Spatial modulation of light to determine dimensional characteristics of objects in a flow path
First Claim
1. An assembly, comprising:
- a spatial filter arranged in a Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes, the spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and mask features that are less light transmissive, the mask features arranged along the x-axis in a flow direction of a flow path;
a detector positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and a length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow path, the detector configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light; and
an analyzer configured to determine the width or thickness of the object based on the signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device includes a spatial filter arranged in a Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes. The spatial filter has mask features that are more light transmissive and mask features that are less light transmissive. The mask features are arranged along the x-axis in the flow direction of a flow path. A detector is positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and a length along the x-axis. Light emanating from the object is time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow path. The detector is configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light that includes information about the width or thickness of the object.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An assembly, comprising:
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a spatial filter arranged in a Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes, the spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and mask features that are less light transmissive, the mask features arranged along the x-axis in a flow direction of a flow path; a detector positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and a length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow path, the detector configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light; and an analyzer configured to determine the width or thickness of the object based on the signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An assembly, comprising:
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a spatial filter arranged in a Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes, the spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and mask features that are less light transmissive, the mask features arranged along the x-axis in a flow direction of a flow path; a detector positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and a length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow path, the detector configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light; an analyzer configured to determine the width or thickness of the object based on the signal, wherein; the spatial filter comprises at least a first portion and at least a second portion in any order along the x-axis; and light modulated by the first portion of the spatial filter includes information about the object width and light modulated by the second portion of the spatial filter includes information about a length of the object along the x-axis. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. An assembly, comprising:
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a spatial filter arranged in a Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes, the spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and mask features that are less light transmissive, the mask features arranged along the x-axis in a flow direction of a flow path; a detector positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and a length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow path, the detector configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light; and an analyzer configured to determine the width and thickness of the object based on the signal, wherein the spatial filter comprises; first light transmissive features that extend at least partially across the spatial filter substantially parallel to the y-axis; and second light transmissive features that extend at least partially across the spatial filter at an acute angle to the y-axis.
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10. An assembly arranged in relation to Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes, the assembly comprising:
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a spatial filter disposed in a plane along a flow direction of a flow path, the spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and mask features that are less light transmissive; a detector positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and a length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow path, the detector configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light; signal processing circuitry configured to transform the time varying signal to a frequency domain signal; and an analyzer configured to determine the width or the thickness and the length of the object based on the frequency domain signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method, comprising:
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modulating light using a spatial filter disposed along a longitudinal x-axis of a flow path, the spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and mask features that are less light transmissive; detecting light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along a y-axis, a thickness along a z-axis, and length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the longitudinal axis of the flow path; and generating a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light, the time varying electrical signal including information about the width or the thickness of the object. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A device arranged in relation to Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes, the device comprising:
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a spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and features that are less light transmissive, the mask features disposed along the x-axis in the flow direction of a flow path; at least one detector positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow direction of the flow path, the detector configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light, the time-varying electrical signal containing information about at least two of the length, width, and thickness of the object. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 28)
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24. A device arranged in relation to Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes, the device comprising:
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a spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and features that are less light transmissive, the mask features disposed along the x-axis in the flow direction of a flow path; at least one detector positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow direction of the flow path, the detector configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light, the time-varying electrical signal containing information about at least two of the length, width, and thickness of the object, wherein; the spatial filter comprises at least a first portion and at least a second portion in any order along the x-axis; and light modulated by the first portion of the spatial filter includes information about the object width and light modulated by the second portion of the spatial filter includes information about a length of the object. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A device arranged in relation to Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes, the device comprising:
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a spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and features that are less light transmissive, the mask features disposed along the x-axis in the flow direction of a flow path; at least one detector positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow direction of the flow path, the detector configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light, the time-varying electrical signal containing information about at least two of the length, width, and thickness of the object, wherein the spatial filter comprises; first light transmissive features that extend at least partially across the spatial filter substantially parallel to the y-axis; and second light transmissive features that extend at least partially across the spatial filter at an angle to the y-axis.
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29. A device arranged in relation to Cartesian coordinate system having orthogonal x, y, and z axes, the device comprising:
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first and second spatial filters, each spatial filter including mask features that are more light transmissive and features that are less light transmissive, the mask features disposed along the x-axis in the flow direction of a flow path, the first spatial filter arranged in first plane and the second spatial filter arranged in a second plane; first and second detectors positioned to detect light emanating from at least one object in the flow path, the object having a width along the y-axis, a thickness along the z-axis, and length along the x-axis, the light emanating from the object time modulated according to the mask features as the object moves along the flow direction of the flow path, the first detector configured to generate a first time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light, the first time-varying electrical signal containing information about the width of the object, the second detector configured to generate a second time-varying electrical signal in response to the detected light, the second time-varying electrical signal containing information about the thickness of the object. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification