Patent · US Expired

Method of determining the planar inclination of a surface

US6259519A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
65References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 31, 1999
Grant dateJul 10, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 31, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01C15/002
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of determining the planar inclination of a surface is disclosed. Each of three lasers positioned within a sensor body are modulated with different sine wave frequencies based on stored values within a wave-table by superimposing onto the emitted light beam a respective sine wave frequency. The light beam is scattered from each laser onto a respective position sensitive detector after being emitted onto a surface to be analyzed. The light beam is then demodulated by producing electrical signals from each respective position sensitive detector and integrating the electrical signals and calculating the planar inclination on the surface based on demodulated values.

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