Apparatus and method for determining the distance between two points

• US 6,560,560 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eric Joshua Tachner
• Original Assignee: Eric Joshua Tachner
• Inventors: Tachner, Eric Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Washburn, Douglas N
• Application Number:
  US09/556,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 735/140.1, 33/1.G, 356/15, 356/4, 356/5.06, 356/13.3, 356/1, 356/560, 356/356, 250/237
• US Class Current: 702/164
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/00 Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/48 Active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

Measurement of respective distances to two remote points and measurement of the included angle, permit electronic calculation of the distance between the two remote points such as points on the opposed edges of an interior wall the length or other linear dimension of which is to be measured. The preferred embodiment is implemented using two laser-based pointer devices connected on a common housing through a shaft encoder. Each pointer device has a laser transmitter and detector for determining the distance to selected points at opposite ends of a wall. The angle between the pointers is determined by a shaft encoder as one of the two pointers is rotated from pointing at a first edge of the wall to the point at the second edge while the other of the pointers remains directed toward the first edge.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring the distance between two remote points, the apparatus comprising:

at least one laser-based device for electronically determining by laser light reflection the respective distances to said remote points;

an angle indicating device for determining the included angle between said respective distances;

and a display for displaying said distance between said two remote points which is computed using the law of cosines.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said angle indicating device comprises a shaft encoder.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said laser-based device is rotatable through an angle and is attached to said angle indicating device for registering the angle between first and second positions of said laser-based device, said first position corresponding to one of said remote points, said second position corresponding to the other of said remote points.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 comprising at least two said laser-based devices, a first of said laser-based devices measuring a distance to one of said remote points and a second of said laser-based devices measuring a distance to the other of said remote points.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 4 wherein said at least two laser-based devices are configured for simultaneous measurement of respective distances to said remote points.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1 comprising at least two said laser-based devices, a first of said laser-based devices being used sequentially to measure respective distances to said remote points, a second of said laser-based devices providing a reference image at one of said remote points.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising means for stabilizing said apparatus on an underlying surface.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said trigonometric calculation is based upon the law of cosines relating to calculating a length of a side of a triangle knowing lengths of the remaining two sides and their included angle.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said two remote points are on opposed edges of a remote interior wall and wherein a distance between said two remote points is a linear dimension of said wall between said opposed edges.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein a distance between said two remote points is less than 100 feet.

11. An electronic length measuring apparatus for determining linear dimension between two remote points on a remote surface, the apparatus comprising:

at least one laser-based pointer for electronically determining by laser light reflection the respective distances to said two remote points;

an angle indicating device for determining the included angle between said respective distances;

and a display for displaying said distance between said two remote points which is computed using the law of cosines.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein said angle indicating device comprises a shaft encoder.

13. The apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein said laser-based device is rotatable through an angle and is attached to said angle indicating device for registering the angle between first and second positions of said laser-based device pointer, said first direction corresponding to one of said points and said second direction corresponding to the other of said points.

14. The apparatus recited in claim 11 comprising at least two said light-based devices, a first of said light-based devices measuring a distance to one of said points and a second of said light-based devices measuring a distance to the other of said points.

15. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein said at least two light-based devices are configured for simultaneous measurement of respective distances to said points.

16. The apparatus recited in claim 11 comprising at least two said light-based devices, a first of said light-based devices being used sequentially to measure respective distances to said points, a second of said light-based devices providing a reference image at one of said points.

17. The apparatus recited in claim 11 further comprising means for stabilizing said apparatus on an underlying surface.

18. The apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein said calculation is based upon the law of cosines relating to calculating a length of a side of a triangle knowing lengths of the remaining two sides and their included angle.

19. The apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein said two points are on opposed edges of a remote interior wall and wherein a distance between said two points is a linear dimension of said wall between said opposed edges.

20. The apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein a distance between said two points is less than 100 feet.

21. A method for determining the distance between two remote points, the method comprising the following steps:

a) electronically measuring the distance from a measuring location to a first one of said two remote points by laser light reflection,

b) electronically measuring the distance from said measuring location to a second one of said two remote points by laser light reflection;

c) electronically measuring the angle included between said measuring location and said two remote points;

d) calculating said distance between said two remote points based upon the measurements made in steps a), b) and c) and the law of cosines.