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US5729009A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for generating quasi-sinusoidal signals

Assignee: Logitech Europe SA
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Filing: 1995-06-07
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Granted: 1998-03-17
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Expires: 2015-06-07
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Abstract

Abstract A method for generating quasi-sinusoidal signals includes illuminating an object capable of diffusely scattering Eight, focusing a portion of the scattered light on a multi-element sensor to form an image, and matching the image size to the size of the sensor elements.

Inventors

  • 👤 Rene Dandliker
  • 👤 Marc Bidiville

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 15:10
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/0304; G06F3/0317; G06F3/0312; G06F3/033; G06F3/0354; G06F3/03543; G06F3/03547; G06F3/03549; G06F3/038; G06F3/0383

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 169 words
A system for generating a first and second quasi-sinusoidal signals comprising the steps of: a coherent light source for transmitting coherent light toward a surface of an object that diffusely reflects light; an aperture, having an opening that is disposed to receive said reflected light, for enabling some of said reflected light to pass through said opening; a lens, disposed to receive said reflected light that has passed through said opening, for focusing said reflected light to form an image having speckles representing frequency interference of said reflected light; a detector array, disposed to receive said image, said detector array having at least twelve detector elements for receiving said image and filtering said image according to a spatial frequency, said detector array generating four phase signals; and an analog unit, disposed to receive said four phase signals, for generating two quasi-sinusoidal signals representing a direction and a distance of a displacement in a first dimension; wherein said aperture and said lens are substantially optically matched with said detector array.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 169 words
A system for generating a first and second quasi-sinusoidal signals comprising the steps of: a coherent light source for transmitting coherent light toward a surface of an object that diffusely reflects light; an aperture, having an opening that is disposed to receive said reflected light, for enabling some of said reflected light to pass through said opening; a lens, disposed to receive said reflected light that has passed through said opening, for focusing said reflected light to form an image having speckles representing frequency interference of said reflected light; a detector array, disposed to receive said image, said detector array having at least twelve detector elements for receiving said image and filtering said image according to a spatial frequency, said detector array generating four phase signals; and an analog unit, disposed to receive said four phase signals, for generating two quasi-sinusoidal signals representing a direction and a distance of a displacement in a first dimension; wherein said aperture and said lens are substantially optically matched with said detector array.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
The system of claim 1, wherein optical matching substantially eliminates signals generated by said detector array at odd multiples of said spatial frequency excluding said spatial frequency.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 19 words
The system of claim 2, wherein said spatial frequency is inversely proportional to the period of said detector array.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 29 words
The system of claim 3, wherein said period of said detector array is equal to the distance between a first element and a fifth element of said twelve elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 14 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said coherent light source also transmits non-coherent light.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
The system of claim 5, wherein a primary frequency of said coherent light source is in a non-visible frequency spectrum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 130 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said detector array combines a signal generated by a first, fifth, and ninth of said twelve elements to generate said first phase signal having a first bias voltage and a first sinusoidal signal, combines a signal generated by a second, sixth, and tenth of said twelve elements to generate said second phase signal having a first bias voltage and a second sinusoidal signal, combines a signal generated by a third, seventh, and eleventh of said twelve elements to generate said third phase signal having a first bias voltage and a third sinusoidal signal and combines a signal generated by a fourth, eighth, and twelfth, of said twelve elements to generate said fourth phase signal having a first bias signal and a fourth sinusoidal signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 24 words
The system of claim 7, wherein optical matching substantially eliminates said sinusoidal signals at odd multiples of said spatial frequency excluding said spatial frequency.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 15 words
The system of claim 8, wherein optical matching enables the generation of said sinusoidal signals.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 163 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising: a second aperture, having an opening that is disposed to receive said reflected light, for enabling some of said reflected light to pass through said opening; a second lens, disposed to receive said reflected light that has passed through said second aperture, for focusing said reflected light to form a second image having speckles representing frequency interference of said reflected light; a second detector array, disposed to receive said second image, said second detector array having at least twelve detector elements for receiving said second image and filtering said second image according to a spatial frequency, said second detector array generating four phase signals; and a second analog unit, disposed to receive said four phase signals from said second detector array, for generating two quasi-sinusoidal signals representing a direction and a distance of a displacement in a second dimension; wherein said second aperture and said second lens are substantially optically matched with said second detector array.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 28 words
The system of claim 10 wherein optical matching substantially eliminates signals generated by said second detector array at odd multiples of said spatial frequency excluding said spatial frequency.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 43 words
The system of claim 11, wherein said spatial frequency is inversely proportional to the period of said detector array and said period of said detector array is equal to the distance between a first element and a fifth element of said twelve elements.
Claim 14
Independent Claim 125 words
A method for generating a first and second quasi-sinusoidal signals comprising the steps of: illuminating a surface of an object capable of diffusely scattering coherent light; receiving an image of said surface on two or more detector arrays, including the steps of: receiving said scattered coherent light through an aperture and a lens, and focusing a portion of said scattered coherent light on each of said detector arrays to receive an image having speckles representing frequency interference of said scattered coherent light; generating first, second, third, and fourth phase signals in each of said detector arrays; combining said first and third phase signal to generate said first quasi sinusoidal signal; and combining said second and fourth phase signal to generate said second quasi sinusoidal signal.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 125 words
A method for generating a first and second quasi-sinusoidal signals comprising the steps of: illuminating a surface of an object capable of diffusely scattering coherent light; receiving an image of said surface on two or more detector arrays, including the steps of: receiving said scattered coherent light through an aperture and a lens, and focusing a portion of said scattered coherent light on each of said detector arrays to receive an image having speckles representing frequency interference of said scattered coherent light; generating first, second, third, and fourth phase signals in each of said detector arrays; combining said first and third phase signal to generate said first quasi sinusoidal signal; and combining said second and fourth phase signal to generate said second quasi sinusoidal signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 44 words
The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: receiving said scattered coherent light at one of said detector arrays having a first period; filtering said scattered coherent light based upon a spatial frequency, said spatial frequency inversely proportional to said first period.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 159 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said detector array includes at least twelve elements, a period of said detector array equal to the distance between four of said elements and wherein said generating step includes the steps of: combining a signal generated by a first, fifth, and ninth of said twelve elements to generate said first phase signal having a first bias voltage and a first sinusoidal signal; combining a signal generated by a second, sixth, and tenth of said twelve elements to generate said second phase signal having a first bias voltage and a second sinusoidal signal; combining a signal generated by a third, seventh, and eleventh of said twelve elements to generate said third phase signal having a first bias voltage and a third sinusoidal signal; and combining a signal generated by a fourth, eighth, and twelfth, of said twelve elements to generate said fourth phase signal having a first bias voltage and a fourth sinusoidal signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 47 words
The method of claim 15, wherein said aperture and said lens are optically matched with said detector array based upon an average size of said speckles for substantially eliminating said sinusoidal signals of said phase signals at odd multiples of said spatial frequency excluding said spatial frequency.

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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) 2001-03-16 2001-09-15 2002-03-17 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2005-03-16 2005-09-15 2006-03-17 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2009-03-16 2009-09-15 2010-03-17 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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