Optical profile sensor
US6175415A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 19, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jan 16, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 19, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B11/245
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus for determining the profile of an object provides a sensor having at least one light source which projects a sheet of light that is intersected by the object, whereby a stripe of points on the object are illuminated. The light source projects the sheet from multiple angles, so that the resulting stripe represents a continuous profile. The profile is collectively viewed by at least two optical detectors, which each have a different view than the others and provide an output signal representing its particular view of the profile. The output signals are received by an image processor, which digitizes the signals, provides filtering, and identifies (extracts) the points in each view that represent the profile. The image processor uses a predetermined set of calibration parameters to transform the coordinates of the extracted points to corresponding coordinates in a common reference system that collectively represent the profile of the object. Methods for evaluating a profile of a blade edge are also provided, including methods for locating the tip of a profile, comparing the profile to a tolerance band, and finding a width (thickness) of the profile. These methods provide …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.