Optical measuring apparatus and method
First Claim
1. In an optical triangulation probe apparatus for measuring the distance of a surface utilizing light reflected from the surface and including a light source projecting a beam of light toward the surface, the combination comprising:
- an actual light spot image having a predetermined known image intensity distribution shape and formed from the light reflected from the surface;
detector means for receiving the actual light spot image and producing a plurality of signals representative of the image intensity distribution of the actual light spot image shape and the location of the image on the detector means, the position of the actual light spot on the detector means having a known relationship to the distance of the surface; and
estimating means containing a signal representation of a theoretical reference light spot image intensity shape and the spatial location of the theoretical reference light spot image for receiving the plurality of signals representative of the intensity distribution of the actual light spot image shape and estimating the spatial location of said plurality of signals representative of the intensity distribution of the actual light spot image coinciding with the signal representation of the theoretical reference light spot image shape whereby the surface distance is measured due to the known relationship between the position of the actual light spot image and the distance of the surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical triangulation probe is provided for measuring the distance and inclination of a surface. A light source is utilized for projecting a beam toward the surface to form a light spot on the surface. The image of the light spot is reflected and formed on a light detector means which produces a signal representation of the image intensity distribution of the light spot image and the location of the image on the detector means. Estimating means utilizes the signal representation of the light spot image and a signal representation of a theoretical image to estimate the location of the light spot image on the detector means. The distance of the surface and its inclination as established upon making the estimation due to the known triangulation relationship between the location of the light spot image on the detector means and the location of the light spot on the surface.
56 Citations
45 Claims
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1. In an optical triangulation probe apparatus for measuring the distance of a surface utilizing light reflected from the surface and including a light source projecting a beam of light toward the surface, the combination comprising:
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an actual light spot image having a predetermined known image intensity distribution shape and formed from the light reflected from the surface; detector means for receiving the actual light spot image and producing a plurality of signals representative of the image intensity distribution of the actual light spot image shape and the location of the image on the detector means, the position of the actual light spot on the detector means having a known relationship to the distance of the surface; and estimating means containing a signal representation of a theoretical reference light spot image intensity shape and the spatial location of the theoretical reference light spot image for receiving the plurality of signals representative of the intensity distribution of the actual light spot image shape and estimating the spatial location of said plurality of signals representative of the intensity distribution of the actual light spot image coinciding with the signal representation of the theoretical reference light spot image shape whereby the surface distance is measured due to the known relationship between the position of the actual light spot image and the distance of the surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In an optical triangulation probe apparatus for measuring the displacement of a surface from a reference position utilizing light reflected from the surface and including a light source projecting a beam of light toward the surface, the combination comprising:
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an actual light spot image having a predetermined known image intensity distribution shape and formed from the light reflected from the surface; detector means for receiving the actual light spot image and producing a signal representation of both the intensity distribution of the image shape of the actual light spot image and the position on the detector means at which the actual light spot image is received; a data base containing a signal representation of both the intensity distribution of a theoretical desired light spot image shape and a reference spatial location of the theoretical light image shape corresponding to the reference position of said surface; and estimating means receiving the signal representation of the intensity distribution of the theoretical desired light spot image shape and its spatial location and the signal representation of the intensity distribution of the actual light spot image shape for calculating the cross correlation function of said signal representations at the reference location of the theoretical desired image shape and at additional spatial locations of the theoretical desired light image shape until an estimation of the peak value of the cross correlation function is obtained; and means for identifying the distance between the reference spatial location at which the initial cross correlation function is calculated and the spatial location at which the peak value of the cross correlation function is calculated, said distance being representative of the displacement of said surface from the reference position. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method utilizing light for locating the position of a surface comprising the steps of:
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projecting an actual light spot having a predetermined known image intensity distribution shape onto said surface; reflecting light from the surface to form an actual image of the light spot on a light detector means at a location on the detector means having a known relationship to the position of the surface; producing a plurality of signals with the detector means representative of the intensity distribution of the actual light spot image on the light detector means and indicative of the spatial location of the actual image on the detector means; generating a plurality of signals representative of the intensity distribution of a theoretical desired light spot image shape; and calculating the cross correlation function of the two light spot image shapes from their representative signals at a spatial reference location of the theoretical desired light spot image shape relative to said actual light spot image spatial location and at additional closer locations of the two image shapes until the peak value of the cross correlation function is calculated to determine the spatial location of the actual light spot image relative to the reference location of the theoretical desired light spot image whereby the position of the surface is established due to the known relationship between the spatial location of the actual light spot image on the light detector means and the position of the surface. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method utilizing light for locating the position of a surface comprising the steps of:
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projecting onto the surface an actual light spot having an image intensity distribution shape that contributes to the unimodal character of a cross correlation function calculated with the use of the image shape; reflecting light from the surface to form an actual image of the light spot on a light detector means at a location on the detector means having a known relationship to the position of the surface; producing a plurality of signals with the detector means representative of the intensity distribution of the actual light spot image shape on the detector means and indicative of the spatial location of the actual image on the detector means; generating a plurality of signals representative of the intensity distribution of a reference light spot image shape; and calculating a unimodal cross correlation function of the two light spot image shapes from their representative signals at a spatial reference location of the reference light spot image shape relative to the actual light spot image spatial location and at additional closer relative locations of the two image shapes until the peak value of the cross correlation function is calculated; determining the location of the actual light spot image shape relative to the spatial reference location of the reference light spot image shape using the location of the reference light spot image shape when the peak value of the cross correlation is calculated and the spatial reference location of the reference light spot image shape; and indicating the position of the surface using the known relationship between the location of the actual light spot image shape as determined and the position of the surface. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A method utilizing light for locating the position of a surface comprising the steps of:
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projecting onto the surface a light spot having an image intensity distribution shape that contributes to the unique identification of the peak value of a cross correlation function calculated with the use of the function of the light spot image shape; reflecting light from the surface to form an actual image of the light spot on a light detector means at a location on the detector means having a known relationship to the position of the surface; producing a plurality of signals with the detector means representative of the intensity distribution of the actual light spot image shape on the detector means and indicating the spatial location of the actual image on the detector means; generating a plurality of signals representative of the intensity distribution of a reference light spot image shape that contributes to the unique identification of the peak value of a cross correlation function calculated with the use of said representative signals; and calculating the cross correlation function of the two light spot image shapes from their representative signals at a spatial reference location of the reference light spot image shape relative to the actual light spot image spatial location and at additional closer relative locations of the two image shapes until the peak value of the cross correlation function is calculated to determine the location of the actual light spot image relative to the reference location of the reference light spot image whereby the position of the surface is located due to the known relationship between the spatial location of the actual light spot image on the light detection means and the position of the surface.
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29. In an optical probe apparatus for measuring the angle of inclination of a surface and including a light source, the combination comprising:
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optical means producing from the light source a plurality of parallel light beams and directing the light beams toward the surface to form a plurality of light spots each corresponding to a light beam; detector means on which an actual image of each of said light spots is formed by light reflected from the surface for producing a signal representation of the location of each of the actual light spot image shapes on the detector means, the positions of each of the actual light spot images on the detector means having a known relationship to the distance of the surface from the probe and the inclination of the surface such that each ofthe light spots on the surface can be uniquely spatially located; and estimating means receiving said signal representations for determining from the signal representations the spatial location of the light spots on the surface and the inclination of the surface. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method, utilizing a light source for locating the position and inclination of a surface comprising the steps of:
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producing from the light source a plurality of parallel light beams having a predetermined known image intensity distribution shape and directing the light beams toward the surface to form a plurality of light spots each corresponding to a light beam and having said predetermined known image intensity distribution shape; reflecting light from the surface to form a plurality of actual light spot image shapes each having said predetermined known image intensity distribution shape on a light detector means at locations on the detector means each having a known relationship to the inclination of the surface and to the distance of the surface from a reference position; producing signal representation with the detector means of the intensity distribution of each of the plurality of actual light spot image shapes and indicative of the spatial location of the actual light spot image shapes on the detector means; generating a signal representation of the intensity distribution of a theoretical desired light spot image shape; calculating from their signal representations the cross correlation function of the theoretical desired image shape and the first one of a pair of actual light spot image shapes and the cross correlation function of the theoretical desired image shape and the second one of said pair of actual light spot image shapes at a spatial reference location and at additional closer locations of the theoretical desired light spot image shape relative to the actual light spot image shape spatial locations of each one of the pair of actual light spot image shapes until the peak value of the cross correlation function is calculated for each of the pair of actual light spot image shapes to determine the spatial location of each of the pair of actual light spot image shapes relative to the reference location of the theoretical light spot images whereby the position and inclination of the surface is established due to the known relationship between the locations of the pair of actual light spot image shapes on the light detector means and the position and inclination of the surface. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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45. In an optical probe apparatus for measuring the angle of inclination of a surface and including a light source producing a beam of light, the combination comprising:
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optical means positioned in the path of the beam of light for dividing the beam of light into two parallel light beams and directing the two parallel light beams toward the surface to form two actual light spots on the surface and cause light to reflect from the surface; detector means having a reflected light receiving surface on which an image of each of the two light spots is formed for producing a signal representation of the location of each of the light spot images on the detector means, the positions of the two light spot images on the detector means having a known relationship to the distance of the surface from the probe and the inclination of the surface such that each of the light spots on the surface can be uniquely spatially located; and means receiving said signal representations for determining from the signal representation the spatial location of the light spots on the surface and the inclination of the surface.
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Specification