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.

Date of Patent:
Nov. 09, 2004

Filed:

Jan. 10, 2003
Applicant:
Inventor:

Don Odell, Milton, VT (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01C 2/102 ; G01C 2/124 ; G01J 1/20 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01C 2/102 ; G01C 2/124 ; G01J 1/20 ;
Abstract

In a first embodiment, a single linear array of bi-cell optical detectors is arranged with each bi-cell optical detector having a rectangular aperture located a prescribed distance above the surface of the bi-cell optical detector. In the first embodiment, in calculating the position of a point source emitter, it is understood that each detector receives light from the point source emitter at a unique angle different from the angles at which the other detectors receive light from the point source emitter. A plot of detector ratios is made by taking the best fit line through the ratios from each detector and the location of the point where the detector ratio is zero yields the point of perpendicularity between the emitter and the linear detector array. Another embodiment contemplates a three dimensional detector having three linear arrays of bi-cell detectors arranged at the periphery of a measuring space mutually orthogonal to one another. Calculation of the x, y and z intercepts through calculations of lines of regression or planar intercepts allows one to calculate the x, y and z coordinates of the point source emitter.


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