Having Shearing Patents (Class 356/520)
  • Patent number: 11867507
    Abstract: A system for providing a virtual distance of a device under test, the system including a light source, a wedge shear plate including a first surface, a second surface and a wedge angle, wherein the second surface is disposed at the wedge angle with respect to the first surface and the wedge shear plate is configured to be disposed between the device under test and the light source, a first detector configured for receiving a first interference pattern formed as a result of the light source being disposed through and reflected by the first surface and the second surface of the wedge shear plate and a second detector configured for receiving a second interference pattern formed as a result of the light source being disposed through and reflected by the first surface and the second surface of the wedge shear plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: MLOptic Corp.
    Inventors: Pengfei Wu, Wei Zhou
  • Patent number: 11852585
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods for evaluating features of objects such as liquid droplets and surfaces. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods for measuring features such as the contact angle and the thickness of an object such as a liquid droplet or a fingerprint as well as related compositions for evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
    Inventors: Iltai Isaac Kim, Yang Lie, Jae Sung Park
  • Patent number: 11788829
    Abstract: A simultaneous phase-shift point diffraction interferometer and method for detecting wave aberration. The interferometer comprises an ideal spherical wave generation module, an optical system to be measured, an image plane mask, a polarization phase shift module, a two-dimensional polarization imaging photodetector and a data processing unit. Single photodetector is adopted to realize simultaneous detection of more than three phase shift interference patterns, and has the advantages that environmental interference suppression, a flexible optical path, high measurement accuracy, and calibration of system errors of the interferometer may be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Shanghai Institute of Optics And Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Peng Feng, Zhongliang Li, Xiangzhao Wang, Yang Bu
  • Patent number: 11774746
    Abstract: This interference image imaging apparatus includes a first optical member (21) and a second optical member (22), and has a first portion (8) for transmitting a first bundle of rays (7) to change a direction of outgoing light with respect to incident light, and a second portion (10) for changing a phase of second bundle of rays (9) with respect to the first bundle of rays (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Takahide Hatahori, Kenji Takubo, Koki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11774288
    Abstract: An interference imaging device includes a light interference generator that includes: a light wave splitter configured to reflect a part of incident light and to allow a remaining part of the incident light to pass through; a phase modulator configured to modulate a phase of incident light that has passed through the light wave splitter; and a reflector configured to reflect the phase-modulated incident light from the phase modulator so that the reflected, phase-modulated incident light overlaps with incident light that has been reflected by the light wave splitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
    Inventor: Tatsuki Tahara
  • Patent number: 11703460
    Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting and classifying defects based on the phase of dark field scattering from a sample are described herein. In some embodiments, throughput is increased by detecting and classifying defects with the same optical system. In one aspect, a defect is classified based on the measured relative phase of scattered light collected from at least two spatially distinct locations in the collection pupil. The phase difference, if any, between the light transmitted through any two spatially distinct locations at the pupil plane is determined from the positions of the interference fringes in the imaging plane. The measured phase difference is indicative of the material composition of the measured sample. In another aspect, an inspection system includes a programmable pupil aperture device configured to sample the pupil at different, programmable locations in the collection pupil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Zhiwei Xu, Kurt Haller, J. K. Leong, Christian Wolters
  • Patent number: 11630059
    Abstract: An interference image acquisition apparatus includes a light source, a beam splitter, a second reflection mirror, an imager, and a first reflection mirror. A cell is placed on one side of a transparent material, and the first reflection mirror is placed on the other side of the transparent material. In a two-beam interferometer, an optical path difference between an optical path length of a first light beam reflected by the first reflection mirror and an optical path length of a second light beam reflected by the second reflection mirror is set to a coherence length of light output from the light source or less. The imager acquires an interference image in a state in which the cell is placed at a position conjugate to an imaging plane in a first optical system between the imaging plane and the first reflection mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignees: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K., NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION HAMAMATSU UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
    Inventors: Toyohiko Yamauchi, Kentaro Goto, Hisayuki Matsui, Satoshi Hirakawa, Hidenao Yamada
  • Patent number: 11623299
    Abstract: A device is provided for determining an orientation of an optical device of a coherence tomograph. The device has an optical reference geometry, a deflection optics configured to direct an optical measuring beam reflected by the optical device onto the optical reference geometry, and an evaluation unit configured to determine a distance between a first reference plane and at least one second reference plane of the optical reference geometry in order to determine the orientation of the optical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: PRECITEC GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Matthias Sauer
  • Patent number: 11313789
    Abstract: A measurement system includes a light source configured to emitting a source light, a detection platform configured to support a reference sample and a test sample; a light guiding element on an optical path of the source light; and a detector. The detection platform is configured to synchronously move the reference sample and the test sample on a same surface of the detection platform. The light guiding element is configured to divide the source light into a measurement light and a reference light and guide the measurement light to the test sample, and the reference light to the reference sample. The measurement light reflected by the test sample and the reference light reflected by the reference sample are combined as an interference light. The detector is configured to receive the interference light and obtain optical information of the test sample according to the interference light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Li-Shing Hou
  • Patent number: 11215446
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for identifying mechanical parameters of an object subjected to mechanical stress is provided. The method comprises a step of acquiring, by an imaging means, images of the object taken before and during the application of the mechanical stress, three steps of calculating the effects due to the stress carried out either on the basis of the modeling of the recorded images or on the basis of a theoretical mechanical modeling of the stress, a step of defining a functional equal to the difference between the two models and a last step of minimizing said functional so that the experimental model is as close as possible to the theoretical mechanical model. Additional measurements make it possible to refine the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignees: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE DE CACHAN
    Inventors: François Hild, Hugo Leclerc, Stéphane Roux
  • Patent number: 10931899
    Abstract: Systems and methods for computationally simulating and optimizing shearography systems are provided. The systems and methods for simulation and optimization avoid ray tracing, and, instead, implement a phase screen approach to image computation. The systems and methods include physics-based surface texture and surface motion simulations, the application of phase screens to computer-generated simulations of shearographic remote sensing, and the inclusion of de-polarization due to multiple scattering and birefringence at a surface being imaged. The systems and methods include further greatly optimize diffraction computations by treating an optical transfer function (OTF) of an arbitrary aperture as a sum of separable OTFs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. DeWeert
  • Patent number: 10837761
    Abstract: A laser shearography testing system for non-destructively testing a component includes a component heating sub-system coupled to the component. The component heating sub-system excites the component into a loaded state by passing an electric current through the component. A resistivity of the component causes the component to internally and uniformly heat as the electric current passes through the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Mahdi Ashrafi
  • Patent number: 10571261
    Abstract: Auto-alignment beam tracking apparatus and methods. In one example, an auto-alignment beam tracking system includes an optical train that receives an auto-alignment beam, a linear detector array including a plurality of photosensitive detectors each configured to measure intensity of electromagnetic radiation incident thereon, and a lateral shearing interferometer positioned between the optical train and the linear detector array. The optical train is configured to direct the auto-alignment beam to the lateral shearing interferometer. The lateral shearing interferometer is configured to produce an interference pattern at the linear detector array from the auto-alignment beam, wherein changes in the intensity measured by the plurality of photosensitive detectors over time corresponding to a lateral shift of the interference pattern on the linear detector array indicate an angular tilt of the auto-alignment beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventor: Kyle Heideman
  • Patent number: 10473451
    Abstract: Interference fringes in a bullseye pattern are produced by a measurement module by interfering a flat reference beam with a spherical beam reflected by a sphere connected to the tip of a probe in point contact with a test object. The bullseye interferogram is registered at a detector and analyzed conventionally to produce a position measurement of the tip of the probe. A beam correction module is used to align the bullseye interferogram with the illumination axis of the measurement module. By combining at least three such measurement modules in a coordinate measurement machine, the three-dimensional position of the probe and of its point contact with the test object can be obtained from analysis of the bullseye interferograms registered by the detectors with high precision and greatly reduced Abbe error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: APRE INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventor: Artur Olszak
  • Patent number: 10309836
    Abstract: A collimation evaluation device includes a first reflection member, a second reflection member, a screen, and a housing. A first reflection surface of the first reflection member and a first reflection surface of the second reflection member face each other and are parallel to each other. Further, interference fringes are formed on the screen by light L12 reflected on the first reflection surface of the first reflection member and a second reflection surface of the second reflection member and light L21 reflected on a second reflection surface of the first reflection member and the first reflection surface of the second reflection member, and collimation of incident light is evaluated on the basis of a direction of the interference fringes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Junji Okuma, Yasunori Igasaki, Yasunaga Nara
  • Patent number: 10260987
    Abstract: A first reflection member, when light is incident, reflects a part of the light by a first reflection surface, reflects light transmitted through the first reflection surface by a second reflection surface, and emits reflected light components in an opposite direction. The second reflection member, when light emitted from the first reflection member is incident, reflects a part of the light by a first reflection surface, reflects light transmitted through the first reflection surface by a second reflection surface, and emits reflected light components. Interference fringes are formed on a screen by light reflected on the first reflection surface of the first reflection member and the second reflection surface of the second reflection member and light reflected on the second reflection surface of the first reflection member and the first reflection surface of the second reflection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Junji Okuma, Yasunori Igasaki
  • Patent number: 10114205
    Abstract: An example system determines biomechanical properties of eye tissue. The system includes a confocal microscopy system configured to scan the incident light across a plurality of cross-sections of the tissue. The incident light is reflected by the plurality of cross-sections of tissue as scattered light. The system includes a spectrometer to receive the scattered light and provide spectral information for the scattered light. The system includes processor(s) to determine a Brillouin frequency shift from the spectral information and to generate a three-dimensional profile of the corneal tissue according to the Brillouin frequency shift. The three-dimensional profile provides an indicator of one or more biomechanical properties of the tissue. The spectrometer includes a multipass optical device that generates an interference pattern from the scattered light. The interference pattern provides the spectral information for the scattered light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Avedro, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Bukshtab, Marc D. Friedman
  • Patent number: 10054110
    Abstract: A method for optically acquiring a wind turbine for monitoring purposes with the aid of an aircraft, in particular a manned or unmanned rotorcraft, which has at least one camera installed thereon, wherein the wind turbine comprises a plurality of rotor blades, the surface of which is scanned within the scope of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: HGZ Patentvermarktungs GmbH
    Inventor: Horst Zell
  • Patent number: 9948053
    Abstract: A pulse compressor for compressing a laser pulse in a laser device using a chirped pulse amplification method includes two identically shaped diffraction gratings arranged parallel to each other with their respective grating surfaces facing each other and a total reflection mirror for receiving a laser pulse through the diffraction grating and returning it back to the same gratings. Each diffraction grating is a reflective blazed diffraction grating having grooves with a sawtooth-shaped section covered with a reflective Au coating on their surface, with the blaze angle determined so that, at the wavelength of the laser pulse to be used, the incident angle of a laser pulse entering the pulse compressor and first order diffracted light form a relationship of mirror reflection with the groove slope and so that a predetermined level of diffraction efficiency is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Oue, Yoshitaka Makino
  • Patent number: 9818181
    Abstract: A system and method are presented for generating shearograms from raw specklegram images which may, for example, be collected from airborne or other mobile shearography equipment. The system and method is used to detect and characterize buried mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and underground tunnels, bunkers, and other structures. Amongst other purposes, the system and method may also be used for rapid scanning of ship hulls and aircraft for hidden structural defects, rapid pipeline inspection, and non-contact acoustic sensing for in-water and underground sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew N. Acker, Michael L. Dichner, Michael J. DeWeert, Brian P. Farm, Tamara O'Toole, Clint Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 9810900
    Abstract: The invention relates to a deformable mirror comprising a deformable membrane (2) having a reflecting face (3) and being mounted on a support provided with at least one actuator designed to deform said membrane (2), said actuator comprising at least one movable member (7) fixed to the membrane (2) via an adhesive joint (8) and having a main body (11) located away from the adhesive joint (8), said body being extended by an active part (12) that penetrates said adhesive joint (8) partly or completely in such a way that the adhesive spreads over the concealed face (4), parallel to the reflecting face (3), and adheres at least partly to the side wall (14) of said active part (12), this part (12) forming a tip (32) limiting the bonding footprint on said reflecting face (3). Deformable mirror for adaptive optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: ALPAO
    Inventors: Sebastien Marin Michel Camet, Jean-Francois Yves Curis, Frederic Christian Robert Rooms
  • Patent number: 9784570
    Abstract: Polarization-based coherent gradient-sensing systems and methods for measuring at least one surface-shape property of a specularly reflective surface are disclosed. The method includes: reflecting a first circularly polarized laser beam from a sample surface to form a second circularly polarized laser beam that contains surface-shape information; converting the second circularly polarized laser beam to a linearly polarized reflected laser beam; directing respective first and second portions of the linearly polarized reflected laser beam to first and second relay assemblies that constitute first and second interferometer arms. The first and second relay assemblies each use a pair of axially spaced-apart gratings to generate respective first and second interference patterns at respective first and second image sensors. Respective first and second signals from the first and second image sensors are processed to determine the at least one surface-shape property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventor: David G. Stites
  • Patent number: 9164397
    Abstract: The present invention includes an illumination source, at least one illumination symmetrization module (ISM) configured to symmetrize at least a portion of light emanating from the illumination source, a first beam splitter configured to direct a first portion of light processed by the ISM along an object path to a surface of one or more specimens and a second portion of light processed by the ISM along a reference path, and a detector disposed along a primary optical axis, wherein the detector is configured to collect a portion of light reflected from the surface of the one or more specimens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Amnon Manassen, Daniel Kandel, Moshe Baruch, Joel L. Seligson, Alexander Svizher, Guy Cohen, Efraim Rotem, Ohad Bachar, Daria Negri, Noam Sapiens
  • Patent number: 9131118
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises projecting, from a projector, a diffused on an object. The method further includes capturing, with a first camera in a particular location, a reference image of the object while the diffused is projected on the object. The method further includes capturing, with a second camera positioned in the particular location, a test image of the object while the diffused is projected on the object. The method further includes comparing speckles in the reference image to the test image. The projector, first camera and second camera are removably provided to and positioned in a site of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: YiChang Shih, Myers Abraham Davis, Samuel William Hasinoff, Frederic Durand, William T. Freeman
  • Patent number: 9097900
    Abstract: Some systems described herein include a frequency dependent phase plate for generating multiple phase-contrast images of a sample, each from a different frequency range of light, each phase-contrast image for frequency range of light formed from light diffracted by the sample interfered with undiffracted light that has a frequency-dependent baseline relative phase shift from the phase plate. In some embodiments, the multiple phase-contrast images may be used to generate a quantitative phase image of a sample. The phase-contrast images or the produced quantitative phase image may have sufficient contrast for label-free auto-segmentation of cell bodies and nuclei.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Evgenia Mikhailovna Kim, Robert John Filkins, Chulmin Joo
  • Patent number: 9094959
    Abstract: A communication network, wherein the network includes a plurality of communication elements that function as transmitters and/or receivers, in particular base stations and operating nodes being associated to at least one of the base stations, wherein the communication between the transmitters and the receivers is performed by way of generating and transmitting signals based on a multi-carrier modulation with a number of N subcarriers around a carrier frequency fc, is characterized in that the communication elements are configured to perform, upon receiving a transmitted signal, a sub-sampling of the received signal, wherein only a predetermined number of the inner-most subcarriers around the carrier frequency fc are employed for data reconstruction. Furthermore, a respective method for operating a communication network is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: NEC EUROPE LTD.
    Inventors: Peter Rost, Andreas Maeder, Xavier Perez Costa
  • Publication number: 20150146213
    Abstract: Provided is an operating method of a measuring apparatus measuring a wavefront of a target. The operating method includes measuring a measurement wavefront on the basis of the wavefront of the target, measuring reference slope information and first to third slope information respectively corresponding to a reference direction and first to third directions on the basis of the measurement wavefront, obtaining first to third rotation angles on the basis of the measured reference slope information and first to third slope information, and outputting a wavefront of which an error is corrected, which is generated by rotation errors on the basis of the obtained first to third rotation angles, wherein the first to third rotation angles are differences in angle between the reference direction and the first to third directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Hyug-Gyo RHEE, Young Sik GHIM, Ho Soon YANG, Yun Woo LEE
  • Patent number: 9013590
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for pixel multiplication in optical imaging systems. In one example, an expanded optical point spread function, referred to as a code spread function, is used to phase modulate an incident electromagnetic wavefront, and digital processing, including correlation techniques, are used to filter and process the modulated wavefront to recover sub-pixel information from an image produced by the wavefront on a pixilated detector array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Chet L. Richards
  • Patent number: 8934104
    Abstract: An arrangement and a method are provided for robust interferometry for detecting distance, depth, profile, form, undulation, flatness deviation and/or roughness or the optical path length in or on technical or biological objects, including in layered form, or else for optical coherence tomography (OCT), with a source of electromagnetic radiation and with an interferometer, in particular also in the form of an interference microscope, having an object beam path and having a reference beam path, in which an end reflector is arranged, and a line-scan detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation in the form of at least one spatial interferogram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Universitaet Stuttgart
    Inventors: Klaus Koerner, Reinhard Berger, Wolfgang Osten
  • Publication number: 20140368833
    Abstract: A focusing device that includes a differential interference prism used in differential interference observation in a focusing detection optical system includes: a light source that emits light with which a measurement surface of an observation sample is irradiated; a photo detection unit that detects light from the measurement surface; a focusing detection unit that detects an error signal near a focusing point of the measurement surface on the basis of an output signal from the photo detection unit; and a condition changing unit that changes an acquisition condition of the error signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yosuke TAMURA, Toshiya KOMURO
  • Patent number: 8908192
    Abstract: A method for qualifying optics (16; 14, 16) of a projection exposure tool (10) for microlithography. The optics include (16; 14, 16) at least one mirror element (14-1 to 14-7, 16-1 to 16-6) with a reflective coating (52) disposed on the latter. The method includes: irradiating electromagnetic radiation (13, 42) of at least two different wavelengths onto the optics (16; 14, 16), a penetration depth of the radiation into the coating (52) of the mirror element varying between the individual wavelengths, taking an optical measurement on the optics (16; 14, 16) for each of the wavelengths, and evaluating the measurement results for the different wavelengths taking into consideration a respective penetration depth of the radiation into the coating (52) of the mirror element for each of the different wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Goeppert
  • Patent number: 8873068
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable industrial instrument for performing, in an integrated and two-way manner, an interferometric fringe projection and shearography, on a object to be tested, so that, when the two-way interferometer (1) is associated with the coherent or quasi-coherent projection device (2), the instrument is able to measure the 3D shape of the object by interferometric fringe projection, also known as moiré method, and, when the two-way interferometer (1) is associated with the recording or imaging device (4), the instrument is able to perform shearographic measurements on the object, the direction of the traversing light beam in the interferometer (1) being reversed when shifting from one measurement configuration to the other one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignees: Cockerill Maintenance & Ingenierie S.A., Universite de Liege
    Inventors: Pascal Blain, Yvon Renotte, Serge Habraken, Pascal Waroux
  • Patent number: 8813550
    Abstract: A tire inspection machine includes an incoming conveyor adapted to transport tires to the machine and also align the tires in a transverse direction. An inspection table of the machine includes a table conveyor system that is responsive to a controller. The table and table conveyor are together arranged to permit scanning of both sidewall portions of a tire disposed thereon. A sensor detects a longitudinal position of the tire and stops the table conveyor when the tire is longitudinally aligned. A controller operates the table conveyor based on the longitudinal position of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Bandag, LLC
    Inventor: John S. Lindsay
  • Patent number: 8804132
    Abstract: A shearography system that operates while moving at significant speeds over a surface is disclosed. Two lasers are utilized and the distance between the two lasers is adjusted based on the altitude of the aircraft on which the shearography equipment is located, the speed of the aircraft, the distance between two lasers in the shearography equipment lasers, and the time difference between the laser pulses from each of the two lasers. The adjustment of the distance between the two lasers causes the angles of incidence and reflection to be the same for two sequential images and permits the moving shearography to work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher E Saxer
  • Patent number: 8786863
    Abstract: A transmitted wavefront measuring method comprises the steps of emitting light 101 from a light source 100 onto an object to be measured 120 to receive interfering light transmitted through the object and a diffraction grating 130 on a light receiving portion 140 disposed at a predetermined distance from the diffraction grating to measure an intensity distribution of the interfering light T10, performing a Fourier transform of the intensity distribution to calculate a frequency distribution T20, and obtaining a transmitted wavefront of the object based on a primary frequency spectrum in the frequency distribution T30 to T90. The step of obtaining the transmitted wavefront comprises the steps of performing an inverse Fourier transform of the primary frequency spectrum with reference to a grating frequency of the diffraction grating to calculate a complex amplitude of the interfering light T60, and obtaining the transmitted wavefront based on the complex amplitude T90.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seima Kato
  • Patent number: 8755036
    Abstract: An active imaging system includes a laser transmitter configured to emit light in a plurality of beamlets. A sensor is configured to receive light from the beamlets. A processor is communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to compute images of objects illuminated by the beamlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Inventor: Richard A. Hutchin
  • Patent number: 8717577
    Abstract: The invention allows a shearography system to successfully sense ground/surface vibrations while moving at aircraft speeds and altitudes. This is done by effectively making stationary the apparent location of a coherent laser beam illuminating an area on the ground/surface, and also effectively making stationary the apparent location of the aperture of an optical receiver which acquires pairs of sequential images captured and used for shearography. A different laser is used for capturing each of the two images, and the distance between the two lasers is adjusted based on a number of operational parameters. The adjustment of the distance causes the apparent locations of the transmitter and a receiver sub-aperture to remain the same and permits the moving shearography to work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Kokobun, Christopher E Saxer
  • Patent number: 8553233
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the remote nondestructive evaluation of an object such as a wind turbine blade involves applying mechanical and/or thermal stress to the object and then scanning the object using long-range thermographic and/or laser interferometric imaging. The laser interferometric imaging is preferably performed by a long range shearography camera capable of imaging deformation derivatives at long distances coupled with a blade stressing mechanism incorporating either thermal or internal blade pressurization for the purpose of detecting remotely and at high speed, changes in the structural integrity of an installed wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Inventor: John W. Newman
  • Patent number: 8472031
    Abstract: An interrogation apparatus and method use a partial shear optical interference apparatus to interrogate the optical properties of an array of target specimen probe volumes as compared to an array of reference sample probe volumes. The apparatus produces a formatted probe beam that contains a partially sheared probe beam pair that is formatted into an array of completely sheared probe beam pairs. Target specimen probe volumes and reference sample probe volumes are suitably organized and exposed to the array of completely sheared probe beam pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventors: Giovanni Barbarossa, Yan Zhou
  • Publication number: 20130114088
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the remote nondestructive evaluation of an object such as a wind turbine blade involves applying mechanical and/or thermal stress to the object and then scanning the object using long-range thermographic and/or laser interferometric imaging. The laser interferometric imaging is preferably performed by a long range shearography camera capable of imaging deformation derivatives at long distances coupled with a blade stressing mechanism incorporating either thermal or internal blade pressurization for the purpose of detecting remotely and at high speed, changes in the structural integrity of an installed wind turbine blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventor: John W. Newman
  • Patent number: 8355140
    Abstract: Systems configured to generate output corresponding to defects on a specimen and systems configured to generate phase information about defects on a specimen are provided. One system includes an optical subsystem that is configured to create interference between a test beam and a reference beam. The test beam and the reference beam are reflected from the specimen. The system also includes a detector that is configured to generate output representative of the interference between the test and reference beams. The interference increases contrast between the output corresponding to the defects and output corresponding to non-defective portions of the specimen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Shiow-Hwei Hwang, Tao-Yi Fu, Xiumei Liu
  • Patent number: 8351050
    Abstract: A wavefront-aberration-measuring device measures wavefront aberration of a to-be-tested optical system and includes a diffraction grating that splits light transmitted through the optical system, a detecting unit that detects interference fringes produced by beams of the split light, an arithmetic unit that calculates the wavefront aberration from the detected interference fringes, an image-side mask insertable into and retractable from an image plane of the optical system, and an illuminating unit that incoherently illuminates the image-side mask. The image-side mask has an aperture with a diameter larger than ?/2NA, where ? denotes a wavelength of the illuminating unit and NA denotes a numerical aperture of the to-be-tested optical system. The arithmetic unit calculates the wavefront aberration of the optical system from the interference fringes detected with the image-side mask being retracted from the image plane and the interference fringes detected with the image-side mask being in the image plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Chidane Ouchi
  • Patent number: 8350203
    Abstract: A method of flattening a deformable mirror (DM) such as a piezoelectric DM to correct for distortion includes inputting an incident light beam into a reference beam optical path while blocking the DM response, recording a flat wavefront (?n, R) as a reference wavefront from a reference mirror, blocking the reference beam to obtain a DM response, activating a close-loop mode of DM Control Software and computing iterations until a difference between the reference wavefront and the DM response is minimized, recording a wavefront created by the DM (?n, DM) and the corresponding voltage vector (Vn) applied to the DM; and applying a voltage vector to the DM to thereby flatten the DM and correct for the distortion. The method is useful in an application such as for ground-to-space links at Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Carlos Font, G Charmaine Gilbreath, Freddie Santiago, Blerta Bajramaj, David Kim
  • Patent number: 8279449
    Abstract: A radially shearing interferometer including a beam splitter configured to form two optical beams from entering light, the optical beam including a magnified beam and a demagnified beam; a plurality of mirrors arranged so as to generate the magnified and demagnified beams and provide a common optical path with the beams traversing the plurality of mirrors in the opposite direction back to the beam splitter, the plurality of mirrors including a pair of parabolic mirrors, the first of the pair configured to receive one of the magnified and demagnified beams, and reflect the first received beam to a flat mirror configured to reflect the first received beam to the other of the pair. An imaging device may be positioned at a pupil plane of the magnified beam and the demagnified beam so as to record the interference of both beams. A method for recording an interferogram is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: David N. Sitter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8184263
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus which measures spatial coherence in an illuminated plane illuminated by an illumination system, comprises a measurement mask which has at least three pinholes and is arranged on the illuminated plane, a detector configured to detect an interference pattern formed by lights from the at least three pinholes, and a calculator configured to calculate the spatial coherence in the illuminated plane based on a Fourier spectrum obtained by Fourier-transforming the interference pattern detected by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunori Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20120120410
    Abstract: A radially shearing interferometer which includes a beam splitter configured to form two optical beams from entering light, the optical beam including a magnified beam and a demagnified beam; a plurality of mirrors arranged so as to generate the magnified beam and the demagnified beams and provide a common optical path with the magnified and demagnified beams traversing the plurality of mirrors in the opposite direction back to the beam splitter, the plurality of mirrors including a pair of parabolic mirrors, the first of the pair configured to first receive one of the magnified and demagnified beams, and reflect the first received beam to a flat mirror configured to reflect the first received beam to the other pair. In some implementations, an imaging device may be positioned at a pupil plane of the magnified beam and the demagnified beam so as to record the interference of both beams. A method for recording an interferogram is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventor: David N. SITTER, JR.
  • Patent number: 8134716
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for spatially resolved wavefront measurement on a test specimen, a method and apparatus for spatially resolved scattered light determination, a diffraction structure support and a coherent structure support therefor, and also an objective or other radiation exposure device manufactured using such a method, and an associated manufacturing method. An embodiment involves carrying out, for the wavefront measurement, a first shearing measuring operation, which includes a plurality of individual measurements with at least two first shearing directions and spatially resolved detection of shearing interferograms generated, and an analogous second shearing measuring operation with at least one second shearing direction, the at least one second shearing direction being non-parallel to at least one first shearing direction. From the shearing interferograms detected, it is possible e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Emer, Helmut Haidner, Ulrich Wegmann
  • Publication number: 20110317170
    Abstract: The invention provides a wedge pair suitable for use in interferometers. The wedge pair produces a phase shift between beams of light propagating in the interferometer. The invention includes a wedge pair and a mechanism for translating a first wedge of the pair with respect to a second wedge of the pair, where the first wedge has the same wedge angle and material of the second wedge and where the vertex of the first wedge and the vertex of the second wedge are pointed in opposite directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Yung-Chieh Hsieh, Chiayu Ai
  • Publication number: 20110292401
    Abstract: An interrogation apparatus and method use a partial shear optical interference apparatus to interrogate the optical properties of an array of target specimen probe volumes as compared to an array of reference sample probe volumes. The apparatus produces a formatted probe beam that contains a partially sheared probe beam pair that is formatted into an array of completely sheared probe beam pairs. Target specimen probe volumes and reference sample probe volumes are suitably organized and exposed to the array of completely sheared probe beam pairs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Giovanni Barbarossa, Yan Zhou
  • Patent number: 7990543
    Abstract: Apparatus, techniques and systems for implementing an optical interferometer to measure surfaces, including mapping of instantaneous curvature or in-plane and out-of-plane displacement field gradients of a sample surface based on obtaining and processing four optical interferograms from a common optical reflected beam from the sample surface that are relatively separated in phase by ?/2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Michael Mello, Ares J. Rosakis