Patent US4772128A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4772128A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Fiber optic imaging system for on-line monitoring
Assignee: UNITED STATES TRUST Co A MA Co
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Filing: 1986-05-07
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Granted: 1988-09-20
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Expires: 2006-05-07
Abstract
Abstract A target is viewed by means of a coherent fiber optic bundle comprising a two dimensional array of fibers. A one dimensional linear light detector array, fixed relative to the coherent fiber optic bundle, receives an image of the target and detects light through only a slice of the image to provide dimensional information with respect to the edges of the target. A polyfurcated bundle may view different linear dimensions of the target and allow for the use of the single linear array to detect the multiple dimensions. Electronics provide for detection of target edges by means of a curve fitting technique, computation of dimensions and control of light source intensity and exposure time. Illumination is by a noncoherent light source and a collimator positioned behind the target or by a fiber optic bundle and a light guide plate positioned to illuminate the target from the front. An air purge of the distal optics is provided from a frustoconical annulus formed between two members and from pressurized gas introduced between the annulus and the optics.
Inventors
- 👤 Edmond Vinarub
- 👤 Bernard J. Dolan
- 👤 Ralph Grabowski
- 👤 Phillip Carvey
- 👤 Tamas Hetenyi
- 👤 Randal Chinnock
- 👤 Kurt Zwirner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 06:49
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G01; G01B; G01B11/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A dimension monitoring system comprising: a coherent fiber optic bundle comprising a two dimensional array of fibers secured at a distal end for viewing a target across two dimensions; a one dimensional linear light detector array fixed relative to a proximal face of the fiber optic bundle for receiving an image of the target from the bundle to detect light through only a slice of the image; and electronic processing means for locating the edge of a target by identifying the detectors of the array across which there is a transition in the intensity of the detected light, fitting the positions of the detectors to a curve and identifying the edge location as a location on the curve between the detectors.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
121 words
A dimension monitoring system comprising: a coherent fiber optic bundle comprising a two dimensional array of fibers secured at a distal end for viewing a target across two dimensions; a one dimensional linear light detector array fixed relative to a proximal face of the fiber optic bundle for receiving an image of the target from the bundle to detect light through only a slice of the image; and electronic processing means for locating the edge of a target by identifying the detectors of the array across which there is a transition in the intensity of the detected light, fitting the positions of the detectors to a curve and identifying the edge location as a location on the curve between the detectors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light detector array is a charged coupled device array.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic means includes means for detecting two edges of the target and means for computing the width of the target based on the spacing of the detected edges.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coherent fiber optic bundle is a polyfurcated optic bundle and the light detector array is positioned to receive images from a common end of plural bundle segments.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A monitoring system as claimed in claim 4 further comprising electronic means for windowing signals from the light detector array to separately process the images viewed from respective bundle segments.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A measurement system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a noncoherent light source and a collimator for collimating the light from the light source for illuminating the target from the side opposite to the fiber optic bundle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
A measurement system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a fiber optic bundle between the light source and the collimator, and wherein the collimator comprises a single lens and an aperture for limiting the light passing through the lens to that near the optic axis of the lens.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
A measurement system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a light source and electronic means for controlling the intensity of the light source and the duration of exposure of the light detector array, the electronics means operating in a first mode to minimize the intensity of the light source and in a second mode to minimize the duration of exposure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
120 words
A measurement system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an air purge for maintaining a high pressure zone in a viewing bore in front of the distal end of the fiber optic bundle, the air purge comprising: an inner member having a generally frustoconical end and a viewing bore therethrough; an outer member having a viewing bore therethrough and an internal, generally frustoconical surface complementary to and fitted over the frustoconical end of the inner member in spaced relation thereto to define a frustoconical annulus terminating at a viewing bore defined by the bores of the inner and outer members; and means for directing pressurized fluid into the annulus and out through the viewing bore of the outer member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
A measurement system as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a lens positioned to receive light from the bore of the inner member, the inner member further comprising means for directing pressurized fluid into the bore of the inner member between the annulus and the lens.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
A measurement system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a fiber optic taper at the distal end of the fiber optic bundle for viewing the target.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a digital signal indicative of one of a range of detected radiation amplitudes is provided from each element of the detector array.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
93 words
A linear dimension monitoring system comprising: a noncoherent light source including a fiber optic bundle; a collimator for collimating light from the light source and illuminating a target from a first side, the collimator comprising a single lens and an aperture for limiting the light passing through the lens to that near the optic axis of the lens; a coherent fiber optic bundle secured at a distal end for viewing the target from a side opposite to the first side; and a light detector array for detecting light from the fiber optic bundle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
93 words
A linear dimension monitoring system comprising: a noncoherent light source including a fiber optic bundle; a collimator for collimating light from the light source and illuminating a target from a first side, the collimator comprising a single lens and an aperture for limiting the light passing through the lens to that near the optic axis of the lens; a coherent fiber optic bundle secured at a distal end for viewing the target from a side opposite to the first side; and a light detector array for detecting light from the fiber optic bundle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
146 words
An air purge for a viewing system comprising: an inner member having a generally frustoconical end and a viewing bore therethrough; an outer member having a viewing bore therethrough and an internal, generally frustoconical surface complementary to and fitted over the frustoconical end of the inner member in spaced relation thereto to define a frustoconical annulus terminating at a viewing bore defined by the bores of the inner and outer members; a first sleeve surrounding and retaining the inner member and outer member, and defining a plenum within the first sleeve in communication with the frustoconical annulus and with the bore of the inner member behind the annulus, and having a port therethrough to the plenum; and a second sleeve rotatable relative to the first sleeve and adapted for mounting to an optical system at an end of the air purge opposite to the outer member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
146 words
An air purge for a viewing system comprising: an inner member having a generally frustoconical end and a viewing bore therethrough; an outer member having a viewing bore therethrough and an internal, generally frustoconical surface complementary to and fitted over the frustoconical end of the inner member in spaced relation thereto to define a frustoconical annulus terminating at a viewing bore defined by the bores of the inner and outer members; a first sleeve surrounding and retaining the inner member and outer member, and defining a plenum within the first sleeve in communication with the frustoconical annulus and with the bore of the inner member behind the annulus, and having a port therethrough to the plenum; and a second sleeve rotatable relative to the first sleeve and adapted for mounting to an optical system at an end of the air purge opposite to the outer member.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of measuring a linear dimension comprising: viewing a target across two dimensions from each of two directions by means of a bifurcated coherent fiber optic bundle comprising a two dimensional array of fibers; and simultaneously detecting respective images of the target from the fiber optic bundle through only a slice of the images with a linear light detector array.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of measuring a linear dimension comprising: viewing a target across two dimensions from each of two directions by means of a bifurcated coherent fiber optic bundle comprising a two dimensional array of fibers; and simultaneously detecting respective images of the target from the fiber optic bundle through only a slice of the images with a linear light detector array.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method a claimed in claim 15 further comprising the step of electronically windowing signals from the light detector array to separately process the images viewed from respective bundle segments of the bundle.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising illuminating the target from a side opposite to the fiber optic bundle by means of a noncoherent light source through a collimator.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of monitoring multiple linear dimensions of a target comprising: providing a linear light detector array; providing plural coherent fiber optic bundles and orienting a distal end of each bundle to view the target along one of the multiple linear dimensions; simultaneously detecting images of the target from the plural coherent fiber optic bundles by means of the light detector array; and electronically processing signals from the detector array to provide indictations of the multiple linear dimensions.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of monitoring multiple linear dimensions of a target comprising: providing a linear light detector array; providing plural coherent fiber optic bundles and orienting a distal end of each bundle to view the target along one of the multiple linear dimensions; simultaneously detecting images of the target from the plural coherent fiber optic bundles by means of the light detector array; and electronically processing signals from the detector array to provide indictations of the multiple linear dimensions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the coherent fiber optic bundles are segments of a polyfurcated bundle.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein the polyfurcated bundle comprises a two dimensional array of fibers and the light detector array is a one dimensional array which views only a slice of the end face of the polyfurcated coherent bundle.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
74 words
A dimensional monitoring system comprising: a plurality of coherent fiber optic bundles, each bundle being oriented at a distal end thereto to provide a respective target image; a linear light detector array for simultaneously receiving the images from the fiber optic bundles; processing electronics for establishing windows in signals received from the detector array corresponding to the respective images provided by the fiber optic bundles and providing dimensional information corresponding to the respective images.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
74 words
A dimensional monitoring system comprising: a plurality of coherent fiber optic bundles, each bundle being oriented at a distal end thereto to provide a respective target image; a linear light detector array for simultaneously receiving the images from the fiber optic bundles; processing electronics for establishing windows in signals received from the detector array corresponding to the respective images provided by the fiber optic bundles and providing dimensional information corresponding to the respective images.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
A dimension monitoring system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the coherent fiber optic bundles are segments of a polyfurcated bundle.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
68 words
A method of monitoring the characteristics of articles transferred along a path in an industrial process comprising viewing the articles through a coherent fiber optic taper and a coherent fiber optic bundle such that the taper contracts images of the articles to smaller images transmitted through the bundle, and detecting light from the fiber optic bundle to provide an electrical output related to visual features of individual articles.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
68 words
A method of monitoring the characteristics of articles transferred along a path in an industrial process comprising viewing the articles through a coherent fiber optic taper and a coherent fiber optic bundle such that the taper contracts images of the articles to smaller images transmitted through the bundle, and detecting light from the fiber optic bundle to provide an electrical output related to visual features of individual articles.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as claimed in claim 23 wherein the light is detected by a plurality of detector elements and further comprising providing a digital signal from each detector indicative of one of a range of detected radiation amplitudes.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-09-20 | 1992-03-21 | 1992-09-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-09-20 | 1996-03-21 | 1996-09-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-09-20 | 2000-03-21 | 2000-09-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |