Position determining apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining positions, comprising:
- (a) a rotary laser apparatus for emitting two or more fan-shaped laser beams, said rotary laser apparatus including a laser projector and a rotary unit rotating relative to said laser projector, wherein;
said laser projector has;
(1) a first laser illuminator for emitting a first linearly polarized laser beam;
(2) a second laser illuminator for emitting a second linearly polarized laser beam;
(3) a first polarized beam splitter for directing the laser beams emitted from said first laser illuminator and said second laser illuminator in the same direction; and
(4) a first one-quarter wave plate for converting said first and second linearly polarized laser beams from said first polarized beam splitter into circularly polarized laser beams; and
said rotary unit has;
(1) a second one-quarter wave plate for converting the circularly polarized laser beams from said first one-quarter wave plate into linearly polarized laser beams;
(2) a second polarized beam splitter for splitting the linearly polarized laser beams from said second one-quarter wave plate;
(3) a third one-quarter wave plate for converting the laser beams split and reflected by said second polarized beam splitter into circularly polarized laser beam;
(4) a first cylinder mirror for converting the circularly polarized laser beam from said third one-quarter wave plate into a first fan-shaped laser beam and reflecting back and emitting said fan-shaped laser beam through said third one-quarter wave plate and said second polarized beam splitter;
(5) a fourth one-quarter wave plate for converting laser beams transmitted through said second polarized beam splitter into a circularly polarized laser beam; and
(6) a second cylinder mirror for converting said circularly polarized laser beam from said fourth one-quarter wave plate into a second fan-shaped laser beam and reflecting back and emitting said second fan-shaped laser beam through said fourth one-quarter wave plate and said second polarized beam splitter; and
(b) optical sensor means for receiving the fan-shaped laser beams to determine a position.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a position determining apparatus that has a simplified configuration adapted to produce a horizontal reference plane and an inclined reference plane simultaneously. A position determining apparatus (100) according to the present invention comprises a rotary laser apparatus (151) that emits at least two fan-shaped laser beams diverting in a plane other than horizontal plane while rotating the laser beams about a given optical axis, and an optical sensor (154) that has at least one light receiving section receiving the fan-shaped laser beams. One of the fan-shaped laser beams is different in inclination angle from the other, and in terms of a state of the laser beams received at the light receiving section, a relative position of the optical sensor to the rotary laser apparatus can be determined.
38 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining positions, comprising:
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(a) a rotary laser apparatus for emitting two or more fan-shaped laser beams, said rotary laser apparatus including a laser projector and a rotary unit rotating relative to said laser projector, wherein; said laser projector has; (1) a first laser illuminator for emitting a first linearly polarized laser beam; (2) a second laser illuminator for emitting a second linearly polarized laser beam; (3) a first polarized beam splitter for directing the laser beams emitted from said first laser illuminator and said second laser illuminator in the same direction; and (4) a first one-quarter wave plate for converting said first and second linearly polarized laser beams from said first polarized beam splitter into circularly polarized laser beams; and
said rotary unit has;(1) a second one-quarter wave plate for converting the circularly polarized laser beams from said first one-quarter wave plate into linearly polarized laser beams; (2) a second polarized beam splitter for splitting the linearly polarized laser beams from said second one-quarter wave plate; (3) a third one-quarter wave plate for converting the laser beams split and reflected by said second polarized beam splitter into circularly polarized laser beam; (4) a first cylinder mirror for converting the circularly polarized laser beam from said third one-quarter wave plate into a first fan-shaped laser beam and reflecting back and emitting said fan-shaped laser beam through said third one-quarter wave plate and said second polarized beam splitter; (5) a fourth one-quarter wave plate for converting laser beams transmitted through said second polarized beam splitter into a circularly polarized laser beam; and (6) a second cylinder mirror for converting said circularly polarized laser beam from said fourth one-quarter wave plate into a second fan-shaped laser beam and reflecting back and emitting said second fan-shaped laser beam through said fourth one-quarter wave plate and said second polarized beam splitter; and (b) optical sensor means for receiving the fan-shaped laser beams to determine a position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for determining positions, comprising:
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(a) a rotary laser apparatus for emitting two or more fan-shaped laser beams, said rotary laser apparatus including a laser projector and a rotary unit rotating relative to said laser projector, wherein said laser projector has; (1) a laser illuminator; and (2) collimator lens means for collimating the laser beam emitted from said laser illuminator; and said rotary unit has; (1) beam expanders for receiving the laser beam collimated by said collimator lens; (2) cylindrical lenses for converting the laser beams from said beam expanders into fan-shaped laser beams; and (3) mirrors for reflecting the fan-shaped laser beams and emitting the fan-shaped laser beams from said rotary laser apparatus; and (b) optical sensor means for receiving the fan-shaped laser beams to determine a position.
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9. An apparatus for determining positions, comprising:
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(a) a rotary laser apparatus for emitting two or more fan-shaped laser beams, said rotary laser apparatus including a laser projector and a rotary unit rotating relative to said laser projector, wherein; said laser projector has; (1) a laser illuminator and (2) a collimator lens for collimating the laser beam emitted from said laser illuminator; and said rotary unit has; (1) a shield mask having at least three apertures; (2) a first cylindrical lens for converting the laser beams passing through at least two of said apertures into fan-shaped laser beams; (3) a wedge prism for deflecting the fan-shaped laser beams from said first cylindrical lens and emitting the fan-shaped laser beams from said rotary laser apparatus; and (4) a second cylindrical lens for converting the laser beams passing through at least one of said apertures into fan-shaped laser beams and emitting the fan-shaped laser beams from said rotary laser apparatus; and (b) optical sensor means for receiving the fan-shaped laser beams to determine a position.
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Specification