Patent · US Expired

System for adjusting the orientation of a plane of laser light

US5844679A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
12References
61Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 11, 1997
Grant dateDec 1, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 11, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S17/88
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A system for adjusting the orientation of a plane defined by a rotating laser beam from a laser transmitter is provided. The laser beam is swept across one or more targets having a plurality of sections. The targets each include a first reflective section and a second reflective section with a non-reflective section positioned therebetween. The non-reflective section includes a portion which slopes across the reflective sections. A photodetector detects a signal representative of the laser beam reflected from each of the targets. The orientation of the laser beam is adjusted until the laser beam traverses the center of the target at which point the width of the first reflective section equals the width of the second reflective section. A processor calculates the distance or angle in which to adjust the laser transmitter so that the laser beam traverses the center of the target once the laser beam traverses the portion of the target including the sloped non-reflective section.

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