Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090112476 | Method for Locating an Underground Septic Tank, Conduit, or the Like Using Injection/Detection Synchronization of an Acoustic Signal and Digital Signal Processing - This invention relates to a non-invasive method for easily locating an underground septic tank, distribution box, field line, conduit, or the like. In the preferred embodiment, prescribed acoustic signals are injected into an underground cavity via an accessable port and remotely detected by a time synchronized detector in contact with the ground which cross correlates the detected signal with a duplicate of the prescribed acoustic signal in order to reject background noise, and thus locate the underground cavity. A frequency sweep is conducted to exploit cavity resonance modes and thus further enhance the signal to noise ratio. | 04-30-2009 |
20090125265 | Method for Calibrating a Laser-Based Spherical Coordinate Measurement System by a Mechanical Harmonic Oscillator - A method is disclosed whereby a laser-based spherical coordinate measurement system is dynamically calibrated. A mechanical oscillator, such as, but not limited to, a Foucault pendulum is used to generate periodic motions which can be fitted to Fourier series models. The residuals between the experimental measurements and the model can provide information which can be used to calibrate the instrument. The calibration information is used to augment the ASME B89.4.19-2006 standard to improve sensitivity to cyclic errors and include the servo systems. | 05-14-2009 |
20090132199 | Method for Measuring the Structural Health of a Civil Structure - Methods are disclosed wherein the structural health of a civil structure, such as, but not limited to, a bridge or the like is measured by electronic distance measurement from a plurality of stable locations to a plurality of cardinal points on the structure in a methodical manner. By measuring the coordinates of the cardinal points, the dynamic and long-term static behavior of the structure provide an indication of the health of the structure. Analysis includes; comparison to a Finite Element Model (FEM), comparison to historical data, linearity, hysteresis, symmetry, creep, damping coefficient, and harmonic terms. | 05-21-2009 |
20100290025 | Methods and Apparatus for Optical Amplitude Modulated Wavefront Shaping - The invention extends classical time-invariant optical design to include optical amplitude modulated light, using tools from communications theory. Effects of dispersion are derived from first principles. | 11-18-2010 |
20110093219 | Methods for modeling the structural health of a civil structure based on electronic distance measurements - Methods are disclosed wherein the structural health of a civil structure, such as, but not limited to, a bridge or the like is measured by electronic distance measurement (EDM) from a plurality of stable locations to a plurality of cardinal points on the structure in a methodical manner. By measuring the coordinates of the cardinal points, the dynamic and long-term static behavior of the structure provide an indication of the health of the structure. Analysis includes: comparison to a Finite Element Model (FEM); comparison to historical data; and modeling based on linearity, hysteresis, symmetry, creep, damping coefficient, and harmonic analysis. | 04-21-2011 |
20110178763 | USE OF INCLINOMETERS TO IMPROVE RELOCATION OF A PORTABLE ARTICULATED ARM COORDINATE MEASURING MACHINE - A method of relocating a portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) from a first location to a second location, wherein the AACMM has, at the first location, a first origin point and a first frame of reference and, at the second location, a second origin point and a second frame of reference, the method including the steps of: measuring an amount of tilt of the portable AACMM along two perpendicular directions, each of which are approximately perpendicular to a gravity vector, with the portable AACMM in each of the first and second locations; measuring a first target and a second target with the portable AACMM in the first location to obtain, in the first frame of reference, a first set of x, y, and z coordinates and a second set of x, y, and z coordinates; measuring the first target and the second target with the portable AACMM in the second location to obtain, in the second frame of reference, a third set of x, y, and z coordinates and a fourth set of x, y, and z coordinates; and finding x, y, and z coordinates of the second origin point with respect to the first frame of reference, wherein the x, y, and z coordinates of the second origin point are found using the first, second, third, and fourth sets of x, y, and z coordinates but without using additional x, y, and z coordinates of a third target measured with the AACMM at the first location and at the second location. | 07-21-2011 |
20110251968 | Methods for Emergency Mine Communications Using Acoustic Waves Time Synchronization and Digital Signal Processing - Acoustic waves are transmitted bidirectionally through-the-earth in a simple robust architecture in combination with signal-to-roise reduction techniques which ensure the ability to communicate using simple tools available in a mine. An enhanced version includes a personal electronics device designed to be carried by a miner to automatically decode acoustically transmitted text messages. | 10-13-2011 |
20120120415 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING GESTURES TO CONTROL A LASER TRACKER - A method for mechanically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control operation of the laser tracker includes providing the tracker with an angular encoder, providing a rule of correspondence between each command and each rotational pattern of a portion of a tracker, and selecting a first command. Also, rotating by the user, between first and second times, the portion of the tracker in a first rotational pattern, the first rotational pattern corresponds to the first command, and obtaining a collection of first angular readings from the angular encoder, wherein the angular readings are obtained between the first and second times. Also, determining the first command based at least in part on processing the first angular readings according to the rule of correspondence, and executing the first command with the tracker. | 05-17-2012 |
20120250004 | Methods for measuring and modeling the structural health of pressure vessels based on electronic distance measurements - Methods are disclosed wherein the structural health of a civil structure, pressure vessel, or the like is measured by electronic distance measurement (EDM) from a plurality of stable locations to a plurality of cardinal points on the structure in a methodical manner. By measuring the coordinates of the cardinal points, the dynamic and long-term static behavior of the structure provide an indication of the health of the structure. Analyses includes: comparison to a Finite Element Model (FEM); comparison to historical data; and modeling based on linearity, hysteresis, symmetry, creep, damping coefficient, and harmonic analysis. | 10-04-2012 |
20120262728 | SIX DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM LASER TRACKER THAT COOPERATES WITH A REMOTE PROJECTOR TO CONVEY INFORMATION - A method of conveying information to a user of a coordinate measurement device, includes providing a first target projector, sending a first light beam from the device to a retroreflector; receiving a second light beam from the retroreflector; measuring the orientational and translational sets, the translational set based on the second light beam; selecting first information to be conveyed from the group consisting of one or more positions on the object, a direction indicated by a moving pattern, a message that includes one or more symbols or alphanumeric characters, a hidden feature, a measured object characteristic, a modeled characteristic, a magnified representation of surface characteristics, a pattern having meaning according to a rule, and combinations thereof; determining a first light pattern corresponding to the information; storing the first light pattern; and projecting the first light pattern onto the object based on the translational and orientational sets. | 10-18-2012 |
20130144963 | Sua sponte establishment of large-scale person-to-person emergency electronic messaging communications based in part on subscriber telephone numbers - Lessons of the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attack (9/11), the Aug. 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina, the Mar. 11, 2011 tsunami off the coast of Tohoku Japan and ensuing Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant malfunction, and the Oct. 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy are incorporated. Methods are disclosed for rapidly establishing alternate electronic messaging for person-to-person communications in a large-scale emergency. Details for constructing electronic access addresses comprised in part by subscriber telephone numbers and an event identifier, allows the provider to establish a default system with no specific information from the user while allowing the user to access the messages in a systematic way. No registration or passwords are required, which allows free access to all interested parties. Methods are disclosed to reunite lost pets with owners and employ cloud computing and data storage services to provide the equipment on an as needed basis. | 06-06-2013 |
20130170010 | Methods for modeling amplitude modulated light through dispersive optical systems and electronic distance measurement instruments - Methods are disclosed for computer modeling of amplitude modulated light in dispersive optical systems. Ray tracings are extended to include calculations of the modulated phase for the rays. Examples are given for electronic distance measurement instrument applications. | 07-04-2013 |
20130197852 | MEASUREMENT MACHINE UTILIZING A BARCODE TO IDENTIFY AN INSPECTION PLAN FOR AN OBJECT - Embodiments of the present invention relate to a measurement machine for measuring an object, and more particularly to a measurement machine such as a portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine or a laser tracker that measures an object according to a measurement or inspection plan that is identified by a machine readable information symbol located on the object to be measured or on a drawing (e.g., a CAD drawing) of the object. | 08-01-2013 |
20140327920 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING GESTURES TO CONTROL A LASER TRACKER - A method and system are provided for controlling a laser tracker remotely from the laser tracker through gestures performed by a user. The method includes providing a rule of correspondence between each of a plurality of commands and each of a plurality of user gestures. A gesture is performed by the user with the user's body that corresponds to one of the plurality of user gestures. The gesture performed by the user is detected. The gesture recognition engine determines a first command from one of the plurality of commands that correspond with the detected gesture. Then the first command is executed with the laser tracker. | 11-06-2014 |
20150015895 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEASUREMENT DEVICE HAVING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OVERVIEW CAMERA - A device for optically scanning and measuring an environment is provided. The device includes a first measurement device that emits a light beam in a direction to measure a distance to a remote target based at least in part on light reflected by the remote target. A three-dimensional camera coupled to a periphery of the first measurement device is configured to record an image of an object. A processor is operably coupled to the first measurement device and three-dimensional camera and is responsive to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of the measurement point based at least in part on the angles of rotation of the device and the distance. The processor further being responsive to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of a plurality of points on the object based at least in part on the angles of rotation of the device and the image. | 01-15-2015 |
20150075018 | COORDINATE MEASUREMENT MACHINE WITH DISTANCE METER AND CAMERA TO DETERMINE DIMENSIONS WITHIN CAMERA IMAGES - An articulated arm coordinate measurement machine (AACMM) that includes a noncontact 3D measurement device, position transducers, a camera, and a processor operable to project a spot of light to an object point, to measure first 3D coordinates of the object point based on readings of the noncontact 3D measurement device and the position transducers, to capture the spot of light with the camera in a camera image, and to attribute the first 3D coordinates to the spot of light in the camera image. | 03-19-2015 |