Contour measuring device and method

• US 6,725,553 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2001
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald R. Airey, Herman Servatius
• Original Assignee: Donald R. Airey, Herman Servatius
• Inventors: Airey, Donald R., Servatius, Herman
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRUCHNIC, STANLEY J
• Application Number:
  US09/851,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 333/20, 335/21, 335/23, 33/1.H, 333/43, 331/21--24, 337/72--75, 336/24, 335/51, 335/53, 335/54, 337/79--82, 731/05, 731/78.R, 731/46, 731/56, 731/65, 731/67
• US Class Current: 33/320
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/12 Measuring wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/26 for measuring areas, e.g. planimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 7/04 involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced

Abstract

The disclosed invention is an improvement on the traditional Measuring Wheel. When the odometry information is combined with two direction sensors and an on-board computer, the instrument is able to perform useful measurements to allow the calculation of an area or the description of a non-linear contour, as well as the traditional distance measurements.

Claims

1. A measuring device for measuring contours to scale for the description of a landscape, the device comprising:

a measurement wheel, wherein said measurement wheel consists of a single measurement wheel;

a sensor array, wherein said sensor array is selected from the group consisting of two magnetometers and two accelerometers;

two magnetometers and two inclinometers;

two magnetometers and two gyroscopes;

two accelerometers and two gyroscopes; and

two inclinometers and two gyroscopes;

a digital odometer, wherein said digital odometer is operably connected to said single measurement wheel; and

a guide, wherein said guide is operably connected to said single measurement wheel and said sensor array,

wherein said measuring device contacts said landscape only at said single measurement wheel.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said sensor array is affixed to said guide.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said sensor array comprises three accelerometers and three gyroscopes, wherein a sensitive axis of each accelerometer and each gyroscope is positioned at a known geometry.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said sensor array is selected from the group consisting of:

an accelerometer array comprising two or more individual accelerometers at right angles to each other, and a magnetometer array comprising two or more individual magnetometers at right angles to each other;

an inclinometer array comprising two or more individual inclinometers at right angles to each other, and a magnetometer array comprising two or more individual magnetometers at right angles to each other;

a gyroscope array comprising three gyroscopes at right angles to each other, and a magnetometer array comprising two or more individual magnetometers at right angles to each other;

a gyroscope array comprising three gyroscopes at right angles to each other, and an accelerometer array comprising two or more individual accelerometers at right angles to each other; and

a gyroscope array comprising three gyroscopes at right angles to each other and an inclinometer array comprising two or more individual inclinometers at right angles to each other.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a detachable computer having an input and an output.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein locations intermediate to a start and a finish of a description of said contour to be measured may be stored in a memory of said computer and integrated into a map.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the digital odometer is an optical shaft encoder.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the digital odometer is an optical sensor capable of acquiring sequential surface images and mathematically determining the direction and magnitude of movement.

9. A method for measuring contours to scale for the description of a landscape, the method comprising:

providing the measuring device of claim 1;

guiding said measuring device over a landscape;

collecting sensory information data from said sensor array and said digital odometer;

storing said sensory information in a said-sensor log; and

transforming said stored information to form a discrete record of the locations through which said device has traveled,

thereby measuring contours to scale for the description of a landscape.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising truing a heading of said device using an attitude of said measuring device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said heading is defined by the relationship between said attitude of said guide and a direction of a gravitational field.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said sensor array comprises three accelerometers, wherein a first measurement of gravitational field is isolated from a second measurement of acceleration due to a change in inertial reference systems.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said heading is defined by a relationship between said attitude of said guide and an attitude of said contour.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said heading is defined by an attitude of a member attached to said guide that is kept at a known angle to said contour.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said attitude of the member is defined relative to an arbitrary inertial reference system.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the attitude of the member relative to a fixed reference system is defined by two or more members of a group consisting of a gravitational field, a magnetic field and an arbitrary inertial reference system.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said attitude of said device is defined relative to a magnetic field.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said attitude of said device is defined relative to a gravitational field.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein a heading of said measuring device is defined by an inertial guidance sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said heading is trued by integrating and filtering data from said sensor array.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein a distance traveled is measured by optically acquiring sequential surface images and mathematically determining the direction and magnitude of movement.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein distance is measured independently of data from said sensor array.

23. The method of claim 9, wherein locations intermediate to a start and a finish of a description of said contour are stored and integrated into a digital map.

24. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a contour map based upon a series of discrete measurements.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said contour map is generated for measurements of a predetermined area.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said contour map is generated to analyze vehicular accidents.

27. The method of claim 9, wherein a change to said contour resulting from a geological event is measured.

28. A measuring device for measuring contours to scale for the description of a landscape, the device comprising:

a measurement wheel, wherein said measurement wheel consists of a single measurement wheel;

a sensor array, wherein said sensor array is selected from the group consisting of two magnetometers and two accelerometers;

two magnetometers and two inclinometers;

two magnetometers and two gyroscopes;

two accelerometers and two gyroscopes; and

two inclinometers and two gyroscopes;

a digital odometer, wherein said digital odometer is operably connected to said single measurement wheel; and

a guide, wherein said guide is operably connected to said single measurement wheel and said sensor array.

further comprising a leading member and a loading device, wherein said leading member is operably connected to and positioned in a plane of said single measuring wheel, and wherein said loading device insures said leading member is positioned in contact with said contour, wherein said measuring device contacts said landscape only at said single measurement wheel and said leading member.

29. A measuring device for measuring contours to scale for the description of a landscape, the device comprising:

a measurement wheel, wherein said measurement wheel consists of a single measurement wheel;

a sensor array, wherein said sensor array is selected from the group consisting of two magnetometers and two accelerometers;

two magnetometers and two inclinometers;

two magnetometers and two gyroscopes;

two accelerometers and two gyroscopes; and

two inclinometers and two gyroscopes;

a digital odometer, wherein said digital odometer is operably connected to said single measurement wheel; and

a guide, wherein said guide is operably connected to said single measurement wheel and said sensor array.

further comprising a trailing member and a loading device, wherein said trailing member is operably connected to and positioned in a plane of said single measuring wheel, and wherein said loading device insures said trailing member is positioned in contact with said contour, wherein said measuring device contacts said landscape only at said single measurement wheel and said trailing member.

30. A measuring device for measuring contours to scale for the description of a landscape, the device comprising:

a measurement wheel;

a sensor array, wherein said sensor array comprises three sensors, said sensors being selected from the group consisting of accelerometers, inclinometers and magnetometers, or a combination thereof;

a digital odometer, wherein said digital odometer is operably connected to said measurement wheel;

a guide, wherein said guide is operably connected to said measurement wheel and said sensor array, and

a computer having a sensor log wherein said computer is operably connected to said guide.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein sensitive axes of each sensor are positioned at a known geometry relative to one another.