EP0208094A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Swept aperture flying spot profiler
Assignee: Lincoln Electric Co
•
Filing: 1986-05-15
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2006-05-15
Abstract
Abstract A flying spot system uses a laser beam scanned in X and Y directions to provide surface profile information. The beam is applied to a surface under test and the time interval between the beginning of the sweep and the appearace of the beam image through an aperture is determined. This time interval is indicative of the beam angle which, through optical triangulation, is used to determine the surface height. A scan-descan arrangement and a plate with a small aperture are used to isolate a light detector from background light.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl Murray Penney
- 👤 Robert Neil Roy
- 👤 Bradley Scott Thomas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 19:17
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/10; G02B26/101; G01; G01B; G01B11/00; G01B11/24; G01S; G01S17/00; G01S17/02; G01S17/06; G01S17/46; H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/0007
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
190 words
A system for determining profile information from a surface of an object comprising: (a) an optical beam source for generating an optical beam for application to the surface; (b) an X-scanner operable under the control of a scan drive signal with reference marks to sweep said beam across the surface in an X direction; (c) a sensor adapted to sense reflected optical energy corresponding to an image of said beam reflected from the surface, said sensor having a sensor output; (d) an optical shield generally.shielding said sensor and having an aperture through which the reflected optical energy may pass; and (e) a subsystem for measuring and control and connected to said sensor and to said X-scanner, said subsystem having a location storage circuit adapted to receive a location input indicative of the current location of said beam and to receive a store input dependent on said sensor output, said store input causing said location storage circuit to store its location input when the image of said beam at said optical shield becomes centered on said aperture, and wherein said image location output is indicative of profile information of said surface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
190 words
A system for determining profile information from a surface of an object comprising: (a) an optical beam source for generating an optical beam for application to the surface; (b) an X-scanner operable under the control of a scan drive signal with reference marks to sweep said beam across the surface in an X direction; (c) a sensor adapted to sense reflected optical energy corresponding to an image of said beam reflected from the surface, said sensor having a sensor output; (d) an optical shield generally.shielding said sensor and having an aperture through which the reflected optical energy may pass; and (e) a subsystem for measuring and control and connected to said sensor and to said X-scanner, said subsystem having a location storage circuit adapted to receive a location input indicative of the current location of said beam and to receive a store input dependent on said sensor output, said store input causing said location storage circuit to store its location input when the image of said beam at said optical shield becomes centered on said aperture, and wherein said image location output is indicative of profile information of said surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of Claim 1 wherein said aperture is the only aperture in said optical shield through which the reflected optical energy may pass and said image location output is indicative of surface height.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of Claim 2 wherein said location storage circuit is a location latch and its location input is said scan drive signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system of Claim 3 wherein said subsystem has a peak detector operable to detect the peak of said sensor output for each sweep of said beam and to output a peak detected signal to said store input.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of Claim 2 wherein said location storage circuit supplies a single image location output for each sweep of said 'beam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of Claim 1 further comprising a Y-scanner operable to scan said beam across said surface in a Y direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of Claim 6 wherein said aperture is the only aperture in said optical shield through which the reflected optical energy may pass and said image location output is indicative of surface height.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of Claim 7 wherein said Y-scanner is a scanning-descanning means operable to provide a descanned optical output based on reflected optical energy of said beam on the surface and independent of Y direction variations in said beam.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
9 . The system of Claim 8 wherein said aperture is a hole smaller than 500 microns across.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of Claim 8 wherein said sensor is the only sensor used for sensing the reflected optical energy.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
200 words
A system for determining profile information from a surface of an object comprising: (a) an optical beam source for generating an optical beam for application to the surface; (b) an X-scanner operable under the control of a drive signal with reference marks to sweep said beam across the surface in an X-direction; (c) a sensor adapted to sense reflected optical energy corresponding to an image from said beam reflected from the surface, said sensor having a sensor output; (d) an optical shield generally shielding said sensor and having a single aperture through which the reflected optical energy may pass; and (e) a subsystem for measuring and control and connected to said sensor and to said scanner, said subsystem having a location storage circuit adapted to receive a location input indicative of the current location of said beam and to receive a store input signal dependent on said sensor output, said store input causing said location storage circuit to store its location input, said location storage circuit supplying an image location output corresponding to the beam position upon the appearance of said beam image through said aperture, and wherein said image location output is indicative of the height of said surface.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
200 words
A system for determining profile information from a surface of an object comprising: (a) an optical beam source for generating an optical beam for application to the surface; (b) an X-scanner operable under the control of a drive signal with reference marks to sweep said beam across the surface in an X-direction; (c) a sensor adapted to sense reflected optical energy corresponding to an image from said beam reflected from the surface, said sensor having a sensor output; (d) an optical shield generally shielding said sensor and having a single aperture through which the reflected optical energy may pass; and (e) a subsystem for measuring and control and connected to said sensor and to said scanner, said subsystem having a location storage circuit adapted to receive a location input indicative of the current location of said beam and to receive a store input signal dependent on said sensor output, said store input causing said location storage circuit to store its location input, said location storage circuit supplying an image location output corresponding to the beam position upon the appearance of said beam image through said aperture, and wherein said image location output is indicative of the height of said surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of Claim 11 wherein said image location output corresponds to the time interval between one of the reference marks of said scan drive signal and the appearance of said beam image through said aperture.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of Claim 11 wherein said subsystem supplies a single image location output for each sweep of said beam.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of Claim 11 wherein said location input of said location storage circuit is said scan drive signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system of Claim 11 wherein said subsystem has a peak detector operable to detect the peak of said sensor output for each sweep of said beam and to output a peak detected signal to said store input.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of Claim 15 wherein said location storage circuit is a location latch and its location input is said scan drive signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of Claim 11 further comprising a Y-scanner operable to scan said beam across said surface in a Y direction.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of Claim 17 wherein said Y-scanner is a scanning-descanning means operable to provide a descanned optical output based on reflected optical energy of said beam on the surface and independent of Y-direction.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
111 words
A method of determining profile information from a surface, the steps comprising: (a) generating an optical beam for application to the surface; (b) scanning said beam under the control of a scan drive signal with reference marks to sweep said beam in an X direction across the surface; (c) sensing reflected optical energy corresponding to an image of said beam reflected from the surface, the reflected optical energy having passed through an aperture in an optical shield prior to its sensing; and (d) generating an image location output corresponding to the appearance of said beam image at said aperture, said image location output being indicative of profile information of said surface.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
111 words
A method of determining profile information from a surface, the steps comprising: (a) generating an optical beam for application to the surface; (b) scanning said beam under the control of a scan drive signal with reference marks to sweep said beam in an X direction across the surface; (c) sensing reflected optical energy corresponding to an image of said beam reflected from the surface, the reflected optical energy having passed through an aperture in an optical shield prior to its sensing; and (d) generating an image location output corresponding to the appearance of said beam image at said aperture, said image location output being indicative of profile information of said surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of Claim 19 further comprising the step of detecting the peak of the sensed reflected optical energy for each sweep of said beam.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of Claim 19 wherein a single image location output is generated for each sweep of said beam.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of Claim 19 wherein said image location output is generated by: supplying a location storage circuit with a location input indicative of the current location of said beam and with a store input dependent on the sensed reflected optical energy.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of Claim 22 further comprising the step of storing the magnitude of the sensed beam image.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of Claim 19 further comprising the step of scanning said beam in a Y direction across the surface, said Y direction being perpendicular to said X direction.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of Claim 24 further comprising the step of descanning reflected optical energy of said beam on said surface to provide a descanned optical output independent of Y direction variations in said beam.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.