Surface analysis system and method
US5809162A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 22, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 15, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/3818
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A surface analysis system can contactlessly, automatically, and rapidly detect, classify, and evaluate a surface of an object, particularly, an optical fiber end face, for discontinuities to derive a single pass/fail conclusion regarding the surface. The surface analysis system has a scope for capturing an image of the end face. A computer is connected to the scope. A machine vision system is associated with the computer for receiving the image. A surface analysis program is associated with the computer for driving the machine vision system. The program searches for any discontinuities in the image by analyzing each pixel and a corresponding pixel structure of pixels to determine whether a discontinuity resides at each pixel. Discontinuities are classified as one of the following: binary thresholds, local gradients, and directional gradients. The pixel structure includes a plurality of pixels that were previously analyzed. The program determines whether the surface is continuous based upon any discovered discontinuities.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.