3D Structure Detection with Color Laser Emitter

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 3D structure detection devices cannot determine the color of objects, limiting their ability to provide accurate color information for applications like dentistry where color differentiation is crucial.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a color laser emitter that emits colored laser radiation, allowing the evaluation device to deduce the object's color from the intensity of reflected radiation, and using multiple color lasers to enhance accuracy, while maintaining the ability to record 3D structures using interference patterns from non-visible laser radiation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If non-visible laser radiation is used for 3D structure detection, then measurement precision is improved, but color detection capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improve3D structure detection accuracyVSAvoidcolor information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the laser radiation into different wavelength ranges by using multiple independent laser emitters. Each emitter operates at a specific wavelength (e.g., infrared for depth, visible for color), allowing simultaneous acquisition of both 3D structure and color information without interference between the different measurement functions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the detection system multi-functional by incorporating laser emitters that can perform both 3D structure detection and color detection. The system uses multiple laser wavelengths where at least one wavelength enables depth measurement through interference patterns while another wavelength enables color measurement through reflected radiation intensity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If multiple color lasers are used to improve color detection accuracy, then color determination accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor determination accuracyVSAvoidnumber of laser emitters and optical components
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple laser emitters with different wavelengths into a single integrated device. The emitters are arranged to share common optical components such as beam splitters and detectors, allowing the system to perform both 3D structure detection and color detection using a unified optical path and evaluation unit

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The detection device is designed as a multi-functional system where the same hardware infrastructure (optical components, detector, evaluation unit) serves multiple purposes: detecting 3D structure using interference patterns from infrared radiation and detecting color using reflected radiation intensity from visible wavelengths

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables accurate color determination of objects, allowing for differentiation between various colors such as teeth and gums, with high accuracy achieved by using multiple color lasers, and simplifies the evaluation process by avoiding depth information from colored laser interference patterns.

Implementation Method 1

The laser emitters (3) each generate laser radiation (4, 5) with a specific wavelength, and these wavelengths differ from one another

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser radiation emission: Laser

Implementation Method 2

The illumination beam strikes the object being measured, is reflected by the object as object radiation, and interferes with the reference beam. The detector records the interference patterns resulting from the interaction of the reference and object beams

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical interference: Interference

Implementation Method 3

At least two of the laser emitters emit laser radiation in the non-visible range. At least one of the optical devices is a beam splitter that divides the laser radiation from each emitter into a reference beam and an illumination beam

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBeam splitting: Reflection

Implementation Method 4

The detector records the interference patterns resulting from the interaction of the reference and object beams. The evaluation unit is connected to the detector and is used to analyze the recorded interference patterns

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInterference pattern detection: Interference

Implementation Method 5

The evaluation unit is designed to determine the color of the object based on the intensity of the colored radiation reflected by the object

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 6

The wavelength of the reflected radiation thus matches the wavelength of the detected color component of the object. For example, if the color laser emits blue laser radiation and the intensity of the reflected blue radiation is approximately 100 percent, it is recognized that the object to be measured is blue

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectColor detection through intensity measurement: Light

Data Source

PatentEP2947417B1Device and method for detecting a 3D structure of an object
Publication Date: 2019.12.18 VOCO GMBH
  • EP2947417B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2947417B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A device (1) for detecting a 3D structure of an object (2) comprises: - at least three laser emitters (3), each generating laser radiation (4, 5) with a wavelength, wherein the wavelengths of the emitted laser radiation (4, 5) differ from one another, - optical devices (13, 18, 20), at least one of which is a beam splitter (13) that splits the laser radiation (4, 5) of the laser emitters (3) into a reference radiation (14) and an illumination radiation (15, 22), wherein the illumination radiation (15, 22) strikes the object (2) to be measured, is reflected by the object (2) as object radiation (23a, 23b) and interferes with the reference radiation (14), - a detector (19) that records the interference patterns resulting from the interference of the reference radiation (14) and object radiation (15, 22), and - an evaluation unit (26) for evaluating the recorded interference patterns, which is connected to the detector (19).At least two of the laser emitters (3) emit laser radiation (4) in the non-visible range. At least one of the laser emitters (3) is a color laser (3B) that emits colored laser radiation (5). The evaluation device (26) is configured to detect the object (2) three-dimensionally based on the interference patterns of the non-visible laser radiation (4). The evaluation device (26) is further configured to determine the color of the object (2) based on the intensity of the colored object radiation (23b) reflected by the object (2).