Three dimensional color imaging
First Claim
1. An optical method of determining the color and profile of a target surface, comprising(a) scanning said surface with an incident beam of light containing a plurality of wavelengths including at least one well defined wavelength,(b) determining the profile of the surface from a return beam reflected from the surface, and(c) dispersing said return beam into a plurality of separate return beams according to their wavelengths and imaging said separate return beams onto a position sensitive detector to generate signals representative of the color of the surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Three dimensional digital imaging of the profile of a surface of an object is improved to include the collection of data on the color of the surface, this result being achieved with only minor changes to a monochromatic 3-D camera and without the complications of multiple detectors or multiple color filters. The surface is scanned with an incident beam of light that contains a plurality of wavelengths including at least one well defined wavelength, e.g. either three well defined wavelengths corresponding respectively to the primary colors, or a continuum of visible light plus one well defined wavelength outside such continuum. The return beam that is analyzed to generate the digital profile data is dispersed into a plurality of separate return beams according to wavelength, the relative intensities of such separate return beams providing the color data.
64 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An optical method of determining the color and profile of a target surface, comprising
(a) scanning said surface with an incident beam of light containing a plurality of wavelengths including at least one well defined wavelength, (b) determining the profile of the surface from a return beam reflected from the surface, and (c) dispersing said return beam into a plurality of separate return beams according to their wavelengths and imaging said separate return beams onto a position sensitive detector to generate signals representative of the color of the surface.
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9. An optical method of determining the color and profile of a target surface, comprising scanning the surface with an incident beam of light and imaging a return beam reflected from the surface onto detecting means for generating signals representative of said profile, the detecting means including a position sensitive detector, characterised in that
(a) the incident beam contains a plurality of wavelengths including at least one well defined wavelength, and (b) the return beam is dispersed into a plurality of separate return beams according to wavelength, said separate return beams being imaged onto the position sensitive detector to generate signals that are representative of the color of the surface.
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10. An optical apparatus for determining the color and profile of a target surface, comprising
(a) means for scanning said surface with an incident beam of light containing a plurality of wavelengths including a well defined wavelength, (b) means for imaging a return beam of light reflected from said surface, (c) detecting means including a position sensitive detector, (d) means for dispersing said return beam into a plurality of separate return beams according to their wavelengths and for directing said separate return beams onto the position sensitive detector, and (e) processing means for receiving from said position sensitive detector intensity signals corresponding to the amplitudes of respective ones of said separate return beams for calculating from said signals the color of the surface, and for receiving from said detecting means range signals corresponding to the range of said surface for calculating from said range signals the profile of the surface.
- 15. Apparatus for determining the color and profile of a target surface, comprising a source for producing an incident beam of light, means for scanning said beam over the target surface, detecting means including a position sensitive detector for connection to a microprocessor, an optical system for imaging a return beam of light reflected back from the surface onto the detecting means, the return beam being indicative of the ranges of points on the surface and hence of the profile of the surface, characterized in that the source produces a plurality of wavelengths including at least one well defined wavelength, and further characterized by means for dispersing the return beam into a plurality of separate return beams according to wavelength to enable the color of the surface to be determined by the microprocessor by measuring the relative intensities of signals received from the position sensitive detector corresponding to respective ones of said plurality of separate return beams.
Specification