Three dimensional digitizer with electromagnetic coupling
First Claim
1. A three dimensional digitizer for establishing a digital database comprising:
- a plurality of radiating means for radiating electromagnetic energy, said radiating means having independent components defining a reference coordinate frame;
a transmitter means for applying to said plurality of radiating means electrical signals which generate a plurality of radio frequency electromagnetic fields, said electromagnetic fields being distinguishable from one another;
a means for identifying the coordinates to be digitized;
a plurality of receiving means for receiving said transmitted electromagnetic fields, said receiving means being disposed on said means for identifying and said receiving means having a plurality of independent components for detecting each of said transmitted electromagnetic fields; and
analyzing means for receiving the output of said receiving means and converting the components of said transmitted electromagnetic fields received by said receiving means into receiving means position and orientation, and thus determining the coordinates to be digitized and compensating for any offset between said means for identifying and said receiving means.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A three dimensional digitizer is provided for determining and digitizing the coordinates of a three dimensional object. A hand-held stylus is used for tracing and determining points of interest on the surface of the object. A plurality of antennas for radiating electromagnetic energy are provided, the antennas being embedded in a table having a work surface upon which the object is placed. The radiating antennas have independent components which define a reference coordinate frame. A transmitter applies electrical signals to the radiating antennas which generate a plurality of distinguishable radio frequency electromagnetic fields. The stylus is provided with a projection for defining a point of contact between the stylus and the surface of the object of interest. A plurality of receiving antennas are disposed in the stylus. The receiving antennas have a known relationship with the projection and the point of contact on the object. The receiving antennas are provided with a plurality of independent components for detecting each of the transmitted electromagnetic fields. The output of the receiving antennas is supplied to an analyzer which converts the components of the electromagnetic fields received by the receiving antennas into the remote position and orientation of the receiving antennas relative to the reference coordinate frame. Since the point of contact of the stylus and the receiving antennas are provided with a known relationship, the coordinates of the surface of the three dimensional object touched by the stylus are also determined in the analyzer.
421 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A three dimensional digitizer for establishing a digital database comprising:
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a plurality of radiating means for radiating electromagnetic energy, said radiating means having independent components defining a reference coordinate frame; a transmitter means for applying to said plurality of radiating means electrical signals which generate a plurality of radio frequency electromagnetic fields, said electromagnetic fields being distinguishable from one another; a means for identifying the coordinates to be digitized; a plurality of receiving means for receiving said transmitted electromagnetic fields, said receiving means being disposed on said means for identifying and said receiving means having a plurality of independent components for detecting each of said transmitted electromagnetic fields; and analyzing means for receiving the output of said receiving means and converting the components of said transmitted electromagnetic fields received by said receiving means into receiving means position and orientation, and thus determining the coordinates to be digitized and compensating for any offset between said means for identifying and said receiving means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A three dimensional digitizer for determining the coordinates in a three dimensional object comprising:
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a plurality of radiating means for radiating electromagnetic energy, said radiating means having independent components defining a reference coordinate frame, each of said radiating means comprising a loop antenna for establishing a dipole magnetic field; a transmitter means for applying to said plurality of radiating means electrical signals which generate a plurality of dipole magnetic fields, said electrical signals being multiplexed and said magnetic fields being distinguishable from one another; a stylus for tracing the surface of a three dimensional object; a plurality of receiving means for receiving said transmitted electromagnetic fields, said receiving means being disposed on said stylus and having a plurality of independent components for detecting each of said transmitted magnetic fields, each of said receiving means comprising a loop antenna; and analyzing means for receiving the output of said receiving means and converting the components of said transmitted magnetic fields received by said receiving means into receiving means position and orientation and thus determining the coordinates of the surface of a three dimensional object touched by said stylus while compensating for any offset between said stylus and said receiving means. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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13. A three dimensional digitizer for determining the coordinates of a three dimensional object comprising:
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a plurality of radiating means for radiating electromagnetic energy, said radiating means having independent components defining a reference coordinate frame, each of said receiving means comprising a loop antenna for establishing a dipole magnetic field; a transmitter means for applying to said plurality of radiating means electrical signals which generate a plurality of dipole magnetic fields, said electrical signals being multiplexed and said magnetic fields distinguishable from one another; a stylus for tracing the surface of a three dimensional object, said stylus being provided with a projection for defining a point of contact between said stylus and the surface of a three dimensional object; a plurality of receiving means for receiving said transmitted electromagnetic fields, said receiving means being disposed on said stylus and having a plurality of independent components for detecting each of said transmitted magnetic fields, each of said receiving means comprising a loop antenna, said plurality of receiving means having a predetermined known relationship with said point of contact; analyzing means for receiving the output of said receiving means and converting the components of said transmitted magnetic fields received by said receiving means into receiving means position and orientation and thus determining the coordinates of the surface of a three dimensional object touched by said stylus while compensating for any offset between said projection and said receiving means; and switching means connected to said analyzing means for enabling the digitizing of the coordinates of a three dimensional object touched by said stylus.
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15. A three dimensional digitizer for establishing a digital database comprising:
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a plurality of radiating means for radiating electromagnetic energy, said radiating means having independent components defining a reference coordinate frame; a transmitter means for applying to said plurality of radiating means electrical signals which generate a plurality of radio frequency electromagnetic fields, said electromagnetic fields being distinguishable from one another; a means for identifying the coordinates to be digitized; a plurality of receiving means for receiving said transmitted electromagnetic fields, said receiving means being disposed on said means for identifying and said receiving means having a plurality of independent components for detecting each of said transmitted electromagnetic fields; and analyzing means for receiving the output of said receiving means and converting the components of said transmitted electromagnetic fields received by said receiving means into receiving means position and orientation, and determining the coordinates to be digitized, the coordinates to be digitized being represented by a vector V in said reference coordinate frame where;
##EQU15## and;
Tv is a vector representative of the coordinates of said receiving means relative to said radiating means;T-ψ
, T-θ
are transfer functions representative of the orientation angles of said receiving means relative to said radiating means; andΔ
X, Δ
Y and Δ
Z are offsets between said means for identifying and said receiving means in the X, Y and Z directions, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A three dimensional digitizer for determining the coordinates of a three dimensional object comprising:
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a plurality of radiating means for radiating electromagnetic energy, said radiating means having independent components defining a reference coordinate frame; a transmitter means for applying to said plurality of radiating means electrical signals which generate a plurality of radio frequency electromagnetic fields, said electromagnetic fields being distinguishable from one another; a stylus for tracing the surface of a three dimensional object, said stylus being provided with a projection for defining a point of contact with the surface of a three dimensional object; a plurality of receiving means for receiving said transmitted electromagnetic fields, said receiving means being disposed on said stylus and said receiving means having a plurality of independent components for detecting each of said transmitted electromagnetic fields, said receiving means being disposed a nominal distance L from said projection of said stylus; and analyzing means for receiving the output of said receiving means and converting the components of said transmitted electromagnetic fields received by said receiving means into receiving means position and orientation, and determining the coordinates of the surface of a three dimensional object touched by said stylus, the surface of a three dimensional object being represented by a vector V in said reference coordinate frame where;
##EQU16## and;
Tv is a vector representative of the coordinates of said receiving means relative to said radiating means;T-ψ
, T-θ and
T-φ
are transfer functions representative of the orientation angles of said receiving means relative to said radiating means; andΔ
X, Δ
Y and Δ
Z are offsets between a stylus tip and said receiving means in the X, Y and Z directions, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification