Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WO 95/03523 PCT/US93/06742
I. lllLE:
"PROFILOMETRY SCANNER MECHANISM"
II. TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to merh~ni~ms for scanning tri-
~imen~ional bodies, and more particularly, to those mechanisms that
include the use of microco~l~uters to store the characteristics of the
reference bodies.
III. BACKGROUND ART
¦ 2. O~herRela~edAppli~ n~ ¦
The need to secure entry to co~ olled areas, to have access to
information or in any way v~ ting the privileges of a user have been
the object of the ~l~sign of numerous ingenious devices in the past. The
conventional key is one of them. However, none of these devices have
lltili7ed the characteristics of a tri-~limPn~ional body regardless of what
n~teri~l is made out of. This is particularly important because it makes
pr~ctic~lly all such bodies co~ aLible with this ~ysl~n, inrlll~lin~ unique
parts of the human body such as fingers and toes. None of the devices
and methods known to this date have this flexibility.
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IV. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a
mecllAni~m that is capable of reco~ni7.ing ~he ~i-dimensional contour of
a body, storing these characteristics in code and identifying the same
body profile subsequently to v~ lAting it.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a
mechanism that can validate a body, under test and that is smart
enough to allow for gradual changes of the body and for differences in
the relative positioning of the body from v~ lAtion to validation.
It is still another object of this il~Vf ..Ron to provide such a
mechanism that will compute and store information that is a function of
the dimensions and profile of a body being tested or validated.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a
device that is inexpensive to manufacture and m~int~in while retaining
its effectiveness.
Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the
following part of the spel~ific~ffQn, wherein detailed des~il~lion is for
the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations
thereon.
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V. BIRIEF DESCRll~llON OF THE DRAWINGS
With the above and other r~lAte~l objects in view, the invention
consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be
more fully understood from the following description, when read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ~le~elred
embodiments of the present invention showing a user's finger being
scanned.
Figure 2 shows a front view of one contour follower member
travelling downwardly and being prevented from any further
movement by reference body R.
Figure 2A shows the same contour follower described in figure 2
when it reaches the 90 position ~les~ from right to left.
Figure 2B shows the collLour follower member represented in the
previous two figures pr~ssing now from the bottom up as the rotor
reaches the 180 position.
Figu re 2C shows the contour follower lnenlher in the 270
position.
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Figure 3 illustrates one of the ~rere~led embo~limPnf~ in
accordance with the present invention for the linkage ~ec~h~nicm
between the phase disk and the contour follower member.
Figure 3A is an alte~ate link~e nlerh~nism to the one shown in
figure 3.
Figure 3B is a second ~ltPrn~te linkage mechanism.
~ igure 3C is a top view of the contour follower shown in figure
3B.
Figure 4 repre.~Pnf~ a partial cross-sectional view of the actll~tin~
end of the plunger ~semhly.
Figure 5 is an end view of the actuating end of the plunger
mechanism.
Figure 6 is an isometric view of some of the components of the
present invention to illustrate their function~l interrelationship and
wherein the size of the peripheral teeth of the phase disk 821 at the front
has been exaggerated.
Figure 6A shows a more realistic represent~hon of the toothed
phase disk ~more teeth) thereby incre~in~ the resolution of the device.
Figure 6B represents an alternate embodiment where the toothed
periphery of the phase represented in the previous figure is replaced
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with markings that are detectable through a phototransistor T with the
application of suitable light source L.
Figure 7 represent~ a block diagram sc~em~tic of the control
circuitry.
VI. DETAILED DESCRll'llON OF THE
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Refe~ g now to figure 1, where the present invention is
generally lef~lred to with numeral 10, it can be observed that it
b~ic~lly includes a housing assembly 20, step motor ~ssPmhly 40,
plunger assembly 60, phase disks assembly 80, scan rotor assembly 100,
and collLlol circuit assembly 120.
Housing ~s~mhly 20 includes, generally, all fixed parts shown in
the drawings to which the other components are mo~mt~-
Step motor assembly 40 inrlll~lPs a step motor device 42 that ispreferablly implem~nte~ with device model PH 264 M-32, manufactured
by Vexta. However, any other equivalent step motor device that can
prerelably do 800 or more steps per revolution is suitable. Step motor
assembly includes pinion gear 46.
Pllmger assembly 60 has a subst~nh~lly elongated shape and
s actu~f ing end 72 and spring biased end 78 which includes
spring 71. Actuating end 72 has a su~sl~ lly cylin~lric~l shape, in the
preferred embo~iment, defining com~artment 74 into which a user's
finger partially penetrates through cooperating cut-out 73, as best seen
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in figures l; 4 and 5. The purpose for cut-out 73 is to provide a
relatively firm position where a user's finger tip can be placed to
eliminate the length of the nail as a factor.
Phase disks assembly 80 includes, in ~e ~er~lred embodiment,
twenty four co-axially ?li~ne~l disks 82X, (where "x" is any number from
1 to 24) and each disk 82X includes central openin~ 84x, (O~l~ gS 841
through 8424), through which a lef~lel~ce body R is inserted, as seen in
Figure 1 and 6. Each phase disk 82X includes one contour follower
assembly 90x~ as best seen in figure 3, that includes a contour follower
member 92X that le~ loc lly moves radially across the ~ rnet~r of each
phase disk 82X Each contour follower assembly 90x indudes linkage
arm 94x~ having two ends, that is ~ivolally mounted to phase disk 82X at
one end at 91x and to contour follower member 92X at the other end at
93x
An alternate embodiment for the linkage met hAni~n~ is shown in
figure 3A where steel wire 194X is affixed to colllour follower member
92X at one point, such as 193X and to phase disk 82X at l91X. Diverters
195x and 197X direct the pulling force along the guided movement path
of contour follower m~mher 92x. As seen in figure 6, phase disks 821 is
represented with exaggerated teeth 831 In reality, teeth 83X will look
like those shown in figure 6A. Actuator 891 associated with phase disk
821 ~letects the presence or absence of teeth 831 and actuates electronic
photointerrupter switch 871.
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An alternate implementation for a mechanism to detect the
relative position of phase disks is shown in figure 6B where an optical
method is used. Light source L is bounced off marked surface 183X on
phase disk 182X and detected by pholol~ sistor T.
In the second alternate embo~limPnt for the linkage mechanism
shown in figure 3B, it can be seen that phase disk 282X includes a central
opening 284X through which lerelellce body R is inserted. Contour
follower assembly 290X is connected to phase disc 282X by lin~e
member 294X T .ink~e rnem~er 294X has two ends and one of the ends is
pivotally mounted to phase disk 282X at 291X. The other end of member
294X is pivotally mounted to contour follower 292X at 293x. Guiding wire
295X and 296X are rigidly mounted between arm memhers 108 and 108'
and permit contour follower 292X to slidably travel along g~ 1ing wires
295X and 296X.
Scan rotor assembly 100 includes scan motor member 102 rotably
mounted l:o housing 20 through bll~hin~ nlem~er 104 as seen in figure 1.
Scan motor member 102 includes peripheral teeth 106 in meshed
engagement with pinion gear member 46 as seen in figure 1 and 6. Scan
rotor assembly 100 includes a pair of ~yllunetric and opposed arms 108
and 108' that extend outwardly and perpendicularly to said scan motor
member 102. Arms 108 and 108' have substantially the shape of a
cylinder cut along its longitudinal axis. A~ms 108 and 108' are disposed
in parallel relationship ~ith respect to each other, as best seen in figures
3 and 6. A~ns 108 and 108' have substantially flat and opposing
surfaces 109 and 109' and these surfaces in turn indude, in the preferred
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embodiment, twenty four parallel inner slots llOX and llO'X along
which contour follower members 92x, in the preferred embodiment, are
slidably mounted. Contour follower members 92X are ~le~ldbly of the
same dimensions and therefore the spacing between correspon-lin~
inner slots llOX and llO'X is the same. A~ms 108 and 108' include outer
slots 112X and 112'X over which phase disks 82X are rotably mounted, as
shown in figure 6. Also, in figure 6A the periphery of openings 84X may
include nipple members 81X in order to miI~im~e friction.
Fixed rod members 22 and 22' are rigidly mounted to housing 20
and support wire members 24x, ~,efelably made out of steel, that are
attached to rod members 22 and 22'. In figure 6, wire member 241 is
shown which is associated with first phase disk 821. Wire memhers 24X
come in cont~ct with peripheral grooves 85X on phase disks 82X thereby
slowing down through fric~ion the rotation of the latter, as best seen in
figure 6. The rotational speed of scan rotor member 102, however, is
not affected. The slowing down of a given phase disk 82X with respect
to arms 108 and 108' causes its corresponding contour follower member
92X to slide radially away from point 91x. This movement of contour
follower member 92X stops when reference body R makes contact with
mPrnher 92, as shown in phantom in figures 2; 2A; 2B and 2C. Linkage
arms 94x rotate to a certain angle to permit member 92X to slide until
said contact occurs. Once contact is made, the friction created by spring
wire member 24X is o~elcollle and phase disk 82X stops changing phase
(relative position) with respect to arms 108 and 108' of scan motor
assembly 100. It is this phase or angular difference between
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predetermined points at arms 108 and 108' and phase disk 82X what is
measured and provides a proportional in~lic~tion of the displ~cem~nt of
contour follower 92X from the axial center of the scan rotor assembly
100 at a predele~ ed plura~ity of circumferential locations of body R.
This displacement is identified as the distance difference between the
center of contour follower memher 92X at rest or point "O" and the
celltel points of members 92X when they make contact with body R
which are i~lenhhed as points P; Q R and S for Oo; 90o; 180 and 2700,
respectively. It is to be understood that in th~ preferred embodi~nent
step motor assembly 40 will provide a total of 3200 reference positions
to the scan rotor. Therefore, there is an angular difference of 3600/3200
or 6.75 arc minutes per step.
A profile detected for a particular body being vAli~l~te~l (such as a
finger) is compared with the re~ellce. Absolute values ~e not
important but the relative dif&rences of displacement of the contour
followers l(which are proportional to the angular differences between
the phase disks and the rotor arm mPmhers) are and they provide a
characteristic pattern or profile for each body being tested. Therefore,
the profiles detected can then be coln~ared against stored profiles to
determine w~aether they match.
It has been found that with twenty four phase disks 82X and their
respective contour follower members 92x, an accurate profile of a given
e~lellce body can be obtained. This profile is co~ uted and stored as a
pattern for its subsequent ide~hfi~f;on. The absolute hravel of contour
follower members 92X and the relative variations along the entire set of
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phase disks 82X around the periphery of body R is what delelll~illes
whether a positive identification has been made. Several patterns can
be stored in control circuit assembly 120 which includes a
miclo~locessor and storage circuit for storing the pattern data for one
or more reference bodies R.
It is understood that when refelellce body R is taken out of
mechanism 10, the contour followers retract away from body R. The
phase disks will then go back in ~lignment (to its reset position).
VII. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
It is apparent from the previous paragraphs that an i~ ovPment
of the type for such a merl~nicnl is quite desirable for recognizing the
tri~ ensional conlour of a body, storing these charActerictics in code
and identi~ying the same body profile subsequently to v~ 1ing it
The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the
objectives and advantages of the present invention. Di~lellt
embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It
is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted
merely as illustrative, and not in a limi~ng sense.
