Claims
- 1. For use with an optical measuring system of the type comprising means for directing light along an optical path toward a light detector, the detector adapted to provide a measure of light passed by a sample in the optical path, a plurality of filters, a filter changing mechanism adapted to advance in sequence through a plurality of operating positions to place predetermined ones or combinations or none of the filters in the optical path to attenuate, for each operating position, predetermined selected wavelengths of light passing along the optical path, an improved method of identifying an operating position of the filter changing mechanism comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing spectral characteristic information of one or more of the operating positions of the filter changing mechanism;
- (b) setting the filter changing mechanism in an operating position;
- (c) directing light of predetermined spectral characteristics along the optical path;
- (d) detecting and measuring the spectral characteristic of light reaching the detector; and
- (e) comparing the spectral characteristic measured in step (d) with the stored spectral characteristic information in an effort to identify an operating position of the filter changing mechanism.
- 2. The method of claim 1 including the further steps of
- (f) placing the filter changing mechanism in one or more further operating position(s); and
- (g) repeating steps (b) through (e) for each further operating position.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein steps (f) and (g) are repeated to derive a predetermined sequence of known spectral characteristics identifying a sequence of operating positions of the filter changing mechanism.
- 4. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of
- (f) repeating step (c) one or more times with the filter changing mechanism the same one operating position by directing light of different predetermined spectral characteristics along the optical path for each repetition thereof; and
- (g) correlating the measurements of detected light for the different spectral characteristic light to derive a unique characteristic profile identifying the one operating position of the mechanism.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 165,531, filed July 3, 1980, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3144498 |
Alpert et al. |
Aug 1964 |
|
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
165531 |
Jul 1980 |
|