Patent ID: 6962289

Claim:
system for producing high-resolution 3-D images of 3-D object surfaces of arbitrary surface geometry moving relative to said system, said system comprises: an object profiling subsystem for profiling a 3-D object surface of arbitrary surface geometry moving past said system, and producing a series of linear 3-D surface profile maps of said moving 3-D object surface as said 3-D object surface moves past said system, wherein each said linear 3-D surface profile map comprises a set of 3-D coordinates specifying the location of sampled points along said moving 3-D object surface; a linear imaging subsystem for producing a series of linear high-resolution 2-D images of said moving 3-D object surface as said 3-D object surface moves pest said system, wherein each said linear high-resolution 2-D image comprises a set of pixel intensity values, and each said pixel intensity value being assigned set of two-dimensional coordinates specifying the location of the pixel in said linear high-resolution 2-D image; and an image processing computer for constructing high-resolution 3-D images of said 3-D object surface using said linear 3-D surface profile maps and said high-resolution 2-D linear images of said moving object surface.