Systems and methods for monitoring moving surfaces using light signals
First Claim
1. A monitoring system for a moving surface comprising:
- an emitter for emitting a plurality of light signals onto said moving surface;
a collector for receiving a plurality of reflected representations of said light signals;
electronics connected to said collector and configured to combine said reflected representations into a waveform;
said electronics further configured to derive and collect a plurality of sample points from said waveform;
said electronics further configured to derive a timing period from said plurality of sample points based on a unique artifact associated with a given waveform shape;
said electronics further configured to define a marker in said waveform based on said timing period and to generate an output signal that includes a representation of said marker.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
This present specification provides, amongst other things, an electro-optical monitoring system for obtaining a once-per revolution signal based on the surface reflection of a rotating device that mandates non-contacting sensor input in potentially hostile environments. The system can use optical and electronic sections to illuminate and detect surface reflections from the rotating surface using existing mounting locations on the periphery of the machine to be measured. The electronic portion is configured to determine a unique mark as the once-per-revolution marker or allow an attending operator to assign a specific marker based on the observed reflected pattern. The optical portion consists of a light source, receiver, and optics that allow for focused and directed light paths.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A monitoring system for a moving surface comprising:
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an emitter for emitting a plurality of light signals onto said moving surface; a collector for receiving a plurality of reflected representations of said light signals; electronics connected to said collector and configured to combine said reflected representations into a waveform;
said electronics further configured to derive and collect a plurality of sample points from said waveform;
said electronics further configured to derive a timing period from said plurality of sample points based on a unique artifact associated with a given waveform shape;
said electronics further configured to define a marker in said waveform based on said timing period and to generate an output signal that includes a representation of said marker. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for monitoring a moving surface comprising:
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emitting a plurality of light signals onto said moving surface; receiving a plurality of reflected representations of said light signals; combining said reflected representation into a waveform; deriving a plurality of sample points from said waveform; deriving a timing period from said plurality of sample points based on a unique artifact associated with a given waveform shape; defining a marker in said waveform based on said timing period; and
,generating an output signal that includes a representation of said marker. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification