Method and apparatus for image acquisition utilizing a hollow shaft motor and a concave, cylindrical reflector

Claim 2

Method for image acquisition comprising the steps of: A. passing a beam of collimated light through a hollow, rotatable motor shaft to a beam directing mirror that is secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow, rotatable motor shaft; B. reflecting said beam of collimated light from said beam directing mirror C. impinging the resulting reflected beam of collimated light on a concave, cylindrical reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that is a function of the radius of the concave, cylindrical reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon; D. illuminating at least a portion of an object with said conical beam of light; and, E. imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the object on an array of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the imaging path is coaxial with the axis of the conical beam extending from the apex thereof.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of rotating said hollow, rotatable motor shaft.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein said concave, cylindrical reflective surface is secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow rotatable motor shaft so that the concave, cylindrical reflective surface rotates upon rotation of the hollow, rotatable motor shaft.

Claim 6

Method for image acquisition comprising the steps of: A. passing a beam of collimated light through a hollow, rotatable motor shaft to a beam directing mirror that is secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow, rotatable motor shaft; B. reflecting said beam of collimated light from said beam directing mirror C. impinging the resulting reflected beam of collimated light on a concave, cylindrical reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that is a function of the radius of the concave, cylindrical reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon; D. illuminating at least a portion of an object with said conical beam of light; E. imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the object on an array of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; and; F. controlling the angular width of the arc of said conical light beam as a function of the ambient light noise at said object.

Claim 7

Method for image acquisition comprising the steps of: A. passing a beam of collimated light through a hollow, rotatable motor shaft to a beam directing mirror that is secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow, rotatable motor shaft; B. reflecting said beam of collimated light from said beam directing mirror C. impinging the resulting reflected beam of collimated light on a concave, cylindrical reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that is a function of the radius of the concave, cylindrical reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon; D. illuminating at least a portion of an object with said conical beam of light; E. imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the object on an array of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; and; F. controlling the angular width of the arc of said conical light beam as a function of the ambient light noise at said object.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of rotating said hollow, rotatable motor shaft.

Claim 9

The method of claim 5 wherein said concave, cylindrical reflective surface is secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow rotatable motor shaft so that the concave, cylindrical reflective surface rotates upon rotation of the hollow, rotatable motor shaft.

Claim 10

Method for image acquisition comprising the steps of: A. passing a beam of collimated light through a hollow, rotatable motor shaft to a beam directing mirror that is secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow, rotatable motor shaft; B. reflecting said beam of collimated light from said beam directing mirror C. impinging the resulting reflected beam of collimated light on a concave, cylindrical reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that is a function of the radius of the concave, cylindrical reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon; D. illuminating at least a portion of an object with said conical beam of light; E. imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the object on an array of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; and, F. controlling the angular arc of said conical beam of light by sweeping the collimated beam of light transversely across said concave, cylindrical reflective surface with the angular arc length being related to the beam sweep width.

Claim 11

Method for image acquisition comprising the steps of: A. passing a beam of collimated light through a hollow, rotatable motor shaft to a beam directing mirror that is secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow, rotatable motor shaft; B. reflecting said beam of collimated light from said beam directing mirror C. impinging the resulting reflected beam of collimated light on a concave, cylindrical reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that is a function of the radius of the concave, cylindrical reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon; D. illuminating at least a portion of an object with said conical beam of light; E. imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the object on an array of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; and, F. controlling the angular arc of said conical beam of light by sweeping the collimated beam of light transversely across said concave, cylindrical reflective surface with the angular arc length being related to the beam sweep width.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of rotating said hollow, rotatable motor shaft.

Claim 13

The method of claim 8 wherein said concave, cylindrical reflective surface is secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow rotatable motor shaft so that the concave, cylindrical reflective surface rotates upon rotation of the hollow, rotatable motor shaft.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least a portion of the imaging path is coaxial with the axis of the conical beam extended from the apex thereof.

Claim 21

In a robot having a tool for use with a workpiece, an image acquisition apparatus comprising: A. a rotatable reflective cylinder means having a concave reflective surface and a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis having a selected positional relationship with respect to the tool of the robot; B. means for rotating said reflective cylinder means C. beam directing mirror means secured with respect to and rotatable with said rotatable reflective cylinder means for directing a beam of collimated light to said concave reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that (i) is a function of the radius of the concave reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon and (ii) illuminates at least a portion of the workpiece; D. an arrary means of photosensitive elements, said elements producing signals representative of the light impinging thereon; E. means for imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the workpiece on said array means of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; and, F. utilization means responsive to said signals for controlling the position of the tool with respect to the workpiece.

Claim 22

In a robot having a tool for use with a workpiece, an image acquisition apparatus comprising: A. a rotatable reflective cylinder means having a concave reflective surface and a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis having a selected positional relationship with respect to the tool of the robot; B. means for rotating said reflective cylinder means C. beam directing mirror means secured with respect to and rotatable with said rotatable reflective cylinder means for directing a beam of collimated light to said concave reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that (i) is a function of the radius of the concave reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon and (ii) illuminates at least a portion of the workpiece; D. an arrary means of photosensitive elements, said elements producing signals representative of the light impinging thereon; E. means for imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the workpiece on said array means of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; and, F. utilization means responsive to said signals for controlling the position of the tool with respect to the workpiece.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the imaging path is coaxial with the axis of the conical beam extended from the apex thereof.

Claim 24

In a robot having a tool for use with a workpiece an image acquisition apparatus comprising: A. a rotatable reflective cylinder means having a concave reflective surface and a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis having a selected positional relationship with respect to the tool of the robot B. means for rotating said reflective cylinder means C. beam directing mirror means secured with respect to and rotatable with said rotatable reflective cylinder means for directing a beam of collimated light to said concave reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that (i) is a function of the radius of the concave reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon and (ii) illuminates at least a portion of the workpiece; D. an array means of photosensitive elements, said elements producing signals representative of the light impinging thereon; E. means for imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the workpiece on said array means of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; F. controlling the angular width of the arc of said conical light beam as a function of the ambient light noise at said workpiece; and, G. utilization means responsive to said signals for controlling the position of the tool with respect to the workpiece.

Claim 25

In a robot having a tool for use with a workpiece an image acquisition apparatus comprising: A. a rotatable reflective cylinder means having a concave reflective surface and a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis having a selected positional relationship with respect to the tool of the robot B. means for rotating said reflective cylinder means C. beam directing mirror means secured with respect to and rotatable with said rotatable reflective cylinder means for directing a beam of collimated light to said concave reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that (i) is a function of the radius of the concave reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon and (ii) illuminates at least a portion of the workpiece; D. an array means of photosensitive elements, said elements producing signals representative of the light impinging thereon; E. means for imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the workpiece on said array means of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; F. controlling the angular width of the arc of said conical light beam as a function of the ambient light noise at said workpiece; and, G. utilization means responsive to said signals for controlling the position of the tool with respect to the workpiece.

Claim 32

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein at least a portion of the image path is coaxial with the axis of the conical beam extended from the apex thereof.

Claim 37

In a robot having a tool for use with a workpiece, an image acquisition apparatus comprising: A. a reflective cylinder means having a concave reflective surface and a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis having a selected positional relationship with respect to the tool of the robot; B. motor means having a hollow, rotatable motor shaft; C. beam directing mirror means secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow rotatable motor shaft for directing a beam of collimated light that passes through said hollow, rotatable motor shaft to said concave reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that (i) is a function of the radius of the concave reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon and (ii) illuminates at least a portion of the workpiece; D. an array means of photosensitive elements, said elements producing signals representative of the light impinging thereon; E. means for imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the workpiece on said array means of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; and, F. utilization means responsive to said signals for controlling the position of the tool with respect to the workpiece.

Claim 38

In a robot having a tool for use with a workpiece, an image acquisition apparatus comprising: A. a reflective cylinder means having a concave reflective surface and a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis having a selected positional relationship with respect to the tool of the robot; B. motor means having a hollow, rotatable motor shaft; C. beam directing mirror means secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow rotatable motor shaft for directing a beam of collimated light that passes through said hollow, rotatable motor shaft to said concave reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that (i) is a function of the radius of the concave reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon and (ii) illuminates at least a portion of the workpiece; D. an array means of photosensitive elements, said elements producing signals representative of the light impinging thereon; E. means for imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the workpiece on said array means of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; and, F. utilization means responsive to said signals for controlling the position of the tool with respect to the workpiece.

Claim 39

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein at least a portion of the imaging path is coaxial with the axis of the conical beam extended from the apex thereof.

Claim 40

In a robot having a tool for use with a workpiece an image acquisition apparatus comprising: A. a reflective cylinder means having a concave reflective surface and a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis having a selected positional relationship with respect to the tool of the robot B. motor means having a hollow, rotatable motor shaft; C. beam directing mirror means secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow rotatable motor shaft for directing a beam of collimated light that passes through said hollow, rotatable motor shaft to said concave reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that (i) is a function of the radius of the concave reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon and (ii) illuminates at least a portion of the workpiece; D. an array means of photosensitive elements, said elements producing signals representative of the light impinging thereon; E. means for imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the workpiece on said array means of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; F. controlling the angular width of the arc of said conical light beam as a function of the ambient light noise at said workpiece; and, G. utilization means responsive to said signals for controlling the position of the tool with respect to the workpiece.

Claim 41

In a robot having a tool for use with a workpiece an image acquisition apparatus comprising: A. a reflective cylinder means having a concave reflective surface and a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis having a selected positional relationship with respect to the tool of the robot B. motor means having a hollow, rotatable motor shaft; C. beam directing mirror means secured with respect to and rotatable with said hollow rotatable motor shaft for directing a beam of collimated light that passes through said hollow, rotatable motor shaft to said concave reflective surface to produce a conical beam of light having an angular arc that (i) is a function of the radius of the concave reflective surface and the width of the collimated light beam impinging thereon and (ii) illuminates at least a portion of the workpiece; D. an array means of photosensitive elements, said elements producing signals representative of the light impinging thereon; E. means for imaging at least part of said light beam illuminated portion of the workpiece on said array means of photosensitive elements to produce corresponding signals representative of the image on said array; F. controlling the angular width of the arc of said conical light beam as a function of the ambient light noise at said workpiece; and, G. utilization means responsive to said signals for controlling the position of the tool with respect to the workpiece.