Method of locating the spatial position of a frame of reference and apparatus for implementing the method
First Claim
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1. A method of locating the spatial position of a frame of reference (O,x,y,z), the method comprising the following steps:
- the following are put into place, an emitter module (1) comprising a stand (3) that is fixed relative to the frame of reference (O,x,y,z) that is to be located, a light beam source (33) mounted on the stand (3) to pivot about two distinct non-parallel axes (z,
22), and two angular position sensors (19,
31) associated with the corresponding rotary movements of the source (33) relative to the stand (3);
a plurality of targets (35) are disposed around the emitter module (1) in locations that are defined relative to a fixed frame of reference (Ω
,X,Y,Z), which targets are suitable for delivering an electrical signal indicating that they are being illuminated by the light beam emitted by the source (33);
the source (33) of the emitter module (1) is caused to pivot about at least one of the two axes of rotation (z,
22), the stand (3) of the module remaining stationary, so as to direct the emitted light beam to each of the targets (35) in succession so that the signal delivered by each illuminated target causes the corresponding angles (θ
, α
) measured by the two angular position sensors (19,
21) for each illuminated target to be stored; and
said angles and the coordinates of the defined locations of the targets (35) are used to compute the position of the frame of reference (O,x,y,z) in the fixed frame of reference (Ω
,X,Y,Z);
the method being characterized in that the locations of the targets (35) defined in the fixed frame of reference (Ω
,X,Y,Z) during a preliminary calibration step during which;
the two angles (θ
, α
) corresponding to successive illumination of each of the targets (35) are stored for a plurality of different positions of the stand (3) of the emitter module (1);
the relative positions between the various targets are deduced therefrom by computation; and
the distance between two remarkable points, such as two targets or two positions of the base is measured and stored in order to fix the dimensional scale;
wherein for the preliminary calibration step, at least five targets and twelve different positions of the stand of the emitter module are used.
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Abstract
A method of locating the spatial position of a frame of reference comprising placing an emitter module having a fixed stand, a light beam source carried by the stand to pivot about two distance axes and two associated angular position sensors into place. Targets which indicate when they are illuminated by the light beam are placed around the emitter module and the source of the emitter module is caused to pivot so as to illuminate each target in succession so that the corresponding angles of the source are stored, and the angles and the coordinates of the targets are used for computing the position of the frame of reference. The coordinates of the targets are defined during a preliminary calibration step comprising storing in succession the two angles corresponding to the illumination of each of the targets for different positions of the stand, deducing by computation the relative positions between the targets, and measuring and storing the distance between two remarkable points such as two targets or two positions of the stand in order to fix the dimensional scale.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method of locating the spatial position of a frame of reference (O,x,y,z), the method comprising the following steps:
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the following are put into place, an emitter module (1) comprising a stand (3) that is fixed relative to the frame of reference (O,x,y,z) that is to be located, a light beam source (33) mounted on the stand (3) to pivot about two distinct non-parallel axes (z,
22), and two angular position sensors (19,
31) associated with the corresponding rotary movements of the source (33) relative to the stand (3);a plurality of targets (35) are disposed around the emitter module (1) in locations that are defined relative to a fixed frame of reference (Ω
,X,Y,Z), which targets are suitable for delivering an electrical signal indicating that they are being illuminated by the light beam emitted by the source (33);the source (33) of the emitter module (1) is caused to pivot about at least one of the two axes of rotation (z,
22), the stand (3) of the module remaining stationary, so as to direct the emitted light beam to each of the targets (35) in succession so that the signal delivered by each illuminated target causes the corresponding angles (θ
, α
) measured by the two angular position sensors (19,
21) for each illuminated target to be stored; andsaid angles and the coordinates of the defined locations of the targets (35) are used to compute the position of the frame of reference (O,x,y,z) in the fixed frame of reference (Ω
,X,Y,Z);the method being characterized in that the locations of the targets (35) defined in the fixed frame of reference (Ω
,X,Y,Z) during a preliminary calibration step during which;the two angles (θ
, α
) corresponding to successive illumination of each of the targets (35) are stored for a plurality of different positions of the stand (3) of the emitter module (1);the relative positions between the various targets are deduced therefrom by computation; and the distance between two remarkable points, such as two targets or two positions of the base is measured and stored in order to fix the dimensional scale; wherein for the preliminary calibration step, at least five targets and twelve different positions of the stand of the emitter module are used. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of locating the spatial position of a frame of reference (O,x,y,z), the method comprising the following steps:
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the following are put into place, an emitter module (1) comprising a stand (3) that is fixed relative to the frame of reference (O,x,y,z) that is to be located, a light beam source (33) mounted on the stand (3) to pivot about two distinct non-parallel axes (z,
22), and two angular position sensors (19,
31) associated with the corresponding rotary movements of the source (33) relative to the stand (3);a plurality of targets (35) are disposed around the emitter module (1) in locations that are defined relative to a fixed frame of reference (Ω
,X,Y,Z), which targets are suitable for delivering an electrical signal indicating that they are being illuminated by the light beam emitted by the source (33);the source (33) of the emitter module (1) is caused to pivot about at least one of the two axes of rotation (z,
22), the stand (3) of the module remaining stationary, so as to direct the emitted light beam to each of the targets (35) in succession so that the signal delivered by each illuminated target causes the corresponding angles (θ
, α
) measured by the two angular position sensors (19,
21) for each illuminated target to be stored; andsaid angles and the coordinates of the defined locations of the targets (35) are used to compute the position of the frame of reference (O,x,y,z) in the fixed frame of reference (Ω
,X,Y,Z);the method being characterized in that the locations of the targets (35) defined in the fixed frame of reference (Ω
,X,Y,Z) during a preliminary calibration step during which;the two angles (θ
, α
) corresponding to successive illumination of each of the targets (35) are stored for a plurality of different positions of the stand (3) of the emitter module (1);the relative positions between the various targets are deduced therefrom by computation; and the distance between two remarkable points, such as two targets or two positions of the base is measured and stored in order to fix the dimensional scale; wherein for the preliminary calibration step, at least five targets (35) and six different positions (3) of the emitter module (1) are used; and wherein the targets (35) are disposed in a common plane, in particular a horizontal plane.
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Specification
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Current AssigneeHexagon Metrology AB (Hexagon AB)
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Original AssigneeHomer Eaton
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InventorsEaton, Homer
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Primary Examiner(s)Font, Frank G.
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Assistant Examiner(s)Smith, Zandra V.
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Application NumberUS08/750,565Time in Patent Office526 DaysField of Search356/141.3, 356/141.4, 356/152.1, 356/375US Class Current356/620CPC Class CodesG01C 15/002 Active optical surveying me...G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves...
