US 7,436,498 B2 · Apparatus for determining the shape of a gemstone

Abstract

An apparatus for determining the shape of a gemstone, including irregularities on its surface, is provided, The apparatus comprises a platform adapted to support the gemstone, a scanning system adapted to provide geometrical information concerning the three-dimensional convex envelope of the gemstone, an illumination system adapted to project on the gemstone a plurality of laser beams, an imaging system adapted to capture reflections of at least a part of said laser beams from the surface of the gemstone, and a processor. The processor is adapted to calculate, based on said geometrical information, a predicted reflection of each laser beam, to compare the captured reflections with said predicted reflections and to relate each captured reflection to its corresponding predicted reflection, to determine said shape of the gemstone based on the comparison and said geometrical information.

Claims33

Dependent claims

An apparatus for determining the shape of a gemstone including concavities on its surface, the gemstone having a size not smaller than a predetermined minimal size,the apparatus comprising:

(a) a platform adapted to support the gemstone;
(b) a scanning system adapted to provide geometrical information concerning the three-dimensional convex envelope of the gemstone;
(c) an illumination system adapted to project on said gemstone illumination in the form of at least two laser beams along at least two separate optical paths;
(d) an imaging system adapted to capture at least a portion of said illumination when reflected from the gemstone;
and
(e) a processor adapted to determine said shape based on the captured illumination and said geometrical information;
the apparatus being adapted to rotate said gemstone with respect to the illumination system about an axis of rotation;
at least one of said paths being spaced from said axis of rotation.

5 more elements

An apparatus for determining the shape of a gemstone having a size being no greater than a predetermined maximal size, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a platform adapted to support the gemstone;
(b) a scanning system adapted to provide geometrical information concerning the three-dimensional convex envelope of the gemstone;
(c) at least one laser source being adapted to project a plurality of laser beams, said plurality of laser beams comprising a first extreme laser beam and a second extreme laser beam, all other laser beams being projected therebetween;
(d) an imaging system adapted to capture at least a portion of said illumination when reflected from the gemstone;
and
(e) a processor adapted to determine said shape based on the captured illumination and said geometrical information,
wherein said extreme laser beams are spaced from each other at least in the vicinity of the platform to a distance greater than said maximal size of the gemstone.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for determining the shape of a gemstone

Life of this patent

Apparatus for determining the shape of a gemstone

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33