EP0059480A1 — An apparatus for measuring the characteristics of…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 138 words

An apparatus for measuring the optical characteristics of an optical system, comprising collimator means for collimating a beam of light from a source of light, means for selecting part of the light beam from said collimator means, means for holding an optical system to be tested between said collimator means and said selecting means, means for detecting the selected light beam from said selecting means, and means for operating the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested on the basis of the results detected in said detecting means, characterized in that said selecting means includes a beam selecting pattern comprising two groups of parallel linear lines, each of said groups consisting of at least two parallel linear lines, said parallel linear line groups being disposed such that they are oriented in different directions without any intersection.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 138 words

An apparatus for measuring the optical characteristics of an optical system, comprising collimator means for collimating a beam of light from a source of light, means for selecting part of the light beam from said collimator means, means for holding an optical system to be tested between said collimator means and said selecting means, means for detecting the selected light beam from said selecting means, and means for operating the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested on the basis of the results detected in said detecting means, characterized in that said selecting means includes a beam selecting pattern comprising two groups of parallel linear lines, each of said groups consisting of at least two parallel linear lines, said parallel linear line groups being disposed such that they are oriented in different directions without any intersection.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said parallel linear line groups are disposed symmetrically relative to each other with respect to a plane including the measuring optical axis.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 34 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 or 2 characterized in that each of said parallel linear line groups includes at least one linear line which can be discriminated from the other linear lines.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 40 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that each of said parallel linear line groups includes a transmissive pattern through which the light beam from said optical system to be tested is transmitted.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 59 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said detecting means includes at least one line sensor and that said apparatus further comprises drive means for producing a relative movement between the selected light beam from said selecting means and said line sensor in a plane perpendicular to the measuring optical axis.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 81 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said detecting means includes two line sensors, one of said line sensors being disposed in a plane perpendicular to the measuring optical axis and the second line sensor being located in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis changed by an optical path changing member which is arranged between the first line sensor and said selecting means, and the first and second line sensors intersecting optically.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 79 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that said operating means is adapted to calculate an equation for projected linear lines of a projected pattern corresponding to said pattern on the basis of the results obtained by said detecting means, said equation being used to know changes in the inclination and pitch of said projected parallel linear line groups for obtaining the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested. '

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 71 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 7 characterized in that said operating means is adapted to form an imaginary parallelogram based on the inclination and pitch of said projected parallel linear line groups, whereby the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested are calculated from a change of said imaginary parallelogram depending on the presence or absence of said optical system to be tested in the measuring optical path.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 164 words

An appratus for measuring the optical characteristics of an optical system, comprising collimator means for collimating a beam of light from a source of light, means for selecting part of said collimated beam of light from said collimator means, means for holding an optical system to be tested between said collimator means and said selecting means, means for detecting the light beam selected in said selecting means, and means for calculating the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tesed on the basis of the results detected by said detecting means, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises the first beam splitting means for dividing the light beam from said optical system to be tested into at least two optical paths each of which includes at least one of said selecting means having a beam selecting pattern consisting of at least two parallel linear lines, said selecting means being disposed to have different orientation of said linear patters in the respective selecting means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 164 words

An appratus for measuring the optical characteristics of an optical system, comprising collimator means for collimating a beam of light from a source of light, means for selecting part of said collimated beam of light from said collimator means, means for holding an optical system to be tested between said collimator means and said selecting means, means for detecting the light beam selected in said selecting means, and means for calculating the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tesed on the basis of the results detected by said detecting means, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises the first beam splitting means for dividing the light beam from said optical system to be tested into at least two optical paths each of which includes at least one of said selecting means having a beam selecting pattern consisting of at least two parallel linear lines, said selecting means being disposed to have different orientation of said linear patters in the respective selecting means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 32 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 9 characterized in that said beam selecting pattern includes a transmissive pattern through which the light beam from said optical system to be tested is transmitted.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 57 words

An appratus as defined in claim 9 or 10 characterized in that the second beam splitting means is disposed behind each of said selecting means, said second beam splitting means being adapted to divide the light beam passed through said selecting means into at least two parts which are in turn incident on the corresponding detecting means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 31 words

An appratus as defined in any one of claims 9 to 11 characterized in that said detecting means comprises at least two line sensors for linearly scanning and detecting light information.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 18 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 12 characterized in that each of said line sensor consists of CCD.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 55 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 12 or 13 characterized in that at least two of said line sensors intersects in a detection plane which is defined by a relay optical system located between said optical system to be tested and said first beam splitting means and which is optically conjugate with said line sensors.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 56 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 12 or 13 characterized in that said line sensors are located parallel to each other in a detection plane which is defined by a relay optical system disposed between said optical system to be tested and said first beam splitting means and which is optically conjugate with said line sensors.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 19 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 9 or 10 characterized in that said detecting means includes a two-dimensional sensor.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 58 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 9 to 16 characterized in that said light source means comprises at least two sources of light having different wavelengths of emitting light from each other, said first beam splitting means being adapted to selectively reflect or transmit the light beam from said light source depending on its wavelength.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 39 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 9 and 17 characterized in that at least two optical paths splitted by said first beam splitting means each includes means for blocking the beam of light oppositely and alternately.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 35 words

An appratus as defined in any one of claims 9 and 18 characterized in that said detecting means is adapted to detect at least two points on the respective projected image of said linear pattern.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 64 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 9 characterized in that said calculating means is adapted to derive a linear equation for the projected image of said linear pattern from the results detected by said detecting means, said equation being utilized to calculate changes in the inclination and pitch of the projected image to obtain the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 77 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 20 characterized in that said calculating means is adapted to form an imaginary parallelogram on the basis of the inclination and pitch of said projected image, said imaginary parallelogram being utilized to calculate the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested on the basis of a change in said imaginary parallelogram depending on the presence or absence of said optical system to be tested in the measuring optical path.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 38 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 9 to 21 characterized in that said linear pattern group of said selecting means includes at least one linear pattern which can be discriminated from the other linear patterns.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 146 words

An apparatus for measuring the optical characteristics of an optical system, comprising collimator means for collimating a beam of light from a source of light, means for selecting part of said light beam from said collimator means, means for holding an optical system to be tested between said collimator means and said selecting means, means for detecting the selected light beam from said selecting means, and means for calculating the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested on the basis of the results detected by said detecting means, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises means for producing a relative rotation between said light beam emitted from said optical system to be tested and said selecting means in a plane intersecting with the measuring optical path and that said selecting means includes a beam selecting pattern consisting of at least two parallel linear lines.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 146 words

An apparatus for measuring the optical characteristics of an optical system, comprising collimator means for collimating a beam of light from a source of light, means for selecting part of said light beam from said collimator means, means for holding an optical system to be tested between said collimator means and said selecting means, means for detecting the selected light beam from said selecting means, and means for calculating the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested on the basis of the results detected by said detecting means, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises means for producing a relative rotation between said light beam emitted from said optical system to be tested and said selecting means in a plane intersecting with the measuring optical path and that said selecting means includes a beam selecting pattern consisting of at least two parallel linear lines.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 32 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 23 characterized in that said beam selecting means includes a transmissive pattern through which the light beam from said optical system to be tested is transmitted.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 32 words

2 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 23 or 24 characterized in that said relative rotation producing means is adapted to rotate said selecting means around the measuring optical path. .

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 38 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 23 or 24 characterized in that said relative rotation producing means is adapted to optically rotate the light beam emitted from said optical system to be tested around said measuring optical path.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 43 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 26 characterized in that the light beam emitted from said optical system to be tested is splitted into at least two optical paths, at least one of said optical paths including said beam rotating means disposed therein.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 35 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 23 to 27 characterized in that said parallel linear pattern group includes at least one linear pattern which can be discriminated from the other linear patterns.

Claim 32

Independent Claim 31 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 23 to 28 characterized in that said detecting means includes at least two line sensors for linearly scanning and detecting light information.

Claim 33

Independent Claim 81 words

An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 23 to 28 characterized in that said detecting means is adapted to detect at least two points on the respective projected image of said linear pattern, the so obtained results being utilized to derive a linear equation relating to said linear pattern projected image, said equation being used to obtain changes in the inclination and pitch of the projected image for calculating the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 79 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 30 characterized in that said calculating means is adapted to form an imaginary parallelogram on the basis of the inclination and pitch of projected image of said linear pattern, said imaginary being utilized to calculate the optical characteristics of said optical system to be tested on the basis of a change of said imaginary parallelogram depending on the presence or absence of said optical system to be tested in the measuring optical path.

An apparatus for measuring the characteristics of an optical system

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