Video contour measurement system employing moire interferometry having a beat frequency pattern
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for measuring contours on the surface of an object, comprising the steps of:
- illuminating the object surface with a beam of light whose intensity cross section includes periodically spaced regions of low intensity at a reference spatial frequency;
receiving an image reflected off the object surface having regions of low intensity at an object spatial frequency;
generating digital signal equivalents of said reflected object image;
mixing said reflected object image digital signals with reference signals corresponding to a pattern having periodically spaced regions of low intensity at a reference spatial frequency to generate combined image signals;
extracting, from said combined image signals, signals corresponding to an intensity pattern having regions of low intensity at a beat frequency; and
generating output signals indicative of said beat frequency pattern.
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Abstract
An electroptic metrology system uses Moire interferometry to generate contour information on the surface of an object. Interfering coherent beams generate a n image on the object'"'"'s surface that includes a stripe pattern. The surface is viewed with a high resolution camera and digitized using a frame grabber and computer. A reference pattern is generated in software and is mixed with the digitized object surface signals. The mixed signals are filtered to remove signals at the carrier frequency and signals containing the beat frequency indicative of the surface contours are output.
36 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for measuring contours on the surface of an object, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating the object surface with a beam of light whose intensity cross section includes periodically spaced regions of low intensity at a reference spatial frequency; receiving an image reflected off the object surface having regions of low intensity at an object spatial frequency; generating digital signal equivalents of said reflected object image; mixing said reflected object image digital signals with reference signals corresponding to a pattern having periodically spaced regions of low intensity at a reference spatial frequency to generate combined image signals; extracting, from said combined image signals, signals corresponding to an intensity pattern having regions of low intensity at a beat frequency; and generating output signals indicative of said beat frequency pattern. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for measuring contours on the surface of an object, said apparatus comprising:
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a means for illuminating the object surface with a beam of light whose intensity cross section includes periodically spaced regions of low intensity at a reference spatial frequency; a means for receiving an image reflected off the object surface having regions of low intensity at an object spatial frequency; a means for generating digital signal equivalents of said reflected object image; a means for mixing said reflected object image digital signals with reference signals corresponding to a pattern having periodically spaced regions of low intensity at a reference spatial frequency to generate combined image signals; a means for extracting, from said combined image signals, signals corresponding to an intensity pattern having regions of low intensity at a beat frequency; and a means for generating output signals indicative of said beat frequency pattern. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification