Patent Document ID: 5384717
Application ID: 07980419
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for obtaining dimensional information about an object at a vision station, the method comprising the steps of: generating reference data relating to a surface of the object to be scanned, the surface including at least one reference feature of the object, the at least one reference feature having a boundary; scanning a beam of controlled light at the surface of the object located at the vision station based on the reference data to generate reflected light signals; imaging the reflected light signals to a measuring area of a photodetector means to produce corresponding electrical signals; computing scan data based on the electrical signals, the scan data providing height values of the surface of the object; determining at least a portion of the boundary of the at least one reference feature based on the height values of the scan data to obtain boundary data; and computing dimensional information associated with the at least one reference feature of the object based on the boundary data wherein the at least one reference feature has a curved area defined by a radius and a center and wherein the dimensional information includes a value for the radius and coordinants of the center and wherein the step of computing the dimensional information includes the steps of estimating the coordinants of the center and the radius from the boundary data and correcting the estimated radius to obtain the value of the radius.