Low cost transmitter with calibration means for use in position measurement systems
First Claim
1. An optical transmitter for use in a position measurement system that generates x-y-z data within a measurement field, said system including means for calculating the x-y-z data at any point in the measurement field using beams from a plurality of rotatably supported optical transmitters, the optical transmitter comprising:
- at least one optical source that generates at least one rotating substantially fan shaped beam;
a strobe that generates a strobe pulse at a predetermined point in the rotation of said at least one fan shaped beam;
a memory, disposed in said optical transmitter, containing calibration data unique to said transmitter, said calibration data defining a relative position of the fan beams generated by the optical transmitter; and
an output port for outputting the calibration data to identify the transmitter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved, low-cost optical transmitter and method useful in a three-dimensional measurement system wherein a plurality of operational parameters of said transmitter are calibrated during manufacture/assembly process to generate unique calibration data for each optical transmitter including data defining angles of each transmitter'"'"'s first and second radiant fan beams and the angle between the beams when the transmitter is leveled for operation in the system and wherein a detector/receiver in the system distinguishes between radiant beams from a plurality of individual transmitters operable within a given measurement field as a function of the selectively alterable rotational velocity calibration data for each of said transmitters and wherein said angular calibration data for each transmitter is operationally available to each detector/receiver operable in the system.
26 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical transmitter for use in a position measurement system that generates x-y-z data within a measurement field, said system including means for calculating the x-y-z data at any point in the measurement field using beams from a plurality of rotatably supported optical transmitters, the optical transmitter comprising:
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at least one optical source that generates at least one rotating substantially fan shaped beam;
a strobe that generates a strobe pulse at a predetermined point in the rotation of said at least one fan shaped beam;
a memory, disposed in said optical transmitter, containing calibration data unique to said transmitter, said calibration data defining a relative position of the fan beams generated by the optical transmitter; and
an output port for outputting the calibration data to identify the transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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7. The optical transmitter of claim 1, wherein said output port is a wireless data port for communicating said calibration data to another device within said position measuring system.
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8. An optical transmitter for a position measuring system that generates x-y-z data within a defined measurement field, said transmitter comprising:
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a radiation source for generating a pair of substantially fan shaped beams;
a motor for rotating said fan beams to sweep said measurement field at a predetermined rotational velocity;
a reference signal source for propagating an azimuth reference signal at predetermined intervals of rotation of said fan beams;
a memory unit, physically associated with said transmitter, containing calibration data defining a relative position of the fan beans generated by the optical transmitter and unique to that transmitter; and
an output port for outputting the calibration data to identify the transmitter to another device within said position measuring system. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An optical transmitter for use in a position measurement system that generates x-y-z data within a measurement field, said system including means for calculating the x-y-z data at any point in the measurement field using beams from a plurality of rotatably supported optical transmitters, the optical transmitter comprising:
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at least one radiation source that generates at least one rotating substantially fan shaped beam;
a strobe that generates a strobe pulse at a predetermined point in the rotation of said at least one fan shaped beam; and
a memory unit, connected to said optical transmitter, containing calibration data uniquely defining a relative position of the fan beams generated by the optical transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification