Patent · US Expired

Method of measuring the amount of movement of an object having uniformly periodic structure

US4823001A · kind A · utility

61Cited by
5References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 17, 1987
Grant dateApr 18, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 17, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D5/38
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An object to be measured for the amount of movement thereof has a uniformly periodic structure. The object is illuminated with divergent light emitted from a coherent spot light source. By positionally adjusting the spot light source, the object, and a light sensor, an enlarged shadow-picture-like diffraction pattern of the uniformly periodic structure is generated at a position in which the light sensor is disposed. The shadow-picture-like diffraction pattern is moved when the object is moved across the divergent light from the spot light source. The amount of movement of the shadow-picture-like diffraction pattern is detected by the light sensor for thereby measuring the amount of movement of the object.

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