Apparatus and methods for automated observation of objects

53 Pages·2013·5.1 MB·English

. US005351078A
United States Patent [19] [11] Patent Number: 5,351,078
Lemelson [45] Date of Patent: * Sep. 27, 1994
[54] APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR 1,722,751 7/1929 Jones -
AUTOMATED OBSERVATION OF OBJECTS 1,815,986 7/1931 Parker -
_ _ 1,815,996 7/1931 Weaver .
[75] Inventor: Jerome H. Lemelson, Inc11neV1llage, 1,889,576 11/1932 Snook .
Nev. 2,000,403 5/1935 Maul ................................... .. 235/92
[73] Ass1. gnee: Lemelson Medic_ al, Erin-c80,0 1! & 22,,001052,,723088 150// 11993355 WMicnFkalrelya neet a. 1. .. . . .. .. . . . . . . ..3 31/7182/35
Research Fwndatwn Llmlted 2,016,581 10/1935 Seig ...................... .. 33/129
Partnership, Incline Vlllage, NCV- 2,031,503 2/1936 Rainey .... .. 271/2.6
[ * ] Notice: The portion of the term of this patent {innings ' ‘ ‘ ' ‘ ' ' ' ' ‘ ' " 243/16
, , yres et al. 209/111
81119869116111 to API- 16, 2002 has been 2,131,911 10/1938 Ayres ...... .. 250/415
dlsclalmed' 2,184,156 12/1939 Bowles .. 33/123
[21] Appl. No‘: 122,888 2,184,157 112/1939 Jones ................................... .. 33/123
[22] Filed: Sep. 16’ 1993 ( i' s t con t'i nue d on nex t page).
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
Related US. Application Data 729467 12/1942 Fed. Rep. Of Germany .
[60] Continuation OfSCl'. No. 78,681, Jun. 16, 1993, Pat. No. 731333 3/1943 Fed‘ Rep‘ °f Germany '
5,283,641, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 826,617, OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Jan. 28, 1992, Pat. No. 5,249,045, which is a continua- “ ,
tion of Ser. NO. 426,080, Oct. 24, 1989, Pat. NO. (309M911, W- 13» Photombe Control Of Pack?gmg
5,119,190, which is a division of Ser. N0. 906,969, Sep. Machmes,” Electronics, Oct. 1943.
15, 1986, Pat. No. 4,984,073, which is a continuation of L' t -
Ser. N0. 723,183, Apr. 15, 1985, Pat. No. 4,660,086, ( 15 continued on next Page‘)
which is a continuation of Ser. No. 394,946, Jul. 2, Primmy Examiner_james J , Groody
1982, Pat. No. 4,511,918, which is a division of Ser. No. Assistant Examiner__safet Met-jahic
13,608, Feb. 16, 1979, Pat. No. 4,338,626, which is a - _ -
division of Ser. NO. 778,331, Mar. 16, 1977, Pat. NO. Attorney’ Agent’ 0' Fm" J‘ Kevm Parker
4,148,061, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 254,710, [57] ABSTRACT
May 18, 1972, Pat. No. 4,118,730, which is a continua- . .
tiomimpm of Sen No_ 267,377, Man 11, 1963’ abam Apparatus and methods are_d1sclosed for automatically
domed, which is a continuatiomimpm of Ser_ No. mspectmg two- or three-dimensional objects or sub
626,211, Dec. 4, 1956, Pat. No. 3,081,379, and a con- jects. A detector and the object are moved relative to
tinuation-in-part of Ser. No. 477,467, Dec. 24, 1954, each other. In one form, a detector, such as a camera or '
abandoned. _ radiation receiver, moves around an object, which is
' ‘. supported to be rotatable such that the detector may
[51] Int' Cl'5 """""""""""" " H04N 7/18’ 87 receive electromagnetic energy signals from the object
U-S. Cl. .................................... ', a as ,
_ 348/94’ 3 82935130 /129 a beam at and reflected from the object, as for visible
[58] Flam of Search """"""" " 348/135’61 ’1 16:2 61’ light, or passed through the object, as for x-ray radia
348/128’ 125’ 91’ 92’ 94’ 95’ 8 i 16 '00 i 21’ tion. Alternatively, the detector passively receives en
87, 126; 356/237; H04N 7/ 8, 7/ , / ‘ergy from the object, as in an infrared detector. The,
[56] References Cited detector generatesanalog image signals resulting from
the detected radlation, and an electromc computer pro
U.S_ PATENT DOCUMENTS cess and analyzes the analog signals and generates digi
' tal codes, which may be stored or employed to control
Re. 31,239 5/1983 Lemelson .............................. .. 178/6 3 display
Re. 31,239 5/ 1990 Lemelson .............................. .. 178/6
1,243,160 10/1917 vGi'ieb _. 68 Claims, 13 Drawing Sheets
n. I -ll ail I5 6741’
9 1 *1’ , 3
A’. IWE '
, / ,/ _
As CAM
5,351,078
Page 2
U5. PATENT DOCUMENTS , 2,679,636 5/1954 Hl11ye1' .............................. .. 340/149
2,184,159 12/1939 Stockbargeretal. 33/123 2,682,043 6/1954 Fltch ------- -- ~340/147
2,184,160 12/1939 stockbargel. et aL _ 33/123 2,698,875 1/1955 Greenwood . .... .. 178/66
2,220,736 11/1940 Stockbargereta1.. .... .. 88/14 2,701,055 2/1955 $tI°m,Jr-— 209/111
2,238,947 4/1941 Ross ................. .. 179/1003 2,719,235 9/ 1955 Emerson 250/209
2,247,684 7/1941 Hickok ............... .. 209/111 2,726,038 12/1955 Ergen ------ -~ 235/61
2,261,54211/1941 Dickinson et a1. ............. ..235/61.11 2,729,771 V1956 Had?eld 317/138
2,280,948 4/1942 Gulliksen ...... .. . 250/41.5 2,731,202 1/1956 Plke 235/92
2,295,000 9/1942 Morse . . . . . . . . . .. 171/97 2,731,620 V1956 Gottfrled ---- -- - 1440/147
2,318,856 5/1943 Hoffman 209/82 2,731,621 1/1956 Sontheimer . . . . . . . . . .. 340/149
2,346,031 4/1944 Jones et ah _ 33/123 2,735,082 2/1956 Goldberg 61'. a1. 340/147
2,353,631 7/l944 Bliss _______ __ 178/65 2,738,499 3/1956 Sprick ............................... .. 340/347
2,354,767 8/1944 Nokes ‘ . ‘ ‘ ‘ . ‘ _ ‘ __33/123 2,742,151 4/1956 MilfOI‘d ............................. .. 209/111
2,359,934 1O/1944 Nokes et 3L " 33/123 2,749,034 6/1956 Williams et a1. . 235/61
2,360,883 10/1944 Metcalf ............................... .. 33/123 2,754,059 7/1956 wilcoxrlr 235/92
2,362,004 11/1944 Heidinger ........................ .. 235/61.6 1,756,627 7/1956 BQYFKS - - - ~ - - - ~ - ~ 88/14
2,370,163 2/1945 Hare .......... .. . 259/83.6 2,789,765 4/1957 Glllmgs~ 235/92
2,402,405 6/1946 Hurley’ In ____ “ 88/14 2,791,697 5/1957 D_e1l ..... .. . 250/217
2,429,228 10/1947 Herbst ....... .. 235/61 2,798,605 7/1957 Rlchards - 209/ 111
2,493,543 1/1950 Merchant 250/2O0 2,803,406 8/ 1957 Nl_1tta11 . . . . . . . . . . .. 235/92
2,494,441 1/1950 Hillier 250/49‘5 2,803,755 8/1957 Mllfol‘d ...................... .. 250/230
2,517,808 s/lgso Sziklia “ 178/6_6 2,810,316 10/1957 Snyder ........................... .. 88/14
2,533,326 12/1950 Putt ____ __ 177/353 2,816,162 12/1957 1011115011 178/66
2,536,506 1/1951 Kleber .... .. 18/17 2,827,562 3/1958 Smith 9181' - 240/41
2,545,957 3/1951 Kell ....... .. 178/54 2,838,602 6/1958 SPF'Fk ----- -- 178/15
2,561,197 7/1951 Goldsmlth 178/68 2,853,188 9/1958 Mllhkcn ......... _. 209/82
2,565,103 8/l95l Toulon __________ " 315/334 2,866,376 12/1958 COOK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 88/14
2,565,486 8/1951 Feinstein et al‘ 250/27 2,881,416 4/1959 Hosken ........... .. . 340/347
2,569,927 “V1951 Gloess et aL 332/1 2,889,535 6/1959 Rochester 61’. a1. 340/149
2,578,939 121/1951 Moran’ J1.~ ____ __ 177/351 2,897,481 7/1959 Shepard ......... .. 340/149
2,584,052 1/1952 Sandorff et al‘ 235/98 ’ 2,898,576 8/1959 3026111311 340/149
2,586,963 2/1952 Knutsen ........ .. 346/33 2,899,132 8/1959 O?huber 235/61-6
2,609,928 9/l952 Doust ____ " 209/111 2,910,908 11/1959 Meyer, J1‘. 88/14
2,612,550 9/1952 Jacobi ........... .. 177/353 2,918,656 12/1959 Nolde et a1- -- 3140/173
2,612,994 10/1952 woodland et a1_ 2O9/111 2,919,425 12/1959 RCSS et a1. ......................... .. 340/149
2,615,306 10/1952 Alcorn, Jr. .., . . _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ ,_ 60/97 2,925,586 2/1960 Levy ................................. .. 340/174
2,615,992 10/1952 Flory ctal. 179/1003 2.928.922 3/1828 gassler .. ....22‘}550/6211g
2,616,983 11/1952 Zworykin et a1. . 179/1003 2193115 4/1 "assner -------- ~ / -
250/ 219
2,627,347 2/1953 Powers .......... .. 209/111 294L086 6/1960 Gmscha“ etal
22,,662390,,094336 33//11995533 CKlo'loinsscthe dt. 3838//11744 i2’’g9g6‘6g’g5g9z4 1123/1396g0 Hm t'g"l" """" " 250mg
22,664485,792731 78//11995533 HGeorlbdsstm i.t..h.. .................................................... .... . ..1 7888//61.84 21’ 9681’ 789 V1961 we‘s. se e tal" 340/149.
2:649:50‘) M953 Fedorchak __ 178/68 2,978,590 4/1961 Shepard 250/233
2,658,670 11/1953 Morton et a1. .. 235/61 2379568 ‘V1961 L°gan ------ " ‘179/6
2,659,823 “A953 Vossbergy JL N 2505,, 3,004,702 10/1961 Kranz ......... .. 235/6111
2,661,902 12/1953 Wolff et a1. . 235/98 3,012,667 11/1961 Adams @191 209/1115
2,662,113 12/1953 Schouten et al. 178/435 3,013,718 12/1961 Shepard 235/617
2,663,758 12/1953 Shepard ........ .. 178/17 3,021,517 2/1962 Kaenel 340/347
2,670,651 3/1954 Burns et a1. . 88/14 3,027,082 3/1962 Chao ................................. .. 235/164
2,674,915 4/1954 Anderson ......... .. .. 88/14 _ , '
2,674,917 4/1954 Summerhayes, Jr. ................ .. 88/14 (L1st Contmued on 1191“ Page)
5,351,078
Page 3
US. PATENT DOCUMENTS Zworykin, V. K., L. E. Flory, and W. S. Pike, “Letter
3,035,258 5/1962 Chasek .............................. .. 340/347 Reading Machines,” Electronics, Jun. 1949.
3,035,380 5/ 1962 Leavens . Parent, R. J. and R. W. Schumann, “A Pulse Length
3,044,696 7/1962 Feissel ............................ .. 235/61.12 Sorter and Counter,” Proceedings of the National Elec
3,049,588 8/1962 Barnett .................................. .. 178/6 tronics Conference, Sep. 26, 27, and 28, 1949.
3,072,332 1/ 1963 Margopoulos . .... .. 235/ 154 “OPTAR-A New System of Optical Ranging,” Elec
3,081,379 3/ 1963 Lemelson . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 178/6.6 tronics, Apr. 1950.
3,096,443 7/1963 Laycak ...' . . . . . . . . .. 250/219
Mellors, R. C. and R. Silver, “A Micro?uorometric
3,098,119 7/1963 Lemelson ..... .. 178/6.6
Scanner for the Differential Detection of Cells; Appli
3,146,343 8/1964 Young . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 235/150
3,196,398 7/ 1965 Baskin . 340/ 146.3 cation to Exfoliative Cytology,” Science, vol. 114, Oct.
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3,218,389 11/1965 Reed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 178/6 ual Microscopic Cells by Photoelectric Scanning, an
3,226,833 1/1966 Lemelson 33/143
Improved Counting Apparatus,” ACTA Physiologica
3,239,602 3/ 1966 Lemelson ..... .. l78/6.6
Scandinavica, vol. 26, Supplement 93—1952.
3,261,967 7/ 1966 Rosin et al. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 235/ 151
3,339,179 8/ 1967 Shelton, Jr. et a1. .. 340/ 146.3 Mellors, R. C., et al., “A Micro?uorometric Scanning
3,469,263 9/1969 King ................. .. 340/ 146.3 Method for the Detection of Cancer Cells in Smears of
3,476,481 11/1969 Lemelson .... .. 356/167 Exfoliated Cells,” Cancer, vol. 5, 1952.
3,481,042 12/1969 Lemelson 33/174
Zworykin, V. K. and L. E. Flory, “Television in Medi
3,539,715 11/1970 Lemelson . . . . . . . . . . . .. 178/6 cine and Biology,” Electrical Engineering, Jan. 1952.
3,636,635 1/ 1972 Lemelson 33/174 L
Walton, W. H., “Automatic Counting of Microscopic
3,686,434 8/ 1972 Lemelson .... .. 178/6.6A
3,713,100 1/ 1973 Hemstreet .. 340/ 146.3 Y Particles,” Nature, Mar. 29, 1952.
3,805,393 4/1974 Lemelson ...... .. 33/ 174 Roberts, F. and I. Z. Young, “The Flying-Spot Micro
4,118,730 10/1978 Lemelson 358/93 scope,” Proc. IEEE, vol. 99, Part IIIA, Apr., 1952.
4,148,061 4/ 1979 Lemelson 358/101 Hawksley, P. G. W., “Automatic Particle-Sizing by
4,338,626 7/ 1982 Lemelson . 358/93 Successive Countings,” Nature, Dec. 6, 1952.
4,511,918 4/1985 Lemelson 358/107
Application to Television-Discussion Paper (Incom
4,660,086 4/1987 Lemelson .... .. 358/183
4,969,038 11/1990 Lemelson 358/107 plete Paper), date is asserted to be 1953.
4,979,029 12/1990 Lemelson 358/93 “Das Elektronengehirn im Biiro und Fabrik,” published
4,984,073 l/1991 Lemelson 358/93 in Deutsche Kommentare 1953, SJG. Nr. 23.
5,023,714 6/1991 Lemelson 358/ 107 Kovasz-nay, L. S. G. and H. M. Joseph, “Processing of
5,067,012 11/1991 Lemelson 358/93 2-D Patterns by Scanning Techniques,” Science, Oct.
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5.128.753 7/1992 Lemelson 358/ 101 Wheeler, L. K. and E. S. Trickett, “Measurement of the
5,144,421 9/1992 Lemelson .... .. 358/101 Size Distribution of Spray Particles,” Electronic Engi
5,177,645 1/ 1993 Lemelson ......................... .. 360/351 neering, Oct. 1953.
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8‘ OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Television Techniques,” RCA Review, Dec. 1953. _
Ludwig, J. W., “Electronic Computer for Printing Cooke-Yarborough, E. H., and R. E. Whyard, “The
Control,” Electronics, Nov. 1947. Automatic Counting of Red Blood Cells,” British Jour
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search on Reading Aids for the Blind,” Journal of the nal of Applied Physics, vol. 5, Supplement 3, 1954.
Franklin Institute, May 1949.
(List continued on next page.)
5,351,078
Page 4
OTHER— PUBLICATIONS ning and Computing Microphotometer for Cell Analy
ses,” Experientia, vol. 1955.
Gucker, G. T., Jr. and D. G. Rose, “A Photoelectronic
Instrument for Counting and Sizing Aerosol Particles,” Causley, D. and J. Z. Young, “Flying Spot Micro
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1954. Dineen, G. P., “Programming Pattern Recognition,”
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A. E. Fitzsimmons, “The Design and Construction of a 1955 Western Joint Computer Conference.
Photoelectronic Scanning Machine for Sizing Micro
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Photogrammetry,” Photogrammetric Engineering, vol.
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21, 1955.
Phillips, J. W., “Some Fundamental Aspects of Particle
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Applied Physics, vol. 5, Supplement 3, 1954. Computer,” 1955 Western Joint Computer Conference.
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Particle Size Distributions with the Aid of the Flying ics in Medical Research,” Transactions of the New York
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Supplement 3, 1954.
Bourghardt, S. H. Hyden and B. Nyquist, “A Comput
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Scientific Instruments, May 1955.
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Clink, W. L., “Stain Counter Totals Droplets,” Elec Kovasznay, L. S. G. and H. M. Joseph, “Image Process
tronics, Feb. 1954. ing,” Proceedings of the IRE, May 1955.
“FOSDIC-Film Optical Sensing Device for Input to Shepard and Heady, “Photoelectric Reader Feeds Busi
Computers,” NBS Technical News Bulletin, Feb. 1954.
ness Machines,” Electronics, May 1955.
Tolanskey, S., “A Topographic Microscope,” Scienti to
American, Aug. 1954, pp. 54-58. Brown, R. Hunt, “The Automation of Bank Check
Processing,” Computers and Automation, Aug. 1955.
Levy, M., “The Electronic Aspects of the Canadian
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I Bourghardt, S. H., H. Hyden, and B. Nyquist, “A Scan 956, Fernauge zur Automation.
> US. Patent Sep. 27, 1994 Sheet 1 of 13 5,351,078
COMPUTER
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FIG.3
US. Patent Sep. 27, 1994 Sheet 2 0f 13 5,351,078
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COMPUTING
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FIG. 1 B
US. Patent Sep. 27, 1994 Sheet 3 of 13 5,351,078
FIG. 1 C

US. Patent Sep. 27, 1994 Sheet 6 of 13 5,351,078
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