Method and apparatus for testing objects

• US 20030038945A1
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bernward Mahner
• Original Assignee: Bernward Mahner
• Inventors: Mahner, Bernward
• Granted Patent: US 6,674,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2441 using interferometry

Abstract

1. Method and apparatus for testing objects.

2.1 With interferometric test systems, the test object is frequently measured over several sections in order to realize a complete test. If special structural features are found, in particular defects, it is usually difficult to localize the structural features shown on the result images on the object.

2.2 It is the object of the new method to transfer the interferometrically measured data from the various sections to a joint object coordinate system. To achieve this object, the shape of the object is measured and the spatial coordinates for the deformation data on the object surface are determined from this.

2.3 Thus, a method is realized with the invention, which permits determining the exact spatial orientation and position of the discovered structural features on the object. On the one hand, the defects on the object can thus be localized precisely while, on the other hand, an exact quantitative evaluation of the results is possible.

Claims

1. A method for testing the deformation of test objects with diffuse scattering surface that are subjected to different stresses, for which method

the object surface is tested section-by-section with an interferometric measuring head with camera that uses an interferometric technique for measuring an area,

the areas of displacement or expansion on the object surface, caused by different stresses, are detected in the test object images on the image sensor of the camera,

the images created on the image sensor are fed to an image processing system for the further processing,

the displacement or the stress/expansion condition of the test object is computed from the generated images by the image processing system, characterized in that

the optical ray path of the camera for the interferometric measuring head is determined through a calibration.

the camera for the interferometric measuring head is moved with a defined relative movement to the test object from one section of the object surface to the next,

light sections are generated on the interferometrically measured sections of the test object surface,

the generated light sections on the object surface are detected with the aid of a camera,

the spatial coordinates of the light sections are computed with a triangulation computation,

the spatial coordinates of the surface sections are determined from the spatial coordinates of the light sections

and the appropriate spatial coordinates are assigned to the interferometrically detected deformation data with the aid of the obtained spatial coordinates for the surface sections and the data for the relative movements performed by the interferometric measuring head.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the spatial coordinates for the object surface are detected section-by-section with the light-section contour detection system.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the interferometric measuring head and the light section contour detection system are rigidly connected and jointly perform the relative movements from one section of the object surface to the next section.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the camera for the interferometric measuring head is used to photograph the generated light sections.

5. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that light section planes are generated and are used to project the light sections onto the object surface.

6. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the light sections are generated by means of projected fringe patterns.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the light sections are generated with the aid of a method disclosed in German Patent 197 38 179 C1.

8. A method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the object contour is measured section-by-section and that the contour and the deformation are measured at precisely the same positions of the measuring system.

9. A method according to one of the claims 2 to 5, characterized in that few individual light sections are generated and the spatial coordinates for the object surface are determined from these light sections.

10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the generated light sections are photographed with a camera during the relative movement between the light-section contour detection system and the test object and, subsequently, are processed further in an image-processing system.

11. A method according to one of the claims 2 to 10, characterized in that each momentary position of the light-section contour detection system, which exists for each photographed image of the generated light sections, is determined relative to the object and that the light section coordinates determined from this are transferred to a joint coordinate system.

12. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the direction for moving the interferometric measuring head and/or the light-section contour detection system, relative to the test object, is used for calibrating the respective measuring system.

13. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the light sources for generating the light sections are switched off during the interferometric measuring operation.

14. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that spatial coordinates that are necessary, but are not measured, are computed through interpolation from known spatial coordinates of neighboring points.

15. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 14, characterized in that deformation values, which are necessary but are not measured, are computed through interpolation from known deformation values of neighboring points.

16. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that in order to compute the deformation values from phase images by means of interpolation, the areas of discontinuity in the phase images are removed through a sine and cosine transformation, that the interpolation is realized in the sine and cosine transformation and that subsequently, the phase values are computed from the obtained interpolated sine and cosine values.

17. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 16, characterized in that a joint coordinate system is used to display the deformation measuring results for the individual object surface sections.

18. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the object surface is developed by calculation for displaying the results of the deformation measurements on the object surface.

19. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 18, characterized in that data obtained by means of the light-section contour detection system are used for positioning the interferometric measuring head relative to the test object.

20. An apparatus for testing objects (1) with diffuse scattering surface, consisting of an interferometric measuring head (2) with a camera (3) for photographing image data, an image processing system (11) that is connected to the camera (3) and is used to further process the images generated by the camera (3), characterized in that the test system is provided with at least one device (9) for realizing defined relative movements between the interferometric test head (2) and the object surface (1), the test system is provided with a light-section contour detection system (10), comprising at least one device (5, 6) for generating light surfaces (L1, L2), which are oriented toward the camera (4) in such a way that the light sections (P11, P21) created by this device (5, 6) can be observed with the camera (4) on the test object (1), means for determining the spatial coordinates of the light sections, means for determining from this the spatial coordinates for the object surface sections, means for assigning appropriate spatial coordinates to the interferometrically detected deformation data.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that the interferometric measuring head (2), the devices (5, 6) for generating light surfaces (L1, L2) and the cameras (3) and (4) are rigidly connected to each other via a fastening device (7) and can be moved jointly, relative to the test object (1), by means of a device (9).

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that the camera (3) of the interferometric measuring head (2) and the camera (4) of the light-section contour detection system (10) are one and the same camera.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that the camera (3) for the interferometric measuring head (2) and the camera (4) of the light-section contour detection system (10) are arranged side-by-side or one above the other.

24. An apparatus according to one of the claims 20 to 23, characterized in that the devices (5, 6) for generating light surfaces are designed such that the generated light surfaces (L1, L2) respectively are level planes.

25. An apparatus according to one of the claims 20 to 24, characterized in that the device for generating light surfaces (L1, L2) is a fringe projector.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, characterized in that the cameras (3) and (4) are one and the same camera, that the imaging optics of the camera comprises a shearing module and that the shearing direction of the shearing module and lines of the projection grid for the fringe projector are aligned parallel to each other.

27. An apparatus according to one of the claims 20 to 24, characterized in that the device for generating light surfaces consists of one or more optical devices (5, 6), which generate individual light surfaces (L1, L2).

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, characterized in that the cameras (3) and (4) are one and the same camera and that the imaging optics for the camera contains a shearing module.

29. An apparatus according to claim 27 or 28, characterized in that the device (9) for the joint, defined movement of the interferometric measuring head (2) and the light-section contour detection system (10), relative to the test object (1), is designed in such a way that the momentary position of the light-section contour detection system (10) relative to the test object (1) can be determined during the movement.

30. An apparatus according to one of the claims 27 to 29, characterized in that the camera (4) of the light-section contour detection system (10) is equipped with a mechanical or an electronic shutter.

31. An apparatus according to one of the claims 20 to 30, characterized in that the device (9) for the defined movement of the interferometric measuring head (2) and/or the light-section contour detection system (10), relative to the test object, consists of one or several stepping motors.

32. An apparatus according to one of the claims 20 to 31, characterized in that the devices (5, 6) for generating the light surfaces (L1, L2) are provided with a switch for switching on or switching off the light sources for the devices (5, 6).

33. An apparatus according to one of the claims 20 to 32, characterized in that one or more laser scanners are used as devices (5, 6) for generating the light surfaces.

34. An apparatus according to one of the claims 20 to 33, characterized in that the camera (3) as well as the camera (4) are connected to the image processing system (11).