The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 30, 1996
Filed:
Apr. 19, 1994
Shin-ichi Nakajima, Tokyo, JP;
NEC Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A measuring section of a target tracer emits emergent light from a light source toward a reflector of a target by way of a half mirror of an optical system. The reflector has a light reflection factor increasing toward the center thereof and has areas of respective reflection factors arranged concentrically. Reflected light from the reflector passes through the mirror and is introduced to an imaging element. The imaging element scans a two-dimensional image of the reflector to generate electric signals composed of a plurality of corresponding picture elements. A threshold value comparing circuit selects those of the electric signals which are higher than a threshold value as azimuth signals. An angle calculating circuit calculates the center of the image of the reflector from the azimuth signals and calculates an azimuth angle and an elevation angle of the target with respect to the measuring section from a displacement of the center of the image from the center of a field of view of the imaging element. A threshold value controlling circuit increases the threshold value when the number of picture element of the azimuth signals is greater than a predetermined value, but decreases the threshold value when the number of picture elements of the azimuth signals is smaller than the predetermined value.