Shape measuring apparatus

A shape measuring apparatus comprising:

• at least two photo-sensors for converting received light to electrical light reception signals, one photo-sensor having a photo-sensing characteristic identical to another photo-sensor;
• a first beam splitter which splits a light beam in a predetermined light amount ratio, and introduces split light beams to the photo-sensors, respectively;
• an optical system which introduces a light beam reflected from an object to be measured to the beam splitter, and has a focal point movable in relative to the object;
• a driver which drives the optical system to move the focal point;
• a signal processing section which executes combination processing to light reception signals outputted from the photo-sensors, the signal processing section including:
• a first displacement memory which stores a relative displacement between one photo-sensor and another photo-sensor in a direction perpendicular to an incident direction;
• a signal memory which stores light reception signals outputted from each of the photo-sensors;
• a first corrector which corrects errors of light reception signals from one photo-sensor with respect to light reception signals from another photo-sensor in the perpendicular direction based on the relative displacement stored in the first displacement memory;
• and
• a signal processor which combines light reception signals from one photo-sensor with light reception signals from another photo-sensor by replacing light reception signals from a saturated part of one photo-sensor with light reception signals from a corresponding part of another photo-sensor.

A shape measuring apparatus comprising:

• at least two photo-sensors, each photo-sensor including a number of pixels arranged in a specified direction for converting received light to electrical light reception signals, one photo-sensor having a photo-sensing characteristic identical to another photo-sensor;
• a beam splitter which splits a light beam in a predetermined light amount ratio, and introduces split light beams to the photo-sensors, respectively;
• an optical system which introduces a light beam reflected from an object to be measured to the beam splitter, and has a focal point movable in relative to the object;
• a driver which drives the optical system to move the focal point;
• a first signal processing section which executes combination processing to light reception signals outputted from the photo-sensors, the first signal processing section including:
• a first displacement memory which stores a relative displacement between one photo-sensor and another photo-sensor in the pixel arrangement direction;
• a first signal memory which stores light reception signals outputted from each of the photo-sensors;
• a first corrector which corrects errors of light reception signals from one photo-sensor with respect to light reception signals from another photo-sensor in the pixel arrangement direction based on the relative displacement stored in the first displacement memory;
• and
• a signal processor which combines light reception signals from one photo-sensor with light reception signals from another photo-sensor by replacing light reception signals from saturated pixels of one photo-sensor with light reception signals from corresponding pixels of another photo-sensor;
• a second signal processing section which executes combination processing to light reception signals outputted from the photo-sensors, the second signal processing section including:
• a corrector which corrects a relative displacement between one photo-sensor and another photo-sensor in the pixel arrangement direction by a pitch of pixel by delaying the sending of the reception signals from one photo-sensor with respect to the sending of the reception signals from another photo-sensor;
• and
• a signal processor which combines light reception signals from one photo-sensor with light reception signals from another photo-sensor by replacing light reception signals from saturated pixels of one photo-sensor with light reception signals from corresponding pixels of another photo-sensor;
• a changer which changes over the first signal processing section and the second signal processing section;
• a mode setter which switchingly sets a first measurement mode and a second measurement mode;
• and
• a controller which is responsive to the mode setter to render the first signal processing section execute the combination processing when the first measurement mode is set, and render the second signal processing section execute the combination processing when the second measurement mode is set.

A shape measuring apparatus comprising:

• at least two photo-sensors, each photo-sensor including a number of pixels arranged in a specified direction for converting received light to electrical light reception signals, one photo-sensor having a photo-sensing characteristic identical to another photo-sensor;
• a beam splitter which splits a light beam in a predetermined light amount ratio, and introduces split light beams to the photo-sensors, respectively;
• an optical system which introduces a light beam reflected from an object to be measured to the beam splitter, and has a focal point movable in relative to the object;
• a driver which drives the optical system to move the focal point;
• a first signal processing section which executes combination processing to light reception signals outputted from the photo-sensors, the first signal processing section including:
• a first displacement memory which stores a relative displacement between one photo-sensor and another photo-sensor in an incident direction;
• a first signal memory which stores light reception signals outputted from each of the photo-sensors;
• a first corrector which corrects errors of light reception signals from one photo-sensor with respect to light reception signals from another photo-sensor in the incident direction based on the relative displacement stored in the first displacement memory;
• and
• a signal processor which combines light reception signals from one photo-sensor with light reception signals from another photo-sensor by replacing light reception signals from saturated pixels of one photo-sensor with light reception signals from corresponding pixels of another photo-sensor;
• a second signal processing section which executes combination processing to light reception signals outputted from the photo-sensors, the second signal processing section including:
• a corrector which corrects a relative displacement between one photo-sensor and another photo-sensor in the incident direction by a pitch of pixel by delaying the sending of the reception signals from one photo-sensor with respect to the sending of the reception signals from another photo-sensor;
• and
• a signal processor which combines light reception signals from one photo-sensor with light reception signals from another photo-sensor by replacing light reception signals from saturated pixels of one photo-sensor with light reception signals from corresponding pixels of another photo-sensor;
• a changer which changes over the first signal processing section and the second signal processing section;
• a mode setter which switchingly sets a first measurement mode and a second measurement mode;
• and
• a controller which is responsive to the mode setter to render the first signal processing section execute the combination processing when the first measurement mode is set, and render the second signal processing section execute the combination processing when the second measurement mode is set.