Patent · US Expired

System and method for aligning a laser transmitter

US6055046A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
1References
65Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 1, 1999
Grant dateApr 25, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 1, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01C15/004
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A laser transmitter includes an optical system arranged to generate laser beam and configured to project the laser beam radially so as to define a plane through which the laser beam is projected. A positioning device is coupled to the laser transmitter for adjusting an angular orientation of the optical system with respect to a first axis and with respect to a second axis. The angular orientation of the laser transmitter is adjusted so that the plane through which the laser beam is projected has a first slope with respect to the first axis and a second slope with respect to the second axis. A rotary encoder is arranged to determine a rotary position of the laser beam as it rotates to define the plane. A target is positioned in an alignment direction corresponding to the direction to which the laser transmitter is to be aligned. The laser transmitter may be aligned with respect to the first axis, the second axis or some other reference. A processor, in conjunction with a detector, determines the alignment direction. Once the alignment direction is determined, the processor calculates a first calculated slope and a second calculated slope and causes the positioning device to adjust t…

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