Patent ID: 8415648

Claim:
A method of determining glass surface shape comprising: providing a rigid horizontal surface on which to position a formed sheet of glass; positioning a selectively oriented flat or curved rigid surface of known shape in a predetermined orientation and in a predetermined proximity relative to the horizontal surface on which the formed glass is to be positioned, the selectively oriented surface having a pattern comprising an array of geometric shapes disposed thereon; providing at least one source of visible light to illuminate the selectively oriented patterned surface; providing an optoelectronic device capable of receiving an optical image and recording a digital image of the optical image, which optoelectronic device is positioned in a predetermined proximity to the rigid horizontal surface and to the selectively oriented patterned surface; providing a computer programmed with at least one algorithm capable of analyzing the digitized image received from the optoelectronic device; precisely orienting the formed sheet of glass, having at least one major convex surface, on the rigid horizontal surface relative to the selectively oriented patterned surface; utilizing the optoelectronic device to capture an optical image of the pattern formed on the convex surface of the formed glass sheet as created by the light reflected to the optoelectronic device from the selectively oriented patterned rigid surface and digitizing same to form a digital image of the pattern, wherein any designated location on the pattern is defined by a single digital image; and electronically transferring the digital image of the pattern on the surface of the formed glass sheet to the computer, wherein, for any designated location on the pattern, the single digital image is analyzed by the at least one algorithm to provide a representation of the shape of the convex major surface of the formed glass sheet at that designated location.