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Patent 2235406 Summary

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(12) Patent: (11) CA 2235406
(54) English Title: HOCKEY PUCK SHAPED CONTINUOUS DIFFUSE ILLUMINATION APPARATUS AND METHOD
(54) French Title: APPAREIL POUR ECLAIREMENT DIFFUS CONTINU AYANT LA FORME D'UN PALET DE HOCKEY ET PROCEDE ASSOCIE
Status: Deemed expired
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • F21V 13/04 (2006.01)
  • F21V 17/00 (2006.01)
  • G01N 21/88 (2006.01)
  • H04N 7/18 (2006.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • WHITE, TIMOTHY P. (United States of America)
(73) Owners :
  • SIEMENS ENERGY & AUTOMATION, INC. (United States of America)
(71) Applicants :
  • NORTHEAST ROBOTICS, INC. (United States of America)
(74) Agent: THOMPSON, DOUGLAS B.
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued: 2006-08-22
(86) PCT Filing Date: 1996-10-22
(87) Open to Public Inspection: 1997-05-01
Examination requested: 2001-10-19
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): Yes
(86) PCT Filing Number: PCT/US1996/016996
(87) International Publication Number: WO1997/016024
(85) National Entry: 1998-04-20

(30) Application Priority Data:
Application No. Country/Territory Date
08/546,779 United States of America 1995-10-23

Abstracts

English Abstract



The method and apparatus for providing a continuous, uniformed, diffused light
environment for use in conjunction with an electronic
machine vision or manual microscope inspection system, particularly for
inspection of specular surfaces such as ball bearings, reflective
packaging and other shiny surfaces. The illumination device (2) includes a
source of light (24) which is associated with at least the secondary
diffusers (26) to provide secondary diffused illumination, of an object (o) to
be observed, substantially along the observation axis (A) of
the object. The same light source may also illuminate a rear surface of the
primary diffuser (10). The height of the illumination device is
approximately three and one half times the clear aperture (CA) dimension of
the illumination device or less. The illumination of the object
with light which is equal in intensity and character to facilitate accurately
viewing of the entire area of the object to be viewed.


French Abstract

Cette invention concerne un procédé et un appareil permettant de créer un environnement lumineux diffus, uniforme et continu, destiné à être utilisé conjointement avec un dispositif de vision artificielle électronique ou de contrôle manuel par microscope, notamment pour le contrôle de surfaces spéculaires telles que roulements à bille, boîtier d'encapsulation réfléchissant et autres surfaces brillantes. Le dispositif d'éclairement (2) comporte une source lumineuse (24) qui est associée au moins aux diffuseurs (26) secondaires de façon à assurer un éclairement secondaire diffus d'un objet (o) à observer, sensiblement le long de l'axe d'observation (A) de l'objet. La même source lumineuse peut également éclairer une surface arrière du diffuseur primaire (10). La hauteur du dispositif d'éclairement est approximativement égale ou inférieure à trois fois et demi la dimension de l'ouverture (CA) du dispositif d'éclairement. L'éclairement de l'objet par une lumière d'intensité et de caractéristiques uniformes facilite la visualisation précise de la totalité de la zone de l'objet à observer.

Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.



24

1. A compact diffuse illumination device (2) for evenly illuminating a desired
portion of an object (O) when observed along an observing axis extending
through an object observing location, the compact diffuse illumination device
(2)
comprising a light source (24, 81, 91) for providing light; a first diffuser
(11, 44,
82), for supplying a primary diffused light, defining an opening through which
the
observation axis (A) passes, the first diffuser (11, 44, 82) being arranged to
receive light from the light source (24, 81, 91) and supply the primary
diffused
light to provide even illumination of the desired portion of the object (O),
when
placed at the observing location and viewed along the observation axis (A),
except for a portion of the object effected by the opening; a second diffuser
(13,
46, 92) arranged to receive light from the light source (24, 81, 91) and
supply
secondary diffused light to a partially reflective mirror (18, 84) to
illuminate
indirectly a desired portion of the object effected by the opening; and the
partially
reflective mirror (18, 84) arranged along the observation axis (A) to receive
end
reflect at least a portion of the secondary diffused light, supplied by the
light
source (24, 81, 91), along the observation axis (A) to evenly illuminate etch
portion of the object effected by the opening to produce, when the primary
diffused light illuminates the object (O), the even illumination of the object
(O)
when viewed along the observation axis (A);
characterized by the opening (12, 42) defining a clear aperture of
the diffuse illumination device (2) and a height of the light source (24, 81,
91) is
no greater than about three times a dimension of the clear aperture, and the
second diffuser (13, 46, 92) being sufficiently inclined, with respect to the
observation axis (A), to prevent the second diffuser (13, 46, 92) from
directly
illuminating the portion of the object effected by the opening.

2. A compact diffuse illumination device (2) according to claim 1,
characterized by at least one of the following:
a) the illumination device (2) includes an exterior housing (4, 80)
supporting the first diffuser (11, 44, 82), and the exterior housing (4, 80)
and the
first diffuser (11, 44, 82) defines a cavity accommodating the light source
(24, 81,
91); or
b) the first diffuser (11, 44, 82) is a ring shaped planar member
which has the opening (12, 42) centrally located therein.



25

3. A compact diffuse illumination device (2) both according to claim 2,
characterized by at least one of the following:
a) an observation passage is formed and extends through both the
exterior housing (4, 80) and the first diffuser (11, 44, 82) for facilitating
viewing of
the object (O) to be observed along the observation axis; or
b) the exterior housing (4, 80) is opaque and the first diffuser (11,
44, 82) is transparent; or
c) the exterior housing (4, 80) includes a light absorbing surface
(68) located adjacent a rear surface of and the partially reflective mirror
(18, 84)
to absorb diffused light which passes therethrough.

4. A compact diffuse illumination device (2) according to claim 3,
characterized by at least one of the following:
a) the first diffuser (11, 44, 82) supports the second diffuser (13, 46,
92) which cooperates with the light source (24, 81, 91) for supplying the
secondary diffused light to the partially reflective mirror (18, 84); or
b) the observation passage is defined by a frusto-conical wall and
the exterior housing (4, 80) defines a first portion of the frusto-conical
wall and
the second diffuser (13, 46, 92) defines a second portion of the frusto-
conical
wall and the partially reflective mirror (18, 84) is located between the first
and
second portions; or
c) an opening is formed in the exterior housing (4, 80) and the
opening in the exterior housing (4, 80) is larger in size than the opening
(12, 42)
provided in the first diffuser (11, 44, 82); or
d) the exterior housing (4, 80) is provided with at least one further
opening, and an electrical cord (28) extends through the further opening and
is
connected to the light source (24, 81, 91) to supply electrical power thereto.


26

5. A compact diffuse illumination device (2) according to claim 1,
characterized by at least one of the following:
a) the first diffuser (11, 44, 82) and the second diffuser (13, 46, 92)
are formed as a single monolithic component; or
b) an intensity of the light generated by the light source (24) may be
adjustable by a rheostat (69) to adjust the intensity and character of the
light cast
upon the object (O).

6. A compact diffuse illumination device (2) according to claim 2,
characterized by at least one of the following:
a) the illumination device (2) occupies a volume of no greater than
about 16 cubic inches; or
b) the light source (24, 81, 91) is a flexible LED circuit
accommodated within the cavity; or
c) the first diffuser (11, 44, 82) is releasably fastened by at least
one member to an open end of the exterior housing (4, 80).



27

7. A compact diffuse illumination device (2) according to claim 2,
characterized by at least one of the following:
a) the exterior housing (4, 80) is provided with an inlet opening and
an outlet opening and a fan (70) is connected to one of the inlet opening and
the
outlet opening for supplying cooling air to internal components of the
illumination
device (2) while the other of the openings facilitates exhausting of the
cooling air
from the illumination device; or
b) the second diffuser (13, 46, 92) is located between the light
source (24, 81, 91) and the partially reflective mirror (18, 84), and an
intermediate diffuser is positioned within the cavity, between the light
source (24,
81, 91) and the second diffuser (13, 46, 92), to assist with further diffusion
of ,light
supplied by the light source (24, 81, 91) to the second diffuser (13, 46, 92);
or
c) a surface of the first diffuser (11, 44, 82) supports a calibration
mechanism to facilitate uniform illumination by the first diffuser (11, 44,
82); or
d) the first diffuser (11, 44, 82) supports the second diffuser (13, 46,
92), and an inner surface of the exterior housing (4, 80) and an outer surface
of
the second diffuser (13, 46, 92) are contoured so that, when the exterior
housing
(4, 80) is mated with the first diffuser (11, 44, 82), the partially
reflective mirror
(18, 84) is biased into a partially spherical configuration.

8. A compact diffuse illumination device (2) according to claim 1,
characterized in that the light source (24, 81, 91) comprises:
a primary light source (24, 81, 91), cooperating with the first diffuser
(11, 44, 82), for supplying the primary diffused light to the object (O) to be
observed; and
a secondary light source (24, 81, 91), cooperating with the second
diffuser (13, 46, 92) for, supplying the secondary diffused light to the
object (b) to
be observed.



28

9. A compact diffuse illumination device (2) according to claim 1, in
combination with an observation device, a computer, containing a central
processing unit, and a conveying apparatus for moving one of the compact
diffuse illumination device (2) and the object (O) to be observed relative to
one
another, and the computer is connected with the observation device (2) and the
conveying apparatus for sensing and outputting a sensed image of the object
(O)
to be observed to control manipulation, via the conveying apparatus, of the
object
(O) to be observed.



29

10. A method of evenly illuminating a desired portion of an object (O) to be
observed, when observed along an observation axis (A) extending through an
object observing location, via a compact diffuse illumination device, the
method
characterized by the steps of: providing a light source (24, 81, 91) for
supplying
light; defining an opening (12, 42) in a first diffuser (11, 44, 82), for
supplying a
primary diffused light, through which the observation axis (A) passes, and
arranging the first diffuser (11, 44, 82) to received light from the light
source (24,
81, 91) and supply the primary diffused light to provide even illumination of
the
desired portion of the object (O), when placed at the observing location and
viewed along the observation axis (A), except for a portion of the object
effected
by the opening; supplying secondary diffused light, via a second diffuser (13,
46,
92), to illuminate indirectly a desired portion of the object effected by the
opening;
arranging a partially reflective mirror (18, 84) along the observation axis
(A) to
receive and reflect at least a portion of the secondary diffused light,
supplied by
the second diffuser (13, 46, 92), along the observation axis (A) to evenly
illuminate each portion of the object effected by the opening to produce, when
the primary diffused tight illuminates the object (O), even illumination of
the object
(O) when viewed along the observation axis (A); defining, via the opening (12,
42), a clear aperture of the diffuse illumination device;
characterized by providing the light source (24, 81, 91) with a
height which is no greater than about three times a dimension of the clear
aperture, and sufficiently inclining the second diffuser (13, 46, 92), with
respect to
the observation axis (A), to prevent the second diffuser (13, 46, 92) from
directly
illuminating the portion of the object effected by the opening.


Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.



CA 02235406 1998-04-20
WO 97/16024 PCT/US96/16996
1
HOCKEY PUCK SHAPED CONTINOOOS DIFFUSE
IhLUMINATION APPARATUS AND METHOD
Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for
permitting electronic machine vision of light reflecting
objects wherein a true observation of the surface being
viewed is obtained by masking potential reflections
resulting along the observation axis due to observation
windows and cameras, or other non-illuminating
discontinuities in the illumination environment.
Description of the Related Art
Electronic machine vision apparatus is commonly
employed in conjunction with automatic machining, assembly
and inspection apparatus, particularly of the robotics
type. Television cameras are commonly employed to observe
the object being machined, assembled, or inspected, and
the signal received and transmitted by the camera can be
compared to a standard signal or database to determine if
the observed article is properly machined, oriented,
and/or assembled. Also, machine vision apparatus is
widely used in inspection and flaw detection applications
whereby inconsistencies and imperfection in both hard and
soft goods can be rapidly ascertained and adjustments or
rejections instantaneously effected.
Machine vision apparatus detects abnormalities by
comparing the signal generated by the camera with a
predetermined signal indicating proper dimensions,
appearance, orientation, or the like. In order to achieve
consistent and accurate results when using machine vision
apparatus employing electronic cameras, it is very
important that consistent and uniform lighting of the
observed abject occur, as the lighting will seriously
affect the vision signal generated and produce irregular
signals even though no fault may exist in the object being
observed other than it is not uniformly illuminated.


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
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Illumination problems in machine vision applications
ar~~ particularly present. when the object being observed
has a shiny specular surface. For instance, in the
inspection of soldered circuits such as used with printed
circuit boards the highly reflective nature and uneven
surface geometry of the solder makes it very difficult to
obtain an accurate electronic signal, and the same is true
whsan machine vision inspecting ball bearings, ref lective
packaging, and other objects having shiny surfaces or
l0 areas, particularly irregular shiny surfaces.
When utilizing machine vision techniques and
apparatus in shiny surface applications, it is common to
employ complicated lighting systems for illuminating the
object being observed, and it is a purpose of such
lighting systems to eliminate shadows, highlights,
uncterlights, reflections and other lighting
characteristics caused by shiny convex surface objects.
An illumination device which achieves many of the objects
of the present invention is disclosed in a related patent
of the Inventor, namely, U.S. Patent No. 5,461,417 issued
October 24, 1995. That patent discloses a device which
provides a first source of primary diffused light which
illuminates a major portion of the object to be observed,
except for a portion effected by the opening and a second
source of diffused light provided along the observation
axis to illumination the portion of the object effected by
the opening. One of the major drawbacks associated with
such device is that it is relatively large and bulky and
the design is not readily adapted for miniaturization due
to its geometry.
Objection of the Invention
Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention
to overcome the above noted disadvantages of the
illumination devices currently available.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method
and apparatus for illuminating an object to be observed by
machine vision cameras wherein a diffused illumination of


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
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-3 -
the object is produced which is continuous in nature and
is free of dark or void portions capable of generating
erroneous vision signals.
Another object of the invention is to provide a
method and apparatus for illuminating specular objects to
be observed by electronic machine vision cameras, film
cameras, or human observers, wherein the object is
uniformly illuminated by a primary, off-observation axis
source of diffused light emitting from surface adjacent
the object, having an observation window or viewing
orifice to permit vision along an observation axis that is
masked against reflection by the object.
Another object of the invention is to provide a
method and apparatus for illuminating specular objects to
I5 be observed by electronic machine vision cameras wherein
the object is illuminated by diffused light emitted from
an off-observation axis diffuse light source of a shape
and size sufficient to provide substantially uniform
illumination over the entire surface of the object to be
observed while also supplying diffused light along the
observation axis through an observation window to permit
accurate vision along an observation axis.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a
method and apparatus which supplies diffused light along
the observation axis of an intensity and character
substantially equal to the intensity and character of the
primary diffused light illuminating the object while
facilitating miniaturization of the illumination device.
Still another object of the invention is to provide
an illumination device which is very compact in size and
occupies a volume of between about 0.5 to 30 cubic inches,
or possibly smaller.
A still further object of the invention is to form
the first and second diffusers from a single monolithic
component so that the height of the illumination device is
approximately equal to a clear aperture dimension of the
illumination device and the width or diameter of the


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
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-4 -
illumination device is approximately three (3) times the
clear aperture dimension.
A still further abject of the invention is to
calibrate the primary diffuser surface, prior to use, to
ensure uniformed illumination of the object to be observed
by the primary diffuser surface.
Yet a further object of the invention is to minimize
the height of the light source assembly by utilizing a
curved beam splitter.
A further object of the invention is, in one
embodiment, to utilize a single light source to illuminate
both the primary and the secondary diffusers so that the
single light provides both the off axis diffuse
illumination as well as the diffuse illumination provided
along the observation axis.
Still another object of the invention is to provide
a compact illumination device which is compact in size and
ha:a a camera incorporated therein.
Summary of the Invention
The invention relates to a compact diffuse lighting
device for evenly illuminating a desired portion of an
object when observed alang an observing axis extending
through an object observing location, said diffuse
ilJ.umination device comprising a first diffuser surface,
for supplying diffused light, defining an opening through
which the observing axis passes, said first diffuser
surface being arranged to supply a primary diffused light
to provide said even illumination of the desired portion
of the object, when placed at the observing location and
viewed along said observing axis, except for a portion of
the object effected by the opening; a light source for
supplying secondary diffused light to illuminate a desired
portion of the object; and a partially reflective mirror
for supplying said secondary diffused light along the
observing axis to evenly illuminate each portion of the
object effected by the opening to produce, when a primary
diffused light illuminates said surface, said even


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
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-5-
illumination of the object when viewed along the observing
axis; wherein said light source for supply secondary
diffused light is located adjacent said first diffuser
surface for supplying said primary diffused light.
The invention also relates to a method of evenly
illuminating a desired portion of an object to be
observed, when observed along an observing axis extending
through an object observing location, via a compact
diffuse lighting device, said method comprising the steps
of supplying diffused light, via a first diffuser surface
defining an opening through which the observing axis
passes, and arranging said first diffuser surface to
supply a primary diffused light to provide said even
illumination of the desired portion of the object, when
placed at the observing location and viewed along said
observing axis, except for a portion of the object
effected by the opening; supplying secondary diffused
light, via a light source, to illuminate a desired portion
of the object; and using a partially reflective mirror to
supply said secondary diffused light along the observing
axis to evenly illuminate each portion of the object
effected by the opening to produce, when a primary
diffused light illuminates said surface, said even
illumination of the object when viewed along the observing
axis; and locating said light source, for supply secondary
diffused light, adjacent said first diffuser surface fvr
also supplying said primary diffused light.
As will be appreciated from the following
description, the method and apparatus permitting the
practice of the invention is relatively simple and
inexpensive as compared with prior art devices incapable
of providing a true continuous diffused light as provided
by the invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The aforementioned objects and advantages of the
invention will be appreciated from the following
description and accompanying drawings wherein:


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Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one embodiment
for employing an observation device to view a desired
object via the illumination device according to the
present invention;
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view to a
first embodiment of the illumination device according to
th.e present invention;
Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the illumination
device of Fig. 2 prior to attachment of the diffuser
l0 component;
Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a flexible
circuit containing a plurality of high intensity LEDs;
Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the exterior housing
of Fig. 2;
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the exterior
housing along section line 6-6 of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the diffuser component
shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view along section
lime 8-8 of Fig. 7;
Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a
second embodiment of the illumination device according to
the present invention employing a curved beam splitter;
Fig. 10 shows the engagement between the first
di:~fuser component and the exterior housing to maintain
thfa curved beam splitter's configuration as well as the
manner in which the curvature of the beam splitter is
dei:ermined;
Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the modified diffuser
3 0 connponent of Fig . 9 ;
Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing an arrangement
for calibrating the outer diffuser is to ensure uniform
illumination of a desired object via the illumination
device;
Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a
third embodiment of the illumination device, according to


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
WO 97/16024 PCTIUS96/16996
the present invention, which has an integrated video
camera;
Fig. 14 is a front. elevational view of an array of
LEDs for providing diffused illumination along the
observation axis;
Fig. 15 is a plan view of the secondary diffused
light when bent into its curved configuration;
Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view, along
section line 16-I6 of Fig., 13 showing an arrangement of
l0 the LEDs for providing primary diffused illumination;
Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the
primary and secondary light sources, with some of the
components being removed for the sake of clarity, to show
their interrelationship;
Fig. 18 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a
illumination device, according to the present invention,
showing desired ray tracing to insure uniform illumination
of the desired area to be observed by the illumination
device;
Fig. 19 is a diagrammatic representation of a
triggering mechanism for automatically sequencing various
combinations of illumination zones; and
Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic representation of a second
triggering mechanism for automatically sequencing various
combinations of illumination zones.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Turning now to Figs. 1-8, a first embodiment of the
present invention will now be described in detail. This
embodiment is a compacted illumination device having a
height to width ratio of about 1:3, i.e. a height of
approximately 1 inch and a diameter of approximately 3
inches. The compact illumination device 2 comprises an
exterior housing 4 which comprises a substantially planar
top wall 3 and a substantially cylindrical side wall 5
which are connected to one another by a small radius
curved transition to form a unitary monolithic structure.
The end of the exterior housing 4 opposite the top wall 3


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
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_g_
is an open end which, prior to use, is covered by an outer
diffuser 10. An observation device 1, such as a camera,
a human observer, or some other suitable observation
device is positioned along the observation axis A at a
location remote from the object O to be observed with the
compact illumination device 2 positioned between the
observation device 1 and. the object O to be observed.
The top wall 3 of the exterior housing 4 has a
centrally located aperture 8 formed therein which, during
use, is centered about the observation axis A. A frusto
conical side wall 6 extends from the top wall 3 of the
exaerior housing inwardly and downwardly along the
observation axis A toward the object O to be observed.
The side wall 6 is truncated by a plane P which extends
obliquely, e.g. at a ~~5° angle, with respect to the
observation axis A thereby forming an elliptical end
surface 7 at the smaller diameter truncated end of the
truncated frusto-conical. side wall 6. The elliptical
surface 7 of the exterior housing 4 supports a first
surface of the beam splitter or partially reflective
mirror 18. The exterior housing 4 can be manufactured
from metal or may be molded from a plastic or some other
synthetic or other suitable material. Preferably the
exterior housing 4 is opaque.
The top wall 3 of the exterior housing is also
provided with a wire aperture 9 (Fig. 6) which allows a
f i:ber optic 1 fight source ( s ) to extend therethrough or an
el~.ctrical cord to pass through the exterior housing and
su~oply electrical power t:o the interior components of the
exterior housing, e.g. the lights. A further detailed
description concerning the supply of electrical power to
the illumination source will follow hereinafter.
As previously indicated, the outer diffuser 10 covers
th~a open end of the exterior housing 4 and is provided
wii~h a centrally located circular viewing aperture 12
which, when the outer diffuser 10 is attached to the
horsing 4, is aligned. with the centrally located


CA 02235406 1998-04-20 p~~'IUS 9 6 / 1 ~ ~ '',i,
IPEANS 11 SEP ''~S
-g-
aperture 8 of the exterior housing. The outer diffuser 10
comprises a first planar ring shaped diffuser section il
and a frusto-conical diffuser section 13. The ring-shaped
diffuser 11 and the frusto-conical diffuser 13 are
integrally formed with one another, e.g. they are molded
as a unitary monolithic diffuser component from a
translucent material such as DELRIN~, which is a
thermoplastic polymer material sold by I.E. DuPont de
Nemours & Company, Inc. Other suitable materials, which
provide desired diffused illumination characteristics when
illuminated by a light source, may also be employed. The
exterior housing 4 is preferably manufactured from black
colored DELRIN~.
w The frusto-conical diffuser 13 extends from the ring
shaped diffuser 11 along the observation axis A toward the
top wall 3. The ring-shaped diffuser 11 is truncated by
the plane P which extends obliquely, e.g. at a 45° angle,
with respect to the observation axis A thereby forming a
second elliptical surface 17 at the larger diameter
truncated end of the truncated frusto-conical diffuser 13.
The elliptical surface 17 of the outer diffuser 10
supports a second opposed surface of the beam splitter or
partially reflective mirror 18. The outer diffuser 10
must be transparent to allow diffused light to pass
therethrough.
The outer diffuser 10 is provided with a plurality of
screw holes 21, e.g. 4 holes, spaced about the perimeter
of the outer diffuser 10 which are alignable with a
plurality of tapped screw holes 19, e.g. 4 holes, provided
in the side wall 5 of the exterior housing 4. The outer
diffuser 10 is releasably secured to the exterior
housing 4 via plurality of screws 20 passing through the
screw holes 21 and threadingly engaging with the tapped
screw holes 19. When the outer diffuser 10 is secured to
the exterior housing 4, those two components define an
interior cavity 22 which accommodates the internal
components. It is to be appreciated that a variety of
AMENO~D 9~fT


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
IPEAIUS 11 SEP '9
-10-
other known releasable attachment mechanisms, for
attaching the outer diffuser 10 to the exterior housing 4,
may be also employed.
An illumination source 24, such as a flexible LED
circuit supported by a backing material, a ring light,
fiber light, etc., is accommodated within the interior
cavity 22 defined by the outer diffuser 10 and the
exterior housing 4. The illumination source 24 is secured
to the inner surface of the side wall 5 by ,a suitable
fastening device (not shown), e.g. a screw(s), glue, etc.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, in which the
illumination source 24 has a diameter of approximately 2.6
inches, the flexible circuit has a length of approximately
8.12 inches and a width of approximately 1 inch. A
plurality of individual high intensity LEDs, e.g. 75, are
supported along the length of the flexible~illumination
circuit and each of the individual LEDs is interconnected,
via a plurality of wires (not shown in detail), to an
electrical cord 28 which extends out of the exterior
housing 4 through the wire aperture 9. The electrical
cord 28 has a suitable electrical contact or plug 30, at
a remote opposite end thereof, for facilitating connection
of the illumination source 24 to an appropriate power
supply. If desired, an inner cylindrical or partially
cylindrical diffuser 26 can be positioned within the
interior cavity 22 and located between the illumination
source 24 and the second diffuser 14 to further assist
with diffusing the light directed by the illumination
source 24 toward the frusto-conical diffuser 13.
A suitable beam splitter 18, such as 0.010 inch half-
silvered optical clear lucite member, is sandwiched, e.g.
by compression, between the oval surface 7 of the housing
and the oval surface 17 of the frusto-conical diffuser 13.
The beam splitter 18 is typically secured to either one or
both oval surfaces 7, 17 by glue or some other adhesive
component. During use, the beam splitter 18 reflects a
desired amount of light, e.g. between about 20% to 80~ and
AMENOEO 91~E1'


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
WO 97/16024 PCT/US96/16996
-11-
preferably about 50%, which passes through the frusto-
conical diffuser 13 alang the observation axis A toward
the object while allowing a desired amount of light, e.g.
about 20% to 80% and preferably about 50%, reflected by
the object to be observed to pass through the beam
splitter 18 and be viewed by the observation device 1.
It is to be appreciated that the illumination
source 24 is positioned to provide both illumination of
the primary diffuser, i.e. the illumination source 24
illuminates a rear surface of the ring diffuser 11 to
provide a primary source of illumination, as well as
illumination of the secondary diffuser, i.e. the
illumination source 24 illuminates a rear surface of
frusto-conical diffuser 13 to provide diffused
illumination along the observation axis.
Fig. 1 shows one arrangement for using an observation
device 1, such as a camera, for viewing an object 0 to be
observed. The compact illumination device 2 is located at
a desired distance, e.g. a few inches or so, above the
object 0 to be observed and is provided with a single
source of light 24 so that both direct primary diffused
light and reflected secondary diffused light illuminate
the object O. A mirror 62 is located at a desired
distance above the opening 8 of the exterior housing 4 and
arranged at a position of approximately 45° angle relative
to the observation axis. The observation device 1 is
positioned so that the image of the object passes through
the beam splitter 18 and is reflected by the mirror 62 to
a lens (not numbered) of the observation device 1 for
viewing.
The observation device 1 communicates the sensed
image to a computer 64 via suitable wiring or cabling.
The computer 64, in turn, may be connected, via a suitable
wiring or cabling, to a conveying apparatus or means 66
which conveys one of the illumination device 2 or the
object O to be observed relative to the other. The
computer 64 then transmits, via suitable wiring or


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
WO 97/16024 PCT/US96/16996
-12-
cabling, the sensed image to a control device 68 which
manipulates the information, as desired for one of
accepting or rejecting the object O being observed,
reproducing an image of the object O, or initiating any
further desired manufacturing or inspection step required
of the application at hand. As such teaching with respect
to the above additional processing is well known in the
art, a further detailed discussion concerning the same is
now provided herein
With reference now Figs. 9-11, a second embodiment of
the illumination device according to the present invention
will now be discussed. 'This embodiment is similar to the
previously discussed embodiment and includes an exterior
housing 4 having a top wall 3 and a side wall 5. The
outer diffuser 40 includes a centrally located circular
diffuser aperture 42 a=_~ well as a ring shaped planar
diffuser 44 and a truncated second diffuser 46, as with
the first embodiment. The truncated surface 50 of the
second diffuser 46 supports the beam splitter 18 which,
due to the overall shape of the truncated second diffuser
46 as well as an inner contoured surface 52 of the
exi:erior housing 4, the two members mate with one another
to maintain the beam splitter 18 in a desired curved
configuration.
The truncated surface 50 of the second diffuser 46
has an outer contour surface 47 which is somewhat oval in
shape, as can be seen in Fig. 11 of the drawings. The
inner contoured surface 52 supported by the exterior
housing 4 is also contoured so that when the beam
spl.itter 18 is sandwiched between the contour surface 47
of the second diffuser 46 and the inner contoured
surface 52 of the exterior housing 4, the beam splitter 18
wi7.1 be forced into a generally partial conical
configuration and arrange: to illuminate the object O with
secondary diffused light. The term "conical", as used in
this application, includes elliptical, spherical,
cylindrical, egg-shaped or any other appropriated curved


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
PCTIUS 9 ~ / 16 9 9 6
IPEAIUS 11 SEP'9
-13-
surface capable of directing light along the observation
axis toward the object to be observed. One conical such
configuration is shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings.
According to the second embodiment, a transparent
cover 60, of plastic, glass or the like (e. g. clear
Lucitem, which is a material sold by I.E. DuPont de
Nemours & Company, Inc.), is secured to and seals the
centrally located aperture 8 of the exterior housing 4.
The transparent cover 60 prevents dirt or other
contaminants from coming into contact with the beam
splitter 18.
The exterior housing includes a light absorbing
panel, layer, coating or surface 68 located adjacent a
---- rear surface of the beam splitter 18 to absorb diffused
light which passes through the beam sphitter. The
intensity of the light generated by the light source 24
may be adjustable by a rheostat 69 to adjust the intensity
and character of the light cast upon the object O. It is
to be appreciated that the computer 64 (Fig. 1) can be
coupled to the rheostat 69 for automatically adjusting the
intensity and character of the light cast upon the object.
As such teaching is well-known in the art, further
detailed discussion concerning the same is not provided
herein.
As can be seen in Fig. 10, a fan 70 may be connected
with an inlet 74 of the exterior housing 4, via an air
supply conduit 72. The exterior housing 4 is also
provided with an exhaust air outlet 76 to discharge the
air supplied to the interior of the illumination device
via the fan 70. The purpose air supplied by the fan 70 is
to cool the internal components of the illumination
device, e.g. the light(s), and prevent overheating of the
same. If desired, a grating, wire mesh or some other
protective member may cover the exhaust outlet 76.
In the second embodiment shown in Figs. 9-11, the
exterior housing has an outer diameter of about 6.02
inches (152.9 mm), a height of 1.71 inches (43.5 mm), the
~lP~t~n?~EO STET


CA 02235406 1998-04-20 p ~ ~ ~ ~ 6 9 9 6
IPEAIU~ 11 SEP ' 97
-14-
central aperture has a width of 1.18 incnes wide (30.00
mm), angle X is equal to 20.1 degrees and dimension Y is
0.49 inches (12.4 mm). In addition, the ellipse has a
major radius of 1.86 inches (47.2 mm) and a minor radius
of 1.60 inches (40.5 mm). Lastly, the center of the
ellipse is located 0.23 inches (5.8 mm) below the outer
diffuser 40. The ellipse is rotated about a central
elongate axis to define the partially spherical shape to
be occupied by the curved beam splitter 18.
Prior to the use or sale of the compact illumination
device according to the present invention, the outer
diffuser is calibrated to ensure uniformed illumination
and a further discussion concerning the same is provided
with reference to Fig. 12. This is achieved by connecting
the illumination source 24 to a supply of electricity E
and attaching the compact diffused illumination device 2
to suitable calibration equipment. Thereafter, the
diffused light cast by the ring diffuser 11 illuminates a
piece of photographic film F, or the like. In the event
that cast light from the ring diffuser 11 provides
uniformed illumination, the photographic film F will be
uniformly illuminated over its entire surface area. If,
however, the cast light from the ring diffuser 11 does not
provide uniformed illumination of the photographic film F,
i.e. one or more areas of the ring diffuser 11 allow more
light to pass therethrough and/or one or more areas allow
less light to pass therethrough, the photographic film
will detect and reveal such nonuniform illumination.
Thereafter, the exposed photographic film F or a
reproduction of the photographic image printed on acetate
is glued, pasted, secured, coated or applied on an inner
surface of the ring diffuser 11 to mask the imperfections
contained in the ring diffuser 11 so that, following
calibration, a substantially uniformed illumination will
be provided by the outer surface of the ring diffuser 11.
Important feature of the above calibration technique is to
alter or modify the outer diffuser so that when that
nw~c~inrn ~..~


CA 02235406 2005-05-27
15
diffuser is overlayed or coated with a semi-opaque pattern having a desired
optical
pattern, the outer diffuser provides a substantially uniform primary
illumination of the
object with diffused light.
It is to be appreciated that the area of the photographic film to be
illuminated
should be the same size as the ring diffuser 11 to facilitate applying the
exposed
photographic film or a reproduction of the photographic image to an inner
surface of the
ring diffuser 11 to mask the imperfections. Further, the photographic film and
the ring
diffuser 11 should have alignment indica to facilitate accurate aligned of
those two
components relative to one another. Such alignment and orientation must be
maintained so that the photographic film or reproduction can be accurate
applied to the
inner surface of the ring diffuser 11 to provide the desired masking and
uniform
illumination.
The beam splitter 18 is typically 60/1000 of an inch thick and the opposed
beam
splitter surfaces are each conventionally provided with silvered strips, or
otherwise
treated, so that the beam splitter 18 constitutes both a reflective surface
and a light
pervious surface wherein light may pass through the beam splitter 18 from the
object O
for observation by the camera 1, and the beam splitter 18 also reflects the
diffused light
generated by the light source. Alternatively, the beam splitter 18 can be
formed by a
half silvered membrane pellicle of nitrocellulose or plastic material, such as
"MYLAR~",
which has advantageous beam splitting characteristics in certain applications.
Either
material used as the beam splitter mirror 18 may be provided in a curved
configuration
having a concave face disposed towards both the object O and the light source
24 and
a convex face disposed towards the observation means, such as a machine vision
camera. This configuration provides an increased range of incident angles for
the
diffused light supplied along the


CA 02235406 2005-09-29
16
observation axis while reducing the height of the light source 24.
The light diffusers may be formed of treated glass, plastic, or other light
translucent material capable of evenly diffusing light cast upon the diffuser
by the light
source. The light sources may consist of a plurality of lamps, ring lights,
incandescent
bulbs, diodes, optical fibers or any other illumination source capable of
generating a
relatively uniform panel of light cast upon the diffuser and such diffused
light illuminates
the beam splitter 18 and is projected along the observation axis A toward the
object. It
will be appreciated that this light is coaxial with and coincides with the
observation axis
A. The size of the beam splitter 18 is such that the diffused light reflected
therefrom
along the axis is sufficient to completely occupy the observation window such
that the
window will be "filled" with the diffused light emitting from second diffuser
and the light
source. It will be understood that the light source and translucent light
diffuser may be
varied in size, shape and relative proximity to one another to create
continuous uniform
illumination across objects of different sizes or at different working
distances.
Upon practicing the invention, a beam splitter similar to those shown in U.S.
Patent No. 5,187,611 issued February 16, 1993 may be employed. In the practice
of
the invention, control means permit accurate control and variation of the
diffused light
being generated and reflected by the beam splitter in order to equate the beam
splitter
projected light to that supplied by the primary diffused light source.
It is to be appreciated that the thickness and transparency of the primary and
secondary diffusers can be manipulated and/or adjusted as desired to
facilitate even
illumination of the object to be observed. Such teaching, is more clearly set
forth


CA 02235406 2005-09-29
17
in U.S. Patent No. 5,604,550 issued February 18, 1997.
Turning now to Figs. 13-17, a detailed description concerning a third
embodiment
of the present invention will now be provided concerning only the new
features. In this
embodiment, a video camera 77 is combined or integrated into the illumination
device to
form a compact integrated unit 78. The height of the illumination source is
generally
shown by bracket H and comprises the beam splitter 84, the height of the
primary and
secondary light source(s), the thickness of the primary diffuser as well an
separating
distance panel or member 93. The "height" of the illumination source, as
referred to
herein and in the appended claims, means the distance measured from a top or
outer
most surface of the beam splitter 84 to a bottom or lower most surface of the
outer
diffuser 92 when measured parallel to the observation axis A (see Fig. 18).
As with the previous embodiments, a partial circular secondary illumination
source 81, e.g. a curved array of LEDs, is accommodated within the cavity 22
formed by
the exterior housing 80, a top surface 80' of the housing and the outer
diffuser 92. The
secondary light source 81 is arranged to illuminate a rear surface of the
frusto-conical
diffuser 82 to provide diffused light to the curved beam splitter 84 so that a
portion of the
light is reflected along the observation axis (e.g. about 50% of the light is
reflected by
the beam splitter 84 while about 50% of the diffused light passes through the
beam
splitter 84 and is absorbed by the light trap 86 located adjacent but behind
the beam
splitter 84. In this embodiment, the beam splitter 84 is glued to the diffuser
82. The
secondary illumination source 81 is supplied with electrical power via wires
88 to supply
the illumination device with electrical power. An electrical power source E is
coupled to
an electrical connector 90, via an electrical cord 100, which in turn is
coupled to the
wires 88.


CA 02235406 2005-05-27
18
The primary light source 91 is arranged to provide primary illumination of the
field-of
view FV. As can be seen in this embodiment, the primary light source 91 is
divided or
partitioned into three co-axially arranged primary illumination zones, labeled
as B, C and
D. A plurality of opaque, curved reflective baffles 94 are utilized to divide
or segment
the primary illumination source 91 into its co-axial arranged zones. Each
illumination
zone is positioned to direct or channel light over a portion of the outer
diffuser 92 to
provide illumination of the desired angle of incident of the field-of view FV,
e.g.
illumination zones B, C, D and S, respectively, supply diffused light over
angle of
incident B', C', D' and S' as can be seen in Fig. 13. Each illumination zone
B, C and D
is electrically coupled to the wires 88 (not shown in detail) for supplying
electrical power
to the individual LEDs.
It is to be appreciated that the supply of electrical power to each
illumination zone
B, C and D of the primary illumination source 91 can be either manually
controlled or, as
shown in the embodiment of Fig. 13, be automatically controlled by a computer
64 or
some other control device (Fig. 19). As with the previous embodiment, the
computer 64
may be coupled to a conveying device 66 for providing relative movement
between the
compact unit 78 and the object to be observed. The illumination zone B, C, D
and S
can be operated separately from one another or in any desired combination to
achieve
a wide variety of illumination effects including "dark-field" illumination,
"bright-field"
illumination and continuous diffuse illumination. The computer 64 may be
programmed,
if desired, to automatically ascertain which combination of illumination
zones, e.g. B, C,
D and/or S, achieves optimum illumination of the object for any given
application.
An opaque panel 93 separates the primary illumination source 91 from the
remainder of the compact unit. The


CA 02235406 2005-05-27
19
opaque panel 93 is provided with an opening which facilitates visual
inspection of the
object to be observed by the camera 77. The video camera 77 (e.g. a board-
level video
camera such as ULTRAK BC 460/P~, for example) is supported, via a bracket or
the
like, adjacent the top inner surface 80' of the compact unit 78 and positioned
to receive
light reflected along the illumination axis A for viewing a desired portion of
object located
in the field-of view FV. The video camera 77 is provided with an adjustable
video
camera lens 95. A camera focusing knob 96 is provided with a rotatable
cylindrical
member 97 which extends along and is located adjacent the lens 95. The
cylindrical
member 97 is coupled to the lens 95 via an endless rubber belt 99 or the like
for
facilitating focusing adjustment of the camera 77, i.e. any rotation of the
focusing knob
98 causes rotation of the cylindrical member 97 which, in turn, transmits such
rotation to
the lens 95 via the endless belt 99. As such adjustment is well known in this
art, a
further detailed description concerning the same is not provided herein.
It is to be understood that this embodiment could be provided with a set of at
least four separate fieostats for manually controlling the illumination
characteristics of
each of the four illumination zones B, C, D and S separately from one another.
If
desired, the number of illumination zones can be varied, i.e. increased or
decreased,
depending on the illumination application at hand.
With reference now to Fig. 18, a ray tracing diagram is shown for determining
the
necessary curvature of the beam splitter 84 for that application. As can be
seen in that
figure, the ray tracing paths for a left region L, a central region C" and a
right R region of
the object O to be observed are shown. As such ray tracing is well-known in
the art, a
further detailed description concerning the same is not provided herein.


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
~'~S 11 CEP '~j
-20-
The contour of the curved beam splitter is
determined by such ray tracing and it will be appreciated
that such contour depends upon the distance that the top
surface of the object O is spaced SP from a bottom of the
illumination device 2, the clear aperture dimension CA of
the illumination device, the height H of the illumination
device, etc. In this embodiment, the clear aperture CA,
the spacing SP of the bottom portion of the illumination
device from the object O to be observed, and the height H
of the illumination device are all about equal, e.g. about
2.95 inches (74.9 mm) while the width is about three (3)
times the clear aperture dimension. An important feature
to bear in mind is that the second diffuser is not
permitted in any way to provide direct illumination of the
desired surface of the object O,to be observed.
According to this invention, the height H of the
illumination source is about three (3) times the minimum
transverse dimension of the opening provided in the outer
diffuser, preferrable about two (2) times the minimum
transverse dimension of the opening provided in the outer
diffuser, and most preferrable about one (1) times the
minimum transverse dimension of the opening provided in
the outer diffuser.
Turning now to Fig. 19, a detailed description
---- 25 concerning a triggering mechanism, for use in combination
with the present invention, will now be provided. The
integration unit 78, as with the previous embodiment,
contains three illumination zones B, C and D as well as
the other components shown in Fig . 13 . For the sake of
clarity, however, those components are not shown in detail
in this Figure. The integrated unit 78 is additionally
provided with a movable triggering mechanism 102 which is
connected to a power source E via an electric cable or
wire 104. The electric wire 104 must facilitate movement
of the triggering mechanism 102 along an elongate slot 106
to supply electrical power thereto and allow the desired
automatic sequencing of all of the possible combinations
AMENDED 9l~fT


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
WO 97/16024 PCT/US96/16996
-21-
ot: illumination zones B, C and D. The triggering
mechanism 102 is provided with an electrical contact 108,
coupled to the electric wire 104, which is arranged to
supply electrical power from the power source 100 to a
deaired one of the seven electrical contacts 110. As the
trigger mechanism 102 is moved along the slot 106, the
electric contact 108 engages with a desired one of the
mating electrical contacts 110 and supplies electrical
power thereto for a very short period of time, e.g. a
fraction of a second. During such movement of the
triggering mechanism 102, the electric contact 108 first
supplies electrical pawer to the first electrical
contact 110, then to the second electrical contact 110,
then the third electrica:L contact 110, and so forth until
all electrical contacts :llo have been separately supplied
with electrical power.
As can be seen in Fig. 19, the first electrical
contact 110 only supplies electrical power to illumination
zone B; the second electrical contact 110 supplies
el~'ctrical power to illumination zone B and C; the third
electrical contact 110 supplies electrical power to only
il.Lumination zone C; the fourth electrical contact 110
supplies electrical power to illumination zones B and D;
the fifth electrical contact 110 supplies electrical power
to only illumination zone D; the sixth electrical
contact lI0 supplies electrical power to illumination
zones B, C and D; and the seventh electrical contact 110
only supplies electrical power to illumination zone D.
This triggering arrangement facilitates illumination of
ths: object O to be obser~red by all possible illumination
combinations of the illumination zones B, C and D by a
hard wiring arrangement.
The observation device or camera 77 is coupled to the
triggering mechanism so as to generate at least one image
during each possible combination of the illumination
zones, e.g. the observa~ion device generates at least
seven images, so that the integrated unit 78 can then


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
WO 97/16024 PCT/US96/16996
-22-
employ that information as desired. If the integrated
unit 78 is also equipped with a computer, the computer can
be coupled with the triggering mechanism and the
observation device to determine which illumination
combination provides the best image of the object to be
observed and employ that image for further processing. As
such feature is well known to those skilled in this art,
a further detail description concerning the same is not
provided herein.
It is to be appreciated that the triggering
mechanism 102 can be biased into the position shown in
Fic~. 19, by a (compression) spring 114 or some other
biasing means, so that 'the triggering mechanism 102 is
rei:urned an original position ready for a further
illumination cycle. The arrangement shown in Fig. 19 is
particularly suitable for' a hand-held scanning device for
scanning bar code information off various items and
products. The operator would position the object O along
the. observation axis A and merely slide, move, squeeze,
pull or otherwise actuate the trigger mechanism 102 to
traverse the trigger along the slot 106 and then release
ths: trigger 102 at the end of the slot thereby allowing
the: spring 114 to return the trigger mechanism 102 back to
its; originally position for further scanning.
If desired, the trigger mechanism can be biased or
forced against the electrical contacts i10 to insure that
a good electrical connection between the contacts 108 and
110 is achieved.
Turning now to F:ig. 20, a brief description
concerning a second triggering mechanism, for use in
combination with the present invention, will now be
provided. The integration unit 78 contains four
illumination zones B, C, D and S as well as the other
components shown in Fig. 13. For the sake of clarity,
however, those components are not showy. in detail in this
Figure. The integrated unit 78 is also provided with a
movable triggering mechanism 102, as with the previous


CA 02235406 1998-04-20
WO 97/16024 PCT/US96116996
-23-
embodiment, as well as fifteen electrical contacts 110
each hard wire for one of fifteen possible illumination
combinations. As the trigger mechanism 102 is moved along
the slot 106, the electric contact 108 engages with a
deaired one of the mating electrical contacts 110 and
supplies electrical power thereto for a very short period
of time, e.g. a fraction of a second. During such
movement of the triggering mechanism 102, the electric
contact 108 first supplies electrical power to the first
electrical contact 110, then to the second electrical
contact 110, then the third electrical contact 110, and so
forth until all fifteen electrical contacts 110 have been
separately supplied with electrical power.
It is to be appreciated that a variety of different
arrangements could be utilized to achieved the desired
mechanical illumination combinations of the various
illumination zone B, C, I~ and/or S. It is intended that
all such modification would be readily apparent one
skilled in this art and 'thus are to be considered within
the scope of this invention.
If height is not a critical feature for a given
application, it is to be appreciated that the position of
the secondary light source S and the diffuser can be
switched with that of the observation device 1 so that the
be<3m splitter would allow diffuse secondary light to pass
therethrough and reflect light reflected from the object
to the lens.
Since certain changes may be made in the above
described illumination device, without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is
intended that all of the subject matter of the above
de;~cription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be
interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive
concept herein and shall not be construed as limiting the
invention.

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Administrative Status , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date 2006-08-22
(86) PCT Filing Date 1996-10-22
(87) PCT Publication Date 1997-05-01
(85) National Entry 1998-04-20
Examination Requested 2001-10-19
(45) Issued 2006-08-22
Deemed Expired 2008-10-22

Abandonment History

Abandonment Date Reason Reinstatement Date
2003-10-22 FAILURE TO PAY APPLICATION MAINTENANCE FEE 2004-10-21

Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 1998-04-20
Application Fee $300.00 1998-04-20
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 2 1998-10-22 $100.00 1998-04-20
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 3 1999-10-22 $100.00 1999-10-21
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 4 2000-10-23 $100.00 2000-10-06
Request for Examination $400.00 2001-10-19
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 5 2001-10-22 $150.00 2001-10-19
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2002-08-07
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2002-08-07
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2002-08-07
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2002-08-07
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 6 2002-10-22 $150.00 2002-10-04
Reinstatement: Failure to Pay Application Maintenance Fees $200.00 2004-10-21
Back Payment of Fees $50.00 2004-10-21
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 7 2003-10-22 $150.00 2004-10-21
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 8 2004-10-22 $200.00 2004-10-21
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 9 2005-10-24 $200.00 2005-10-20
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2006-02-13
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2006-02-13
Final Fee $300.00 2006-06-16
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 10 2006-10-23 $250.00 2006-09-18
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
SIEMENS ENERGY & AUTOMATION, INC.
Past Owners on Record
ACUITY CIMATRIX, INC.
ACUITY IMAGING INC.
ACUITY IMAGING LLC
NORTHEAST ROBOTICS, INC.
ROBOTIC VISION SYSTEMS, INC.
WHITE, TIMOTHY P.
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Representative Drawing 1998-07-31 1 11
Description 1998-04-20 23 1,149
Abstract 1998-04-20 1 59
Claims 1998-04-20 5 211
Drawings 1998-04-20 9 229
Cover Page 1998-07-31 2 71
Description 2005-05-27 23 1,076
Claims 2005-05-27 6 208
Description 2005-09-29 23 1,075
Representative Drawing 2006-07-20 1 13
Cover Page 2006-07-20 1 51
Fees 1999-10-21 1 34
Assignment 2006-02-13 8 254
Assignment 1998-04-20 8 294
PCT 1998-04-20 17 699
Prosecution-Amendment 2001-10-19 1 33
Assignment 2002-08-07 16 385
Correspondence 2006-02-21 1 16
Correspondence 2006-06-16 1 26
Fees 2002-10-04 1 27
Fees 2004-10-21 1 37
Prosecution-Amendment 2004-11-29 2 67
Prosecution-Amendment 2005-05-27 13 477
Prosecution-Amendment 2005-09-29 3 101
Fees 2005-10-20 1 28
Fees 2006-09-18 1 27