Computer aided positioning system and method
First Claim
1. A system for determining the position of a point in a two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference, the system comprising:
- at least three stationary retroreflective elements spaced apart from one another and stationed at known coordinates in the two-dimensional coordinate frame, each of said retroreflective elements including identification means thereon for reflecting light back toward a light source, said reflected light from each of said elements including information generated by said identification means for uniquely identifying each of said elements;
light transmitting and detecting means, positionable at the point, for generating a rotating beam of light to illuminate said identification means on each of said stationary retroreflective elements during each rotation, and for detecting said reflected light from said identification means on each of said elements and generating an output signal in response thereto;
angle determining means for detecting the angular orientation of said reflected light when said reflected light is detected by said transmitting and detecting means; and
computer means for computing from said known coordinates of said retroreflective elements, the angular orientation of said reflected light detected by said angle determining means, and said output signal generated in response to said reflected light from said identification means on each of said elements, the coordinates of the position of the point in the two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A position sensing system calculates the X-Y coordinates of a point using triangulation and determines the direction in which the point is moving. The triangulation calculation is based on the coordinates of at least three retroreflective elements spaced apart from each other around the periphery of a two-dimensional coordinate frame, and the measured angles between the lines projected radially outward from the point to each of the retroreflective elements. The accuracy of the measured angles is achieved by using a rotating member supported by dedicated hardware and controlled by software. The member rotates with a beam of light generated by a light transmitting and detecting device positionable at the point. The light transmitting and detecting device receives the beam of light reflected back from the retroreflective elements and generates an output signal in response thereto. A computer processes the output signals for use in calculating the X-Y position of the point and the orientation of the light transmitting and detecting device when it is positioned at the point.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for determining the position of a point in a two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference, the system comprising:
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at least three stationary retroreflective elements spaced apart from one another and stationed at known coordinates in the two-dimensional coordinate frame, each of said retroreflective elements including identification means thereon for reflecting light back toward a light source, said reflected light from each of said elements including information generated by said identification means for uniquely identifying each of said elements; light transmitting and detecting means, positionable at the point, for generating a rotating beam of light to illuminate said identification means on each of said stationary retroreflective elements during each rotation, and for detecting said reflected light from said identification means on each of said elements and generating an output signal in response thereto; angle determining means for detecting the angular orientation of said reflected light when said reflected light is detected by said transmitting and detecting means; and computer means for computing from said known coordinates of said retroreflective elements, the angular orientation of said reflected light detected by said angle determining means, and said output signal generated in response to said reflected light from said identification means on each of said elements, the coordinates of the position of the point in the two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for determining the position of a point in a two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference, the system comprising:
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at least three stationary retroreflective elements spaced apart from one another and stationed at known coordinates in the two-dimensional coordinate frame, each of said retroreflective elements including identification means thereon for reflecting light back toward a light source, said reflected light from each of said elements including information generated by said identification means for uniquely identifying each of said elements; light transmitting and detecting means, positionable at the point, for generating a rotating beam of light to illuminate said identification means on each of said stationary retroreflective elements during each rotation, and for detecting said reflected light from said identification means on each of said elements and generating an output signal in response thereto, said light transmitting and detecting means including a member rotating with said beam, said member having a periphery and further having a plurality of angularly positioned elements spaced around said periphery which divide a revolution of said member into a plurality of generally equal partial revolutions, and a means for detecting movement of each of said elements past a predetermined point as said member rotates; and computer means, responsive to said output signal generated in response to said reflected light from said identification means on each of said elements and said means for detecting movement of each of said elements past a predetermined point, for computing the coordinates of the position of the point in the two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for determining the position of a point in a two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference, the system comprising:
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at least three stationary retroreflective elements spaced apart from one another and stationed at known coordinates in the two-dimensional coordinate frame, each of said retroreflective elements including identification means thereon for reflecting light back toward a light source, said reflected light from each of said elements including information generated by said identification means for uniquely identifying each of said elements; light transmitting and detecting means positionable at the point for generating a rotating beam of light to illuminate said identification means on each of said stationary retroreflective elements during each rotation and for receiving said reflected light from said identification means on each of said elements, said light transmitting and detecting means including an optical member rotating with said beam, said member having a periphery and further having a plurality of apertures located at said periphery which divide a revolution of said member into a plurality of generally equal partial revolutions, and a means for registering a time differential between each adjacent pair of said plurality of apertures as said member rotates; and computer means, responsive to said output signal generated in response to said reflected light from said identification means on each of said elements and said means for registering a time differential between each pair of said plurality of apertures, for computing the coordinates of the position of the point in the two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference and for computing an orientation for said light transmitting and detecting means when said light transmitting and detecting means are positioned at said point.
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11. A method for determining the position of a point in a two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference, the method comprising the steps of:
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locating at least three stationary retroreflective elements spaced apart from one another and stationed at known coordinates in the two-dimensional coordinate frame, each of said retroreflective elements including identification means thereon for reflecting light back toward a light source, said reflected light from each of said elements including information generated by said identification means for uniquely identifying each of said elements; transmitting a rotating beam of light in a plane to illuminate said identification means on each of said stationary retroreflective elements during each rotation of said beam of light; measuring said rotation of said beam of light between successively illuminated retroreflective elements when said beam of light illuminates each of said retroreflective elements; using said rotation of said beam of light to calculate angular measurments between each of said retroreflective elements; and determining the position of the point based on said angular measurements, said information generated by said identification means for uniquely identifying each of said retroreflective elements, and said coordinates of said retroreflective elements. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for determining the position of a point in a two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference, the system comprising:
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at least three stationary retroreflective elements spaced apart from each other and stationed at known coordinates in the two-dimensional coordinate frame, said retroreflective elements capable of reflecting light back toward a light source; light transmitting and detecting means, positionable at the point, for generating a rotating beam of light to illuminate each of said stationary retroreflective elements during each rotation, and for detecting said beam of light when it is reflected from said stationary retroreflective elements and generating an output signal in response thereto, said light transmitting and detecting means including a member rotating with said beam, said member having a periphery and further having a plurality of angularly positioned elements spaced around said periphery which divide a revolution of said member into a plurality of generally equal partial revolutions, and a means for detecting movement of each of said at least three retroreflective elements past a predetermined point as said member rotates; a calibrating system for calibrating said light transmitting and detecting means, said calibrating system including a device having an angularly positioned surface for arbitrarily positioning said light transmitting and detection means, wherein said light transmitting and detecting means include said member rotating with said beam; and means for measuring a distance between a first said angularly positioned element and an adjacent second said angularly positioned element; and computer means, responsive to said output signal and said means for detecting movement of each of said elements past a predetermined point, for computing the coordinates of the position of the point in the two-dimensional coordinate frame of reference.
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Specification