1-11. (canceled)
12. A method of imaging a dental object, comprising:
obtaining a digitizer comprising:
a light source configured to generate a beam of structured light;
a reference arm configured to generate a reference beam of light based on the beam of structured light;
a projector configured to project the beam of structured light toward an object and to detect a reflection of at least a portion of the beam, the beam being projected toward the object as a dot that traverses a two dimensional (2D) pattern across a three dimensional outer surface of the object to generate reflection data representing the three dimensional outer surface of the object;
a coupler configured to combine the reference beam and the reflection to generate a superimposed interference light pattern; and
a processor configured to generate a dataset representative of the three dimensional outer surface of the object based on the superimposed interference light pattern and the reflection data; and
utilizing the digitizer to project a beam of structured light toward the dental object, detect a reflection of at least a portion of the beam projected toward the dental object, and generate a dataset representative of a three dimensional outer surface of the dental object.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the dental object is an in vivo dentition.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the in vivo dentition is one or more of a tooth, intra-oral tissue, a preparation, a restoration, and a dental arch.
15. A method of imaging a dental object, comprising:
generating a beam of structured light from a light source;
generating a reference beam of light based on the beam of structure light;
projecting the beam of structured light toward the dental object, the beam being projected toward the dental object as a dot that traverses a two dimensional pattern across a three dimensional outer surface of the dental object;
detecting a reflection of at least a portion of the beam from the dental object to generate reflection data representing the three dimensional outer surface of the dental object;
combining the reference beam and the reflection to generate a superimposed interference light pattern; and
generating a dataset representative of the three dimensional outer surface of the dental object based on the superimposed interference light pattern and the reflection data.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the beam of structured light is projected toward the dental object by a projector sized and shaped for use within an oral cavity.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the dental object is an in vivo dentition.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the reference beam is generated as a time-varying baseline pattern and the dataset is generated according to time domain data processing.
19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: generating a signal representative of the superimposed interference light pattern.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the signal comprises a shape, distribution, and composition of the superimposed interference light pattern.
21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
separating the superimposed interference light pattern into constituent components; and
detecting the constituent components using a photosensor.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the reference beam is generated as a fixed reference baseline pattern.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the photosensor comprises an array of light sensitive detectors.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein the photosensor comprises a charge coupled device.
25. The method of claim 15, wherein the dataset is generated according to Fourier domain data processing.
26. The method of claim 15, further comprising splitting the beam of structured light into a first beam and a second beam.
27. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying a visual representation of at least a portion of the three dimensional outer surface of the dental object on a display.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the visual representation utilizes geometrical modeling using colors and shadings to give the visual representation a realistic appearance.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method of communicating via a wireless portable device, comprising:
providing a predetermined number of channels in the wireless portable device;
providing a predetermined set of actions to be performed using the channels;
selecting at least one of the channels;
selecting one of the actions to be performed on the selected one of the channels; and
performing the selected one of the actions on the selected one of the channels.
2. The method of communicating via a wireless portable device according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined number of the channels includes any combination of a voice channel and a data channel.
3. The method of communicating via a wireless portable device according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of the actions includes on-hooking and off-hooking.
4. The method of communicating via a wireless portable device according to claim 1 further comprising:
communicating information through a plurality of the channels; and
displaying the information in a predetermined manner for each of the channels.
5. The method of communicating via a wireless portable device according to claim 1 wherein the information includes availability of each of the channels.
6. The method of communicating via a wireless portable device according to claim 1 wherein said selecting the one of the channels is accomplished by pressing an off-hook key that corresponds to the selected one of the channels.
7. The method of communicating via a wireless portable device according to claim 1 wherein said selecting the one of the channels is accomplished by pressing a channel selection key for selecting the selected one of the channels.
8. A wireless portable apparatus for communicating through multiple channels, comprising:
a predetermined number of pairs of a transmitter and a receiver for supporting multiple channels;
a control unit connected to said pairs of said transmitter and said receiver for selectively performing a task using at least one of said pairs of said transmitter and said receiver in response to a control signal; and
an input device connected to said control unit for inputting the control signal, the control signal being indicative of the task as well as the one of said pairs of said transmitter and said receiver.
9. The wireless portable apparatus for communicating through multiple channels according to claim 8 wherein said transmitter and said receiver communicate any combination of voice information and data information.
10. The wireless portable apparatus for communicating through multiple channels according to claim 8 wherein the task includes on-hooking and off-hooking.
11. The wireless portable apparatus for communicating through multiple channels according to claim 9 further comprising:
a display unit connected to said control unit for displaying the data information in a predetermined manner for each of the multiple channels; and
a speaker unit connected to said control unit for outputting the voice information.
12. The wireless portable apparatus for communicating through multiple channels according to claim 11 further comprising:
an input port connected to said control unit for inputting the data information;
a voice input unit connected to said control unit for inputting the voice information; and
an output port connected to said control unit for outputting the data information.
13. The wireless portable apparatus for communicating through multiple channels according to claim 11 wherein said display unit displays availability of each of the multiple channels.
14. The wireless portable apparatus for communicating through multiple channels according to claim 9 wherein said input device includes a selection key for selecting the one of the multiple channels.
15. The wireless portable apparatus for communicating through multiple channels according to claim 9 wherein said input device includes pairs of an off-hook key and an on-hook key corresponding to each of the multiple channel respectively for activating and deactivating the multiple channels.