Technique for illuminating a surface with a gradient intensity line of light to achieve enhanced two-dimensional imaging

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 wherein the line of light is generated by the steps of: directing a beam of light into a circle-to-line converter to produce a line of light; placing an opaque object a spaced distance from circle-to-line converter to partially obstruct the line to alter its intensity from being generally uniform to now being gradient in nature.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 1 further including the step of adjusting the gradient profile of the line-of-light by varying the ratio of the distance between the opaque object and the circle-to-line- converter to the distance between the wedge and the feature being illuminated.

Claim 5

Apparatus for obtaining a two-dimensional image of a light-reflective feature and a surrounding background which is of a different height such that the contrast within the image between the feature and its background is enhanced, comprising: means for generating a line of light having a gradient intensity profile across its width; means for directing the line of light with its gradient intensity profile at an acute angle at a feature and a surrounding background, which is of a different height, to illuminate a strip of area thereon such that the intensity of the light reflected from the strip is proportional to its height; means for capturing the image of the strip illuminated by the line of light; means for processing the captured image to detect the intensity of the light reflected from the strip illuminated by the line of light; and means for spanning the feature and its surrounding background with the line of light and with the image-capturing means to enable a two-dimensional image of the feature and its surrounding background to be obtained such that the contrast between the feature and its surrounding background is enhanced.

Claim 6

Apparatus for obtaining a two-dimensional image of a light-reflective feature and a surrounding background which is of a different height such that the contrast within the image between the feature and its background is enhanced, comprising: means for generating a line of light having a gradient intensity profile across its width; means for directing the line of light with its gradient intensity profile at an acute angle at a feature and a surrounding background, which is of a different height, to illuminate a strip of area thereon such that the intensity of the light reflected from the strip is proportional to its height; means for capturing the image of the strip illuminated by the line of light; means for processing the captured image to detect the intensity of the light reflected from the strip illuminated by the line of light; and means for spanning the feature and its surrounding background with the line of light and with the image-capturing means to enable a two-dimensional image of the feature and its surrounding background to be obtained such that the contrast between the feature and its surrounding background is enhanced.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the means for directing the line of light comprises: a light source for producing a light beam; a circle-to-line converter for converting the light beam into a line of light; and an opaque wedge placed in front of the circle-to-line converter to partially obstruct the line of light to thereby causing its intensity profile to be gradient in nature.