Patent · US Expired

Optical coordinate transfer assembly

US5090803A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
10References
106Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 21, 1990
Grant dateFeb 25, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 21, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B11/272
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical coordinate transfer assembly provides angular correlation between spatially separated objects. In a particular embodiment of the invention, roll, pitch and yaw of a second directional device 12 relative to a first directional device 11 can be measured (and correction and/or compensation therefor can be made) using an optical alignment sensor 20 mounted on the first directional device 11 and a rooftop-mirror/lens assembly 21 mounted on the second directional device 12. Light beams projected from the optical alignment sensor 20 are reflected by reflector devices 35 and 36 on the rooftop-mirror/lens assembly 21 to linear arrays 69, 70 and 78 of photodetectors, which generate electronic signals indicating angular discrepancies between the orientations of the first and second directional devices 11 and 12 in three degrees of freedom to sub-microradian accuracy over a wide range of measurements.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.