Method for apparatus for determining measurement parameter of a fibrous object and whether the object is a valid object

A method for determining a diameter of a fibrous object and determining a first parameter of an invalid object, comprising:

• passing a validating energy beam through a validating interaction volume;
• detecting validating outgoing energy originating from the validating energy beam in the validating interaction volume, the detection being in at least one validating focal plane of the validating outgoing energy with respect to the validating interaction volume and determining a validating parameter from the detected validating outgoing energy;
• determining from the validating parameter whether the validating outgoing energy originated from an interaction between said fibrous object and the validating beam in the validating volume and, on determining said fibrous object;
• locating said fibrous object in a measurement interaction volume;
• passing a measurement energy beam through the measurement interaction volume to interact with said fibrous object so as to produce measurement outgoing energy;
• detecting at least a portion of the measurement outgoing energy in at least one measurement focal plane of the measurement outgoing energy with respect to the measurement interaction volume, the measurement focal plane being different from the validating focal plane, and determining a measurement parameter from the detected measurement outgoing energy;
• and
• determining from the validating parameter whether the fibrous object is a valid object;
• determining the diameter of the fibrous object from the measurement parameter;
• and, on determining an invalid object,
• determining the first parameter of the invalid object as an unacceptable valid object parameter.

A method for determining a measurement parameter of a valid object and determining a measurement parameter of an invalid object, comprising:

• passing a validating energy beam through a validating interaction volume;
• detecting validating outgoing energy originating from the validating energy beam in the validating interaction volume, the detection being in at least one validating focal plane of the validating outgoing energy with respect to the validating interaction volume and determining a validating parameter from the detected validating outgoing energy;
• determining from the validating parameter whether the validating outgoing energy originated from an interaction between a fibrous object and the validating beam in the validating volume and, on determining an object;
• locating the fibrous object in a measurement interaction volume;
• passing a measurement energy beam through the measurement interaction volume to interact with the fibrous object so as to produce measurement outgoing energy;
• detecting at least a portion of the measurement outgoing energy in at least one measurement focal plane of the measurement outgoing energy with respect to the measurement interaction volume, the measurement focal plane being different from the validating focal plane, and determining a measurement parameter from the detected measurement outgoing energy;
• and
• determining from the validating parameter whether the fibrous object is a valid object;
• and,
• (I) on determining a valid object,
• determining the measurement parameter of the valid object as an acceptable valid object parameter, wherein said measurement parameter is a diameter of the fibrous object;
• (II) on determining an invalid object,
• determining the measurement parameter of the invalid object as an unacceptable valid object parameter.

A method for determining a diameter of a fibrous object and determining a measurement parameter of an invalid object, comprising:

• passing a validating energy beam through a validating interaction volume;
• detecting validating outgoing energy originating from the validating energy beam in the validating interaction volume, the detection being in at least one validating focal plane of the validating outgoing energy with respect to the validating interaction volume and determining a validating parameter from the detected validating outgoing energy;
• determining from the validating parameter whether the validating outgoing energy originated from an interaction between the fibrous object and the validating beam in the validating volume and, on determining the fibrous object;
• locating the fibrous object in a measurement interaction volume;
• passing a measurement energy beam through the measurement interaction volume to interact with the fibrous object so as to produce measurement outgoing energy;
• detecting at least a portion of the measurement outgoing energy in at least one measurement focal plane of the measurement outgoing energy with respect to the measurement interaction volume, the measurement focal plane being different from the validating focal plane, and determining a measurement parameter from the detected measurement outgoing energy;
• and
• determining from the validating parameter whether the fibrous object is a valid object;
• and,
• (I) on determining a valid object,
• determining the diameter of the fibrous object from the measurement parameter;
• determining the diameter of the valid object as an acceptable valid object parameter;
• (II) on determining an invalid object,
• determining the measurement parameter of the invalid object as an unacceptable valid object parameter.

An apparatus for determining a measurement parameter of a fibrous object and whether the object is a valid object, comprising:

• (a) a validating energy source for passing a validating energy beam through a validating interaction volume;
• (b) a validating detector for detecting validating outgoing energy originating from the validating energy beam in the validating interaction volume, the detection being in at least one validating focal plane of the validating outgoing energy with respect to the validating interaction volume and means for determining a validating parameter from the detected validating outgoing energy operatively associated with the validating detector, the validating parameter being a diameter of the fibrous object, the validating detector being operatively associated with the validating energy source wherein the validating parameter is indicative of whether the fibrous object in the validating interaction volume is a single object in a valid measuring position and orientation;
• (c) verification means for determining from the validating parameter whether the validating outgoing energy originated from an interaction between the fibrous object and the validating beam in the validating volume, the verification means being operatively associated with the validating detector;
• (d) a measurement energy source for passing a measurement energy beam through a measurement interaction volume, said measurement interaction volume being the same as the validating interaction volume, to interact with the fibrous object whereby at least a part of the measurement energy beam is occluded by the fibrous object so as to produce measurement outgoing energy in the form of a diffraction pattern;
• (e) a measurement detector for detecting a portion of the measurement outgoing energy in at least one measurement focal plane of the measurement outgoing energy with respect to the measurement interaction volume, the measurement focal plane being different from the validating focal plane, and wherein the detected portion of said measurement outgoing energy is not so much that parameters independent of the measurement parameter prevent determination of the measurement parameter from the measurement outgoing energy to a required accuracy and means for determining a measurement parameter from the detected measurement outgoing energy operatively associated with the measurement detector, the measurement detector being operatively associated with the measurement energy source;
• and
• (f) means for determining from the validating parameter whether the fibrous object is a valid object, the means for determining being operatively associated with the validating detector, the fibrous object being a valid object when it is a single object in a valid measuring position and orientation.

An apparatus for determining at least one characteristic of a fibrous object comprising:

• a source for generating a beam of radiant energy;
• an object receiving sample volume wherein at least a portion of said beam is incident thereon and a portion of which passes therethrough and exits therefrom;
• a validating detector positioned at a first focal plane with respect to a beam portion exiting said volume and responsive to radiant energy incident thereon;
• circuitry coupled to said detector, for determining a validating parameter, said validating parameter being a diameter of the fibrous object;
• verification circuitry, coupled to said determining circuitry, responsive to said validating parameter for determining a source characteristic of said incident radiation;
• a measurement detector, positioned at a second focal plane with respect to a beam portion exiting said volume and responsive to radiant energy incident thereon;
• circuitry coupled to said measurement detector for determining a measurement parameter;
• processing circuitry, coupled to said measurement parameter determining circuitry and to said validating parameter determining circuitry, for determining if the object exhibits the characteristic.