Light receiver
AssigneeLeica Geosystems AG
InventorsPeter Seitz, Thomas Ammer, Jürg Hinderling
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light receiver designed to determine a position or orientation relative to a reference light wherein the light receiver comprises an elongated rod-shaped light receptor with two ends, a light coupler, a light guide, and light detection means at both ends and a signal processor to process the electric signals of the detection means and to determine the relative position and/or orientation by a comparative evaluation of the electric signals. The light guide serves as a light propagation path of defined length for light coupled into the light guide by the light coupler and the signal processor determines the position and/or orientation based on light propagation speed of the reference light propagating in the light guide.
Claims14
A light receiver for determining a position or orientation relative to a reference light in form of a free light beam or light fan, the light receiver comprising:
- an elongated rod-shaped light receptor with two ends;
- a light coupler;
- a light guide;
- and
- a light detection means,
- wherein the light coupler and the light guide are configured to receive and conduct at least part of the reference light impinging on the light receptor towards both ends such that impinging reference light is detectable at both ends by the light detection means,
- wherein the light detection means is configured for separate light detection operations of reference light arriving at each of both ends of the light receptor and to generate electric signals responsive to reference light separately detected at each end,
- wherein the light receiver further comprises a signal processor to process the electric signals and to determine the relative position or orientation of the reference light by a comparative evaluation of the electric signals of both ends,
- wherein the light guide serves as a light propagation path of defined length for light coupled into the light guide by the light coupler, and
- wherein the signal processor determines the position or orientation of the reference light based on light propagation speed of the reference light propagating in the light guide.
A position or orientation measuring system, the system comprising:
- a light emitter with:
- a light source for directional emittance of light in form of a free light beam or light fan serving as a position reference, and
- a light receiver designed to determine a position or orientation relative to the reference light, wherein the light receiver comprises:
- an elongated rod-shaped light receptor with two ends,
- a light coupler,
- a light guide, and
- a light detection means designed to put out electric signals responsive to reference light separately detected at both ends,
- wherein the measuring system determines the relative position or orientation by a comparative evaluation of the electric signals of both ends,
- wherein the light guide serves as a light propagation path of defined length for light coupled into the light guide by the light coupler, and
- wherein the measuring system determines the position, based on light propagation speed of the reference light propagating in the light guide.
A position or orientation determination method for determination of a position or orientation relative to reference light, the method comprising:
- emitting of reference light in the form of a free light beam or free light fan;
- receiving at least part of the reference light with a light receiver comprising a light guide, wherein received light travels in the light guide in two opposite directions along a propagation path of defined length;
- detecting of the received and guided light at two ends of the propagation path, resulting in detection signals of both ends;
- and
- determining of the position or orientation based on comparative evaluation of the detection signals of both ends and light propagation speed of the reference light propagating in the light guide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.