Method for self-calibrated sub-aperture stitching for surface figure measurement
US6956657B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 25, 2002 |
| Grant date | Oct 18, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 13, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B2290/65
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for accurately synthesizing a full-aperture data map from a series of overlapped sub-aperture data maps. In addition to conventional alignment uncertainties, a generalized compensation framework corrects a variety of errors, including compensators that are independent in each sub-aperture. Another class of compensators (interlocked) include coefficients that are the same across all the sub-apertures. A constrained least-squares optimization routine maximizes data consistency in sub-aperture overlap regions. The stitching algorithm includes constraints representative of the accuracies of the hardware to ensure that the results are within meaningful bounds. The constraints also enable the computation of estimates of uncertainties in the final results. The method therefore automatically calibrates the system, provides a full-aperture surface map, and an estimate of residual uncertainties. Therefore, larger surfaces can be tested with greater departures from a best-fit sphere to greater accuracy than was possible in the prior art.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.