MEASUREMENT SYSTEM OF A LIGHT SOURCE IN SPACE
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Abstract
A system measures the position of a light source in space using an imager and transparent surface with a pattern on top. The pattern consists of a repetitive pattern and a distinctive element. The system achieves sub-micron precision. It also handles the measurement of several light sources simultaneously, and the measurement of the position of a retroreflector instead of the light.
26 Citations
48 Claims
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1-23. -23. (canceled)
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24. A measurement system comprising,
at least one imaging device composed of a plurality of sensitive pixels disposed in at least one dimension; - and
at least one punctual light source; and at least one component arranged to cast a shadow on the imaging device, the position of the component being fixed with respect to the imaging device, the component being composed of repetitive patterns realized on a planar surface including a distinctive element and the component being designed to cast a shadow made of repetitive patterns and made of a distinctive element; the imaging device is designed to record an image of said shadow; computation means; wherein the repetitive patterns are repeated at regular space intervals, and in that the computation means are designed to compute the elevation of the light source from the position of the distinctive element present in said image, and wherein the computation means are designed to refine the elevation of the light source from the position of the repetitive patterns present in said image. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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47. The measurement method according to claim 41, wherein,
the measurement method is for implementing a measurement system that further comprises: -
(i) a retroreflector, wherein the light source is connected to the computing means and to the imaging device, wherein the computation means are designed to compute the elevation of the retroreflector, (ii) at least two punctual light sources emitting light at distinct wavelengths, and (iii) at least two filters, wherein the filters are arranged so as to cover distinct locations of the component, and wherein each filter covers a surface which is at least as big as nine times the surface of a single pattern of the component, and wherein the filters are matched to the wavelengths of the light sources, and wherein the imaging device is designed to deliver one image per area covered by the filters, and wherein the every light source is connected to the computing means and to the imaging device; and the position of the shadow with respect to the component is computed at least once per area covered by the filters, and wherein the combination of said positions is used to compute the three dimensional position of the retroreflector.
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48. The measurement method according to claim 47, wherein,
the measurement method is for implementing a measurement system that further comprises several identical copies of said light sources, wherein every light source is addressable individually and said copies of the light sources are positioned at increasing distance from the imaging device, and the position of the three dimensional position of the retroreflector is first computed using a light first source and a second light source that are close to the sensor, followed by a computation using a copy of light the first light source and a copy of the second light source that are positioned further apart from the sensor.
Specification