Walt Disney was no Mickey Mouse inventor. He devised a serious animation camera which he patented. With the device, his company created "Snow White".
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6775012 | System for dimensioning objects using at least one light beam offset relative to a perpendicular from an object supporting surface The present invention provides a dimensioning system for determining the minimum size box necessary to enclose an object traveling on a moving conveyor. The dimensioning system is comprised of a light source which generates a scan beam that is moved by a mirrored wh... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6755817 | Device for medical treatment of the eye using laser illumination A device for the medical treatment of the eye with laser radiation uses auxiliary radiation for determining the eye position. With the aid of the auxiliary radiation, pictures are taken by means of a solid state image camera for determining eye movements and for cau... | 06/29/2004 |
| 6749377 | Process for edge-machining of optical lenses A process for edge-machining an optical (spectacle) lens including preliminary machining of an edge of the lens rotatable in controlled manner about a rotational axis of a workpiece by a first edge-machining tool adjustable radially relative to the rotational axis o... | 06/15/2004 |
| 6741363 | Method and an apparatus for the optical detection of a contrast line A method is provided for the optical detection of a contrast line in which the area or spatial coordinates of the contrast line are detected, with the detection being performed by a scanner, preferably a laser scanner, which scans the contrast line in a linear manne... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6741364 | Apparatus for determining relative positioning of objects and related methods An apparatus for determining relative positioning of first and second objects being relatively movable may include a laser source carried by the first object for generating a source laser beam toward the second object, and a target optical element carried by the sec... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6730926 | Sensing head and apparatus for determining the position and orientation of a target object A sensing head for providing bi-dimensional and tri-dimensional data determinative of a position and an orientation of a target object is provided. The sensing head combines both a bi-dimensional and a tri-dimensional sensors. General illumination is associated to t... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6727994 | Z-axis monitoring apparatus for robot blade An apparatus for monitoring the Z-axis position of a transfer blade on a wafer transfer robot which transfers wafers among multiple chambers in a semiconductor fabrication facility. The invention comprises a CCD laser displacement sensor which measures the height or... | 04/27/2004 |
| 6724491 | Visual displacement sensor Provided is a visual displacement sensor which comprises a laser diode (112) for impinging a line beam onto an object to be measured at a prescribed angle, a two-dimensional CCD (122) for monitoring the object to be measured, on which the line beam is ... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6724490 | Image capturing apparatus and distance measuring method An image capturing apparatus for obtaining information regarding a depth of a subject includes: an illumination unit operable to cast a first illumination light beam that mainly contains a first wavelength and has a first intensity distribution on a plane perpendicu... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6714311 | Position detection device, position pointing device, position detecting method and pen-down detecting method A position detection device comprising a position pointer having a light reflector for reflecting light, an emitter for emitting light toward the light reflector, a light receiver for receiving light from the light reflector of the position pointer, a coordinate cal... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6704115 | Laser target assembly for sheaves and height gages A target assembly is provided for use with a laser alignment system. The target assembly includes three light-sensitive target cells arranged to define corners of a triangle. The light-sensitive target cells are mounted to a support plate such that the th... | 03/09/2004 |
| 6678062 | Automated system with improved height sensing An automated system includes improved height sensing. In one aspect, a on-head camera performs the dual functions of fiducial imaging and height sensing using an auxiliary off-axis light source and triangulation. In another aspect, an on-head height senso... | 01/13/2004 |
| 6650425 | Position measuring laser apparatus A position measuring laser apparatus includes first and second laser transmitter-receivers and a position measure. The laser transmitter-receiver includes a laser beam emitter for emitting a laser beam, and a laser beam receiver for receiving a laser beam... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6628408 | Amplitude measurement for an ultrasonic horn A method and system for directly measuring and controlling the amplitude of an ultrasonic horn comprising an ultrasonic horn, a non-contact measurement device for directly measuring an amplitude of the ultrasonic horn, and a controller for modulating the ... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6624899 | Triangulation displacement sensor The detector elements are larger than an image of the spot on the array would be, but an image is not formed on the array. Instead, the beam shaping element enlarges the size of the area of illumination on the array slightly, and mixes, or homogenizes, th... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6621578 | Elliposometer, sample positioning mechanism, and polarization angular adjusting mechanism, used in the elliposometer An ellipsometer, which detects polarization of light successively reflected from a reference sample and an objective sample to study the objective sample, comprises first and second sample holder units for holding first and second samples, a beam projecti... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6614538 | Method and apparatus for recording medical objects, in particular for recording models of prepared teeth An apparatus for recording medical objects, in particular for recording models of prepared teeth, comprising a position-sensitive sensor (2), which is movable in the projection direction, with a projection unit and a receiving unit (13-15; 18-21), and wit... | 09/02/2003 |
| 6614537 | Measuring apparatus and measuring method Apparatus for obtaining three-dimensional shape data of an object including a controller for controlling a light beam, a scanning system for scanning an object by the controlled light beam, and an image receiving system for receiving the light reflected f... | 09/02/2003 |
| 6556307 | Method and apparatus for inputting three-dimensional data A method and apparatus for inputting three-dimensional data are provided, in which operation for obtaining incident angles is not required and accuracy of three-dimensional data can be improved. The method includes steps of irradiating a reference light b... | 04/29/2003 |
| 6552809 | Position encoding optical device and method A simple optical position encoder of detecting the position of a light spot generated by any light source of either light generating or light reflecting type, directly in a binary or other encoded format at very high speed, comprises a diffractive optical... | 04/22/2003 |
| 6538751 | Image capturing apparatus and distance measuring method An image capturing apparatus for obtaining information regarding a depth of a subject includes: an illumination unit operable to cast a first illumination light beam mainly having a first wavelength and a second illumination light beam mainly having a sec... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6529283 | Method for measuring the width of a gap The invention concerns a device (8) for measuring the width (b) of a gap (2) between two structural parts (3), wherein the gap (2) is delimited by edges (17) of the structural parts (3). The device comprises an illumination component (9) for illuminating ... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6522412 | Measuring system with improved method of reading image data of an object When a scanning start position set signal is input in an area image sensor, the content is transferred to a vertical scanning circuit, and the scan start position is set. Image of a desired row is read by horizontal scanning. Then, one shift signal for ve... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6480288 | Measuring system with improved method of reading image data of an object When a scanning start position set signal is input in an area image sensor, the content is transferred to a vertical scanning circuit, and the scan start position is set. Image of a desired row is read by horizontal scanning. Then, one shift signal for ve... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6473189 | Apparatus and method for determining a distance to a reflective surface An apparatus for measuring the distance to a reflective surface. A first light source transmits a first light onto the reflective surface, the first light source being located on a first side of an axis. The reflective surface reflects at least a portion ... | 10/29/2002 |
| 6463393 | Device for calibrating distance-measuring apparatus A transmitter emits high-frequency modulated optical radiation which is reflected by an object and is received by a measurement receiver. Part of the transmitter radiation is decoupled as reference radiation and guided via a calibration path to a referenc... | 10/08/2002 |
| 6442416 | Determination of the position and orientation of at least one object in space System for sensing at least two points on an object for determining the position and orientation of the object relative to another object. Two light emitters mounted in spaced relation to each other on an external portion of an invasive probe remaining ou... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6441908 | Profiling of a component having reduced sensitivity to anomalous off-axis reflections A system and method for measuring the profile of an external surface of a part is provided. The system includes a source of light that directs light onto a region of the external surface of the part. The system also includes a linear, light-sensitive sens... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6424422 | Three-dimensional input device A three-dimensional input device including a light projecting device for projecting detection light, and an image sensing device for receiving the detection light reflected by an object and converting the received light to electrical signals. The detectio... | 07/23/2002 |
| 6407817 | Measuring system with improved method of reading image data of an object When a scanning start position set signal is input in an area image sensor, the content is transferred to a vertical scanning circuit, and the scan start position is set. Image of a desired row is read by horizontal scanning. Then, one shift signal for ve... | 06/18/2002 |
| 6400460 | Multifunction optical sensor with variable detection threshold and noise suppression A sensor for optically detecting a location of an object within a field of the sensor includes first, second and third photodetectors arranged to receive photons from respective first, second and third sensing zones within the field of the sensor. The fir... | 06/04/2002 |
| 6392755 | Optical device for the contactless measurement of distance of a light source The invention concerns an optical device for the contactless measurement of the distance of a light source (4) comprising optical detecting means (7) consisting of elementary sensors and further comprising: a set of N imaging means (SP1, SP2, SP3), Nࣙ3,... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6389153 | Distance information generator and display device using generated distance information A distance information generator comprises an image sensor which senses an object, a distance detector which detects a first distance between a predetermined position and the object, a memory which stores position information expressing a mutual positiona... | 05/14/2002 |
| 6384910 | Sample inspection system A curved mirrored surface is used to collect radiation scattered by a sample surface and originating from a normal illumination beam and an oblique illumination beam. The collected radiation is focused to a detector. Scattered radiation originating from t... | 05/07/2002 |
| 6353478 | Digital range sensor system A digital range sensor comprises a light source, an optical element to focus the light from the source down to a small spot on a target, a second optical element that is mounted obliquely from the source axis, and a prism mounted on a multi-element detect... | 03/05/2002 |
| 6341016 | Method and apparatus for measuring three-dimensional shape of object A method for determining the three-dimensional characteristics of an object, comprising the steps of illuminating at least a surface portion of the object with radiant energy, the radiant energy being directed through a color pattern to provide a first co... | 01/22/2002 |
| 6324296 | Distributed-processing motion tracking system for tracking individually modulated light points Disclosed is a distributed-processing motion capture system (and inherent method) comprising: plural light point devices, e.g., infrared LEDs, in a motion capture environment, each providing a unique sequence of light pulses representing a unique identity... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6292261 | Rotary sensor system with at least two detectors The present invention includes a system for providing a signal related to a physical condition of an object, such as an electronic component. Various types of electronic components may be used with the present invention, including leaded components, colum... | 09/18/2001 |
| 6288786 | Digital range sensor system A digital range sensor comprises a light source, an optical element to focus the light from the source down to a small spot on a target, a second optical element that is mounted obliquely from the source axis, and a prism mounted on a multi-element detect... | 09/11/2001 |
| 6266142 | Noncontact position and orientation measurement system and method A noncontact position and orientation measurement system includes at least four beacons disposed on a first object. Each beacon is operable to generate an optical signal. The system also includes a beacon controller operable to sequentially activate and d... | 07/24/2001 |