Small form-factor distance sensor
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorManish Mahajan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to measuring a distance along a remote surface performed by a non-stationary mobile device. The mobile device directs, from a first position of the mobile device, a first energy beam toward a first point on a remote surface, directs, from a second position of the mobile device, a second energy beam toward a second point on the remote surface, measures a position displacement between the first position of the mobile device and the second position of the mobile device, and determines the distance along the remote surface based, at least in part, on the position displacement.
Claims24
A method of measuring a distance along a remote surface performed by a non-stationary mobile device, comprising:
- directing, from a first position of the mobile device, a first energy beam toward a first point on a remote surface;
- directing, from a second position of the mobile device, a second energy beam toward a second point on the remote surface;
- measuring a position displacement between the first position of the mobile device and the second position of the mobile device;
- and
- determining the distance along the remote surface based on the position displacement.
An apparatus for measuring a distance along a remote surface, comprising:
- a reflector configured to direct a first energy beam toward a first point on a remote surface when the apparatus is at a first position, and to direct a second energy beam toward a second point on the remote surface when the apparatus is at a second position;
- and
- a processor configured to measure a position displacement between the first position of the apparatus and the second position of the apparatus, and to determine the distance along the remote surface based on the position displacement.
An apparatus for measuring a distance along a remote surface, comprising:
- means for directing, from a first position of the apparatus, a first energy beam toward a first point on a remote surface;
- means for directing, from a second position of the apparatus, a second energy beam toward a second point on the remote surface;
- means for measuring a position displacement between the first position of the apparatus and the second position of the apparatus;
- and
- means for determining the distance along the remote surface based on the position displacement.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium for measuring a distance along a remote surface, comprising:
- at least one instruction to direct, from a first position of a mobile device, a first energy beam toward a first point on a remote surface;
- at least one instruction to direct, from a second position of the mobile device, a second energy beam toward a second point on the remote surface;
- at least one instruction to measure a position displacement between the first position of the mobile device and the second position of the mobile device;
- and
- at least one instruction to determine the distance along the remote surface based on the position displacement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.