US3834819A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Thickness measuring
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1973-07-05
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Granted: 1974-09-10
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Expires: 1993-07-05
Abstract
Abstract The thickness of an object is measured with great accuracy by scanning with a television camera a light-section microscope image of the object and its support, electronically generating markers which extend at least partially into the televised images of support and object, respectively, and determining the difference in the number of scanning lines by which the respective markers so extend into the image. This difference represents the object thickness.
Inventors
- 👤 L Montone
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 06:12
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B11/00; G01B11/02; G01B11/06; G01B11/022; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T292/00; Y10T292/48
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A method of measuring the thickness of an object, comprising the steps of: producing video signals representing the scanning along a plurality of scanning lines of an image of said object and of a support for said object, the thickness of said object being represented by displacement between said object and support images; producing additional signals representing the scanning of markers for said images extending over portions of adjacent ones of said scanning lines; and measuring the overlap between said video signals and said additional signals to determine said object thickness.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
91 words
A method of measuring the thickness of an object, comprising the steps of: producing video signals representing the scanning along a plurality of scanning lines of an image of said object and of a support for said object, the thickness of said object being represented by displacement between said object and support images; producing additional signals representing the scanning of markers for said images extending over portions of adjacent ones of said scanning lines; and measuring the overlap between said video signals and said additional signals to determine said object thickness.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
117 words
The method of measuring the thickness of an object, comprising the steps of: projecting from a slanting direction a strip of light across said object and its support; displaying on a television monitor an image of said light strip formed through line-by-line scanning of an area including said strip, said image having a first portion corresponding to said light strip projected across said object, and a second portion corresponding to said light strip projected across said support; displaying on said monitor a pair of markers, positioned to respectively extend partly into said first and and second portions of said light strip image; and determining the distance by which each said marker extends into its respective image portion.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
117 words
The method of measuring the thickness of an object, comprising the steps of: projecting from a slanting direction a strip of light across said object and its support; displaying on a television monitor an image of said light strip formed through line-by-line scanning of an area including said strip, said image having a first portion corresponding to said light strip projected across said object, and a second portion corresponding to said light strip projected across said support; displaying on said monitor a pair of markers, positioned to respectively extend partly into said first and and second portions of said light strip image; and determining the distance by which each said marker extends into its respective image portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said distance determining involves counting the number of said line scannings during which each said marker overlaps its respective image portion, and determining the difference between said numbers of overlapping line scannings thereby to determine the difference between said distances.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said markers are produced with a brightness contrasting with that of said image where they extend into said image and with a brightness similar to that of said image where they do not extend into said image.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 2 comprising the further step of: displacing that one of said markers which extends into said first portion across the width of said first portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2 comprising the further step of varying the width of that one of said markers which extends into said first position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
90 words
An object thickness measuring system comprising: means for producing video signals representing the scanning along a plurality of scanning lines of an image of said object and of a support for said object, the thickness of said object being represented by displacement between said object and support images; means for producing additional signals representing the scanning of markers for said images extending over portions of adjacent ones of said scanning lines; and means for measuring the overlap between said video signals and said additional signals to determine said object thickness.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
90 words
An object thickness measuring system comprising: means for producing video signals representing the scanning along a plurality of scanning lines of an image of said object and of a support for said object, the thickness of said object being represented by displacement between said object and support images; means for producing additional signals representing the scanning of markers for said images extending over portions of adjacent ones of said scanning lines; and means for measuring the overlap between said video signals and said additional signals to determine said object thickness.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
63 words
The system of claim 7, wherein said additional signal producing means is controllable so that some of said additional signals coincide with video signals representing scanning oF said object image, others of said additional signals coincide with video signals representing scanning of said support image, and still others of said additional signals coincide neither with said object signals, nor with said support signals.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 8, further comprising means for measuring the difference between said additional signals coinciding with said object signals and said additional signals coinciding with said support signals.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 9, wherein said difference measuring means comprises means for subdividing each said coinciding signal into a plurality of signal pulses, and means for counting the number of said pulses.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
70 words
The system of claim 7, wherein said video signal producing means comprises: a light-section microscope for forming images of said support and of said object, and television camera means for scanning said microscope images, said system further comprising television monitor means supplied with said video signals for visually displaying said support and object images; and means for supplying to said monitor means said additional signals to also display said markers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 11, wherein said additional signal producing means comprises a chain of multivibrators controlled by the horizontal and vertical scanning synchronizing signals of said camera means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
77 words
The system of claim 12, wherein said chain comprises a first pair of multivibrators supplied with said vertical synchronizing signals, said system further comprising an AND gate supplied with the output of said first pair of multivibrators and with said horizontal synchronizing signals, and means for supplying the output of said AND gate to second and third pairs of multivibrators in said chain, the outputs of said second and third pairs of multivibrators respectively representing said markers.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus for determining the relative displacement of different portions of a television image, comprising: means for generating signals representing markers for said image portions; means for controlling said generating means to position said markers to respectively extend partly into said different portions; and means for determining the difference between the distances by which said markers extend into said different portions.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus for determining the relative displacement of different portions of a television image, comprising: means for generating signals representing markers for said image portions; means for controlling said generating means to position said markers to respectively extend partly into said different portions; and means for determining the difference between the distances by which said markers extend into said different portions.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
97 words
The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said generating means includes means for producing two sets of signals, one set extending over corresponding portions of adjacent image scanning lines, and the other extending over different corresponding portions of said adjacent image scanning lines, whereby said markers occupy the same positions in a direction transverse to said scanning lines, and wherein said difference determining means includes means for counting the number of said scanning line portions in each said set of signals which coincide with line scannings of the respective image portions whose relative displacement is to be measured.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3187185A
Cited
US3679820A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-09 | 1978-03-11 | 1978-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-09 | 1982-03-11 | 1982-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-09 | 1986-03-11 | 1986-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |