Apparatus and method for obtaining three dimensional surface contours

Claim 3

The method as defined by claim 1, wherein said step of receiving a deformed grating image comprises receiving said deformed grating image at a linear array of detectors, and wherein the step of combining intensity values of the received image at different modulated phases comprises combining said intensity values at individual ones of said detectors.

Claim 4

The method as defined by claim 1, wherein said step of rotating the object by an angular increment at a time and repeating steps (a) through (d) for each increment to obtain line profile distances for each such increment, comprises rotating the object through substantially 360 degrees of angular increments to obtain a complete three-dimensional profile of the object.

Claim 5

The method as defined by claim 2, wherein said step of rotating the object by an angular increment at a time and repeating steps (a) through (d) for each increment to obtain line profile distances for each such increment, comprises rotating the object through substantially 360 degrees of angular increments to obtain a complete three-dimensional profile of the object.

Claim 6

The method as defined by claim 2, wherein received image intensity values at individual detectors are combined to determine an object phase at a corresponding object point, and wherein the difference between the object phase at each such point and a reference phase at a corresponding point on said reference line is used to determine the distance of said object point from said reference line.

Claim 7

The method as defined by claim 4, wherein received image intensity values at individual detectors are combined to determine an object phase at a corresponding object point, and wherein the difference between the object phase at each such point and a reference phase at a corresponding point on said reference line is used to determine the distance of said object point from said reference line.

Claim 8

The method as defined by claim 5, wherein said reference phases are obtained by positioning a reference plane between said object and said detectors, and determining, for points on a reference line of said reference plane, detector intensity values for said different modulated phases of said incident beam, the intensity values at individual ones of said detectors being combined to obtain a reference phase for a corresponding point on the reference line.

Claim 9

The method as defined by claim 6, wherein said reference phases are obtained by positioning a reference plane between said object and said detectors, and determining, for points on a reference line of said reference plane, detector intensity values for said different modulated phases of said incident beam, the intensity values at individual ones of said detectors being combined to obtain a reference phase for a corresponding point on the reference line.

Claim 10

The method as defined by claim 5, wherein said determination of the distance of each object point from the reference line includes determining the distance between detectors at which a reference phase corresponds to an object phase.

Claim 11

The method as defined by claim 6, wherein said determination of the distance of each object point from the reference line includes determining the distance between detectors at which a reference phase corresponds to an object phase.

Claim 12

The method as defined by claim 8, wherein said determination of the distance of each object point from the reference line includes determining the distance between detectors at which a reference phase corresponds to an object phase.

Claim 13

The method as defined by claim 1, wherein said number of different modulated phases of the reference beam comprises three different phases.

Claim 14

The method as defined by claim 11, wherein said number of different modulated phases of the reference beam comprises three differentt phases.

Claim 15

The method as defined by claim 1, wherein said receiving and storing of step (c) is performed for all of the different angular increments of step (e) followed by the distance determinations of step (d).

Claim 16

The method as defined by claim 2, wherein said receiving and storing of step (c) is performed for all of the different angular increments of step (e) followed by the distance determinations of step (d).

Claim 17

The method as defined by claim 4, wherein said receiving and storing of step (c) is performed for all of the different angular increments of step (e) followed by the distance determinations of step (d).

Claim 18

The method as defined by claim 11, wherein said receiving and storing of step (c) is performed for all of the different angular increments of step (e) followed by the distance determinations of step (d).

Claim 19

The method as defined by claim 14, wherein said receiving and storing of step (c) is performed for one phase of sinusoidal intensity pattern of the incident beam for each increment, and then repeating for each of the other phases of sinusoidal intensity pattern of the incident beam.

Claim 20

The method as defined by claim 15, wherein said receiving and storing of step (c) is performed for one phase of sinusoidal intensity pattern of the incident beam for each increment, and then repeating for each of the other phases of sinusoidal intensity pattern of the incident beam.

Claim 21

The method as defined by claim 16, wherein said receiving and storing of step (c) is performed for one phase of sinusoidal intensity pattern of the incident beam for each increment, and then repeating for each of the other phases of sinusoidal intensity pattern of the incident beam.

Claim 22

The method as defined by claim 17, wherein said receiving and storing of step (c) is performed for one phase of sinusoidal intensity pattern of the incident beam for each incrementt, and then repeating for each of the other phases of sinusoidal intensity pattern of the incident beam.

Claim 23

Apparatus for determining a three-dimensional surface profile of an object, comprising: means for directing at said object an incident beam of light having a sinusoidally varying intensity pattern; means for modulating the phase of the sinusoidal intensity pattern of said incident beam; a detector array for receiving a deformed grating image of a line profile of the object; means for storing the deformed grating images received at said detector array for different modulated phases of said incident beam; means for implementing rotational increments of the object with respect to said incident beam and said detector array so that the detector array receives deformed grating images of different line profiles of the object; and means for determining, for object points on such line profiles of the surface of the object, the distance at each such object point with respect to a reference line, said means including means operative to combine the stored image intensity values at a particular detector of said detector array corresponding to a respective point of the object.

Claim 24

Apparatus for determining a three-dimensional surface profile of an object, comprising: means for directing at said object an incident beam of light having a sinusoidally varying intensity pattern; means for modulating the phase of the sinusoidal intensity pattern of said incident beam; a detector array for receiving a deformed grating image of a line profile of the object; means for storing the deformed grating images received at said detector array for different modulated phases of said incident beam; means for implementing rotational increments of the object with respect to said incident beam and said detector array so that the detector array receives deformed grating images of different line profiles of the object; and means for determining, for object points on such line profiles of the surface of the object, the distance at each such object point with respect to a reference line, said means including means operative to combine the stored image intensity values at a particular detector of said detector array corresponding to a respective point of the object.

Claim 25

Apparatus as defined by claim 22, further comprising means responsive to the outputs of the detector array for storing deformed grating images of a reference line for a number of different modulated phases of said incident beam.

Claim 26

Apparatus as defined by claim 22, wherein said detector array is a linear detector array.

Claim 27

Apparatus as defined by claim 23, wherein said detector array is a linear detector array.

Claim 28

Apparatus as defined by claim 22, wherein said means for implementing rotational increments of the object comprises means for rotating the object through substantially 360 degrees of angular increments.

Claim 29

Apparatus as defined by claim 25, wherein said means for implementing rotational increments of the object comprises means for rotating the object through substantially 360 degrees of angular increments.