Patents by Inventor Rebecca L. Welling

Rebecca L. Welling has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Contour measurement system
    Patent number: 5612786
    Abstract: A method for measuring the contours (30) of a three-dimensional object (4); and a method for calibrating an optical system (2, 8). The object (4) is placed into the field of view of the optical system (2, 8). The optical system (2, 8) is activated to obtain a set of data giving a phase (x.sub.t) at each of a plurality of pixels corresponding to the object (4). The phases (x.sub.t) are unwrapped, e.g., by a method of ordered phase unwrapping. The unwrapped phases are converted into a set of three-dimensional coordinates (x.sub.s, y.sub.s, z.sub.s) of the object (4) for each of the pixels. These coordinates (x.sub.s, y.sub.s, z.sub.s) can be portrayed on a display of a computer (10). The method for calibrating the optical system (2, 8) shares several common steps with the above method. In addition, coordinates of a test calibration fixture (38, 46) are first mechanically measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward D. Huber, Rick A. Williams, Dean M. Shough, Osuk Y. Kwon, Rebecca L. Welling
  • Method of calibrating a three-dimensional optical measurement system
    Patent number: 5557410
    Abstract: A method for measuring the contours (30) of a three-dimensional object (4); and a method for calibrating an optical system (2, 8). The object (4) is placed into the field of view of the optical system (2, 8). The optical system (2, 8) is activated to obtain a set of data giving a phase (x.sub.t) at each of a plurality of pixels corresponding to the object (4). The phases (x.sub.t) are unwrapped, e.g., by a method of ordered phase unwrapping. The unwrapped phases are converted into a set of three-dimensional coordinates (x.sub.s, y.sub.s, z.sub.s) of the object (4) for each of the pixels. These coordinates (x.sub.s, y.sub.s, z.sub.s) can be portrayed on a display of a computer (10). The method for calibrating the optical system (2, 8) shares several common steps with the above method. In addition, coordinates of a test calibration fixture (38, 46) are first mechanically measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward D. Huber, Rick A. Williams, Dean M. Shough, Osuk Y. Kwon, Rebecca L. Welling