Patent ID: 7130456
Filing Date: 2006-10-31
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. An arrangement for low-distortion recording of intensity patterns occurring on a support surface through frustrated total reflection, comprising: a light source; a prism having a support surface; and an image sensor; said support surface illuminated by the light source being imaged on the sensor in such a way that light from the light source which is totally reflected at the support surface and whose total reflection is partially frustrated though contact with adjacent areas of a measurement object being imaged on the image sensor as an intensity pattern of the support surface; only an imaging optical system being provided for imaging said support surface on the image sensor; said image sensor being inclined opposite to the inclination of the support surface with respect to the axis of the optical system, so that an image of the support surface which is distorted but sharp in all parts of the image is present on the image sensor; said image sensor being capable of recording a quantity of image elements (pixels) that is substantially greater than the quantity that would be necessary for a resolution required in an output-side final image of the intensity pattern so that there is a data surplus with respect to the final image; and a processing unit following said image sensor for electronic or mathematical rectification of image data by changing pixel centroid data based on displacement processes and/or operations for interpolating and averaging from the data surplus, wherein a rectification is carried out with low losses as a result of the number of pixels which is increased over the necessary number of pixels of the final image of the intensity pattern.