Patent ID: 6462343
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A system for determining a shape of a feature, comprising:an analysis system providing a signal corresponding to a scan of a portion of a surface of the feature and a stored signal corresponding to a portion of a profile of a similar feature, wherein the profile may have differing contrast levels than the scanned portion of the surface of the feature; and a processing system operatively coupled to the analysis system; wherein the processing system is configured to determine the shape of the feature by positioning the signal corresponding to the surface of the feature relative to the stored signal and identifying regions of substantially constant brightness for the signal corresponding to the scanned and the stored signal, wherein the processing system is further configured to define a set of reference points for the scanned signal and the stored signal to enable an alignment of the signals, and wherein the set of reference points are determined by the processing system from at least one of a high-to-low and low-to-high signal transition.