US4729109A — Method and apparatus for measuring the displaceme…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 75 words

A method of measuring the displacement of compact images comprising the steps of: (a) providing a source of spatially separated compact images, said images having intensity distribution; (b) compressing the images in separate, one-dimensional X and Y directions, including integrating the image intensity in said X and Y directions to produce respective electrical signals; (c) analyzing the electrical signals resulting from the separate one dimensional compressions to determine the X and Y image displacements respectively.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 75 words

A method of measuring the displacement of compact images comprising the steps of: (a) providing a source of spatially separated compact images, said images having intensity distribution; (b) compressing the images in separate, one-dimensional X and Y directions, including integrating the image intensity in said X and Y directions to produce respective electrical signals; (c) analyzing the electrical signals resulting from the separate one dimensional compressions to determine the X and Y image displacements respectively.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 42 words

A method as defined in claim 1, in which said step of integrating the image intensity in X and Y directions is performed by selecting an interrogation spot containing particle images, and imaging said spot onto X and Y linear detector arrays.

Claim 4

Independent Claim 91 words

A method of measuring the displacement of compact images comprising the steps of: (a) periodically illuminating a record medium containing said images with a light beam; (b) splitting the images into two individual images along the X and Y directions respectively; (c) forming compressed images by projecting the individual images onto respective linear diode arrays; (d) measuring the compressed images using integration by linear detector arrays to yield resulting detector array output signals; and (e) analyzing the resulting detector array output signals to determine the X and Y image displacements respectively.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 91 words

A method of measuring the displacement of compact images comprising the steps of: (a) periodically illuminating a record medium containing said images with a light beam; (b) splitting the images into two individual images along the X and Y directions respectively; (c) forming compressed images by projecting the individual images onto respective linear diode arrays; (d) measuring the compressed images using integration by linear detector arrays to yield resulting detector array output signals; and (e) analyzing the resulting detector array output signals to determine the X and Y image displacements respectively.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 15 words

A method as defined in claim 3, in which the compact images are particle images.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising the step of providing a spatial filter to remove background light.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 42 words

A method as defined in claim 3, including, before step (a) thereof, the steps of: removing noise from said output signals; converting the output signals, which are initially in analog form, to digital signals; and transmitting the digital signals to a microprocessor.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising the steps thereafter of detecting the location of each peak in the output digital signals, and calculating the distance between peaks.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method as defined in claim 7, including the further step of validation by rejecting the data if there is only one peak or the peaks are not large enough.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 97 words

A method as defined in claim 6, comprising the further step of: autocorrelating the digital signals I x and I y so obtained, and locating the peak in the autocorrelation corresponding to the mean displacement of first and second images; determining the location of K p by seeking the maximum of R x and R y , where K p equals the location of the peak in the secondary maximum of R x , and for determining Δx by multiplying K p x d where d is the spacing between the photodiodes on the linear detector array.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising: removing the peak in the correlated signals located near K=0, where K equals the delay index of the autocorrelation.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 80 words

A system of measuring the displacement of compact images comprising: (a) means for providing a source of spatially separated compact images, said images having intensity distribution; (b) means for compressing the images in separate, one-dimensional X and Y directions, including means for integrating the image intensity in said X and Y directions to produce respective electrical signals; and (c) means for analyzing the electrical signals resulting from the separate one-dimensional compressions to determine the X and Y image displacements respectively.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 80 words

A system of measuring the displacement of compact images comprising: (a) means for providing a source of spatially separated compact images, said images having intensity distribution; (b) means for compressing the images in separate, one-dimensional X and Y directions, including means for integrating the image intensity in said X and Y directions to produce respective electrical signals; and (c) means for analyzing the electrical signals resulting from the separate one-dimensional compressions to determine the X and Y image displacements respectively.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 43 words

A system as defined in claim 11, in which said means for integrating the image intensity in X and Y directions includes means for selecting an interrogation spot containing particle images, and for imaging said spot onto X and Y linear detector arrays.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 90 words

A system of measuring the displacement of compact images comprising: (a) means for periodically illuminating a record medium containing said images with a light beam; (b) means for splitting the images into two individual images along the X and Y directions respectively; (c) means for forming compressed images by projecting the individual images onto respective linear diode arrays; (d) means for measuring the compressed images using integration by said linear detector arrays to yield resulting detector array output signals; and (e) means for reading the resulting detector array output signals.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 90 words

A system of measuring the displacement of compact images comprising: (a) means for periodically illuminating a record medium containing said images with a light beam; (b) means for splitting the images into two individual images along the X and Y directions respectively; (c) means for forming compressed images by projecting the individual images onto respective linear diode arrays; (d) means for measuring the compressed images using integration by said linear detector arrays to yield resulting detector array output signals; and (e) means for reading the resulting detector array output signals.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 15 words

A system as defined in claim 13, in which the compact images are particle images.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 31 words

A system as defined in claim 14, further comprising a spatial filter for removing background light, said filter being located between said record medium and said means for splitting the images.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 49 words

A system as defined in claim 13 further comprising: means for removing noise from said output signals: means for converting the output signals, from which noise has been removed and which are initially in analog form, to digital signals; and means for transmitting the digital signals to a microprocessor.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 29 words

A system as defined in claim 16, further comprising means for detecting the location of each peak in the output digital signals, and for calculating the distance between peaks.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 28 words

A system as defined in claim 17, further including validation means for rejecting the data if there is only one peak or the peaks are not large enough.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 98 words

A system as defined in claim 16, further comprising: means for autocorrelating the digital signals I x and I y so obtained and locating the peak in the autocorrelation corresponding to the means displacement of first and second images; means for determining the location of K p by seeking the maximum of R x and R y , where K p equals the location of the peak in the secondary maximum of R x , and for determining ΔX by multiplying K p times d, where d is the spacing between the photodiodes on the linear detector array.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 30 words

A system as defined in claim 19, further comprising means for removing the peak in the correlated signals located near K=0, where K equals the delay index of the autocorrelation.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1991-03-01	1991-08-31	1992-03-01	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1995-03-01	1995-08-31	1996-03-01	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1999-03-01	1999-08-31	2000-03-01	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for measuring the displacements of particle images for multiple exposure velocimetry

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