Spatial positioning system
First Claim
1. A spatial positioning and measurement system for determining the instantaneous x-y-z position of an object in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, said system comprising:
- a plurality of fixed referent stations located at known locations within a local coordinate system, each said referent station including emitter means for emitting at least two sweeping radiation beams which are divergent in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which they are swept;
a portable reflector means for reflecting said beams toward said fixed referent stations;
detecting means for detecting said beams, said detecting means generating a signal each time one of said beams is detected; and
determination means for determining the x-y-z position of said portable reflector means and each of said other fixed referent stations relative to each other within said local coordinate system based upon said signals generated by said detecting means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A spatial positioning system includes fixed referent stations which emit rotating, divergent laser beams and a portable reflector. Each fixed station also includes a detector and a processor. The portable reflector may include retroreflectors or transponders. When the rotation of the laser beam is such that it is in line with a portable reflector, the transmitted laser beam is reflected off the portable reflector and received at the fixed receiver. For any point which is crossed by the fanned laser beams of a fixed station, a horizontal angle can be determined. Once these horizontal angles are known for three fixed stations, the point of intersection of three planes, and thus the three-dimensional position of the point, is determined.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A spatial positioning and measurement system for determining the instantaneous x-y-z position of an object in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, said system comprising:
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a plurality of fixed referent stations located at known locations within a local coordinate system, each said referent station including emitter means for emitting at least two sweeping radiation beams which are divergent in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which they are swept; a portable reflector means for reflecting said beams toward said fixed referent stations; detecting means for detecting said beams, said detecting means generating a signal each time one of said beams is detected; and determination means for determining the x-y-z position of said portable reflector means and each of said other fixed referent stations relative to each other within said local coordinate system based upon said signals generated by said detecting means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification