Patent US6424407B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6424407B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Optical translation measurement
Assignee: OTM TECHNOLOGIES Ltd
•
Filing: 1998-03-09
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Granted: 2002-07-23
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Expires: 2018-03-09
Abstract
Abstract A method for determining the relative motion of a surface with respect to a measurement device comprising: illuminating the surface with incident illumination; detecting illumination reflected from the surface to form at least one detected signal; and determining the amount of relative motion parallel to the surface from said at least one detected signal, characterized in that said determining includes correcting for the effects of relative motion perpendicular to the surface.
Inventors
- 👤 Opher Kinrot
- 👤 Uri Kinrot
- 👤 Gilad Lederer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 19:43
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S17/00; G01S17/02; G01S17/50; G01D; G01D5/00; G01D5/26; G01D5/32; G01D5/34; G01D5/347; G01P; G01P3/00; G01P3/36; G01P3/366; G01P3/64; G01P3/80; G01P3/806; G01S7/00; G01S7/48; G01S7/481; G01S7/4811; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/0304; G06F3/0312
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 72
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for determining the relative motion of a surface with respect to a measurement device comprising: illuminating the surface with incident illumination; detecting a first portion of said incident illumination reflected from the surface in a first direction to form a first detected signal, the time variation of said first signal being responsive to the relative motion in a first direction, said first direction having at least a component in the direction perpendicular to the surface; detecting a second portion of said incident illumination reflected from the surface in a second direction, different from the first direction, to form a second detected signal the time variation of said second signal being responsive to the relative motion in a second direction, different from the first direction, said second direction having a component in a direction parallel to the surface and in a direction perpendicular to the surface; and determining the amount of relative motion parallel to the surface free of effects of motion perpendicular to the surface from said first and second detected signals.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for determining the relative motion of a surface with respect to a measurement device comprising: illuminating the surface with incident illumination; detecting a first portion of said incident illumination reflected from the surface in a first direction to form a first detected signal, the time variation of said first signal being responsive to the relative motion in a first direction, said first direction having at least a component in the direction perpendicular to the surface; detecting a second portion of said incident illumination reflected from the surface in a second direction, different from the first direction, to form a second detected signal the time variation of said second signal being responsive to the relative motion in a second direction, different from the first direction, said second direction having a component in a direction parallel to the surface and in a direction perpendicular to the surface; and determining the amount of relative motion parallel to the surface free of effects of motion perpendicular to the surface from said first and second detected signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein determining comprises: generating a third signal from the first and second signals, said third signal being free of the effects of the motion perpendicular to the surface; and determining the motion parallel to the surface from the third signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein determining comprises: determining first motion in first direction from the first signal; determining second motion in the second direction from the second signal; and determining motion parallel to the surface by correcting the determined second motion by the determined first motion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the first direction does not have a component parallel to the surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction has a component parallel to the surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein relative motion perpendicular to the surface is determined based on a Doppler shift of the reflected illumination.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein determining comprises determining the amount of relative motion parallel to the surface directly from the two signals without determining the amount of relative motion perpendicular to the surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein said first detected signal is substantially determined by relative motion perpendicular to the surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein said first detected signal is responsive to relative motion parallel to the surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 1 and including determining the amount of relative motion perpendicular to the surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the amount of relative motion parallel to the surface includes determining the amount of relative motion along; two non-colinear directions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the illumination is perpendicularly incident on the surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein detecting comprises coherently detecting.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 13 and including: reflecting or diffracting a portion of the illumination from an object, which is part of the measurement device, to act as a local oscillator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein the object is a partially reflecting object through which either the incident or reflected illumination passes.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein both the incident and reflected illumination pass through the object.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein the object is adjacent to the surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein the object is a grating.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein the surface is in the near field of the object.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein the surface is outside the near field of the grating.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein the grating produces essentially only a single order of transmitted illumination that illuminates the surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein the illumination is at least partially coherent and wherein the object is placed within the coherence length of the illumination from the surface.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein the local oscillator illumination and the reflected illumination are incident on at least one detector to produce said signals and wherein the local oscillator illumination and the reflected illumination are at least partly coherent at the detector.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the surface is a diffusely reflecting surface and wherein the detected illumination reflected form the surface is diffusely reflected therefrom.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
159 words
Apparatus for measuring relative motion between the apparatus and a surface comprising: an illumination source, which transmits illumination to illuminate the surface; a first detector which receives illumination from the source after its reflection from the surface; an object which reflects a portion of the illumination from the illumination source to said first detector, such that the first detector generates a first signal based on coherent detection of the illumination reflected from the surface with the illumination, that is reflected by the object, functioning as a local oscillator; a second detector which receives illumination from one of the object and the surface without receiving illumination from the other of the surface and the object and generates a second signal responsive thereto; a signal corrector that adjusts the first signal for changes in the intensity of the illumination, based on the second signal; and a motion calculator that calculates the relative motion responsive to the signal from the signal corrector.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
159 words
Apparatus for measuring relative motion between the apparatus and a surface comprising: an illumination source, which transmits illumination to illuminate the surface; a first detector which receives illumination from the source after its reflection from the surface; an object which reflects a portion of the illumination from the illumination source to said first detector, such that the first detector generates a first signal based on coherent detection of the illumination reflected from the surface with the illumination, that is reflected by the object, functioning as a local oscillator; a second detector which receives illumination from one of the object and the surface without receiving illumination from the other of the surface and the object and generates a second signal responsive thereto; a signal corrector that adjusts the first signal for changes in the intensity of the illumination, based on the second signal; and a motion calculator that calculates the relative motion responsive to the signal from the signal corrector.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the illumination of the second detector is illumination from the source reflected from or diffracted by the object.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the apparatus includes: a third detector that receives illumination reflected from the surface without receiving substantial illumination from the object or from the source and produces a third signal in response thereto, and wherein the signal corrector corrects the adjusted signal based on the third signal.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the illumination of the second detector is illumination reflected from the surface.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the signal corrector corrects the first signal for a constant term based on the second signal.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 29 wherein the signal corrector includes a difference amplifier that receives the first signal and subtracts the second signal from it to produce an adjusted first signal.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the signal corrector includes a normalizer that receives the adjusted first signal and normalizes it with respect to the second signal.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the object is partially transmitting and wherein the object is placed between the illumination source and the surface such that illumination of the surface passes through the object.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 32 wherein the illumination has coherence length and wherein the object and the surface as situated within said coherence length.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
11 words
Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the object is a grating.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus according to claim 34 wherein the grating produces essentially only a single order of transmitted illumination that illuminates the surface.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to claim 34 wherein the surface is within the near field of the grating.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to claim 34 wherein the surface is outside the near field of the grating.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the illumination reflected from the surface and the illumination reflected by the object are at least partly coherent at the first detector.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein at least one of the first and second detectors are situated to receive illumination diffusely reflected from the surface.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for determining the relative motion of an optically diffuse surface with respect to a measurement device comprising: illuminating the surface with incident illumination from a laser source, such that illumination is reflected from portions of the surface; diffracting part of the illumination utilizing a grating, which is part of the measurement device, to form reference illumination; coherently detecting the illumination reflected from the surface utilizing the reference illumination as a local oscillator to form a signal; and determining the quantity of relative motion of the surface parallel to the grating from the signal.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for determining the relative motion of an optically diffuse surface with respect to a measurement device comprising: illuminating the surface with incident illumination from a laser source, such that illumination is reflected from portions of the surface; diffracting part of the illumination utilizing a grating, which is part of the measurement device, to form reference illumination; coherently detecting the illumination reflected from the surface utilizing the reference illumination as a local oscillator to form a signal; and determining the quantity of relative motion of the surface parallel to the grating from the signal.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 40 wherein the detected illumination has a coherence length and wherein the grating is placed adjacent to the surface such that the spacing between the grating and the surface is smaller than coherence length.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 40 including determining the quantity of relative motion of the surface perpendicular to the grating.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 40 wherein determining the quantity of relative motion of the surface parallel to the grating comprises determining the quantity of the motion free from effect of motion perpendicular to the grating.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 40 including determining the quantity of motion of the surface in two dimensions.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 40 including determining the quantity of motion of the surface in three dimensions.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 40 including determining the sense of the direction of motion of the surface.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 40 wherein the detection comprises quadrature detection.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 40 wherein determining the quantity of relative motion is based on a Doppler shift of the reflected illumination.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 40 and including polarizing the illumination reflected from the surface.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 40 and wherein the grating produces essentially only a single order of transmitted illumination that illuminates the surface.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 40 wherein the incident illumination is linearly polarized.
Claim 55
Independent Claim
84 words
A method for determining the relative motion of a surface with respect to a measurement device comprising: illuminating the surface with linearly polarized incident illumination from a laser source, such that illumination is reflected from portions of the surface; polarizing the reflected illumination; coherently detecting the reflected illumination from the surface utilizing reference illumination derived from the laser source as a local oscillator to form at least two signals; determining the quantity of relative motion of the surface utilizing the at least two signals.
Claim 56
Independent Claim
84 words
A method for determining the relative motion of a surface with respect to a measurement device comprising: illuminating the surface with linearly polarized incident illumination from a laser source, such that illumination is reflected from portions of the surface; polarizing the reflected illumination; coherently detecting the reflected illumination from the surface utilizing reference illumination derived from the laser source as a local oscillator to form at least two signals; determining the quantity of relative motion of the surface utilizing the at least two signals.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 52 including determining the relative motion parallel to the surface.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 52 including determining the quantity of relative motion of the surface in two non-collinear directions.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 52 including determining the quantity of relative motion of the surface in three orthogonal directions.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 52 including determining the sense of the direction of motion of the surface.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method to claim 52 wherein the detection comprises quadrature detection.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 52 wherein determining the quantity of relative motion comprises determining the quantity of relative motion based on a Doppler shift of the reflected illumination.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 52 wherein the surface is a diffusely reflecting surface and wherein the detected illumination reflected from the surface is diffusely reflected therefrom.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
120 words
Apparatus for measuring motion relative to a surface, comprising: at least one laser that illuminates the surface; at least one object that reflects or diffracts a portion of the illumination to at least three directions in space to act as local oscillator illuminations; at least three detectors each of which coherently detects illumination reflected from the surface utilizing the local oscillator beams to form at least three signals responsive to the motion of the apparatus relative to the surface; and circuitry that determines the motion of the apparatus with respect to the surface from the signals, wherein the at least three detectors comprise at least three detector pairs and wherein the at least three signals comprise at least quadrature-pair signals.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
120 words
Apparatus for measuring motion relative to a surface, comprising: at least one laser that illuminates the surface; at least one object that reflects or diffracts a portion of the illumination to at least three directions in space to act as local oscillator illuminations; at least three detectors each of which coherently detects illumination reflected from the surface utilizing the local oscillator beams to form at least three signals responsive to the motion of the apparatus relative to the surface; and circuitry that determines the motion of the apparatus with respect to the surface from the signals, wherein the at least three detectors comprise at least three detector pairs and wherein the at least three signals comprise at least quadrature-pair signals.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 60 including introducing a phase shift between polarization components of the illumination reflected from the surface and polarization components of the local oscillator beams to form the at least three quadrature-pair signals.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 60 wherein the motion is determined in two non-colinear directions free from effects of motion in a direction orthogonal to the two directions.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to claim 60 at least of the first and second detectors are situated to receive illumination diffusely reflected from the surface.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 60 wherein the detected illumination has a coherence length and wherein the object is placed adjacent to the surface such that the spacing between the object and the surface is smaller than the coherence length.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
11 words
Apparatus according to claim 60 wherein the object is a grating.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for measuring motion relative to a surface, comprising: at least one laser than illuminates the surface; at least one object that reflects or diffracts a portion of the illumination to at least three directions in space to act as local oscillator illuminations; at least three detectors each of which coherently detects illumination reflected from the surface utilizing the local oscillator beams to form at least three responsive to the motion of the apparatus relative to the surface; circuitry that determines the motion of the apparatus with respect to the surface from the signals; and a polarizer that polarizes the illumination reflected from the surface.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for measuring motion relative to a surface, comprising: at least one laser than illuminates the surface; at least one object that reflects or diffracts a portion of the illumination to at least three directions in space to act as local oscillator illuminations; at least three detectors each of which coherently detects illumination reflected from the surface utilizing the local oscillator beams to form at least three responsive to the motion of the apparatus relative to the surface; circuitry that determines the motion of the apparatus with respect to the surface from the signals; and a polarizer that polarizes the illumination reflected from the surface.
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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) | 2005-07-22 | 2006-01-21 | 2006-07-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-07-22 | 2010-01-21 | 2010-07-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-07-22 | 2014-01-21 | 2014-07-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |