Method and Apparatus for Dimensional Measurement

• US 20110288816A1
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jonathan S. Thierman
• Original Assignee: Jonathan S. Thierman
• Inventors: THIERMAN, Jonathan S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,109,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/151
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105

Abstract

A non-contacting, out-of-plane measurement apparatus for measuring distances, angles and related geometric quantities, and for computing other quantities based on the measurements, is provided. The measurement apparatus can measure distances to target points of interest and can also measure angles therebetween, including angles with respect to at least one or two degrees of freedom so as to compute information determining vector segments between a reference point and the points of interest, then, to compute lengths and areas and volumes of objects of interest defined by the points of interest. In some cases, areas of polygons can be measured as sums of cross-products of the computed vectors to the points of interest located at the vertices of the polygons. Also, computing constituent triangular projections onto a polygon of interest using said apparatus then summing said constituent triangular projections so as to arrive at an area of said polygon. The apparatus and its methods are extendable to non-planar and three-dimensional calculations as well. In this way, the apparatus, or its user, are not required to be located at any special place or in-plane with the object (e.g., plane of a polygon) being measured.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring and computing geometric dimensions, including an area of a polygon in three-space, comprising:

a housing suitable for a human user to grip and carry the apparatus thereby;

a coherent light source that can be directed along a direction so as to illuminate a target point of interest in space;

a distance measurement element including a circuit that determines a distance from the apparatus to said target point of interest;

an angular displacement or rotational sensing element that determines an angular position of said target point of interest;

a data storage element that stores data representative of said measured distance and said angular position;

a processor that receives inputs representative of at least said distance and said angular position for said target point of interest, representative of a vector connecting said reference point and said target point of interest, said processor further comprising circuitry and instructions adapted to compute a sum of cross-products of said vector with other vectors connecting said reference point and respective other target points of interest; and

a user interface adapted to receive inputs from said human user to control said operational features of said apparatus and adapted to display a result of said sum of said cross-products representative of an area of a polygon defined by said target points of interest.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said visual display unit comprising a display screen that indicates a mode of operation of said apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, said coherent light source adapted to illuminate a spot at each target point of interest towards which said apparatus is aimed in order to assist a user in confirming that said apparatus is aimed at the respective target points of interest.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, said angular displacement or rotation-sensing element comprising a sensor that senses an azimuthal angle with respect to a reference coordinate system and provides an output indicative of said azimuthal angle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said angular displacement or rotation-sensing element comprising a sensor that senses an elevation angle with respect to a reference coordinate system and provides an output indicative of said elevation angle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, said angular displacement or rotation-sensing element comprising at least one sensor that senses an azimuthal and an elevation angle with respect to a reference coordinate system and provides at least one corresponding output indicative of said azimuthal and said elevation angles.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, said angular displacement or rotation-sensing element comprising a sensor that is coupled to an articulated mechanical support providing multiple degrees of freedom, said angular displacement or rotation-sensing element thereby arranged to provide an output indicative of an amount of angular rotation of said apparatus in said multiple degrees of freedom.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further adapted for coupling with a mobile electronic device, said mobile electronic device comprising said visual display unit and said user interface, said visual display unit providing visual outputs to said user and said user interface receiving inputs from said user so as to select a mode of operation of said apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rotating support member that supports said apparatus and permits swiveling of said apparatus along multiple degrees of freedom substantially without translation of said apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, said coherent light source being adapted and arranged to substantially illuminate at least a path between a first target point of interest and a second target point of interest so as to show a user a line segment connecting said first and second target points of interest that is being measured.

11. A method for measuring an area of a polygon having a plurality of vertices in three-space that define said polygon, comprising:

selecting a reference point in space at or with respect to which a measuring apparatus can be positioned;

determining a first vector between said reference point and a first target point of interest corresponding to a first vertex of said polygon;

determining a second vector between said reference point and a second target point of interest corresponding to a second vertex of said polygon;

continuing to determine any other vectors to any other corresponding target points of interest corresponding to any other vertices of said polygon;

storing data corresponding to any determined vector quantities in a data storage element in said measuring apparatus;

executing instructions in a processing circuit in said measuring apparatus to compute a sum of cross-products of respective determined vectors so as to compute an area of said polygon; and

delivering an output from said processing circuit representing said area of said polygon.

12. The method of claim 11, said determining of said vectors comprising measuring a distance from said reference point to each of said target points of interest using a distance measuring unit within said apparatus.

13. The method of claim 11, said determining of said vectors comprising measuring an angle in three-space for each of said target points of interest with respect to a reference coordinate system.

14. The method of claim 13, said measuring of said angle comprising measuring at least two component angles in at least two degrees of freedom with respect to said reference coordinate system.

15. The method of claim 14, said at least two component angles including at least one component in an azimuthal degree of freedom.

16. The method of claim 14, said at least two component angles including at least one component in an elevation degree of freedom.

17. The method of claim 13, measuring said angle in three-space comprising measuring a direct angular displacement between:

a first vector connecting said reference point and a first target point of interest and a second vector connecting said reference point and a second target point of interest.

18. The method of claim 11, said reference point not being in a plane containing said polygon.

19. The method of claim 11, said step of executing instructions to determine the sum of cross products comprising determining respective areas of projected triangles onto said polygon of interest, then summing said respective areas to obtain the area of said polygon.

20. An apparatus for measuring and computing geometric dimensions, including an area of a polygon in three-space, comprising:

a housing suitable for a human user to grip and carry the apparatus thereby;

a visible light source that can be directed along a direction so as to illuminate a target point of interest in space;

a distance measurement element including a circuit that determines a distance from the apparatus to said target point of interest;

an angular displacement or rotational sensing element that determines an angular position of said target point of interest;

a data storage element that stores data representative of said measured distance and said angular position;

a processor that receives inputs representative of at least said distance and said angular position for said target point of interest, and that receives inputs representative of respective locations of other points of interest, said processor being programmed and arranged to compute and output a projected area being in a plane of said polygon, said processor further being programmed and arranged to compute a sum of such said projected area and other such projected areas onto said plane of said polygon; and

a user interface adapted to receive inputs from said human user to control said operational features of said apparatus and adapted to display a result of said sum of said projected areas corresponding to a total area of said polygon defined by said points of interest.