Patent · US Expired

Three-dimensional volumetric sensor

US5018803A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
6References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 22, 1988
Grant dateMay 28, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 22, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B26/0875
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A three-dimensional optical measurement system, where it is desired to move the light beam or plane to more than one position to increase the amount of data acquired. A rotating disk is provided with segments of lenses, zone plates or other rotationally invariant grating patterns on it. The beam or plane is passed through the segments as the disk rotates and is deflected to predetermined angles. The accurate repeatablility of this arrangement allows the use of calibration data and encoding of the light planes for ambiguity resolution to provide an accurate measurement system. Diverging beam light sources are readily accommodated. Similarly translating frames with segments of translationally invariant lenses or grating patterns may be used. Two-dimensional holographic gratings may be used to generate raster scans.

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