Patent ID: 7857513

Claim:
A method for identifying a table apparatus having at least a first axis and a second axis defined with respect thereto and including at least a first movable portion movable along the first axis and a second moveable portion movable along the second axis, the first movable portion and the second moveable portion independently movable with respect to each other, the method comprises for each axis: detecting absolute positions of a respective movable portion on the axis; optically detecting when the respective movable portion is positioned at one of a first predetermined position and a second predetermined position, the first predetermined position and the second predetermined position spaced apart from each other by a given distance along the axis. storing, as characterization information, a first absolute position of the respective movable portion when the respective movable portion is detected at the first predetermined position and a second absolute position of the respective movable portion when the respective movable portion is detected at the second predetermined position; detecting when the respective movable portion is positioned at one of a first block position at a first end of the axis and a second block position at a second end of the axis; and storing, as configuration information, a third absolute positions position of the respective movable portion when the respective movable portion is detected at the first block position and a fourth absolute position of the respective movable portion when the respective movable portion is detected at the second block position.