Optics: measuring and testing – Shape or surface configuration
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-13
2003-10-28
Stafira, Michael P. (Department: 2877)
Optics: measuring and testing
Shape or surface configuration
C382S154000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06639684
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image capture device. More specifically, the invention relates to a low-cost three-dimensional digitizer.
(2) Background
There are four broad categories of non-contact three-dimensional digitizers. The first category is referred to as silhouette digitizers because the imaging device repeatedly takes the silhouette of the object as the object is rotated before the imaging device or the imaging device is rotated about the object. This type of digitizer is relatively ineffective at dealing with concavities in a three-dimensional object because the silhouette is unchanged by the concavity.
The second category is timing digitizers. Timing digitizers use a signal source such as a radar source. By determining the amount of time required for the signal to bounce back from the different points on the target object, surface features of the object are revealed. However, such digitizing methods are extremely expensive to implement.
A third category is projected pattern digitizers, in which a pattern of some sort is projected onto the object to be digitized and the dimensions of the object are determined from the interaction of the pattern with the object. Projected pattern digitizers fall into three main subcategories. The subcategories include contour digitizers which use spatial distortion from a projected pattern of contour lines to determine surface features of a three-dimensional object. A next subcategory is interference projected pattern digitizers, which use two sources and then based on the localized interference pattern of the two sources, determine the surface features of the three-dimensional object to be digitized. A third subcategory is referred to as color projected pattern digitizers because this category uses a projected color pattern and resulting color gradients to determine relevant information about the object to be digitized.
A final broad category is stereoscopic digitizers which employ multiple cameras to capture images of the object from different angles. From the picture, such systems perform feature identification. Then a correlation between the features in the different pictures is established to yield three-dimensional data.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3636250 (1972-01-01), Haeff
patent: 4089608 (1978-05-01), Hoadley
patent: 4564295 (1986-01-01), Halioua
patent: 4590608 (1986-05-01), Chen et al.
patent: 4641972 (1987-02-01), Halioua et al.
patent: 4657394 (1987-04-01), Halioua
patent: 4705401 (1987-11-01), Addleman et al.
patent: 4724525 (1988-02-01), Purcell et al.
patent: 4737032 (1988-04-01), Addleman et al.
patent: 4802759 (1989-02-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 4846577 (1989-07-01), Grindon
patent: 5056914 (1991-10-01), Kollodge
patent: 5067817 (1991-11-01), Glenn
patent: 5131844 (1992-07-01), Marinaccio et al.
patent: 5132839 (1992-07-01), Travis
patent: 5135309 (1992-08-01), Kuchel et al.
patent: 5175601 (1992-12-01), Fitts et al.
patent: 5216817 (1993-06-01), Misevich et al.
patent: 5218427 (1993-06-01), Koch
patent: 5231470 (1993-07-01), Koch
patent: 5237404 (1993-08-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5285397 (1994-02-01), Heier et al.
patent: 5289264 (1994-02-01), Steinbichler
patent: 5307292 (1994-04-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5315512 (1994-05-01), Roth
patent: 5335317 (1994-08-01), Yamashita et al.
patent: 5337149 (1994-08-01), Kozah et al.
patent: 5377011 (1994-12-01), Koch
patent: 5414647 (1995-05-01), Ebenstein et al.
patent: 5432622 (1995-07-01), Johnston et al.
patent: 5471303 (1995-11-01), Ai et al.
patent: 5531520 (1996-07-01), Grimson et al.
patent: 5592563 (1997-01-01), Zahavi
patent: 5611147 (1997-03-01), Raab
patent: 5617645 (1997-04-01), Wick et al.
patent: 5621529 (1997-04-01), Gordon et al.
patent: 5627771 (1997-05-01), Makino
patent: 5636025 (1997-06-01), Bieman et al.
patent: 5646733 (1997-07-01), Bieman
patent: 5661667 (1997-08-01), Rueb et al.
patent: 5678546 (1997-10-01), Truppe
patent: 5689446 (1997-11-01), Sundman et al.
patent: 5704897 (1998-01-01), Truppe
patent: 5747822 (1998-05-01), Sinclair et al.
patent: 5771310 (1998-06-01), Vannah
patent: 5794356 (1998-08-01), Raab
patent: 5805289 (1998-09-01), Corby, Jr. et al.
patent: 5864640 (1999-01-01), Miramonti et al.
patent: 5870220 (1999-02-01), Migdal et al.
patent: 5880846 (1999-03-01), Hasman et al.
patent: 5907359 (1999-05-01), Watanabe
patent: 5910845 (1999-06-01), Brown
patent: 5944598 (1999-08-01), Tong et al.
patent: 5988862 (1999-11-01), Kacyra et al.
patent: 5995650 (1999-11-01), Migdal et al.
patent: 5999641 (1999-12-01), Miller et al.
patent: 6040910 (2000-03-01), Wu et al.
patent: 6057909 (2000-05-01), Yahav et al.
patent: 6091905 (2000-07-01), Yahav et al.
patent: 6100517 (2000-08-01), Yahav et al.
patent: 4134546 (1993-08-01), None
patent: 4313860 (1994-11-01), None
patent: WO 99/58930 (1999-11-01), None
www.pointcloud.com/pages/Home.html, “Point Cloud,” 5 pages.
www. inharmonytech.com/venus3d.index.html, “Introducing Venus 3D,” 4 pages.
deskeng.com/3dd.htm, “Desktop Engineering, The Complete Computing Resource for Engineers,” 1977 Helmers Publishing, Inc., 1 page.
www.geometrixinc.com/mainwin.html, “Who says you can't build Rome in a day?”, 4 pages.
Agabra David S.
Bahhour Basel F.
Diaconescu Peter L.
Drobnis David D.
Haynie Jill E.
Barth Vincent P.
NextEngine, Inc.
Stafira Michael P.
LandOfFree
Digitizer using intensity gradient to image features of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Digitizer using intensity gradient to image features of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Digitizer using intensity gradient to image features of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3126035