Tracking system using a polygon of unique dimension or arbitrary polygon combined with sensors

US5177632A · kind A · utility

Inventors

• Nira Schwartz · Yehud Monosson, IL
• Arie Shahar · Afula, IL

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 4, 1991
• Grant date: Jan 5, 1993
• Expiry date: Apr 4, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B5/09
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A polygon (FIGS. 4to 6) has unique physical dimensions, i.e., its radius (R8') is correlated to a tracking radius (R13')(where objects are scanned) by a rule which creates an improved linear tracking system with a constant optical path. The polygon is very useful for reading information, writing information, and tracking industrial products on a rotating carousel. When the polygon is mounted on the center of a rotating carousel, with no relative movement between the polygon and the carousel, it can perform accurate linear tracking of objects located on the carousel. The radius of the polygon is equal to half the tracking radius divided by the cosine of an angle of 180/n {Eq. (6)}, where n is an integer. The polygon can have an arbitrary number of sides. Using another method, the non-linearity of the system for an arbitrary polygon's radius can be corrected by a series of sensors [N1 to N4, FIG. 2(a)] positioned at non-linear intervals to trigger a laser beam, creating an effective linear movement of the laser beam on the tracking circumference of scanned objects.