Measurement device and method for determining the three-dimensional orientation of a body relative to two horizontal reference directions
First Claim
1. A measurement device which includes a plurality of inclinometer systems for determining steady-state, three-dimensional positions relative to a predefined inertial direction and for determining the three-dimensional orientation of a body relative to two reference directions lying in a horizontal plane comprising:
- a housing adapted for placement on a surface or edge of the body to be measured;
a least three individual inclinometers on or within the housing each positioned in respective reference directions so as to be oriented in different directions in space relative to each other in order to register a component of acceleration due to gravity; and
a computation device, wherein a combination of three individual inclinometers combine to form one inclinometer triad supplying a respective first measured result which indicates the three-dimensional angular orientation of the measurement device with the directional coordinates of roll and pitch such that a plurality of measured results of a first type can be determined, and wherein the computation device is adapted for determining a measured result of a second type from the measured results of the first type, the measured result of a second type being an overall measured result which indicates another angular orientation of the measurement device with regard to the directional coordinates of roll and pitch.
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Abstract
The determination of the three-dimensional orientation of a body relative to two horizontal reference directions with increased accuracy is performed by an inclinometer-based elevation measurement device which has at least three, and preferably eight individual inclinometers. The individual inclinometers are positioned relative to a housing of the measurement device in such a manner that they point in different directions in space and each combination of three individual inclinometers combines to form a triad for computationally determining the measured orientation values of the body in a first step. Thereafter, in second step, the measured orientation values are combined in a weighted or unweighted form to produce an overall measured value of the body having substantially higher precision.
23 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A measurement device which includes a plurality of inclinometer systems for determining steady-state, three-dimensional positions relative to a predefined inertial direction and for determining the three-dimensional orientation of a body relative to two reference directions lying in a horizontal plane comprising:
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a housing adapted for placement on a surface or edge of the body to be measured;
a least three individual inclinometers on or within the housing each positioned in respective reference directions so as to be oriented in different directions in space relative to each other in order to register a component of acceleration due to gravity; and
a computation device, wherein a combination of three individual inclinometers combine to form one inclinometer triad supplying a respective first measured result which indicates the three-dimensional angular orientation of the measurement device with the directional coordinates of roll and pitch such that a plurality of measured results of a first type can be determined, and wherein the computation device is adapted for determining a measured result of a second type from the measured results of the first type, the measured result of a second type being an overall measured result which indicates another angular orientation of the measurement device with regard to the directional coordinates of roll and pitch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14)
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12. A method of providing an accurate position value when determining the three-dimensional orientation of a measurement device or of a body in contact with the measurement device comprising:
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a first measurement step of obtaining all usable directional information by means of measurement values acquired from combinations of three inclinometers from a total of “
k”
individual inclinometers present on or in the measurement device; and
a second measurement step of computing an overall measured result by means of statistical algorithm from the usable directional information of the first measurement step, wherein “
k”
is at least three individual inclinometers positioned in respective reference directions so as to be oriented in different directions in space relative to each other in order to register a component of acceleration due to gravity. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification