Back to results
US 12,386,022 B2Granted
Measuring assembly and method
AssigneeAndroTec GmbH
InventorMirko Essling
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A base station for measurements emits measurement radiation into a beam plane with a wobbling motion of the beam plane, such that a position of a normal of the beam plane is changed in a predefined manner such that orientations of the normal occur repeatedly, for example with a cyclic repetition of the beam plane. A measuring assembly for such a base station can be provided with at least one associated remote terminal. A method for guiding a mobile object, in particular a vehicle, uses a base station and at least one active remote terminal permanently associated therewith, which form a transceiver measuring assembly.
Claims26
A base station comprising:
- a controller;
- an optoelectronic emitter configured to emit measurement radiation towards the optical element;
- a motor;
- and
- an optical element arranged (a) to convert emitted measurement radiation into a beam plane, (b) to be rotated about a rotation axis and (c) circumferentially asymmetrically relative to the rotation axis;
- wherein;
- the controller is configured to execute a method over a measurement period, the method comprising:
- while the optoelectronic emitter emits a measurement radiation towards the optical element, controlling the motor to rotate the optical element, thereby wobbling the beam plane at an output side of the optical element, such that, over a course of the measurement period, a normal to the beam plane repeatedly transitions to cycle one or more times through a predefined set of angular positions relative to the base station in a predefined manner, each of the angular positions being a respective known predefined angular position at a respective known corresponding point in time within the measurement period, the wobbling occurring due to the circumferentially asymmetric arrangement of the optical element relative to the rotation axis;
- detecting impingements of the wobbling beam plane with a target;
- determining respective times of the detected impingements and one or more intervals between the detected impingements;
- and
- correlating the determined times and intervals with specific ones of the known predefined angular positions of the normal to the beam plane relative to the base station at the known corresponding points in time, thereby obtaining a measurement of the target;
- during the measurement period, the beam plane impinges upon the target at least at two phase angles (ψ1 and ψ2) of the cycle;
- and
- the base station includes at least one of the following three features (I)-(III):
- (I)(i) the measurement includes determination of a horizontal direction angle (ψ) of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles, ii) the determination of the horizontal direction angle ψ is performed by averaging the two phase angles, and (iii) the rotation of the optical element causes a point on the normal to follow a predefined path around the rotation axis in each of the cycles, the at least two phase angles occurring in a same one of the cycles;
- (II)(i) the measurement includes determination of a vertical direction angle (2) of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles, (ii) the determination of the vertical direction angle λ is as 2=a tan(tan(α)-cos(ψ2-ψ1)), where α represents a predefined constant angular value of the orientation of the normal to the beam plane relative to the rotation axis, and (iii) the rotation of the optical element causes the point on the normal to follow the predefined path around the rotation axis in each of the cycles, the at least two phase angles occurring in the same one of the cycles;
- and
- (III) (i) the measurement includes determination of the horizontal direction angle ψ of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles, (ii) the determination of the horizontal direction angle ψ is performed by the averaging of the two phase angles, and (iii) the measurement further includes the determination of the vertical direction angle λ of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles.
16 more elements
A method for performance during a measurement period, wherein a base station includes a controller, an optoelectronic emitter configured to emit measurement radiation towards the optical element, a motor, and an optical element arranged (a) to convert emitted measurement radiation into a beam plane, (b) to be rotated about a rotation axis, and (c) circumferentially asymmetrically relative to the rotation axis, the method comprising the following during the measurement period:
- while the optoelectronic emitter emits a measurement radiation towards the optical element, controlling the motor to rotate the optical element, thereby wobbling the beam plane at an output side of the optical element, such that, over a course of the measurement period, a normal to the beam plane repeatedly transitions to cycle one or more time through a predefined set of angular positions relative to the base station in a predefined manner, each of the angular positions being a respective known predefined angular position at a respective known corresponding point in time within the measurement period, the wobbling occurring due to the circumferentially asymmetric arrangement of the optical element relative to the rotation axis;
- detecting impingements of the wobbling beam plane with a target;
- determining respective times of the detected impingements and one or more intervals between the detected impingements;
- and
- correlating the determined times and intervals with specific ones of the known predefined angular positions of the normal to the beam plane relative to the base station at the known corresponding points in time, thereby obtaining a measurement of the target;
- wherein:
- during the measurement period, the beam plane impinges upon the target at least at two phase angles (ψ1 and ψ2) of the cycle;
- and
- the method includes at least one of the following three features (I)-(III):
- (I)(i) the measurement includes determination of a horizontal direction angle (w) of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles, (ii) the determination of the horizontal direction angle ψ is performed by averaging the two phase angles, and (iii) the rotation of the optical element causes a point on the normal to follow a predefined path around the rotation axis in each of the cycles, the at least two phase angles occurring in a same one of the cycles;
- (II)(i) the measurement includes determination of a vertical direction angle (λ) of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles, (ii) the determination of the vertical direction angle λ is as λ=a tan(tan(α)-cos(ψ2-ψ1)), where α represents a predefined constant angular value of the orientation of the normal to the beam plane relative to the rotation axis, and (iii) the rotation of the optical element causes the point on the normal to follow the predefined path around the rotation axis in each of the cycles, the at least two phase angles occurring in the same one of the cycles;
- and
- (III)(i) the measurement includes determination of the horizontal direction angle ψ of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles, (ii) the determination of the horizontal direction angle ψ is performed by the averaging of the two phase angles, and (iii) the measurement further includes the determination of the vertical direction angle λ of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles.
10 more elements
A system comprising:
- a base station that includes:
- a controller;
- an optoelectronic emitter configured to emit measurement radiation towards the optical element;
- a motor;
- and
- an optical element arranged (a) to convert emitted measurement radiation into a beam plane, (b) to be rotated about a rotation axis and (c) circumferentially asymmetrically relative to the rotation axis;
- wherein:
- the system is configured to execute a method over a measurement period, the method comprising:
- while the optoelectronic emitter emits a measurement radiation towards the optical element, controlling, by the controller, the motor to rotate the optical element, thereby wobbling the beam plane at an output side of the optical element, such that, over a course of the measurement period, a normal to the beam plane repeatedly transitions to cycle one or more time through a predefined set of angular positions relative to the base station in a predefined manner, each of the angular positions being a respective known predefined angular position at a respective known corresponding point in time within the measurement period, the wobbling occurring due to the circumferentially asymmetric arrangement of the optical element relative to the rotation axis;
- detecting impingements of the wobbling beam plane with a target;
- determining respective times of the detected impingements and one or more intervals between the detected impingements;
- and
- correlating the determined times and intervals with specific ones of the known predefined angular positions of the normal to the beam plane relative to the base station at the known corresponding points in time, thereby obtaining a measurement of the target;
- during the measurement period, the beam plane impinges upon the target at least at two phase angles (ψ1 and ψ2) of the cycle;
- and
- the method includes at least one of the following three features (I)-(III):
- (I)(i) the measurement includes determination of a horizontal direction angle (ψ) of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles, (ii) the determination of the horizontal direction angle ψ is performed by averaging the two phase angles, and (iii) the rotation of the optical element causes a point on the normal to follow a predefined path around the rotation axis in each of the cycles, the at least two phase angles occurring in a same one of the cycles;
- (II)(i) the measurement includes determination of a vertical direction angle (λ) of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles, (ii) the determination of the vertical direction angle λ is as 2=a tan(tan(α)-cos(ψ2-ψ1)), where α represents a predefined constant angular value of the orientation of the normal to the beam plane relative to the rotation axis, and (iii) the rotation of the optical element causes the point on the normal to follow the predefined path around the rotation axis in each of the cycles, the at least two phase angles occurring in the same one of the cycles;
- and
- (III)(i) the measurement includes determination of the horizontal direction angle ψ of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles, (ii) the determination of the horizontal direction angle ψ is performed by the averaging of the two phase angles, and (iii) the measurement further includes the determination of the vertical direction angle λ of the target relative to the base station based on the two phase angles.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.