Three dimensional color imaging
AssigneeNational Research Council of Canada
InventorsMarc Rioux, Lawrence King, Paul Fournier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical method and apparatus is provided for determining the color and profile of a target surface of an object. The target surface is scanned with an incident beam of light containing a plurality of wavelengths including at least one well defined wavelength. A return beam reflected from the target is split into at a first and second return beam. The first return beam is utilized for detecting the profile of the target surface; and, a plurality of detectors are provided that detect color information corresponding to the target surface from the second return beam.
Claims10
An optical method of determining the color and profile of a target surface comprising the steps of:
- (a) scanning the target surface with an incident beam of light containing a plurality of wavelengths including at least one well defined wavelength;
- (b) splitting a return beam that has reflected from the target surface into a plurality of separate return beams including at least a first and second return beam;
- (c) utilizing the first return beam that has reflected from the target surface for detecting the profile of the target surface;
- (d) utilizing the second return beam to detect color information corresponding to the target surface;
- (e) providing the second return beam to a means for detecting one or more of red, green, and blue spectral contents;
- and
- (f) generating signals representative of the respectively colored spectral content of the second return beam from the target surface.
An optical apparatus for determining the color and profile of a target surface comprising:
- (a) means for scanning the target surface with an incident beam of light containing a plurality of wavelengths including at least one well defined wavelength;
- (b) means for splitting the return beam that has reflected from the target surface into a plurality of separate return beams, including at least a first return beam and a second return beam;
- (c) means for detecting the profile of the target surface in response to the first return beam that has reflected from the target surface;
- and
- (d) means for detecting color information corresponding to the target surface in response to the second return beam, further comprising
- a means for dispersing the second return beam into a plurality of separate beams according to their wavelengths and
- a plurality of detectors spaced apart and positioned to receive the plurality of separate beams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.