ANGLE MEASURING DEVICE AND METHODS FOR CALIBRATION

• US 20140350881A1
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digipas Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digipas USA LLC (Digipas Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hong, Jim Li Hui, Yong, Kuu Bi
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/95
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/005 initial alignment, calibration or starting-up of inertial devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for calibration of 2-axis high precision digital angle measurement device, particularly for initializing a planar angle measuring device and an apparatus to generate simultaneous two-dimensional resultant planar angles of full 360° rotation. The planar angle measurement device is, typically but not exclusively, used in concurrent two-dimensional angles leveling, setting and alignment tasks for precision machine setup in the fields of precision engineering and metrology applications.

Claims

1. A calibration method for simultaneous 2-axis angle measuring device used for leveling and alignment of precision machines and equipment, the said method comprising:

setting a levelled position of a granite table and/or a granite Master Square;

initializing X-sensor reference levelling plane position to granite table position in horizontal front-position and back-position;

initializing Y-sensor reference in vertical plane to front-right position and vertical plane back-left position;

initializing Y-sensor reference in vertical plane front-left position and vertical back-right position;

simultaneously initializing XY-sensors reference planes in both horizontal-front position and horizontal-back position;

initializing and setting the reference leveling planes of all sensors to earth datum.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of calibrating the measuring device sensors includes a 2-axis rotary table planar angle generating apparatus comprising an electronic system unit, a mechanical frame, an X-axis rotary plate and a Y-axis rotary plate attached precisely in tangent to form an unitary embodiment. Each X and Y rotary plates are driven by a motor for generating simultaneous two-dimensional angles of 360°

at high precision. The surface of Y-axis rotary plate of the said mechanical frame is leveled by three micrometer adjustment footings to earth datum.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the 2-axis rotary table apparatus further includes the steps of:

initializing the levelled granite table using the micrometer adjustment footings to attain a levelled X-Y plane with reference to earth datum;

retrieving device sensors reading in consecutive sets of planar angles from the device;

calculate to generate the resultant planar angle to validate device sensor readings;

determine valid readings and auto updating the compensated readings until a full cycle of 360°

for the entire series of XY planes.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the steps of calibrating the measuring device sensors to include vibration sensors for detecting measuring object'"'"'s vibration magnitude and frequency in X, Y and Z directions.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the steps of calibrating the measuring device sensors to include object'"'"'s vibration consisting predefined sets of repetitive movement steps including zigzag movements, to excite object vibration and acquire the object vibration amplitude and frequency patterns for accessing object structure positional stability.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the steps of calibrating the measuring device sensors to include azimuth sensors for detecting angular position change in parallelism measurements.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the steps of calibrating the measuring device sensors to include a wireless communication device to enable another device accessing and recording planar angles in real time.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the steps of calibrating the measuring device sensors to include weight and pressure sensors attach to object footings to assess the state of levelled object wherein each footing is taking its proportionate weight in accordance with the object structure.

9. A method for changing a measurement state of a digital level having an orientation sensor, the method comprising:

detecting an orientation of the digital level through the orientation sensor;

activating, automatically, a first measurement mode of the digital level when the orientation detected by the orientation sensor is equal to a first orientation; and

activating, automatically, a second measurement mode of the digital level when the orientation detected by the orientation sensor is equal to a second orientation.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first orientation is a first predefined orientation defining a single axis measurement plane.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first measurement mode is a one-axis measurement mode.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second orientation is a second predefined orientation defining a dual axis measurement plane.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second measurement mode is a two-axis measurement mode.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the orientation sensor includes at least one azimuth sensor for detecting angular position changes.

15. A digital level comprising:

an orientation sensor adapted to detect an orientation of the digital level;

a display adapted to display leveling data; and

a processor in communication with the orientation sensor and the display, the processor receiving a signal from the orientation sensor indicative of an orientation of the digital level and automatically operating in a predefined measurement mode based on the orientation of the digital level.

16. The digital level according to claim 15, wherein the processor operates in a one-axis measurement mode when the leveling device is in a first predefined orientation and operates in two-axis measurement mode when the leveling device is in a second predefined orienetation.

17. The digital level according to claim 16, wherein the first orientation defines a single axis measurement plane.

18. The digital level according to claim 17, wherein the second orientation defines a dual axis measurement plane.

19. The digital level according to claim 18, wherein the display is adapted to automatically display leveling data in the single axis measurement plane when the leveling device is in the first predefined orientation and in the dual axis measurement plane when the leveling device is in the second predefined orientation.

20. The digital level according to claim 19, wherein the orientation sensor includes at least one azimuth sensor for detecting angular position changes.