The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 23, 1988
Filed:
Feb. 03, 1986
David Goddeau, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Proconics International, Inc., Woburn, MA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for aligning an object having a distinguishing feature in it, the apparatus including rotator means for holding and rotating the object about a rotation axis so that a portion of the surface including the distinguishing feature travels through a surface sensing region, engagement means for engaging the object and transferring it to and receiving it from the rotator means, sensing means for measuring and recording, during rotation of the object, position versus angular orientation information relating to position of the surface along an axis transverse to the surface, calculating means, responsive to the sensing means, for calculating from the position versus angular orientation information both the angular orientation of the distinguishing feature and the location of the center of the object with respect to the rotation axis, and alignment correction means for generating angular correction signals for rotating the object such that the distinguishing feature attains a predetermined angular orientation and for generating alignment signals for aligning the center with respect to the rotation axis. Also disclosed are identifying the angular orientation of the distinguishing feature by identifying where the slope of the position versus angular orientation function is greater than a predetermined amount; and obtaining the position versus angular orientation information using a first digital measuring means to measure the angle and a second digital measuring means to measure the relative height of a portion of the object.