Arrangement for sensing the characteristics of a surface and determining the position of points thereon

Claim 3

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said projection field is subdivided successively in accordance with a predetermined computational code, said predetermined point appearing only in part of said images, said computational code being arranged so that the number of said sections exceed substantially the number of images.

Claim 4

The method as defined in claim 2, wherein said code is a binary code.

Claim 5

The method as defined in claim 3 wherein said binary code comprises a pure binary code.

Claim 6

The method as defined in claim 2 wherein said code is a decimal-binary code.

Claim 7

The method as defined in claim 2 wherein said code is a three-bit code.

Claim 8

The method as defined in claim 6 wherein different ones of said subdivided sections have different colors.

Claim 9

The method as defined in claim 2 wherein in said code is a four-bit code.

Claim 10

The method as defined in claim 2 wherein said code is a N-bit code.

Claim 11

The method as defined in claim 2 wherein said code is a shift code.

Claim 12

The method as defined in claim 2 including the step of subdividing said sections into a plurality of subsections.

Claim 13

The method as defined in claim 11 wherein said subsections are formed by a plurality of coded patterns in predetermined sequence, each coded pattern being displaced in phase with respect to the remaining coded patterns.

Claim 14

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said projection field is subdivided successively into sections dependent on a predetermined computational code, the group of sections appearing in an image being different from the group of sections appearing in the other images, the total number of sections into which said surface is subdivided being substantially greater than the total number of recorded images.

Claim 15

The method as defined in claim 13 including the steps of recording selectively images of sections of a predetermined reference surface; and correlating the images of said first-mentioned surface with the images of said reference surface for defining the spatial location of said predetermined point on said first-mentioned surface.

Claim 16

The method as defined in claim 14 wherein said reference surface comprises a substantially cylindrical surface.

Claim 17

The method as defined in claim 14 wherein said reference surface comprises a substantially spherical surface.

Claim 18

The method as defined in claim 14 wherein said reference surface has a substantially star-shaped cross-section.

Claim 19

The method as defined in claim 14 wherein said step of recording said images of said reference surface comprises further the step of recording substantially locations of points present on said reference surface.

Claim 20

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said subdivided sections are substantially horizontally oriented sections.

Claim 21

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said subdivided sections are substantially vertically oriented sections.

Claim 22

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said subdivided sections are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal.

Claim 23

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said subdivided sections are combined horizontal and vertical sections.

Claim 24

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said subdivided sections are substantially radially oriented.

Claim 25

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said subdivided sections are of substantially concentric circular-shaped sections.

Claim 26

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said subdivided sections are of substantially concentric rectangular-shaped sections.

Claim 27

The method as defined in claim 25 wherein said rectangular-shaped sections are substantially inclined at a predetermined angle with the horizontal.

Claim 28

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said surface is a three-dimensional surface defining a volume, said sections comprising elements of volume.

Claim 29

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said projection field is subdivided successively in accordance with a predetermined computational code, said predetermined point being irradiated in accordance with a code assigned to the section of the projection field irradiating said point.

Claim 30

An arrangement for sensing and locating points on a surface comprising: means for generating a projection field directed onto a surface; means for applying relative motion between said projection field and said surface in at least one direction parallel to a coordinate axis applied to the surface; means for subdividing said projection field into a number of selected sections during said relative motion and irradiating said surface with different variations of said subdivided projection field so that each section is illuminated at least once; means for recording within a field of view images of said surface as irradiated by the subdivided projection field; means for recording a calibrated reference surface and reading said recorded images in relation to said reference surface to define the location of a predetermined point on said first-mentioned surface and appearing within said field of view; said projection field projecting in sequence preselected patterns onto the surface for subdividing the projection field into predetermined sections, said projected patterns on said surface having irradiated sections and non-irradiated sections, each pattern of irradiated sections and non-irradiated sections corresponding to an assigned code; said reading means reading further each projected pattern of irradiated and non-irradiated sections and reading the sections in which a preselected point appears; said patterns being combined for obtaining a predetermined total number of sections, said projection field being subdivided into said total number of sections, the number of said patterns and the total number of sections being related by said assigned code; patterns and sections in which the point appears being related to identify the position in three-dimensional space of the point on said surface, said surface being traversed with said projection field for each of said patterns during said relative motion, said projection field and said surface being moved relative to each other progressively to form a pattern during a traversal of said surface.

Claim 31

An arrangement for sensing and locating points on a surface comprising: means for generating a projection field directed onto a surface; means for applying relative motion between said projection field and said surface in at least one direction parallel to a coordinate axis applied to the surface; means for subdividing said projection field into a number of selected sections during said relative motion and irradiating said surface with different variations of said subdivided projection field so that each section is illuminated at least once; means for recording within a field of view images of said surface as irradiated by the subdivided projection field; means for recording a calibrated reference surface and reading said recorded images in relation to said reference surface to define the location of a predetermined point on said first-mentioned surface and appearing within said field of view; said projection field projecting in sequence preselected patterns onto the surface for subdividing the projection field into predetermined sections, said projected patterns on said surface having irradiated sections and non-irradiated sections, each pattern of irradiated sections and non-irradiated sections corresponding to an assigned code; said reading means reading further each projected pattern of irradiated and non-irradiated sections and reading the sections in which a preselected point appears; said patterns being combined for obtaining a predetermined total number of sections, said projection field being subdivided into said total number of sections, the number of said patterns and the total number of sections being related by said assigned code; patterns and sections in which the point appears being related to identify the position in three-dimensional space of the point on said surface, said surface being traversed with said projection field for each of said patterns during said relative motion, said projection field and said surface being moved relative to each other progressively to form a pattern during a traversal of said surface.

Claim 32

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said surface is subdivided successfully in accordance with a predetermined computational code, said predetermined point appearing only in part of said sections, the number of said images exceeding substantially the number of said images.

Claim 33

The arrangement as defined in claim 30 wherein said code is a pure binary code.

Claim 34

The arrangement as defined in claim 30 wherein said code is decimal-binary code.

Claim 35

The arrangement as defined in claim 30 wherein said code is a three-bit code.

Claim 36

The arrangement as defined in claim 33 wherein different subdivided sections of said surfaces are defined by different colors.

Claim 37

The arrangement as defined in claim 30 wherein said code is a binary code.

Claim 38

The arrangement as defined in claim 30 wherein said code is a four-bit code.

Claim 39

The arrangement as defined in claim 30 wherein said code is a N-bit code.

Claim 40

The arrangement as defined in claim 30 wherein said code is a shift code.

Claim 41

The arrangement as defined in claim 30 wherein subsections are formed by a plurality of coded patterns in predetermined sequence, each coded pattern being displaced in phase with respect to the remaining coded patterns.

Claim 42

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said projection field is subdivided successively into sections dependent on a predetermined computational code, the number of sections appearing in an image differing from the number of sections appearing in the other images, the total number of sections into which said projection field is subdivided being substantially greater than the total number of recorded images.

Claim 43

The arrangement as defined in claim 40 including means for recording selectively images of subdivided sections of a predetermined reference surface; and means for correlating the images of said first-mentioned surface with the images of said reference surface for defining the spatial location of said predetermined point on said first-mentioned surface.

Claim 44

The arrangement as defined in claim 41 wherein said reference surface is a substantially cylindrical surface.

Claim 45

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said subdivided sections are substantially horizontally oriented sections.

Claim 46

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said subdivided sections are substantially vertically oriented sections.

Claim 47

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said subdivided sections are inclined at a predetermined angle with the horizontal.

Claim 48

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said subdivided sections comprise combined horizontal and vertical sections.

Claim 49

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said subdivided sections are substantially radially oriented.

Claim 50

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said subdivided sections comprise substantially concentric circular-shaped sections.

Claim 51

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said subdivided sections comprise substantially concentric rectangular-shaped sections.

Claim 52

The arrangement as defined in claim 49 wherein said rectangular-shaped sections are inclined at a predetermined angle with the horizontal.

Claim 53

The arrangement as defined in claim 29 wherein said surface comprises a three-dimensional surface defining a volume, said sections comprising elements of volume.