Patent · US Expired

Active confocal image acquisition apparatus and method of three-dimensional measurement using same

US6399942B1 · kind B1 · utility

15Cited by
2References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 15, 1999
Grant dateJun 4, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 15, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B21/004
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An active confocal image acquisition apparatus includes a confocal image acquisition system and a liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel is disposed in the confocal image acquisition system so that its elements are aligned with elements of the detector. The light transmittance of elements of the liquid crystal panel is adjusted so as to make the intensities of reflection of all pixels (the values attained when the parts reflecting light are at or near the focused position) as close to a predetermined level as possible. By this configuration and method of using it, the active confocal image acquisition apparatus can perform accurate measurement if there are high-reflectance and low-reflectance parts together in the measuring field.

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