Versatile transmitter and receiver for position measurement

A spatial positioning system, comprising:

• a transmitter providing a continuously-rotating, diverging, fan-shaped beam of laser light, said beam being rotated about a vertical axis and diverging at an inclined angle to said axis of rotation, said beam continuously rotating across a field of measurement;
• said transmitter having:
• a synchronization strobe adapted to provide a synchronization strobe beam in said field of measurement, said synchronization strobe beam having a first radiant intensity distribution;
• and
• a sensor adapted to sense when said transmitter is oriented to sweep said divergent rotating light fan about said vertical axis, and communicate such orientation for a spatial coordinate determination;
• a receiver, positioned in said field of measurement, having a detector to detect said laser light and said synchronization strobe beam;
• and
• a processor adapted to determine at least one spatial coordinate of said detector in said receiver based on the detection of said laser light and said synchronization strobe beam.

A spatial positioning system comprising:

• at least two transmitters, each transmitter having:
• a rotating arrangement to emit light in the shape of a divergent rotating fan defining a detection volume;
• a synchronization strobe adapted to provide a synchronization strobe beam, said synchronization strobe including first strobes having a first divergence characteristic, and wherein said strobe beam has overall divergence characteristics different from said first divergence characteristics of said first strobes;
• and
• a sensor adapted to sense when said transmitter is oriented to sweep said divergent rotating light fan about a desired axis;
• wherein each of said at least two transmitters is positioned so that said detection volume of each transmitter at least partially overlaps, defining a field of measurement;
• a receiver positionable in said field of measurement having a detector to detect said divergent rotating light fan and said synchronization strobe beam from each transmitter;
• and
• a processor adapted to determine at least one spatial coordinate of said detector in said receiver based on the detection of said divergent rotating light fan and said synchronization strobe beam from said transmitters.