Determination of an orientation parameter of an elongate object with a scan beam apparatus
First Claim
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1. A method for determining at least one orientation parameter of an elongate object having a tip contacting a plane surface, the method comprising:
- a) illuminating the plane surface with a probe radiation beam emitted from the elongate object at an angle σ
relative to an axis of the elongate object;
b) varying the angle σ
in accordance with a predetermined pattern so that the probe radiation beam illuminates various locations on the plane surface at various corresponding times;
c) detecting at the elongate object at a first time t1 a first scattered portion of the probe radiation beam returning from a first illuminated location along a path having a first predetermined angle τ
1 relative to the axis;
d) detecting at the elongate object at a second time t2 a second scattered portion of the probe radiation beam returning from a second illuminated location along a path having a second predetermined angle τ
2 relative to the axis;
e) deriving the orientation parameter from a time difference Δ
t=t2−
t1 between detecting the first scattered portion and the second scattered portion.
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Abstract
An elongate object optically determines at least one of its orientation parameters relative to a plane surface. A probe radiation beam is directed from the object at various angles σ to various locations on the plane, where the angle σ is a periodic function of time. Two angularly-selective radiation detectors oriented at fixed angles τ1 and τ2 sense scattered portions of the beam from two locations at two corresponding times. The orientation parameter is computed from a time difference Δt=t2−t1 between the two times.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for determining at least one orientation parameter of an elongate object having a tip contacting a plane surface, the method comprising:
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a) illuminating the plane surface with a probe radiation beam emitted from the elongate object at an angle σ
relative to an axis of the elongate object;b) varying the angle σ
in accordance with a predetermined pattern so that the probe radiation beam illuminates various locations on the plane surface at various corresponding times;c) detecting at the elongate object at a first time t1 a first scattered portion of the probe radiation beam returning from a first illuminated location along a path having a first predetermined angle τ
1 relative to the axis;d) detecting at the elongate object at a second time t2 a second scattered portion of the probe radiation beam returning from a second illuminated location along a path having a second predetermined angle τ
2 relative to the axis;e) deriving the orientation parameter from a time difference Δ
t=t2−
t1 between detecting the first scattered portion and the second scattered portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for determining at least one orientation parameter of an elongate object having a tip contacting a plane surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a) a beam source for emitting a probe radiation beam from the elongate object to illuminate the plane surface; b) a beam direction controller for directing the probe radiation beam from the elongate object at various angles σ
relative to an axis of the elongate object to various locations on the plane, wherein the various angles σ
are in accordance with a predetermined pattern;c) a first angularly-selective radiation detector for sensing at a first time t1 a first scattered portion of the probe radiation beam returning from a first location on the plane surface to the elongate object along a first path having a first angle τ
1 relative to the axis;d) a second angularly-selective radiation detector for sensing at a second time t2 a second scattered portion of the probe radiation beam returning from a second location on the plane surface to the elongate object along a second path having a second angle τ
2 relative to the axis;e) a computing unit for deriving the orientation parameter from a time difference Δ
t=t2−
t1 between sensing the first scattered portion and sensing the second scattered portion. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification