Patent US6371370B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6371370B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for scanning a surface
Assignee: Agilent Technologies Inc
•
Filing: 1999-05-24
•
Granted: 2002-04-16
•
Expires: 2019-05-24
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and method for scanning a surface. An optical system generates a light beam to illuminate a surface. A carrier supports the surface for reciprocating motion with respect to the light beam to form one axis of a raster. A propulsion system moves the carrier at a substantially constant speed and a position sensor provides an output signal representing the surface position with respect to the light beam. A control system responsive to the output signal modulates a sample period reciprocally to carrier speed to achieve substantially constant scan length per sample and to control data acquisition timing.
Inventors
- 👤 John W. Sadler
- 👤 Andreas N. Dorsel
- 👤 Kenneth L. Staton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:17
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/62; G01N21/63; G01N21/64; G01N21/645; G01N21/6452; G01N2021/6463
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
Apparatus for scanning a surface comprising: an optical system to generate a light beam and to deliver the beam to a surface; a detector for detecting a response of the surface to the light beam; a carrier supporting the surface for reciprocating motion with respect to the light beam to form one axis of a raster; a propulsion system for moving the carrier; a position sensor providing an output signal representing the surface position with respect to the light beam; a servo system responsive to the output signal for commanding the propulsion system to move the carrier at a substantially constant speed; and a control system responsive to the output signal to modulate a sample period of the detector reciprocally to carrier speed to achieve substantially constant scan length per sample and to control data acquisition timing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
Apparatus for scanning a surface comprising: an optical system to generate a light beam and to deliver the beam to a surface; a detector for detecting a response of the surface to the light beam; a carrier supporting the surface for reciprocating motion with respect to the light beam to form one axis of a raster; a propulsion system for moving the carrier; a position sensor providing an output signal representing the surface position with respect to the light beam; a servo system responsive to the output signal for commanding the propulsion system to move the carrier at a substantially constant speed; and a control system responsive to the output signal to modulate a sample period of the detector reciprocally to carrier speed to achieve substantially constant scan length per sample and to control data acquisition timing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the position sensor is selected from the group comprising a counting position encoder, optical encoder, magnetic encoder, capacitive encoder, laser interferometer, LVDT, or reflective optical triangulation device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the propulsion system comprises a voice coil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the propulsion system comprises a galvanometer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the propulsion system comprises a gas jet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the propulsion system comprises a graphite piston in a glass cylinder powered by a gas or liquid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the propulsion system comprises a rotary servo motor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including a state observer responsive to the output signal to generate an estimate of carrier speed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including means for compensating for variable integral illumination per sample.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for compensating comprises scaling amplitude of a measured signal by function of the ratio of an actual sample period to a nominal sample period.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein data acquisition timing is controlled by a state machine that triggers data acquisition when a selected number of new counts in a correct direction has occurred.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein inputs to the state machine are quadrature decoded direction and quadrature decoded count information.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the state machine is programmed so that new counts in the correct direction are detected by counting backwards quadrature state changes and incrementing a trigger counter on quadrature state changes only when a backwards counter is zero.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein data acquisition timing is triggered by the first equivalence of an actual position value and a selected trigger position.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
88 words
An apparatus for scanning a surface comprising: a detector for detecting an optical signal from the surface; a carrier supporting the surface, wherein the detector or the carrier moves with respect to the other to form a raster; a position sensor providing an output signal representing the relative surface position of the detector; and a control system responsive to the output signal to modulate a sample period of the detector reciprocally to raster speed to achieve substantially constant scan length per sample and to control data acquisition timing.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
88 words
An apparatus for scanning a surface comprising: a detector for detecting an optical signal from the surface; a carrier supporting the surface, wherein the detector or the carrier moves with respect to the other to form a raster; a position sensor providing an output signal representing the relative surface position of the detector; and a control system responsive to the output signal to modulate a sample period of the detector reciprocally to raster speed to achieve substantially constant scan length per sample and to control data acquisition timing.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4888756A
Cited
US5122644A
Cited
US4963718A
Cited
US6225625B1
Cited
US5315321A
Cited
US5616909A
Cited
US5896353A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-04-15 | 2005-10-15 | 2006-04-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-04-15 | 2009-10-15 | 2010-04-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-04-15 | 2013-10-15 | 2014-04-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |