High speed deterministic, non-contact, 3-axis free trajectory measurement device and free trajectory imaging device

• US 8,119,975 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Crowsocs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Crowsocs, Inc.
• Inventors: Downs, Justin G. III
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US12/080,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/227.13, 250/234, 250/235, 250/208.1, 382/313, 382/319, 358/473, 358/474
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/047 Detection, control or error compensation of scanning velocity or position H04N1/0402 and H04N1/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04713 Details of the detector arrangement, e.g. non-standard position, optical details H04N2201/04712 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04729 in the main-scan direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04731 in the sub-scan direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04743 by detecting the image directly detecting reference images H04N2201/04717

Abstract

A data providing device associated with a trajectory sensing system has at least a frame. The frame supports at least two sensing receivers and at least one emitter for the sensing receivers. The sensors sense movement and/or position with respect to a surface. The frame supports a third sensor that senses information (e.g., image data) from the surface at least in addition to movement. There is also a communication link from the two sensing receivers to a data storage device; a communication link from the third sensor to a data storage device or to a processor and then a data storage device; and a processor that determines position of the system with respect to the surface based at least in part on data from the two sensing receivers.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of at least two points on an imaging or scanning device with respect to a surface during obtaining of data from the surface or under the surface, the method comprising:

while moving a device across a surface and while obtaining data, taking at least two position readings on the surface from the device from fixed locations on the device;

while taking two position readings from the device, obtaining information on the surface from a third sensor on the device;

using readings from the at least two position readings to determine a position of the imaging or scanning device relative to the surface; and

using the position readings of the device relative to the surface to modify the information obtained from on the surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the taking of two position readings is done continuously while moving the device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor is an image sensor and the information obtained is image data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is moved manually across the surface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the readings from at least two position sensors and the information obtained from on the surface is used to correct distortion in the obtained information and then to store corrected information.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the readings from at least two position sensors and the information obtained from on the surface is used to correct distortion in the obtained information and then to store corrected information.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the readings from at least two position sensors and the information obtained from on the surface is used to correct distortion in the obtained information and then to store corrected information.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises an optical navigation device capable of performing deterministic motion measurements wherein the output of the device is a measurement of two-dimensional motion on a planar surface.

9. The device of claim 1 having at least one additional subcomponent selected from the group consisting of:

a) processing means to provide signal conversion capability between the optical navigation device and an at least 1 bit data port;

b) the at least two sensors are separated by a distance of at least 0.5 cm such that a 3.sup.rd motion axis of rotation about a surface normal vector (z-axis) may be derived using x-y motion data recovered from the at least two sensors;

c) the device is coupled with an external processor selected from the group consisting of an FPGA, ASIC, CPU and computer to provide signal processing capability to determine rotation about the surface;

d) processor for deriving free trajectory motion of an arbitrary center of rotation assumed or defined on the device;

e) storage for recording free trajectory motion of the arbitrary center of rotation;

f) communication means in the device for transfer of the free trajectory motion and/or the stored motion;

g) communication system enabling the free trajectory motion information to be transferred in the form of displacement in an x and y direction and rotation about a defined axis;

h) sensor selected from the group consisting of contact image sensors or CMOS sensors;

i) a processor receiving output of the CIS and which stores the output according to a storage algorithm determined in part by the device operation characteristics;

j) a processor containing executable code for an imaging storage algorithm utilizing the free trajectory path information and repeated output scans of an image sensor operated in conjunction with the trajectory sensor such that the free path trajectory is compensated for during memory storage of the CIS output;

k) a processor containing executable code for the storage algorithm to compensate for the free path trajectory by determining the storage address for free path compensation mathematically;

l) containing executable code for the storage address algorithm to be determined mathematically is calculated by a processor;

m) a field programmable gated array or ASIC for determining mathematically the storage algorithm;

n) wherein the device comprises sensors such as a mouse sensor typically used for non-deterministic motion detection as when coupled to a computer cursor.