US3694072A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for making orthophotos using a fixed film bed
Assignee: Danko Arlington Inc
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Filing: 1971-08-25
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Granted: 1972-09-26
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Expires: 1991-08-25
Abstract
Abstract Method and apparatus for making substantially orthographic photo images from an optically projected stereo model of three dimensional terrain without necessitating quick precision movements of a relatively massive high inertia and precision machined film bed. A flexible fiber optic bundle is used to transmit light images from a first end to a second end. The first end is scanned in three dimensions over and upon the surfaces of the three dimensional stereo model while the second end is synchronously scanned in two dimensions over photo-sensitive material held in a relatively fixed and relatively cheaply constructed film bed. In a further embodiment, a first pseudoscanning cycle may be performed to obtain corresponding three dimensional digital scanning data for the first end of the fiber optic bundle which data are recorded and subsequently used to control a second automated real-scanning cycle where the film is actually exposed to either produce special effects such as color orthophotos or to merely permit more relaxed discontinuous operator control (including the ability to erase errors) during the first manually controlled pseudo-scanning cycle.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph O Danko Jr
- 👤 Clinton J T Young
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 00:49
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C11/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
An orthophoto instrument for plotting substantially orthographic projections of three dimensional surfaces using an optically projected three dimensional stereo model of the surface, said instrument comprising: projection means for optically projecting said three dimensional stereo model, flexible optical image conducting means having a predetermined effective cross-sectional area for conducting optical images therethrough from a first end to a second end thereof, film-holding means for holding a surface of a photosensitive material in a predetermined position, and movable mounting means connected to the flexible optical image conducting means for effecting three dimensional scanning of said first end over and substantially upon the surfaces of said three dimensional stereo model while effecting synchronous simultaneous two dimensional scanning of said second end over the surface of said photosensitive material thereby plotting said orthographic projection thereon.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
An orthophoto instrument for plotting substantially orthographic projections of three dimensional surfaces using an optically projected three dimensional stereo model of the surface, said instrument comprising: projection means for optically projecting said three dimensional stereo model, flexible optical image conducting means having a predetermined effective cross-sectional area for conducting optical images therethrough from a first end to a second end thereof, film-holding means for holding a surface of a photosensitive material in a predetermined position, and movable mounting means connected to the flexible optical image conducting means for effecting three dimensional scanning of said first end over and substantially upon the surfaces of said three dimensional stereo model while effecting synchronous simultaneous two dimensional scanning of said second end over the surface of said photosensitive material thereby plotting said orthographic projection thereon.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 1 further comprising automatic scanning means for automatically effecting synchronous scanning of the first and second ends along at least two of the three dimensional coordinate directions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
86 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 1 further comprising: digitizing and recording means for recording digital data representing successive three dimensional positions of said first end during a first pseudo-scanning cycle wherein at least one dimensional coordinate position is manually determined to keep said first end substantially upon the surfaces of said three dimensional stereo model, and digital control means for utilizing such recorded digital data in a second automatically controlled real scanning cycle wherein the desired orthographic projection is actually printed onto the photosensitive material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 1 wherein said movable mounting means includes air bearing means for holding said second end substantially at a predetermined distance from the photosensitive material during scanning thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 1 wherein said predetermined effective cross-section is substantially rectangular at both said first and second ends.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 1 wherein said first end is mounted in alignment with an aperture in a viewing platen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 1 wherein said movable mounting means comprises three members, each being relatively adjustable in a direction substantially orthogonal to that of the other members.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 1 further including: x-y scanning means for automatically scanning said first and second ends in a predetermined x-y raster along orthogonal x and y axis directions in two dimensions, and z adjustment means for moving said first end along a z axis perpendicular to both said x and y axis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 8 wherein said z adjustment means is manually operable.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 9 wherein said z adjustment means is manually operable through a remote control hand-held unit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
187 words
An orthophoto instrument for plotting orthographic projections from optically projected three dimensional stereo models, said instrument comprising: projection means for optically projecting said three dimensional stereo model, a stereo model viewing platen having an aperture therein, mounting means for adjustably positioning said viewing platen along three dimensions in the region of said stereo model, optical image conducting means connected at one end to said platen for conducting therefrom an optical image passing through said aperture and corresponding to a selected portion of said stereo model as determined by the position of said platen, film-holding means for holding a photosensitive material, and film exposing means connected to the other end of said optical image conducting means and rigidly associated with at least part of said mounting means for synchronous movement of the said other end with respect to said platen in two dimensions over said film-holding means whereby an orthographic projection may be obtained on said photosensitive material by scanning the aperture in said two dimensions and simultaneously adjusting said platen in the remaining third dimension to substantially maintain the aperture on the surface of said stereo model.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
187 words
An orthophoto instrument for plotting orthographic projections from optically projected three dimensional stereo models, said instrument comprising: projection means for optically projecting said three dimensional stereo model, a stereo model viewing platen having an aperture therein, mounting means for adjustably positioning said viewing platen along three dimensions in the region of said stereo model, optical image conducting means connected at one end to said platen for conducting therefrom an optical image passing through said aperture and corresponding to a selected portion of said stereo model as determined by the position of said platen, film-holding means for holding a photosensitive material, and film exposing means connected to the other end of said optical image conducting means and rigidly associated with at least part of said mounting means for synchronous movement of the said other end with respect to said platen in two dimensions over said film-holding means whereby an orthographic projection may be obtained on said photosensitive material by scanning the aperture in said two dimensions and simultaneously adjusting said platen in the remaining third dimension to substantially maintain the aperture on the surface of said stereo model.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 11 further comprising automatic scanning means for automatically moving said platen aperture and said film exposing means in a constant rate raster scanning motion back and forth along one of said two dimensions with successive end-of-travel indexing movements along the other one of said two dimensions.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
162 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 11 wherein said mounting means comprises: a platform mounted within a first frame, said platform being slidably positioned on two parallel elongated means oriented along one of said two dimensions, a first lead screw mounted within said first frame and connected to said platform for effecting platform movement along said parallel elongated means by rotation of said first lead screw, said first frame being mounted within a second frame and along being slidably positioned on two further parallel elongated means oriented along the other one of said two dimensions, a second lead screw mounted within said second frame and connected to said first frame for effecting first frame movement along said further parallel elongated means by rotation of said second lead screw, a further platform mounted on said first-mentioned platform for carryiNg said platen, and vertical positioning means connected between both of said platforms for effecting desired positions adjustments of said platen in the third dimension.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
95 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 13 further comprising: first motor means connected for rotating said first lead screw, second motor means connected for rotating said first lead screw, end-of-travel detector means for detecting when predetermined movement limits have been reached for at least one of said two dimensions, and automatic scan means connected to said first and second motor means and to said end-of-travel detector means for effecting automatic coordinate energization of each of the motor means to obtain an automatic raster scan of said aperture over a predetermined area in said two dimensions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 12 wherein said vertical positioning means comprises a manually operated rack and pinion gear arrangement.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 12 wherein said vertical positioning means comprises a remote controlled electromechanical adjustment means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 16 wherein said electromechanical adjustment means comprises an electrical servo motor.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 12 wherein said vertical positioning means comprises both direct manually operated means and remotely controlled electromechanical means together with selection means for permitting either mode of vertical adjustment to be used.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
111 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 11 further comprising: digital recording means for recording digitized signals representing successive three dimensional positions of said aperture during a first three dimensional pseudo-scanning cycle where at least the third dimension position adjustment is effected by manually controlled means, and digital control means for automatically effecting a second continuous three dimensional real scanning cycle in accordance with the recorded digitized signals whereby the first pseudo-scanning cycle may be carried out without photosensitive material in the film-holding machine and even in a discontinuous fashion if desired while the second continuous real scanning cycle is then carried out with photosensitive material to result in the desired orthophoto.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
103 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 11 wherein said film exposing means comprises: a holder for positioning the surface of said other end of said optical image conducting means in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the photosensitive material, said holder being freely movable in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the photosensitive material, and said holder including air bearing means for providing an air bearing of substantially predetermined dimensions between said surface of the other end and said photosensitive material whereby the film exposing means is freely translatable over the photosensitive material at a predetermined distance therefrom.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
An orthophoto instrument as in claim 11 wherein said optical image conducting means comprises a flexible coherent bundle of optically conducting fibers, said bundle having a generally rectangular overall cross-section at the ends thereof.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for plotting orthographic projections using an optically projected three dimensional stereo model, said method comprising the steps of: projecting an optical three dimensional stereo image, scanning a first end of an optical image conducting means having a predetermined effective cross-sectional area in three dimensions substantially along and upon the three dimensional surfaces of said stereo image, and synchronously scanning a second end of said optical image conducting means in two of said three dimensions over the surface of a photosensitive material.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for plotting orthographic projections using an optically projected three dimensional stereo model, said method comprising the steps of: projecting an optical three dimensional stereo image, scanning a first end of an optical image conducting means having a predetermined effective cross-sectional area in three dimensions substantially along and upon the three dimensional surfaces of said stereo image, and synchronously scanning a second end of said optical image conducting means in two of said three dimensions over the surface of a photosensitive material.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method as in claim 22 wherein said first mentioned scanning step is performed in conjunction with a step of digitally recording data representiNg the successive three dimensional scanning positions and wherein said synchronously scanning step is thereafter automatically carried out simultaneously with an automatic repeat of the first mentioned scanning step using the digitally recorded data to cause an automatic scan of both ends of the optical image conducting means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3244893A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-09-26 | 1976-03-27 | 1976-09-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-09-26 | 1980-03-27 | 1980-09-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-09-26 | 1984-03-27 | 1984-09-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |