1983
Grant dateJun 25, 1985
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 3, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B11/25
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A fully automatic method for rapidly and unambiguously interpreting fringe patterns, including those having branched fringes, is provided. The information from the fringe patterns processed by the method of the invention can be used in testing, surface characterization and inspection applications. Further processing of the information from the two-dimensional fringe patterns yields information from which the three-dimensional surface can be quantitatively reconstructed for further use such as for display, as in microscopy, or as input for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacture. Apparatus for conducting the method of the invention is also provided.

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