EXTERNAL ELECTRONIC DISTANCE MEASUREMENT ACCESSORY FOR A MOBILE DATA COLLECTION PLATFORM
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of determining a distance, wherein the method comprises:
- maintaining a known fixed relationship between an external electronic distance measurement accessory in a first package and a mobile data collection platform in a second package, wherein the first package and the second package are separate packages that are physically coupled together;
receiving, at the external electronic distance measurement accessory, principal control instructions from the mobile data collection platform;
transmitting a light beam from a transmit light source, wherein the transmit light source is part of the external electronic distance measurement accessory and wherein an axis of the light beam is parallel with an optical axis of an entrance pupil of the mobile data collection platform;
receiving a reflected portion of the light beam at a receiving aperture, wherein the receiving aperture is part of the external electronic distance measurement accessory; and
determining a distance measurement based on a time that the light beam that was transmitted and a time that the reflected portion of the light beam was received.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A known fixed relationship is maintained between an external electronic distance measurement accessory and a mobile data collection platform that are physically coupled together. A light beam axis of the external electronic distance measurement accessory is parallel with an optical axis of an entrance pupil of the mobile data collection platform. The external electronic distance measurement accessory integrates with the mobile data collection platform. The external electronic distance measurement accessory receives control instructions from the mobile data collection platform.
38 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method of determining a distance, wherein the method comprises:
-
maintaining a known fixed relationship between an external electronic distance measurement accessory in a first package and a mobile data collection platform in a second package, wherein the first package and the second package are separate packages that are physically coupled together; receiving, at the external electronic distance measurement accessory, principal control instructions from the mobile data collection platform; transmitting a light beam from a transmit light source, wherein the transmit light source is part of the external electronic distance measurement accessory and wherein an axis of the light beam is parallel with an optical axis of an entrance pupil of the mobile data collection platform; receiving a reflected portion of the light beam at a receiving aperture, wherein the receiving aperture is part of the external electronic distance measurement accessory; and determining a distance measurement based on a time that the light beam that was transmitted and a time that the reflected portion of the light beam was received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. An external electronic distance measurement accessory for providing data to a mobile data collection platform, wherein the external electronic distance measurement accessory comprises:
-
a front side of the external electronic distance measurement accessory includes a transmit light source and a receiving aperture; a back side of the external electronic distance measurement accessory is on an opposite side of the front side and the back side is parallel to the front side of the external electronic distance measurement accessory; a fastener system that couples the back side of the external electronic distance measurement accessory to a front side of the mobile data collection platform, wherein the front side of the mobile data collection platform includes an entrance pupil and the fastener system maintains a known fixed relationship between the external electronic distance measurement accessory in a first package and the mobile data collection platform in a second package, wherein the first package and the second package are separate packages that are physically coupled together; receive-request-for-information-logic that receives a request, from the mobile data collection platform, for a distance measurement; a transmit light source that transmits a light beam, wherein an axis of the light beam is parallel with an optical axis of the entrance pupil of the mobile data collection platform; the receiving aperture that receives a reflected portion of the light beam; a time-of-flight-distance-calculator that determines the distance measurement based on a time that the light beam was transmitted by the transmit light source and a time that the reflected portion was received by the receiving aperture; and requested-information-providing-logic that communicates the distance measurement to the mobile data collection platform. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. An external electronic distance measurement accessory for providing data to a mobile data collection platform, wherein the external electronic distance measurement accessory comprises:
-
maintaining means that maintains a known fixed relationship between the external electronic distance measurement accessory in a first package and the mobile data collection platform in a second package, wherein the first package and the second package are separate packages that are physically coupled together; integrating means that provides a light beam axis of the external electronic distance measurement accessory that is parallel with an optical axis of an entrance pupil of the mobile data collection platform; controlling means that receives control instructions from the mobile data collection platform; transmitting means that transmits a light beam from a transmit light source along the light beam axis; receiving means that receives a reflected portion of the light beam; and determining means that determines a distance measurement based on a time that the light beam was transmitted by the transmitting means and a time that the reflected portion was received by the receiving means. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification