Method and apparatus for three-dimensional scanning
First Claim
1. Scanning apparatus comprisinga movably mounted support,means for projecting an energy beam from said support along a beam axis directed to an object to be scanned,means for effecting relative scanning motion of said support and an object to be scanned whereby said beam scans across the object in a scan pattern,first and second mutually spaced energy receivers mounted to said support for motion therewith relative to the object to be scanned, means for moving the object relatively to the scan pattern,said beam illuminating areas of said object in said scan pattern, one of said receivers having an energy receiving axis inclined to the beam axis and directed at said illuminated areas, and means for generating signals that define position of said illuminated areas in a plane parallel to the direction of motion of the object relative to the scan pattern.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Three-dimensional information and a three-dimensional display of the surface of an object is provided by a scanning laser beam mounted on a high-speed rotating disc to repetitively scan across an object transported below the disc upon a moving carrier. Light reflected from the object surface back along the axis of the scanning beam is detected to indicate surface characteristics, such as reflection intensity. Positions of the projected beam in the course of its scanning rotation and of the carrier in the course of its transport motion are detected to generate signals that define the XY position of the scanning beam. Light of the projected energy beam, as reflected from the object at an angle to the beam axis, is imaged by a second lens upon a linear detector array, whereby the position of the image along the linear detector array will indicate elevation of the reflecting area along the axis of the projected beam. The signals defining the XY position of the scanning beam also define the XY positions of the elevation data from the linear array and the XY positions of the information obtained from the detector of coaxially reflected energy. Several solid-state lasers and detectors are carried by the rotating disc in one embodiment to provide measurements of different object characteristics and to improve scan speed or resolution.
39 Citations
25 Claims
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1. Scanning apparatus comprising
a movably mounted support, means for projecting an energy beam from said support along a beam axis directed to an object to be scanned, means for effecting relative scanning motion of said support and an object to be scanned whereby said beam scans across the object in a scan pattern, first and second mutually spaced energy receivers mounted to said support for motion therewith relative to the object to be scanned, means for moving the object relatively to the scan pattern, said beam illuminating areas of said object in said scan pattern, one of said receivers having an energy receiving axis inclined to the beam axis and directed at said illuminated areas, and means for generating signals that define position of said illuminated areas in a plane parallel to the direction of motion of the object relative to the scan pattern.
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3. Scanning apparatus comprising
a movably mounted support, means for projecting an energy beam from said support along a beam axis directed to an object to be scanned, means for effecting relative scanning motion of said support and an object to be scanned whereby said beam scans across the object in a scan pattern, first and second mutually spaced energy receivers mounted to said support for motion therewith relative to the object to be scanned, means for moving the object relatively to the scan pattern, said means for effecting relative scanning motion comprising means for mounting the support for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the direction of motion of the object relative to the scan pattern, a detector, said first receiver comprising means for transmitting to said detector an image of an area of said object illuminated by said beam and reflected at an angle to said beam axis.
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4. Scanning apparatus comprising
a movably mounted support, means for projecting an energy beam from said support along a beam axis directed to an object to be scanned, means for effecting relative scanning motion of said support and an object to be scanned whereby said beam scans across the object in a scan pattern, first and second mutually spaced energy receivers mounted to said support for motion therewith relative to the object to be scanned, means for moving the object relatively to the scan pattern, and second means for projecting a second energy beam from said support along a second beam axis directed to said object, whereby said second energy beam scans across the object in a scan pattern, said first and second receivers each having a receiving axis directed to receive energy of respective ones of said beams as reflected from said object, whereby said object may be scanned by two beams.
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9. Scanning apparatus comprising
a movably mounted support, means for projecting an energy beam from said support along a beam axis directed to an object to be scanned, means for effecting relative scanning motion of said support and an object to be scanned whereby said beam scans across the object in a scan pattern, first and second mutually spaced energy receivers mounted to said support for motion therewith relative to the object to be scanned, and means for moving the object relatively to the scan pattern, said beam illuminating areas of said object in said scan pattern, and one of said receivers being offset from said projected beam axis adjacent said illuminated areas.
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10. Scanning apparatus comprising
a movably mounted support, means for projecting an energy beam from said support along a beam axis directed to an object to be scanned, means for effecting relative scanning motion of said support and an object to be scanned whereby said beam scans across the object in a scan pattern, first and second mutually spaced energy receivers mounted to said support for motion therewith relative to the object to be scanned, and means for moving the object relatively to the scan pattern, said beam axis being substantially normal to the direction of motion of the object relative to the pattern, and said first receiver, having an energy receiving axis inclined to the beam axis and directed at said illuminated areas.
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13. A method of scanning an object comprising
projecting an energy beam at the object to cause energy of the beam to be reflected from the object, moving the beam across the object to provide an illuminated area that traverses the object in a scan pattern, positioning first and second reflected energy receivers to receive energy reflected along first and second receiver axes, moving said receivers in synchronism with said beam to cause the receiver axes to scan the object in said scan pattern, relatively moving said object and scan pattern, and generating signals defining positions of said illuminated area in a plane parallel to the direction of motion of said object and scan pattern.
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16. A method of three dimensional scanning of an object comprising
moving a scanning energy beam in a scan pattern across the object to successively illuminate small areas of the object, generating position signals defining position in a plane of a plurality of said illuminated areas, moving a scanning receiver across the object in synchronism with the energy beam to receive energy reflected from said illuminated areas at an angle to a normal to said plane, and generating, from reflected energy received by the receiver, elevation signals defining relative elevations of said illuminated areas.
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18. Scanning apparatus comprising
a support, means for mounting the support for rotation about a rotation axis, means for rotatably driving the support, means carried by the support for projecting an energy beam parallel to said axis in a scan pattern, an object carrier mounted adjacent said support for transporting an object to be scanned across said scan pattern, whereby areas of an object carried by the carrier are successively illuminated by said energy beam, an energy receiver mounted to said support for receiving energy reflected from said object at an angle to said axis, and means responsive to said receiver for generating signals defining elevation of said illuminated areas in a direction parallel to said axis.
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22. Elevation scanning apparatus comprising
a support, a mirror rotatably mounted on the support, means for rotating the mirror, a lens for collecting light from a point of which elevation is to be determined and for directing collected light to a surface of the mirror, a detector for receiving light collected by the lens and reflected by the mirror, an optical slit interposed between the detector and mirror, peak detecting means coupled with said detector, and means responsive to said peak detecting means for indicating angular position of the mirror upon occurrence of a peak output from the detector.
Specification