Abstract: A roundness measuring device includes: an eccentric position calculation unit calculating, based on a measured distance and a measured angle, a distance between a axis of the measured object and a rotation axis as an eccentric distance, and calculating an angle formed between the detection line and a line segment connecting the rotation axis and the axis of the measured object as an eccentric angle; and a measurement correction unit correcting the measured distance based on the eccentric distance, the eccentric angle, the measured angle, a radius of the measured object, and a length from the center to the surface of the detector unit, and correcting the measured angle by adding a correction angle to the measured angle, the correction angle being formed between the detection line and a line segment connecting the rotation axis and a contact point where the measured object and the detector unit come in contact with one another.

Abstract: Coordinate transformation parameters are adopted at the time of synthetically combining partial measurement data so as to eliminate the setting error that can get in when a workpiece is set in position on a measuring machine. Then, a shape parameter is adopted to estimate the approximate error shape of the entire workpiece and the approximate error shape is removed from the measurement data. As a result, the residuals are reduced if the measurement data are those of three-dimensional sequences of points. Differences are small when small residuals are compared so that the mismatch is reduced. According to the present invention, the entire measurement data can be synthetically combined without using the conventional concept of overlap.

Abstract: A method for measuring the profile of a component in the region of an edge of the component comprises the following steps: determining the position of an edge point of the component; defining a centre line for the component in the region of the edge; and measuring at least one dimension of the component with reference to the centre line.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for imaging an object are disclosed. The object is illuminated with an electromagnetic wave, characterized by a spectrum of illuminating wavevectors. Electromagnetic waves scattered by the object are detected, and are characterized by a spectrum of detected wavevectors. An aperture equal to or smaller than an instantaneous characterizing wavelength of the illuminating electromagnetic wave is disposed between the source and the detector. At least one of the illuminating and detected wavevectors is varied in magnitude to provide information regarding a scattering characteristic of the object. By applying a forward model of the aperture to derive a three-dimensional scattering model, a three-dimensional reconstruction of the object may be obtained by inverting a detected data function in terms of the forward model.

Abstract: A system and method for artery-vein separation and vessel modeling are provided, the system including an adapter unit, a centerline locating unit in signal communication with the adapter unit, and a deformable modeling unit in signal communication with the centerline locating unit; and the method including receiving three-dimensional image data indicative of vessels, visualizing the received image data, selecting seed points on the vessels relative to the visualization, smoothing the image data with a non-linear filter responsive to curvature information of the data, initiating a deformable model for each selected seed point, modulating the propagation of each deformable model in accordance with at least one of local and global statistics, and growing an interconnected region for each model, where each model competes for classifying new points in its own region until convergence.

Abstract: An optical metrology model for a structure to be formed on a wafer is developed by characterizing a top-view profile and a cross-sectional view profile of the structure using profile parameters. The profile parameters of the top-view profile and the cross-sectional view profile are integrated together into the optical metrology model. The profile parameters of the optical metrology model are saved.

Abstract: A method for determining a mobility of foot comprising: measuring at least a portion of a shape of the foot under a first weight load; measuring the at least the portion of the shape of the foot under a second weight load; and comparing the measurement under the first weight load to the measurement under the second weight load, thereby determining a mobility of at least the portion of the foot.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the determination of the diffusion tensor anisotropy or the surface energy anisotropy that does not require the formation of particular structures, and enables this type of determination to be performed in the case of moderate-amplitude perturbations. The invention is based on measuring the temporal evolution of natural or artificial roughnesses and on analyzing the results in the form of the 2D power spectral density for moderate-amplitude perturbations typically characterized by amplitude/wavelength ratios of the perturbation for a spatially defined perturbation having two wavelengths along two orthogonal directions, said ratios typically being less than 0.3.

Abstract: To realize a roundness measuring instrument of which the measurement precision when there is eccentricity has been improved.

Abstract: A method of evaluating an optical performance of an optical system comprises a locating step of locating a plurality of circular regions in an evaluated region on an optical element included in the optical system, a fitting step of fitting a polynomial to surface shape data representing a surface shape of the optical element in each of the plurality of circular regions, and a calculation step of calculating the optical performance of the optical system based on the fitting result obtained in the fitting step in each of the plurality of circular regions.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for measuring a selected portion of a curved surface of an object is disclosed. The method includes the blocks of displaying a straight-line across an object, stretching the straight-line to form a plane, determining intersection points between the plane and the curved surface of the object, determining a vertical point of each point-cloud around the straight-line on the curved surface, a corresponding vertical distance, and a corresponding normal vector, projecting the vertical points onto the plane vertically, determining measured points, up tolerance points, and down tolerance points for the point-clouds around the straight-line on the plane, connecting the corresponding points to lines, and determining if one or more the dimensions of a selected portion around the straight-line of the object is acceptable according to the connected lines.

Abstract: A pattern measurement apparatus includes a line profile creating unit for creating a line profile of a pattern formed on a sample by scanning with a charged particle beam, a derivative profile creating unit for creating a second derivative profile by differentiating twice the line profile, and an edge detecting unit for judging whether an edge in the pattern is a rising edge or a falling edge. Assuming that the two peak positions appearing in the vicinity of the edge position of the pattern obtained from the second derivative profile are defined as X1 and X2, X2 being larger than X1, the edge detecting unit judges that the edge is a rising edge when a signal amount in the peak position X1 is larger than a signal amount in the peak position X2.

Abstract: A set of sensors is placed on a form (a curve or a surface), wherein each sensor supplies representative signals of the orientation of the form at the position of this sensor; a model of the form is selected; based on the signals, the parameters of the model are determined and the distances which separate the sensors are measured; and, based on the parameters of the model and the distance measurements, the spatial distribution of the points of the form are determined.

Abstract: A method of measuring a 3D shape, which can measure a 3D shape of target objects on a board by searching a database for bare board information when a measuring object is not set to a normal inspection mode or by performing bare board teaching when the board is supplied from a supplier having not the bare board information is provided.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating a computation mesh for use with an analytical tool, the computation mesh having a plurality of ?-grid lines and ?-grid lines intersecting at grid points positioned with respect to an inner boundary and an outer boundary. The method includes receiving from a user information corresponding to a shape to be analyzed using the analytical tool and solving one or more mesh equation for a plurality of point locations, the one or more mesh equations depending on a source Jacobian scaling parameter that is not equal to 2.

Abstract: A method for extracting parameters of a cutting tool is provided. The method includes obtaining a measurement data set having a point cloud corresponding to a surface of the cutting tool and virtually slicing the point cloud at a pre-determined section to obtain a set of points on the pre-determined section. The method also includes generating a plurality of curves through the set of points and optimizing the plurality of curves to generate optimized fitting curves and extracting the parameters of the cutting tool from the optimized fitting curves. Furthermore, based on the presented rotary angle projection technique, a plurality of parameters can be extracted for the cutting tool.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating a computation mesh for use with an analytical tool, the computation mesh having a plurality of ?-grid lines and ?-grid lines intersecting at grid points positioned with respect to an inner boundary and an outer boundary. The method includes receiving from a user information corresponding to a shape to be analyzed using the analytical tool and solving one or more mesh equation for a plurality of point locations, the one or more mesh equations depending on a source decay factor that is inversely proportional to the number of ?-grid lines.

Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of manipulators, such as multiaxial or multiaxle industrial robots. At least one manipulator functions as the reference manipulator and is moved in a plurality of preset poses within its working area at which internal position values are determined as first desired poses. For each desired pose, subsequently a first actual pose of the reference manipulator is determined by an external measuring system. Subsequently at least one further manipulator moves up to specific poses of the reference manipulator as second desired poses and for each of these poses an actual pose of the further manipulator is determined by an external measuring system. On the basis of actual-desired deviations between the thus determined desired and actual poses of the two manipulators, subsequently a parameter model for the further manipulator is established and with it it is possible to compensate simultaneously both its own errors and those of the reference manipulator.

Abstract: A process for geometrical construction of a flash land is provided for a flash land that is to be provided in a die for forging of a turbomachine vane, in accordance with determined parameters, where the vane includes a blade. The process includes choosing at least three reference planes corresponding to a root, middle and tip of the blade. At least three reference sections of the blade in reference planes corresponding to the root, middle and tip of the blade are chosen in the reference planes. A length of the flash land and a shrinkage distance for the three reference sections are determined in the reference planes. Intermediate sections of the flash land and the corresponding flash gutter of the flash land from the reference sections are constructed by interpolation in the predetermined planes.

Abstract: A method includes comparing a scanning interferometry signal obtained for a location of a test object to each of multiple model signals corresponding to different model parameters for modeling the test object, wherein for each model signal the comparing comprises calculating a correlation function between the scanning interferometry signal and the model signal to identify a surface-height offset between the scanning interferometry signal and the model signal and, based on the identified surface-height offset, calculating a height-offset compensated merit value indicative of a similarity between the scanning interferometry signal and the model signal for a common surface height. The method further includes, based on the respective merit values for the different model signals, determining a test object parameter at the location of the test object.

Abstract: A measurement method for measuring a shape of a target using an interference pattern includes the steps of converting a first interference pattern into a first shape of the target (S103 to S105), obtaining a second interference pattern at a position where the target moves in an optical axis direction of the reference surface (S107, S108), unwrapping the second interference pattern after aligning a phase of the first interference pattern with a phase of the second interference pattern (S109), converting the unwrapped second interference pattern into a second shape of the target (S110), determining whether or not the first shape of the target coincides with the second shape (S111), and calculating the shape of the target by adding the integral multiple of a wavelength of the light source to the unwrapped second interference pattern if the first shape does not coincide with the second shape (S112).

Abstract: A distortion evaluating apparatus which can quantitatively evaluate distortion in a measurement object surface is provided. A distortion evaluating apparatus evaluates distortion based on three-dimensional measurement data obtained from a measurement object surface. The apparatus includes a secondary differential component adapted for effecting a secondary differential operation on two-dimensional measurement data of a cross section of the measurement object surface indicative of unevenness therein, thus obtaining curvature data of the cross section, a permissible range setting component adapted for setting a permissible range for the curvature data, based on range of an upper limit value and a lower limit value from a reference value, and a distortion data extracting component adapted for extracting a portion of the curvature data exceeding the set permissible range as distortion data indicative of the distortion in the cross section.

Abstract: A method allows analyzing and describing the reflective properties of a three-dimensionally structured original surface. The topology of the original surface is determined and the topological data are stored in the form of a depth map in a first data record and evaluated with respect to the influence of the data on the reflective properties. Each surface element is assigned a reflective value in accordance with the evaluation and the value is stored in a second data record and made available to other machining or inspection systems. There, the reflection values of the second data record are divided into classes and the depth values of the first data record, assigned to the classified reflection values, are varied in accordance with the classification. Finally, the changed depth values are employed as parameters for electronically controlling a tool in order to machine the artificially produced surface.

Abstract: In certain aspects, disclosed methods include directing test light reflected from an object to form an image of the object on a detector, where the object includes a diffractive structure. The test light at the detector includes both specularly and non-specularly reflected light from the diffractive structure, and the diffractive structure is under-resolved in the image. The method further includes directing reference light to interfere with the test light at the detector where the reference and test light being derived from a common source, varying an optical path length difference between the test and reference light, acquiring an interference signal from the detector while varying the optical path length difference, and determining information about the diffractive structure based on the interference signal and on predetermined information derived from a mathematical model of light reflection from a model diffractive structure.

Abstract: This disclosure provides for an impression scanner system having improved calibration having a housing and a calibration plate of known geometry. The calibration plate has a plurality of different shapes thereon. The system also has a radiation source for emitting radiation towards the shapes on the plate and a surface for reflecting images created by the radiation on the shapes. A sensor for receiving the images of the shapes as the plate moves relative to the housing is also provided.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for measuring a selected portion of a curved surface of an object is disclosed. The method includes the blocks of displaying a straight-line across an object, stretching the straight-line to form a plane, determining intersection points between the plane and the curved surface of the object, determining a vertical point of each point-cloud around the straight-line on the curved surface, a corresponding vertical distance, and a corresponding normal vector, projecting the vertical points onto the plane vertically, determining measured points, up tolerance points, and down tolerance points for the point-clouds around the straight-line on the plane, connecting the corresponding points to lines, and determining if one or more the dimensions of a selected portion around the straight-line of the object is acceptable according to the connected lines.

Abstract: A method of measuring warpage of a rear surface of a substrate includes a substrate detection step, a best fit plane calculation step, and a warpage calculation step. Further, the method of measuring warpage of a rear surface of a substrate can further includes after the substrate detection step and before the best fit plane calculation step: a noise removal step and an outer peripheral portion removal step; the outer peripheral portion removal step and a smoothing step; or the noise removal step, the outer peripheral portion removal step, and the smoothing step. Thereby, a method of measuring warpage of a rear surface with a high surface roughness of a substrate can be provided.

Abstract: In one general aspect, a method of processing surface profile measurements includes obtaining a calibration image, the calibration image including one or more surface profile measurements at one or more discrete points on a surface, performing calibration processing on the surface profile measurements, performing data processing on the surface profile measurements, and providing data output based upon the calibration processing and the data processing.

Abstract: A system and method identifies road features that may not appear on a map database, such as paths not described as roads on the map database, and whether all the roads at a crossing cross at the same grade level. The system and method may thus be used to identify points of departure from, or points of merging onto, a road described by the map database or a path identified as described herein, but not described by the map database.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supplying a customer with a footbed. A kiosk provides measurements of a consumer's feet with a self-guided display by using both pressure measurements and scanning of the feet. The measurement information is converted to identify which of the preselected and stocked components proximate the kiosk can be combined to provide an appropriate footbed for the consumer.

Abstract: A surface profile measuring apparatus of the invention has a changing section for changing the cross section of a flux of light to be projected onto a sample by a light projecting section in measuring a surface profile of the sample. The surface profile measuring apparatus having the above arrangement enables to measure the surface profile of the sample easily and precisely, without using different kinds of measuring apparatuses.

Abstract: An improved method for surveying actual measurement data of a component, which originate from an optical scan, is characterized in that the actual measurement data (2) of the component (1) are surveyed by means of a measurement program (24) for a tactile coordinate measuring instrument, wherein the measurement program (24) generates a virtual measuring stylus of a virtual coordinate measuring instrument, which surveys the actual measurement data of the component.

Abstract: A pin array includes a plurality of pins arranged in an array; and one or more flexible tubes in contact with each of the pins such that, when pressurized, each of the flexible tubes applies pressure to sides of the pins to prevent further movement of the pins. A method of locking a pin array that includes a plurality of pins arranged in an array; and one or more flexible vessels in contact with each of the pins, the method comprising controlling a pressure of a fluid in the flexible vessels to selectively allow or prevent movement of the pins with respect to the flexible vessels.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and computer program code are provided for characterizing an edge break, e.g., part features and/or geometric discontinuities that could give rise to edge sharpness, as may be encountered in a chamfer, bevel, fillet and other part features. The methodology enables to accurately and consistently determine in a manufacturing setting, for example, any applicable geometric parameter for characterizing the edge break.

Abstract: There is provided an object recognizing apparatus capable of recognizing a shape of an object in a stable manner with a small amount of calculation, even when data of non-target object is mixedly contained. The object recognizing apparatus includes an object detecting section , a shape model setting section 3, a conformance degree calculating section 4 and a profile shape determining section 5. The shape model setting section 3 extract arbitrarily samples of a group of samples detected by the object detecting section 1 and constituting surface shape information and then sets shape models. The conformance degree calculating section 4 calculates the conformance degree of each shape model. The setting of the shape model and calculation of conformance degree are effected up to a predetermined maximum number of times.

Abstract: A method for simplifying a point cloud is provided. The method includes: (a) acquiring a point cloud; (b) establishing a topological structure for the point cloud; (c) selecting a maiden point from the point cloud as a selected point; (d) searching a plurality of points which are near to the selected point from the point cloud according to the topological structure as near points of the selected point; (e) fitting the selected point and the near points to form a paraboloid, obtaining curve equations of the paraboloid, and computing a curvature of the selected point according to the curve equations and a curvature formula; (f) repeating the steps from (c) to (e) until the curvatures of all points in the point have been computed; and (g) simplifying the point cloud according to the curvatures of the points and a preconfigured parameter. A related system is also provided.

Abstract: A structure formed on a semiconductor wafer can be examined using a support vector machine. A profile model is defined by profile parameters that characterize the geometric shape of the structure. A training set of values for the profile parameters is obtained. A training set of simulated diffraction signals is generated using the training set of values for the profile parameters. The support vector machine is trained using the training set of values for the profile parameters. A simulated diffraction signal is generated using a set of values for the profile parameters as inputs to the trained support vector machine. A measured diffraction signal is compared to the simulated diffraction signal. When the signals match within one or more matching criteria, values of profile parameters of the structure are determined to be the set of values for the profile parameters used to generate the simulated diffraction signal.

Abstract: A surface measurement instrument (1) for obtaining surface characteristic data of a sample surface (13) is described. Relative movement between a reference surface (11) and a sample support (15) is caused to occur while a sensor (16) senses light intensity at intervals along a scan path (SP) to provide a series of intensity values representing interference fringes produced by a region of a sample surface (13) during said relative movement and from which series of intensity values surface characteristic data can be derived. The sample support (15) is both translatable and tiltable in at least one direction perpendicular to a scan direction so that the sample support (15) can be both tilted to cause the scan path (SP) to be normal to the sample surface region and translated to compensate for translation movement due to the tilting.

Abstract: A surface profile measuring method using a broad bandwidth light source illuminating a sample surface and a reference surface through a splitter is provided. By changing a distance between the sample surface and the reference surface with a constant step, an interference diagram with a waveform composed of interference data points depicting a relationship of surface height versus illumination intensity is generated. In the beginning, a first data point with greatest illumination intensity is selected from the interference data points on the waveform. Then, a second data point is selected from the data points on the waveform within a predetermined range centered at the first data point to have the waveform showing best quality of symmetry. Then, a peak of a fringe defined by the second data point and its neighboring data points is estimated by using phase compensating approach.

Abstract: A working route (21) of a main shaft is divided into a plurality of measurement points, and a length from a center (24) of a complete round (20) to the working route (21) of the main shaft at each of the measurement points is measured, and this measured value is compared with a radial length of the complete round (20) to operate a deviation amount (D1, D2) from the complete round (20) at each of the measurement points. This deviation amount (D1, D2) is transferred symmetrically about the complete round in a radial direction of the complete round (20) to find a transferred position (28, 28A).

Abstract: The present invention relates to adaptive 3D scanning wherein a scan sequence for obtaining full geometrical coverage of a physical object are created automatically and specifically for the physical object, by using a method and a system for producing a 3D computer model of a physical object, wherein the method comprises the following steps providing a scanner system, said scanner system comprising a scanner, and a computer connectable to and/or integrated in said scanner, said computer comprising a virtual model of said scanner, entering shape information of the physical object into the computer, creating in said computer a visibility function based on said virtual model and the shape information, said visibility function being capable of evaluating the coverage of areas of interest of the physical object by at least one predetermined scan sequence, establishing at least one scan sequence based on the evaluation of the visibility function, performing a scan of the physical object using said at least one scan

Abstract: The height of protuberances present on the surface of a product, typically a bump wafer, can be measured with a high accuracy irrespective of the state of the upper surfaces of the protuberances. In the signal processor of a bump height measuring apparatus, a bump height measurement area setting section set a bump height measurement area by the bump layout information, a statistical application section averages the height data in an statistical calculation within the measurement area, a contour line calculating section calculates a contour line of a section of the bump, and a bump height determining section determines a peak value in the contour line as the height of the bump.

Abstract: A method of computing gear modifications from a gear inspection chart is provided. The method includes extracting a gear profile from the gear inspection chart. The method also includes quantifying the gear profile. The method also includes determining a gear modification based on a quantified gear profile. The method also includes qualifying a gear based on the gear modification.

Abstract: A portable optical measurement assembly for measuring the dimensions of an upper peripheral region of a wall structure of a swimming pool is provided. The assembly comprises an optical unit subassembly including an optical unit casing. The optical unit casing encloses a light source structured and arranged to direct a light beam onto an upper peripheral region of the wall structure of a swimming pool and a sensor structured and arranged to provide data indicative of the distance from the light source to the particular point on the upper peripheral region of a wall structure of a swimming pool surface. The portable optical measurement assembly also includes a mounting assembly for rotationally supporting the optical unit subassembly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a measuring device (10) for measuring the arching (A) of an elongate body (12). The measuring device (10) comprises an anvil member (14) against which the elongate body (12) is intended to be placed, a measure-collection member (16) movable along the line of the longitudinal axis of the elongate body (12) via a driving unit included in the measuring device (10), which measure-collection member is connected to a processor unit (18) for the processing of measured values. Furthermore, the measuring device (10) comprises a force-transmission member (20) for applying a predetermined force (F), where F?0 N, to the elongate body (12). The measure-collection member (16) measures continuously, in abutment against and movement along the line of the longitudinal axis of the elongate body (12), a length (y) and a height (x) between the elongate body (12) and the measuring device (10), and delivers a digital signal to the processor unit (18), which calculates the arching (A).

Abstract: A method to determine the shape data of a complex curve surface using reference templates from a copy of the workpiece before it was used and the undamaged portion of the used workpiece so that the damaged portion of the workpiece can be reconstructed. The reference template is scanned in layers, including the portion corresponding to that which has been damaged in the workpiece, as well as adjacent undamaged portions of the used workpiece. Offsets of the reference template and workpiece are generated, based on corresponding portions of the reference template and the used workpiece. A new set of offsets of the damaged portion of the workpiece is then calculated. This calculated set of offsets is then used to calculate further profiles until a complete profile of the damaged portion has been predicted.

Abstract: A three-dimensional-information detecting system includes a switching portion that sequentially selects sensor coils of a three-dimensional-information detecting device. Electromagnetic coupling is used to perform signal transmission and reception between the sensor coils and input coils in input elements of a three-dimensional-information inputting device which are mutually perpendicularly provided. A signal received by a selected sensor coil is detected by a detecting portion. From the detected signal, three-dimensional information, such as the position and attitude of the three-dimensional-information inputting device, is calculated by a control unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for measuring an object for measurement, comprising at least one reference structure for the definition of an object coordinate system, fixed with relation to the object, by means of a measuring system, which comprises at least one sensor system for recording a contour of the object for measuring in a measurement coordinate system. According to the invention, the object for measurement is placed in a measuring position in the recording region of the sensor system, the position of the object coordinate system is fixed by means of the reference structure, the object coordinate system is linked to the measurement coordinate system, the sensor system is turned about a rotation axis relative to the object for measurement, in order to determine contour data and a processing of the contour data carried out in an analytical unit, taking into account the position of the object coordinate system. The invention further relates to an application for contour determination.

Abstract: A method for detecting particulate contamination under a workpiece fixtured by a calibrated material handling system includes performing 3D measurements of a workpiece at multiple of positions to construct a 3D map of the workpiece, calibrating the 3D map by comparing a pre-computed calibration map to the 3D measurements, and detecting particulate contamination by processing the calibrated map.

Abstract: An apparatus for checking mechanical pieces comprises a base (1), a locking and reference system (31), an optoelectronic measuring system (53), displacement systems (3, 9, 26) and a processing unit (25) for receiving and processing the signals of the optoelectronic system. The displacement systems also enable mutual translation displacements, along a transversal axis, between the optoelectronic system and the piece to be checked. A method of checking foresees to detect signals provided by the optoelectronic system relating to a surface (51?) of the piece in the course of the mutual oscillations, at at least two different transversal positions (A, B), and carry out a processing in order to obtain information relating to a virtual surface (51). The method and the apparatus enable to obtain information relating to the position and/or the arrangement and/or the shape of even very small-dimensioned component parts of hard disk storage units.