Apparatus for optically inspecting the condition of a surface having known variations in the condition

Claim 2

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: scanning means for optically scanning a surface under test in accordance with a given program, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating condition variation signals in response to both known and unknown irregularities, means coupled to said scanning means and preprogrammed to follow said given program and to disregard said known irregularities whereby only signals for unknown irregularities are provided as output signals, the surface to be inspected comprising a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including a probe rotatably and axially moveable in a given order with respect to said bore, said preprogrammed means including means synchronized with said scanning means and means simulating said known condition for generating in time coincidence with said known irregularities error cancelling signals for cancelling erroneous condition variation signals, and said error cancelling signals causing said scanning means to disregard said known irregularities.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said preprogrammed means includes means secured to said probe external to said bore during the scanning of said bore, said secured means having a given position external said bore when said scanning means responds to said known irregularities, and said preprogrammed means further includes means located at said given position responsive to said secured means for generating said error cancelling signals.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said secured means includes light absorbing material located on said probe at discrete locations, each discrete location corresponding to a separate different one of said irregularities, said probe being light reflective, and said means located at said given position includes light generating means for causing a light beam to impinge upon said probe at said given position, and means responsive to the light reflected from said probe at said given position to generate an error cancelling signal whenever said light absorbing material is located in said given position.

Claim 5

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for scanning the surface under test with a beam of light in a given sequence, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, said surface to be inspected including a cylindrical bore, preprogrammed means, including means simulating a known condition, coupled to said scanning means programmed to generate error cancelling signals for causing said scanning means to disregard said erroneous condition variation signals, an error cancelling signal being generated for each of said irregularities whereby said erroneous signals are cancelled.

Claim 6

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for scanning the surface under test with a beam of light in a given sequence, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, said surface to be inspected including a cylindrical bore, preprogrammed means, including means simulating a known condition, coupled to said scanning means programmed to generate error cancelling signals for causing said scanning means to disregard said erroneous condition variation signals, an error cancelling signal being generated for each of said irregularities whereby said erroneous signals are cancelled.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said scanning means includes means for causing said beam of light to continuously scan said surface, said known irregularities occurring in a given order during said sequence.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the surface to be inspected is a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including an elongated cylindrical probe rotatably and axially moveable with respect to said bore, and said preprogrammed means includes a pattern of substantially identical irregularities secured externally to said probe, arranged in substantially the same pattern as the known irregularities on said surface, each of said identical irregularities corresponding to a different one of said known irregularities and being located in a given position external the bore when said light beam impinges upon the corresponding known irregularity.

Claim 11

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for optically scanning a surface under test in accordance with a given program, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating condition variation signals in response to irregularities including erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, means including a separate light source and light sensing means for optically scanning a record of known irregularities and generating blanking signals synchronized with said erroneous condition variation signals, and gating means coupled to receive said erroneous signals and said blanking signals and to provide output signals incorporating said condition variation signals free of erroneous condition variation signals.

Claim 12

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for optically scanning a surface under test in accordance with a given program, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating condition variation signals in response to irregularities including erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, means including a separate light source and light sensing means for optically scanning a record of known irregularities and generating blanking signals synchronized with said erroneous condition variation signals, and gating means coupled to receive said erroneous signals and said blanking signals and to provide output signals incorporating said condition variation signals free of erroneous condition variation signals.

Claim 13

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for optically scanning the surface under test in accordance with a given program, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, means coupled to said scanning means and preprogrammed to follow said given program for causing said scanning means to disregard said known irregularities wherEby only said erroneous signals are eliminated, said surface to be inspected consisting of a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including a probe rotatably and axially moveable with respect to said bore, and said preprogrammed means including means simulating said known condition for generating in time coincidence with said known irregularities error cancelling signals for cancelling said erroneous condition variation signals, said error cancelling signals causing said scanning means to disregard said known irregularities.

Claim 14

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for optically scanning the surface under test in accordance with a given program, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, means coupled to said scanning means and preprogrammed to follow said given program for causing said scanning means to disregard said known irregularities wherEby only said erroneous signals are eliminated, said surface to be inspected consisting of a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including a probe rotatably and axially moveable with respect to said bore, and said preprogrammed means including means simulating said known condition for generating in time coincidence with said known irregularities error cancelling signals for cancelling said erroneous condition variation signals, said error cancelling signals causing said scanning means to disregard said known irregularities.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said scanning means includes means for longitudinally and transversely scanning said surface in a given order, and said preprogrammed means includes means synchronized with said scanning means.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said preprogrammed means includes means secured to said probe external said bore during the scanning of said bore, said secured means having a given position external said bore when said scanning means responds to said known irregularities, and said preprogrammed means further includes means located at said given position responsive to said secured means for generating said error cancelling signals.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said secured means includes light absorbing material located on said probe at discrete locations, each discrete location corresponding to a separate different one of said irregularities, said probe being light reflective, and said means located at said given position includes light generating means for causing a light beam to impinge upon said probe at said given position, and means responsive to the light reflected from said probe at said given position to generate an error cancelling signal whenever said light absorbing material is located in said given position.

Claim 18

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for scanning the surface under test with a beam of light in a given sequence, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, preprogrammed means coupled to said scanning means programmed to generate error cancelling signals for causing said scanning means to disregard said erroneous condition variation signals, an error cancelling signal being generated for each of selected ones of said irregularities whereby only said selected ones of said erroneous signals are cancelled, said scanning means including means for causing said beam of light to continuously scan said surface, said known irregularities occurring in a given order during said sequence, the surface to be inspected including a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including an elongated cylindrical probe rotatably and axially moveable with respect to said bore, and said preprogrammed means including a pattern of substantially identical irregularities secured externally to said probe, arranged in substantially the same pattern as the known irregularities on said surface, each of said identical irregularities corresponding to a different one of said known irregularities and being located in a given position external the bore when said light beam impinges upon the corresponding known irregularity.

Claim 19

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for scanning the surface under test with a beam of light in a given sequence, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, preprogrammed means coupled to said scanning means programmed to generate error cancelling signals for causing said scanning means to disregard said erroneous condition variation signals, an error cancelling signal being generated for each of selected ones of said irregularities whereby only said selected ones of said erroneous signals are cancelled, said scanning means including means for causing said beam of light to continuously scan said surface, said known irregularities occurring in a given order during said sequence, the surface to be inspected including a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including an elongated cylindrical probe rotatably and axially moveable with respect to said bore, and said preprogrammed means including a pattern of substantially identical irregularities secured externally to said probe, arranged in substantially the same pattern as the known irregularities on said surface, each of said identical irregularities corresponding to a different one of said known irregularities and being located in a given position external the bore when said light beam impinges upon the corresponding known irregularity.

Claim 20

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: scanning means for optically scanning the surface under test in accordance with a given program, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating condition variation signals in response to both known and unknown irregularities, means coupled to said scanning means and preprogrammed to follow said given program and to disregard said known irregularities whereby only signals for unknown irregularities arE provided as output signals, said surface to be inspected including a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including a probe rotatably and axially moveable with respect to said bore, said preprogrammed means including means simulating said known condition for generating in time coincidence with said known irregularities error cancelling signals for cancelling erroneous condition variation signals, said error cancelling signals causing said scanning means to disregard said known irregularities, said preprogrammed means including means secured to said probe external to said bore during the scanning of said bore, said secured means having a given position external said bore when said scanning means responds to said known irregularities, and said preprogrammed means further including means located at said given position responsive to said secured means for generating said error cancelling signals.

Claim 21

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: scanning means for optically scanning the surface under test in accordance with a given program, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating condition variation signals in response to both known and unknown irregularities, means coupled to said scanning means and preprogrammed to follow said given program and to disregard said known irregularities whereby only signals for unknown irregularities arE provided as output signals, said surface to be inspected including a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including a probe rotatably and axially moveable with respect to said bore, said preprogrammed means including means simulating said known condition for generating in time coincidence with said known irregularities error cancelling signals for cancelling erroneous condition variation signals, said error cancelling signals causing said scanning means to disregard said known irregularities, said preprogrammed means including means secured to said probe external to said bore during the scanning of said bore, said secured means having a given position external said bore when said scanning means responds to said known irregularities, and said preprogrammed means further including means located at said given position responsive to said secured means for generating said error cancelling signals.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said secured means includes light absorbing material located on said probe at discrete locations, each discrete location corresponding to a different one of said irregularities, said probe being light reflective, and said means located at said given position includes light generating means for causing a light beam to impinge upon said probe at said given position, and means responsive to the light reflected from said probe at said given position to generate an error cancelling signal whenever said light absorbing material is located in said given position.

Claim 23

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for scanning the surface under test with a beam of light in a given sequence, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, preprogrammed means coupled to said scanning means programmed to generate error cancelling signals for causing said scanning means to disregard said erroneous condition variation signals, an error cancelling signal being generated for each of said irregularities whereby said erroneous signals are cancelled, said scanning means including means for causing said beam of light to continuously scan said surface, said known irregularities occurring in a given order during said sequence, said surface to be inspected being formed as a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including an elongated cylindrical probe rotatably and axially moveable with respect to said bore, and said preprogrammed means including a pattern of substantially identical irregularities secured externally to said probe, arranged in substantially the same pattern as the known irregularities on said surface, each of said identical irregularities corresponding to a different one of said known irregularities and being located in a given position external the bore when said light beam impinges upon the corresponding known irregularity.

Claim 24

Apparatus for inspecting the condition of a surface having known irregularities thereon, comprising: means for scanning the surface under test with a beam of light in a given sequence, said scanning means being responsive to variations in the condition of said surface from a given condition, said scanning means generating erroneous condition variation signals in response to said known irregularities, preprogrammed means coupled to said scanning means programmed to generate error cancelling signals for causing said scanning means to disregard said erroneous condition variation signals, an error cancelling signal being generated for each of said irregularities whereby said erroneous signals are cancelled, said scanning means including means for causing said beam of light to continuously scan said surface, said known irregularities occurring in a given order during said sequence, said surface to be inspected being formed as a cylindrical bore, said scanning means including an elongated cylindrical probe rotatably and axially moveable with respect to said bore, and said preprogrammed means including a pattern of substantially identical irregularities secured externally to said probe, arranged in substantially the same pattern as the known irregularities on said surface, each of said identical irregularities corresponding to a different one of said known irregularities and being located in a given position external the bore when said light beam impinges upon the corresponding known irregularity.