Technique for illuminating a surface with a gradient intensity line of light to achieve enhanced two-dimensional imaging
First Claim
1. A method for obtaining a two-dimensional image of a light-reflective topological feature, which is of a different height from a surrounding background, such that the contrast between the feature and its surrounding background is enhanced, comprising the steps of:
- generating a line of light, having a gradient intensity profile across its width;
directing the line of light, with its gradient intensity profile, at a light-reflective feature and a surrounding background, which is of a different height, to illuminate a thin strip of area running thereacross such that the intensity of the light striking the feature and its surrounding background varies proportionally with their respective height;
capturing the image of the illuminated strip with a linescan camera;
processing the captured image to detect the intensity of the light reflected therefrom; and
spanning the feature and its surrounding background with the line of light and the linescan camera so that a two-dimensional image thereof is obtained so that the contrast between the feature and its surrounding background is enhanced.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
To obtain an enhanced two-dimensional image of a raised, light-reflective reflective feature (12), and its lower height surrounding background such that the contrast between them is enhanced, a line of light having a gradient profile is directed at an acute angle at the feature and its background to illuminate a strip of area thereacross. The reflectance intensity of the illuminated strip will vary in accordance with the height thereof because of the gradient intensity profile of the line of light. When the line of light is spanned across the feature and its background, the resultant image of the feature and its background, captured by spanning a linescan camera (24) thereacross, will exhibit an enhanced contrast between the feature and its background because of the greater height of the feature.
161 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A method for obtaining a two-dimensional image of a light-reflective topological feature, which is of a different height from a surrounding background, such that the contrast between the feature and its surrounding background is enhanced, comprising the steps of:
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generating a line of light, having a gradient intensity profile across its width; directing the line of light, with its gradient intensity profile, at a light-reflective feature and a surrounding background, which is of a different height, to illuminate a thin strip of area running thereacross such that the intensity of the light striking the feature and its surrounding background varies proportionally with their respective height; capturing the image of the illuminated strip with a linescan camera; processing the captured image to detect the intensity of the light reflected therefrom; and spanning the feature and its surrounding background with the line of light and the linescan camera so that a two-dimensional image thereof is obtained so that the contrast between the feature and its surrounding background is enhanced. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. Apparatus for obtaining a two-dimensional image of a light-reflective feature and a surrounding background which is of a different height such that the contrast within the image between the feature and its background is enhanced, comprising:
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means for generating a line of light having a gradient intensity profile across its width; means for directing the line of light with its gradient intensity profile at an acute angle at a feature and a surrounding background, which is of a different height, to illuminate a strip of area thereon such that the intensity of the light reflected from the strip is proportional to its height; means for capturing the image of the strip illuminated by the line of light; means for processing the captured image to detect the intensity of the light reflected from the strip illuminated by the line of light; and means for spanning the feature and its surrounding background with the line of light and with the image-capturing means to enable a two-dimensional image of the feature and its surrounding background to be obtained such that the contrast between the feature and its surrounding background is enhanced. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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Specification