Claims
- 1. An improved low-cost optical transmitter for position measurement apparatus for generating x-y-z data within a measurement field including a plurality of rotatably supported optical transmitters with each transmitter spaced apart from the other in the measurement field and being operatively related through a reference frame within the measurement field to define an intersection between vectors for each transmitter with each transmitter including laser means to generate at least two rotating substantially fan shaped beams and a strobe means for generating a strobe pulse for each transmitter at a predetermined point in the rotation of each transmitter and at least one user movable detector means for generating an electric signal each time one of the beams or optical strobe illuminates one of the detectors as it is positioned within said measurement field, the improved optical transmitter comprising:
memory means for storing calibration data uniquely defining predetermined angular parameters of said fan beams, calculation means for calculating scan angles of said fan beams each time one of said fan beams illuminates one of said detectors, and means for facilitating the calculation x-y-z data corresponding to the position of said detector means within said measurement field utilizing a non theodolite process.
- 2. The improved apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stored calibration data uniquely defines an angular separation between said laser means and a tilt angle for each of said fan beams measured from vertical of said transmitter.
- 3. The improved apparatus of claim 2 wherein said strobe means defines a zero reference for the rotation of said transmitter.
- 4. The improved apparatus of claim 1 additionally including memory means for storing calibration data which uniquely defines the rotational velocity of each transmitter.
- 5. The improved apparatus of claim 4 wherein said rotational velocity calibration data is unique for each transmitter in the system and the velocity calibration data for each transmitter enables said position measurement apparatus to differentiate between transmitters operational within said measurement field.
- 6. The improved apparatus of claim 5 additionally including high speed timer means for making differential timing measurements between the electrical signals generated by one of said detector means.
- 7. The improved apparatus of claim 6 additionally including means responsive to said differential timing measurements for calculating for each revolution of one of said transmitters angular data between said optical strobe pulse and the laser fan beams respectively.
- 8. The improved position measuring apparatus of claim 7 wherein said plurality of optical transmitters includes three or more transmitters and wherein said angular calculating means includes means for calculating six or more related vectors for each detector operable in said measurement field.
- 9. The improved position measurement apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for calculating said x-y-z position data comprises a matrix calculation means wherein the matrix notation for said calculation can be represented as follows:
- 10. The improved position measurement apparatus of claim 9 wherein the matrix may alternatively be solved utilizing a least squares reduction mathematical technique.
- 11. The improved position measurement apparatus of claim 9 wherein the matrix may be solved utilizing a single value decomposition mathematical technique.
- 12. The improved position measurement apparatus of claim 1 additionally including a plurality of tracker means for accumulating sequential incoming electric signals from ones of said detector means and synchronization means for associating ones of said incoming electrical signals with individual ones of said tracker means.
- 13. The improved position measurement apparatus of claim 12 additionally including pulse track reconcile means for associating a set of three related electric signals as being from a single transmit period with a particular transmitter means.
- 14. The improved position measurement apparatus of claim 12 additionally including multi path pulse track means for determining whether some of said electric signals illuminating the detector means are reflections rather than line of sight beam strikes.
- 15. An improved optical transmitter method for facilitating generation of x-y-z position data within a measurement field wherein at least two rotatably supported optical transmitter means are positioned at predetermined locations in a spaced apart relationship to illuminate said measurement field and at least one illumination detector means to detect illumination from said transmitter means, the improved method comprising the steps of:
propagating a first and a second optical substantially planar shapedbeams from each transmitter means to sweep said measurement field, propagating an azimuth reference signal for said beams, selectively positioning one of said detector means within said measurement field, storing calibration data in memory means operably associated with said detector means for defining predetermined angular parameters of said beams for each transmitter means, and calculating scan angles of said beams each time one of said beams illuminates ones of said detector means whereby x-y-z data corresponding to the position of one of said detector means illuminated by said beams and said azimuth reference within said measurement field may be calculated utilizing a non theodolite mathematical process.
- 16. The improved method of claim 15 including the additional step of storing in a digital memory operably associated with said detector means rotational velocity calibration data which uniquely characterizes each transmitter means.
- 17. The improved method of claim 16 including the additional step of differentiating between ones of said transmitter means operating within said measurement field as a function of said stored rotational velocity calibration data for each of said transmitter means.
- 18. The improved method of claim 15 including the additional step of calculating differential timing measurements of angular data between said azimuth reference signal and said fan beams for each revolution of ones of said transmitter means.
- 19. The improved method of claim 15 wherein the step of calculating x-y-z position data includes the step of solving for the value of P in a matrix equation represented as
- 20. The improved method of claim 19 wherein the step of solving the equations represented by the matrix expression involves a least squares reduction mathematical process.
- 21. The improved method of claim 19 wherein the step of solving the equations represented by the matrix includes the step of single value decomposition mathematical process.
- 22. An improved low cost optical transmitter for use in a position measuring system for generating x-y-z data within a defined measurement field comprising:
laser means for propagating a pair of substantially fan shaped beams to sweep said measurement field from predetermined positions, motor means for rotating said fan beams at a predetermined selectable velocity, reference signal means for propagating an azimuth reference signal at predetermined intervals of rotation of said fan beams, and calibration means for defining predetermined dynamic angular parameters of said rotating fan beams.
- 23. The improved optical transmitter of claim 22 additionally including memory means for storing calibration data which uniquely defines said predetermined angular parameters of said fan beams.
- 24. The improved optical transmitter of claim 23 additionally including output data port means for communicating said calibration data to an optical receiver operable within said system.
- 25. The improved optical transmitter of claim 22 additionally including velocity control means for selectively controlling said motor means to selectively alter the rotational velocity of said fan beams.
- 26. The improved optical transmitter of claim 25 wherein said velocity control means comprises a rotary transformer controllable by phase-locked loop feedback means.
- 27. The improved optical transmitter of claim 22 wherein said calibration means includes digital memory storage means for storing calibration data which uniquely defines an angular separation between said fan beams and a vertical tilt angle for each fan beam.
- 28. The improved optical transmitter of claim 22 additionally including data storage means for storing calibration data which defines a particular rotational velocity for said fan beams.
- 29. The improved optical transmitter of claim 22 wherein said reference signal defines a beginning reference for the rotation of said fan beams.
- 30. The improved optical transmitter of claim 26 wherein said control means comprises a programmable logic gate array means.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the priority of the previously filed U.S. provisional application serial No. 60/125,545 assigned to the assignee of this application and filed on Mar. 22, 1999 and a PCT/U.S. application Ser. No. 99/23615 entitled Rotating Head Optical Transmitter for Position Measurement System filed on Oct. 13, 1999 both of which applications are incorporated herein by this reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60125545 |
Mar 1999 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09532100 |
Mar 2000 |
US |
Child |
10205956 |
Jul 2002 |
US |