Method and apparatus for determining surface shapes using reflected laser light
First Claim
1. A method for determining the surface shape of an object when the index of refraction thereof is known, comprising the steps of:
- illuminating a plurality of points on the surface of the object with a plurality of light beams to produce a corresponding plurality of reflections, having various degrees of polarization;
detecting the amount of polarization of the reflections of said light beams; and
calculating spatial data of surface points of said reflections using Brewster'"'"'s Angle and the amount of light polarization reflected therefrom, said data collectively being representative of the surface shape of said object.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining the surface shape of an object having an index of refraction. A laser light source (12) is incrementally movable in a rectilinear path along a track (10), and pivotal about the track (10), for scanning the surface of the object (14). A plurality of light detector segments (16) are provided on said track (10) for detecting light reflected from the object (14) which is maximally polarized when the angle of incidence equals Brewster'"'"'s Angle. Means are provided for accurately determining the rectilinear and angular position of the light source (12), as well as which light detector segment (16) has received polarized light reflected from the object surface. A computer (20) is provided for receiving the positional information of the light source (12) with respect to the object surface and the light reflections received by each light detector segment (16) and therefrom calculates the spatial position of various points of reflection (24, 46, 52) from the object surface. The surface shape of the object (14) can thereby be reconstructed by plotting a two-dimensional plot of a plurality of such spatial points thus calculated.
60 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for determining the surface shape of an object when the index of refraction thereof is known, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating a plurality of points on the surface of the object with a plurality of light beams to produce a corresponding plurality of reflections, having various degrees of polarization; detecting the amount of polarization of the reflections of said light beams; and calculating spatial data of surface points of said reflections using Brewster'"'"'s Angle and the amount of light polarization reflected therefrom, said data collectively being representative of the surface shape of said object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for determining the surface shape of an object, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating the surface of an object by moving a light beam at a predetermined rate with respect to said surface; detecting along a given path a degree of polarization of reflections of said light beam as reflected from said object; and detecting the rate of movement of said reflected light beams along said given path and using said degree of polarization and said movement to thereby determine the surface shape of said object. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for determining the surface shape of an object comprising:
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a light source; means for moving said light source with respect to said object; means for detecting polarized light reflected at various positoins from the surface of said object, an angle of said reflected light corresponding to Brewster'"'"'s Angle; and means for calculating spatial points of polarized light reflected from said object based upon Brewster'"'"'s Angle and positional characteristics of said light source with respect to said object. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. Apparatus for determining the surface shape of an object, comprising:
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a laser light source; an elongate track having disposed thereon a plurality of light detector segments; means for moving said light source along said track and for angularly rotating said light source about said track so as to scan the surface of said object; means for determining the position of said light source along said track, and for determining the angular position of said light source with respect to said track; and computer means connected to said means for determining, and connected to each said light detector segment for receiving positional information of said light source and light intensity information from said light detector segments, and for calculating spatial characteristics of the surface of said object based upon such positional information and light intensity information and Brewster'"'"'s Angle.
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Specification