Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Kuninori Nakamura

Kazunari Yoshimura

Tatsuya Honda

Yoshimitsu Nakamura

Takashi Kishida

Hiroshi Maeda

Ryosuke Mitaka

Hideshi Hamaguchi

Katsuji Komaki

Yasuyuki Yuki

Kazufumi Oogi

Yasuyuki Yuuki

A laser distance measuring apparatus, for measuring the distance between objects existing in two directions at least as seen from the apparatus by using laser light, comprises two projectors for projecting laser beams along a specified projection axis toward each one of the objects, a photo detector for receiving reflected light of projection from each object, a distance measurement processor for measuring the distance from a reference point of the apparatus to each object on the basis of the reception signal to the projection by the photo detector, and a distance calculation processor for calculating the distance between the objects on the basis of the distance data measured by the distance measurement processor and the angle formed by two projection axes, in which the projection axis by one projector is variable in angle with respect to the other projector. Therefore, the distance between objects can be measured easily and at high precision by one distance measuring operation only.

Laser distance measuring apparatus

Distance measuring apparatus and method using a pulsed electromagnetic wave for making a high speed precise distance measurement between the apparatus and an object over a small distance. The electromagnetic wave is projected to an object from a single projector to provide a reflected electromagnetic wave from the object that is received by a single receiver also receiving a reference electromagnetic wave branched from the projected electromagnetic wave. The reference-wave reception time at the receiver is delayed by a delay time, so that a first time period between the electromagnetic wave projection time and the reference-wave reception time is longer than a second time period between the projection time and a reflection-wave reception time at the receiver. The distance is determined according to the delay time and the time difference between the reference-wave reception time and the reflection-wave reception time.

Distance measuring apparatus and method using a pulsed electromagnetic wave

A detecting system for a surface form of an object is disclosed. The system comprises a light source section emitting a plurality of slit-like probe rays incidenting on a predetermined inspected area of an inspected object at predetermined pitches, an image pick-up section imaging reflected lights of the probe rays from the inspected area, the image pick-up section imaging the reflected lights from a direction different from a transmission axis of the light source section, the image pick-up section disposed so as to image the reflected light from the inspected area in a batch, and a computation section converting image data from the image pick-up section into data of surface height of the inspected object using a trigonometrical survey method.

Detecting system for surface form of object

An image processing process disposes a television (TV) camera for observing a direct reflection of an incident light in a direction substantially coinciding with rolling direction of such detection object as a laminating substrate or the like, and observes a direct reflection component of the light with mutual positional relationship between the TV camera, object and a light source varied. Measuring thus sequentially the brightness with the angle of incident light varied, a lighting angle at which the brightness of reflection is the largest, that is, an incident angle of direct reflection light is obtained with respect to respective measuring points on the object, and an image representing a distribution of incident angles of the direction reflection light can be obtained by obtaining the incident angles of the direct reflection light with respect to the whole points on the detection object.

Image processing process

An arrangement for detecting a shape of object to measure any displacement of its surface from a reference plane with a high resolution, and to improve to precision of the measurement. This is attained by irradiating a projected light beam from a light source on a subject the light beam being deflected by a vibration mirror and passed through a light projecting lens for scanning projected light spots, by providing a light receiving lens with its optical axis within a scanning plane of the projected light beam while arranging first photosensors on an image plane of the light receiving lens for detection of the position of the projected light beam with the first photosensors, and obtaining with a distance operator a time difference between a first time when an image of a spot with respect to the subject to detect passes through any one of the first photosensors and a second time when the projected light beam passes through one of second photosensors provided to set a reference plane and corresponding to one of the first photosensors upon irradiation of the projected light beam upon the reference plane, for conversion of this time difference into a displacement of the surface of the subject to detect with respect to the reference plane.

Method and device for detecting a shape of object with high resolution

A shape detecting arrangement allows a shape of an object to be very precisely detected at a high resolution, by projecting a plurality of light beams in mutually different ways onto an identical spot of the object substantially in an identical direction, forming on a position detector images of beams of the projected beams reflected back from the object, obtaining a ratio of intensity of the reflected beams by virtue of outputs from the position detector, obtaining positions of the respective reflected beams by virtue of variation component of the ratio of intensity with respect to a reference plane for detecting the position of the object, and finally obtaining height displacement of the respective positions obtained with respect to the reference plane on the basis of the positions and angles of incidence of the reflected beams into the position detector.

Method for shape detection and apparatus therefor

A light beam is emitted to a target point on a target, so that the reflected light beam from the target point forms an illumination spot on a array sensor. The array sensor comprises a plurality of light receiving elements. The receiving elements are divided into a plurality of repeating units consisting of the same number of the receiving elements. The receiving elements in each of the repeating units are assigned respectively to different indexes. The receiving elements having the same index are commonly coupled so as to provide a single output indicative of the same index when the reflected light beam hits any one of the receiving elements. A method for determination of a three-dimensional profile of an object includes a first step of detecting a series of reference spots on the array sensor with respect to individual points obtained by scanning the light beam on a reference surface, and defining detection ranges respectively with respect to the individual reference spots, and a second step of detecting within the detection ranges a series of object spots obtained by scanning the light beam on an object surface and analyzing a positional deviation between the object spot and the corresponding reference spot within each of the detection range to determine the three-dimensional profile of the object in accordance with thus obtained positional deviations.

Method of determination of a three-dimensional profile of an object

An optical measurement system for determination of an object profile includes a light source for emitting a light beam, light directing means for directing the light beam to scan a surface of the object surface and for directing a reflected light beam from the object surface in a direction angled from that of the light beam incident to the surface. The reflected light beam is received at position detecting means to provide position data with respect to the individual scanned points on the object surface. The position data is analyzed to measure a series of distances to the individual scanned points on the object surface to obtain from the measured distances height data of the individual scanned points and to determine an object profile along the scanned point on the object surface. The light directing means comprises a single deflector which deflects the light beam onto the object for scanning the object surface thereby, a first projecting lens interposed between the deflector and the object to project the light beam on the object surface, and a second receiving lens offset from the first projecting lens and interposed between the object surface and the common deflector to converge the reflected beam from the object surface on the light receiving elements. The deflector is in the form of a planar vibration mirror upon which the light beam from the light source and the reflected light beam from the object surface are incident.

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Owariasahi, Japan

Kuninori Nakamura