Patent · US Active

Remote distance-measurement between any two arbitrary points using laser assisted optics

US7706573B1 · kind B1 · utility

14Cited by
2References
7Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 19, 2005
Grant dateApr 27, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 20, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01C1/00
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The disclosed method measures the distance between two arbitrary points of interest from the user position by determining the range and angle between the two points. To measure the angle between the two points, a first method uses a micro-opto-electro-mechanical scanner to form a scan line between the two points of interest. A scan angle is determined based on the applied AC voltage needed to cause the endpoints of the scan line to coincide with the points of interest. The second method, an image-processing method, is applied to determine the angles between the points of interest. A Microprocessor uses captured images including the points of interest to determine the angle between the points. In both methods, the Microprocessor calculates the distance between the two points of interest by using the determined angle, together with the measured ranges and sends the calculated distance to a display.

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