System to measure geometric and electromagnetic characteristics of objects

Claim 1

A method of measuring at least one of the geometric and electromagnetic characteristics of an object, that comprises: directing continuous wave energy of a single frequency upon the object which interacts with same; detecting the continuous wave energy which emanates from said object by virtue of the wave energy directed thereupon by an array of spaced apart wave energy sensors to provide signals; processing the signals from the sensors into amplitude and phase information for each of said sensors; combining said amplitude and phase information in the signals of the array of sensors to provide a quantity X j which represents said at least one of the geometric and electromagnetic characteristics of said object, wherein ##EQU10## where X j is the desired output for a particular object j, g is a functional relationship, W ij is a weighting function chosen for each sensor i and each object j, f is another functional relationship, A i is the amplitude of the signals of each sensor i, θ i is the phase of the signals of each sensor i; and acting upon said object on the basis of said quantity.

Claim 2

A method of measuring at least one of the geometric and electromagnetic characteristics of an object, that comprises: directing continuous wave energy of a single frequency upon the object which interacts with same; detecting the continuous wave energy which emanates from said object by virtue of the wave energy directed thereupon by an array of spaced apart wave energy sensors to provide signals; processing the signals from the sensors into amplitude and phase information for each of said sensors; combining said amplitude and phase information in the signals of the array of sensors to provide a quantity X j which represents said at least one of the geometric and electromagnetic characteristics of said object, wherein ##EQU10## where X j is the desired output for a particular object j, g is a functional relationship, W ij is a weighting function chosen for each sensor i and each object j, f is another functional relationship, A i is the amplitude of the signals of each sensor i, θ i is the phase of the signals of each sensor i; and acting upon said object on the basis of said quantity.

Claim 20

A system to measure at least one of the geometric and the electromagnetic characteristics of an object, that comprises: means for directing continuous wave energy of a single frequency upon the object which interacts with same, without mechanically vibrating the object, to provide continuous wave energy that emanates from the object; means for detecting the wave energy which emanates from said object by virtue of the wave energy directed thereupon by an array of spacsd apart wave energy sensors to provide signals; means for processing the signals from each wave energy sensor into at least one of amplitude and phase information for each said sensor; means for combining said at least one of amplitude and phase information of the array of sensors to provide a single scalar quantity which represents at least one of said geometric and electromagnetic characteristics of said object, said means for combining providing the single scalar quantity by a cost function wherein multi-element vectors are combined to give said single scalar quantity; and means for accepting or rejecting said object based on said quantity.

Claim 21

A system to measure at least one of the geometric and the electromagnetic characteristics of an object, that comprises: means for directing continuous wave energy of a single frequency upon the object which interacts with same, without mechanically vibrating the object, to provide continuous wave energy that emanates from the object; means for detecting the wave energy which emanates from said object by virtue of the wave energy directed thereupon by an array of spacsd apart wave energy sensors to provide signals; means for processing the signals from each wave energy sensor into at least one of amplitude and phase information for each said sensor; means for combining said at least one of amplitude and phase information of the array of sensors to provide a single scalar quantity which represents at least one of said geometric and electromagnetic characteristics of said object, said means for combining providing the single scalar quantity by a cost function wherein multi-element vectors are combined to give said single scalar quantity; and means for accepting or rejecting said object based on said quantity.

Claim 30

A system to measure at least one of a geometric characteristic and an electromagnetic characteristic of an object, that comprises: means for directing continuous wave energy at a narrow band of frequencies upon the object which interacts with the wave energy; means for detecting continuous wave energy emanating from the object at many discrete, spatially separated locations to provide electric signals; means for processing the electric signals to derive amplitude and phase information therefrom for each spatially separated location; and means for combining said amplitude and phase information for each spatially separated location to provide a single composite signal whose magnitude represents said at least one of the geometric characteristic and the electromagnetic characteristic of the object, said means for combining providing the single composite signal by a cost function wherein multi-element vectors are combined to give a single scalar number which is said composite signal.

Claim 31

A system to measure at least one of a geometric characteristic and an electromagnetic characteristic of an object, that comprises: means for directing continuous wave energy at a narrow band of frequencies upon the object which interacts with the wave energy; means for detecting continuous wave energy emanating from the object at many discrete, spatially separated locations to provide electric signals; means for processing the electric signals to derive amplitude and phase information therefrom for each spatially separated location; and means for combining said amplitude and phase information for each spatially separated location to provide a single composite signal whose magnitude represents said at least one of the geometric characteristic and the electromagnetic characteristic of the object, said means for combining providing the single composite signal by a cost function wherein multi-element vectors are combined to give a single scalar number which is said composite signal.

Claim 34

A method of measuring at least one characteristic quantity representative of geometric form and electromagnetic properties of an object, that comprises: generation a continuous electromagnetic field in the vicinity of an object whose characteristic is to be measured, said electromagnetic field having a narrow frequency range; detection at a plurality of spaced apart locations within said electromagnetic field electrical signals in said narrow frequency range resulting from interaction of said field with said object; processing said electrical signals detected at each of said locations to derive amplitude and phase information for each of said locations; combining said amplitude and phase information from said plurality of locations to provide a characteristic quantity which represents said geometric form and electromagnetic properties of said object; and acting upon said object on the basis of said quantity; wherein an acoustic field having a narrow frequency band is generated as a continuous wave and applied to said object, the resultant acoustic waves in the same frequency band which interact with said object are detected at a plurality of spaced apart locations, and amplitude and phase information from each of said plurality of locations is combined to generate a quantity representative of a geometric property and said object is acted upon in response to both said electromagnetic and acoustic field interactions therewith.

Claim 35

A method of measuring at least one characteristic quantity representative of geometric form and electromagnetic properties of an object, that comprises: generation a continuous electromagnetic field in the vicinity of an object whose characteristic is to be measured, said electromagnetic field having a narrow frequency range; detection at a plurality of spaced apart locations within said electromagnetic field electrical signals in said narrow frequency range resulting from interaction of said field with said object; processing said electrical signals detected at each of said locations to derive amplitude and phase information for each of said locations; combining said amplitude and phase information from said plurality of locations to provide a characteristic quantity which represents said geometric form and electromagnetic properties of said object; and acting upon said object on the basis of said quantity; wherein an acoustic field having a narrow frequency band is generated as a continuous wave and applied to said object, the resultant acoustic waves in the same frequency band which interact with said object are detected at a plurality of spaced apart locations, and amplitude and phase information from each of said plurality of locations is combined to generate a quantity representative of a geometric property and said object is acted upon in response to both said electromagnetic and acoustic field interactions therewith.

Claim 38

A system to measure at least one of a geometric characteristic and an electromagnetic characteristic of an object, that comprises: means for directing continuous wave energy at a narrow band of frequencies upon the object which interacts with the wave energy; means for detecting continuous wave energy emanating from the object at many discrete, spatially separated locations to provide electric signals; means for processing the electric signals to derive amplitude and phase information therefrom for each spatially separated location; and means for combining said amplitude and phase information for each spatially separated location to provide a single composite signal whose magnitude represents said at least one of the geometric characteristic and the electromagnetic characteristic of the object, wherein said means for combining provides the composite signal by adaptive analysis wherein reward and punish signals are introduced to affect said composite signal.

Claim 39

A system to measure at least one of a geometric characteristic and an electromagnetic characteristic of an object, that comprises: means for directing continuous wave energy at a narrow band of frequencies upon the object which interacts with the wave energy; means for detecting continuous wave energy emanating from the object at many discrete, spatially separated locations to provide electric signals; means for processing the electric signals to derive amplitude and phase information therefrom for each spatially separated location; and means for combining said amplitude and phase information for each spatially separated location to provide a single composite signal whose magnitude represents said at least one of the geometric characteristic and the electromagnetic characteristic of the object, wherein said means for combining provides the composite signal by adaptive analysis wherein reward and punish signals are introduced to affect said composite signal.

Claim 40

A system to measure at least one of the geometric and the electromagnetic characteristics of an object, that comprises: means for directing continuous wave energy of a single frequency upon the object which interacts with same, without mechanically vibrating the object, to provide continuous wave energy that emanates from the object; means for detecting the wave energy which emanates from said object by virtue of the wave energy directed thereupon by an array of spaced apart wave energy sensors to provide signals; means for processing the signals from each wave energy sensor into at least one of amplitude and phase information for each said sensor; means for combining said at least one of amplitude and phase information of the array of sensors to provide a single scalar quantity which represents at least one of said geometric and electromagnetic characteristics of said object, said means for combining providing the single scalar quantity as a composite signal by adaptive analysis wherein reward and punish signals are introduced to affect said composite signal; and means for accepting or rejecting said object based on said quantity.

Claim 41

A system to measure at least one of the geometric and the electromagnetic characteristics of an object, that comprises: means for directing continuous wave energy of a single frequency upon the object which interacts with same, without mechanically vibrating the object, to provide continuous wave energy that emanates from the object; means for detecting the wave energy which emanates from said object by virtue of the wave energy directed thereupon by an array of spaced apart wave energy sensors to provide signals; means for processing the signals from each wave energy sensor into at least one of amplitude and phase information for each said sensor; means for combining said at least one of amplitude and phase information of the array of sensors to provide a single scalar quantity which represents at least one of said geometric and electromagnetic characteristics of said object, said means for combining providing the single scalar quantity as a composite signal by adaptive analysis wherein reward and punish signals are introduced to affect said composite signal; and means for accepting or rejecting said object based on said quantity.