Patent ID: 7417747

Claim:
An apparatus for measuring a contour of an object, comprising: a. a projection device having a projecting optical axis comprised of a light source, a movable projection lens, a first grating having a plurality of grating grooves and a first mark point; b. an imaging device having an imaging optical axis comprised of a movable imaging lens, a second grating including multiple grooves, a second mark point and a first camera; c. a first rectilinearly movable axle which is positioned perpendicular to a second rectilinearly movable axle, wherein said object is rotatably and movably positioned on said first rectilinearly movable axle which is aligned with said imaging optical axis of said imaging device, said projection device is movably positioned on said second rectilinearly movable axle; d. means for adjusting positions of the respective projection device and object to construct an initial right angled triangle from connecting said first mark point of said projection device, said second mark point of said imaging device and an image of said first mark point of said projection device which is projected onto said object; e. means for further adjusting positions of the respective projection device and object to construct a subsequent right angled triangle from connecting said first mark point of said projection device, said second mark point of said imaging device and an image of said first mark point of said projection device which is projected onto said object, means for obtaining data of said subsequent right angled triangle including the projected object and image distances and the imaged object and imaged distances; f. means for automatically refocusing said projection lens and imaging lens which results in obtaining four sequential graphs of moire fringes; g. means for calculating a phase diagram according to said graphs containing said moire fringes; h. means for calculating phase data of surface points of said object according to a zero phase which is defined for said image of said first mark point which is projected on said object; and i. means for calculating altitude distribution of said surface points of said object to thereby obtain an absolute full field three dimensional contour of said object with a high accuracy.