Abstract: An encoder includes scale and detection head. The detection head includes light source (transmitting unit) and light-receiving unit (receiving unit). The light-receiving unit includes light-receiving surface (receiving surface) and converts light received at the light-receiving surface 50 into differential detection signals with two phases and outputs the same. The light-receiving surface includes element array group including four element arrays provided in a parallel manner along an orthogonal direction, with each element array including a plurality of light-receiving elements (receiving elements). The plurality of element arrays in the element array group are disposed at positions where the sum of: (i) a distance in the orthogonal direction from a reference position to a positive phase signal element array; and (ii) a distance in the orthogonal direction from the reference position to the negative phase signal element array, is the same for all the phases of the at least two phases.

Abstract: A metrology system includes front and back vision components portions. The front vision components portion includes a light source, camera, variable focal length (VFL) lens, and objective lens defining an optical axis. The back vision components portion may include a reflective surface and a polarization altering component. A workpiece with apertures is located between the front and back vision components portions. For each aperture of the workpiece, the system adjusts a relative position between the front vision components portion and the workpiece to align its optical axis with each aperture such that light from the light source passes through the aperture and is reflected by the reflective surface of the back vision components portion. The system uses the VFL lens and camera to acquire an image stack including images of the aperture, and analyzes the image stack to determine a measurement related to a workpiece feature of the aperture.

Abstract: A metrology system is provided for use with a movement system that moves an end tool (e.g., a probe). The metrology system includes a sensor configuration, a light beam source configuration and a processing portion. The sensor configuration comprises a plurality of light beam sensors. The light beam source configuration directs light beams to the light beam sensors of the sensor configuration. One of the light beam source configuration or the sensor configuration is coupled to the end tool and/or an end tool mounting configuration of the movement system which moves the end tool. The light beams that are directed to the light beam sensors cause the light beam sensors to produce corresponding measurement signals. A processing portion processes the measurement signals from the light beam sensors which indicate the position and orientation of the end tool.

Abstract: A metrology system includes front and back vision components portions. The front vision components portion includes a light source, camera, variable focal length (VFL) lens, and objective lens defining an optical axis. The back vision components portion may include a reflective surface and a polarization altering component. A workpiece with apertures is located between the front and back vision components portions. For each aperture of the workpiece, the system adjusts a relative position between the front vision components portion and the workpiece to align its optical axis with each aperture such that light from the light source passes through the aperture and is reflected by the reflective surface of the back vision components portion. The system uses the VFL lens and camera to acquire an image stack including images of the aperture, and analyzes the image stack to determine a measurement related to a workpiece feature of the aperture.

Abstract: An encoder is provided that is capable of suppressing accuracy deterioration even if a scale is disposed in a tilted manner with respect to a receiving unit by being rotated around an axis (i.e., a rotation axis) orthogonal to a receiving surface. The encoder 1 includes scale 2 and detection head 3. The detection head 3 includes light source (transmitting unit) 4 and light-receiving unit (receiving unit) 5. The light-receiving unit includes light-receiving surface (receiving surface) 50 and converts light received at the light-receiving surface 50 into differential detection signals with two phases and outputs the same. The light-receiving surface 50 includes element array group 7 including four element arrays 71-74 provided in a parallel manner along an orthogonal direction, with each element array 71-74 including a plurality of light-receiving elements (receiving elements) 500.

Abstract: A calibration configuration for a chromatic range sensor (CRS) optical probe of a coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes a cylindrical calibration object and a spherical calibration object. The cylindrical calibration object includes at least a first nominally cylindrical calibration surface having a central axis that extends along a Z direction that is intended to be aligned approximately parallel to a rotation axis of the CRS optical probe. The spherical calibration object includes a nominally spherical calibration surface having a first plurality of surface portions. The CMM is operated to obtain radial distance measurements and determine cylindrical calibration data using radial distance measurements of the cylindrical calibration object and to determine spherical calibration data using radial distance measurements of the spherical calibration object.

Abstract: A calibration configuration for a chromatic range sensor (CRS) optical probe of a coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes a calibration object. The calibration object includes at least a first nominally cylindrical calibration surface having a central axis that extends along a Z direction that is intended to be aligned approximately parallel to a rotation axis of the CRS optical probe. The first nominally cylindrical calibration surface is arranged at a known first radius R1 from the central axis that extends along the Z direction. A first set of angular reference features is formed on or in the first nominally cylindrical calibration surface. The angular reference features are configured to be sensed by the radial distance sensing beam and are located at known angles or known angular spacings around the central axis from one another on or in the first nominally cylindrical calibration surface.

Abstract: A calibration configuration for a chromatic range sensor (CRS) optical probe of a coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes a cylindrical calibration object and a spherical calibration object. The cylindrical calibration object includes at least a first nominally cylindrical calibration surface having a central axis that extends along a Z direction that is intended to be aligned approximately parallel to a rotation axis of the CRS optical probe. The spherical calibration object includes a nominally spherical calibration surface having a first plurality of surface portions. The CMM is operated to obtain radial distance measurements and determine cylindrical calibration data using radial distance measurements of the cylindrical calibration object and to determine spherical calibration data using radial distance measurements of the spherical calibration object.

Abstract: A calibration configuration for a chromatic range sensor (CRS) optical probe of a coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes a calibration object. The calibration object includes at least a first nominally cylindrical calibration surface having a central axis that extends along a Z direction that is intended to be aligned approximately parallel to a rotation axis of the CRS optical probe. The first nominally cylindrical calibration surface is arranged at a known first radius R1 from the central axis that extends along the Z direction. A first set of angular reference features is formed on or in the first nominally cylindrical calibration surface. The angular reference features are configured to be sensed by the radial distance sensing beam and are located at known angles or known angular spacings around the central axis from one another on or in the first nominally cylindrical calibration surface.

Abstract: A triangulation sensing system includes a projection axis configuration and an imaging axis configuration. The projection axis configuration includes a triangulation light source (e.g. an incoherent source) and a variable focus lens (VFL) that is controlled to rapidly periodically modulate a triangulation light focus position (TLFP) along a Z axis over a focus position scan range, to provide a corresponding triangulation light extended focus range (TLEFR) that supports accurate measurement throughout. In some implementations, the triangulation system may be configured to provide the best measurement accuracy for a workpiece region of interest (WROI) by exposing its triangulation image only when the scanned TLFP temporarily coincides with the WROI Z height. In some implementations, the triangulation system may be configured to limit various measurement operations to using only an operational pixel subset of a detector that receives image light from the WROI, in order to shorten the measurement time.

Abstract: A tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens includes a lens casing in which a controllable acoustic wave generating element is arranged and that surrounds a casing cavity in which an operational volume of a refractive fluid is contained. The lens casing includes a first case end portion comprising a window mounted along an optical path, and a second case end portion comprising a mirror mounted along the optical path. The TAG lens is configured to enable light to pass through the window of the TAG lens to enter the TAG lens and make a first pass through the operational volume of the refractive fluid and be reflected by the mirror of the TAG lens and make a second pass back through the operational volume of the refractive fluid and pass back out through the window of the TAG lens to exit the TAG lens and continue along the optical path.

Abstract: A tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens includes a lens casing in which a controllable acoustic wave generating element is arranged and that surrounds a casing cavity in which an operational volume of a refractive fluid is contained. The lens casing includes a first case end portion comprising a window mounted along an optical path, and a second case end portion comprising a mirror mounted along the optical path. The TAG lens is configured to enable light to pass through the window of the TAG lens to enter the TAG lens and make a first pass through the operational volume of the refractive fluid and be reflected by the mirror of the TAG lens and make a second pass back through the operational volume of the refractive fluid and pass back out through the window of the TAG lens to exit the TAG lens and continue along the optical path.

Abstract: A triangulation sensing system includes a projection axis configuration and an imaging axis configuration. The projection axis configuration includes a triangulation light source (e.g. an incoherent source) and a variable focus lens (VFL) that is controlled to rapidly periodically modulate a triangulation light focus position (TLFP) along a Z axis over a focus position scan range, to provide a corresponding triangulation light extended focus range (TLEFR) that supports accurate measurement throughout. In some implementations, the triangulation system may be configured to provide the best measurement accuracy for a workpiece region of interest (WROI) by exposing its triangulation image only when the scanned TLFP temporarily coincides with the WROI Z height. In some implementations, the triangulation system may be configured to limit various measurement operations to using only an operational pixel subset of a detector that receives image light from the WROI, in order to shorten the measurement time.

Abstract: A triangulation sensing system includes a projection axis configuration and an imaging axis configuration. The projection axis configuration includes a triangulation light source (e.g. an incoherent source) and a variable focus lens (VFL) that is controlled to rapidly periodically modulate a triangulation light focus position (TLFP) along a Z axis over a focus position scan range, to provide a corresponding triangulation light extended focus range (TLEFR) that supports accurate measurement throughout. In some implementations, the triangulation system may be configured to provide the best measurement accuracy for a workpiece region of interest (WROI) by exposing its triangulation image only when the scanned TLFP temporarily coincides with the WROI Z height. In some implementations, the triangulation system may be configured to limit various measurement operations to using only an operational pixel subset of a detector that receives image light from the WROI, in order to shorten the measurement time.

Abstract: An optical encoder configuration comprises a cylindrical or planar rotary scale including yawed grating bars, an illumination source, a structured illumination generating arrangement (SIGA) and a detector arrangement including a photodetector. The SIGA is configured to input source light to a first illumination region on the rotary scale which diffracts light to a beam deflector configuration which transmits the diffracted light in a form that provides a particular fringe pattern proximate to a second illumination region on the scale. The scale filters and outputs that light to form a detector fringe pattern of intensity bands that are long along the rotary measuring direction and relatively narrow and periodic along a detected fringe motion direction (DFMD) transverse to the rotary measuring direction. The photodetector is configured to detect a position of the intensity bands as a function of rotary scale displacement and provide corresponding displacement or position signals.

Abstract: A surface profiling system is provided including an imaging detector array and an optical imaging array comprising at least one set of optical channels. Each optical channel includes a lens arrangement (e.g., including a GRIN lens) configured to provide an erect image at a detector. The optical channels have overlapping fields of view (FOV) and overlapping imaged fields of view (IFOV). A workpiece surface point may be simultaneously imaged in at least two overlapping IFOVs of two optical channels. A surface point that is not at an object reference distance (e.g., a front focal length) may be imaged at different respective positions along the imaging detector array, and the difference between the respective positions may define a respective image offset for that surface point. A surface height measurement coordinate for the surface point may be determined based on the corresponding image offset.

Abstract: A method for measuring Z height values of a workpiece surface with a machine vision inspection system comprises illuminating a workpiece surface with structured light, collecting at least two stacks of images of the workpiece, each stack including a different X-Y position between the structured light and the workpiece surface at a corresponding Z height in each of the stacks, and determining Z values based on sets of intensity values of a pixel corresponding to the same workpiece position in the X-Y plane which are at the same Z heights. The X-Y position is changed at a slower rate than the Z height in each stack of images, and is changed either continuously during each of the at least two stacks at a slower rate than the Z shift, or fixed to a different value during each of the at least two stacks.

Abstract: An optical encoder configuration comprises a cylindrical or planar rotary scale including yawed grating bars, an illumination source, a structured illumination generating arrangement (SIGA) and a detector arrangement including a photodetector. The SIGA is configured to input source light to a first illumination region on the rotary scale which diffracts light to a beam deflector configuration which transmits the diffracted light in a form that provides a particular fringe pattern proximate to a second illumination region on the scale. The scale filters and outputs that light to form a detector fringe pattern of intensity bands that are long along the rotary measuring direction and relatively narrow and periodic along a detected fringe motion direction (DFMD) transverse to the rotary measuring direction. The photodetector is configured to detect a position of the intensity bands as a function of rotary scale displacement and provide corresponding displacement or position signals.

Abstract: A compact portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with a large working volume for measuring workpieces is provided. The CMM includes a vertical support, a workpiece stage and a movement configuration that provides relative motion between a measurement probe and a workpiece. The movement configuration includes a vertical translation mechanism with a vertical translation element that couples to a vertical guide and moves over a vertical translation range. The workpiece stage is located above a top end of the vertical support and at least a majority of the vertical guide and the vertical translation range is located below a top end of the workpiece stage. In various implementations, the movement configuration may also include a rotary motion configuration and a horizontal translation mechanism. A controller controls the movement configuration to provide relative motion between the measurement probe and a workpiece that is located in the working volume on the workpiece stage.

Abstract: An optical encoder configuration comprises a scale, an illumination source, and a photodetector configuration. The illumination source is configured to output structured illumination to the scale. The scale extends along a measuring axis direction and is configured to output scale light that forms a detector fringe pattern comprising periodic high and low intensity bands that extend over a relatively longer dimension along the measuring axis direction and are relatively narrow and periodic along a detected fringe motion direction transverse to the measuring axis direction. The high and low intensity bands move along the detected fringe motion direction transverse to the measuring axis direction as the scale grating displaces along the measuring axis direction.