Illumination device for indirectly illuminating an object with continuous diffuse light
AssigneeNortheast Robotics LLC
InventorTimothy P. White
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An illumination device for illuminating an object to be observed, by a machine vision camera or the like for example, with a continuous diffuse wide angle light which is supplied along the observation axis of the machine vision camera. The diffuser is mounted parallel to the observation axis but recessed within the housing, i.e. either completely shielded by the beam splitter or spaced from an adjacent edge of a viewing aperture a sufficient distance so as to prevent any ray of light from the diffuser from directly illuminating any point of interest on the surface of the object to be observed. The recessing of the diffuser prevents direct illumination by the diffuser and provides improved uniform illumination of the object to be observed.
Claims20
An illumination device for illuminating an object to be observed by a camera along an observation axis extending from the camera to the object, said illumination device comprising:
- a housing having at least a first aperture therein aligned with an observation axis;
- a partially reflective beam splitter being supported by said housing and being positioned obliquely relative to the observation axis adjacent said at least first aperture;
- a light source being arranged to cast light on a first surface of said beam splitter;
- and
- a diffuser being positioned between said beam splitter and said light source for diffusing light from said light source as the light passes through said diffuser to said first surface of said beam splitter;
- wherein said diffuser is supported within said housing such that said diffuser, during use, is only able to indirectly illuminate a desired portion of an object to be observed when the object is positioned along the observation axis.
An illumination device for illuminating an object to be observed by a camera along an observation axis extending from the camera to the object, said illumination device comprising:
- a housing having at least a first aperture therein aligned with an observation axis;
- a partially reflective beam splitter being supported by said housing and being positioned obliquely relative to the observation axis adjacent said at least first aperture;
- a light source being arranged to cast light on a first surface of said beam splitter;
- and
- a diffuser being positioned between said beam splitter and said light source for diffusing light from said light source as the light passes through said diffuser to said first surface of said beam splitter;
- wherein said diffuser is spaced from an adjacent edge of said first aperture and said illumination device is spaced from the object to be observed a sufficient distance so that said diffuser, during use, is concealed from the object to be observed and only able to indirectly illuminate a desired portion of an object to be observed when the object is positioned along the observation axis.
A method of illuminating an object to be observed by a camera along an observation axis extending from the camera to the object, said method comprising the steps of:
- utilizing a housing having at least one aperture therein aligned with an observation axis;
- supporting a partially reflective beam splitter within said housing, and positioning said partially reflective beam splitter along the observation axis adjacent said at least one aperture;
- arranging a light source to cast light on a first surface of said beam splitter;
- positioning a diffuser between said beam splitter and said light source for diffusing light from said light source as the light passes through said diffuser to said beam splitter;
- spacing the object from the illumination device;
- and,
- locating said diffuser within said housing such that said diffuser, during use, is only able to indirectly illuminate a desired portion of an object to be observed when the object is positioned along the observation axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.