Patent US4779629A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4779629A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Making measurements on a body
Assignee: Loughborough Consultants Ltd
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Filing: 1986-10-03
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Granted: 1988-10-25
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Expires: 2006-10-03
Abstract
Abstract A method of making measurements on a body includes the steps of placing a body in a space which is divided along a plane into adjacent regions of contrasting illumination with the dividing plane intersecting the body, rotating the body relative to the dividing plane about an axis and sensing the position on the dividing plane of at least a part of the exterior surface of the body with a sensor sensitive to the illumination at a plurality of rotational positions of the body. The axis about which the body is rotated lies in the dividing plane and light sources which divide the space into adjacent regions of contrasting illumination are located on the dividing plane.
Inventors
- 👤 Gordon M. West
- 👤 Peter R. M. Jones
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 22:20
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/0059; A61B5/0062; A61B5/0064; A61B5/103; A61B5/107; A61B5/1077; G; G01; G01B; G01B11/00; G01B11/24; G01B11/245; G01B11/25; G01B11/2518; G01B11/2522
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of making measurements on a body including the steps of: placing the body in a space which is divided along a plane into adjacent regions of contrasting illumination with the dividing plane intersecting the body; rotating the body relative to the dividing plane about an axis which lies in the dividing plane; and sensing the position on the dividing plane of at least a part of the exterior surface of the body with sensor means sensitive to the illumination at a plurality of relative rotational positions of the body and the dividing plane.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of making measurements on a body including the steps of: placing the body in a space which is divided along a plane into adjacent regions of contrasting illumination with the dividing plane intersecting the body; rotating the body relative to the dividing plane about an axis which lies in the dividing plane; and sensing the position on the dividing plane of at least a part of the exterior surface of the body with sensor means sensitive to the illumination at a plurality of relative rotational positions of the body and the dividing plane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the space is divided into adjacent regions of contrasting illumination by one or more light sources located on the dividing plane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the sensor means is a camera.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 5 in which the optical axis of the camera makes an angle of between 30° and 60° with the dividing plane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which a plurality of sensor means are provided.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
83 words
An apparatus for making measurements on a body placed in a space, the apparatus including: a source of illumination arranged to divide the space along a plane into adjacent regions of contrasting illumination; sensor means for sensing the position on the dividing plane of at least a part of the exterior surface of a body placed in the space; and rotary mounting means for mounting the body for rotation relative to the dividing plane about an axis which lies in the dividing plane.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
83 words
An apparatus for making measurements on a body placed in a space, the apparatus including: a source of illumination arranged to divide the space along a plane into adjacent regions of contrasting illumination; sensor means for sensing the position on the dividing plane of at least a part of the exterior surface of a body placed in the space; and rotary mounting means for mounting the body for rotation relative to the dividing plane about an axis which lies in the dividing plane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which the source of illumination is located on the dividing plane.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claim 6 in which the sensor means is a camera.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which the optical axis of the camera makes an angle of between 30° and 60° with the dividing plane.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claim 6 in which a plurality of sensor means are provided.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-10-25 | 1992-04-25 | 1992-10-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-10-25 | 1996-04-25 | 1996-10-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-10-25 | 2000-04-25 | 2000-10-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |