Abstract: In detecting the time at which a rotating object passes a given angular position, a value range of an angular position sensor output signal which varies relatively rapidly with angular position acts as a trip threshold that, when exceeded, indicates the object has achieved the detected angular position. A relatively rapid change as a function of angular position is determined by reference to the functional dependence of the detection signal level on the angular position of the object. Assuming the sensor signal varies sinusoidally with the object's angular position, the ranges in which the level of the sensor output signal varies rapidly with angular position lie in the vicinity of the angular positions at which the sensor output signal crosses its own mean value, the threshold value being chosen near this mean value.

Abstract: A gyroscope, in one embodiment a ring laser gyro, is used in an alignment measuring device for checking and adjusting alignment of a vehicle. The device includes an “x” and a “y” digital inclinometer working in concert with the gyroscope to measure various angle related to vehicle alignment.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus are described which are used to identify a geo-referenced object. In one embodiment, a position determining component is used to determine the geographic position of a handheld electronic device. An azimuth determination component determines an azimuth from the handheld electronic device to an object. An incline measurement device measures the vertical angle between the handheld electronic device and the object. Finally, based upon the based upon the geographic position, azimuth, and vertical angle of the handheld electronic device a database is automatically accessed wherein a description of the object is stored.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the speed of a moving object is provided. A first acceleration along the moving direction of the moving object and a second acceleration along the lateral direction of the moving object are measured. A first angular speed along the lateral direction of the moving object and a second angular speed along the lower direction of the moving object are measured. The roll angle of the moving object using the second acceleration, the second angular speed, and a previous speed of the moving object in the moving direction of the moving object, and a previous road inclination angle with respect to the moving direction of the moving object are calculated. A road inclination angle is calculated using the calculated roll angle, the first angular speed, and the second angular speed.

Abstract: A calculator apparatus for calculating an angle of inclination includes a sensor apparatus and a calculator. The sensor apparatus has a three-axis acceleration sensor, which is used for resolving and sensing acceleration into a first acceleration component in a first axis direction, a second acceleration component in a second axis direction perpendicular to the first axis direction, and a third acceleration component in a third axis direction perpendicular to a plane formed by the first and second axes. The calculator compares absolute values of the first, second, and third acceleration components to calculate a first angle of inclination from one of the three acceleration components that is largest in absolute value and one of the remaining two acceleration components, and calculate a second angle of inclination from the one acceleration component that is largest in absolute value and the other of the two acceleration components.

Abstract: The invention provides an aspherical workpiece leveling method for leveling an aspherical workpiece mounted on a tilt correction table. The method includes three-dimensionally measuring a surface of the aspherical workpiece containing an extreme value; deriving a secondary curved surface from the obtained three-dimensionally measured values to obtain an extreme value of the secondary curved surface as a temporary extreme value; obtaining three-dimensionally measured values at three or more points from the surround about the obtained temporary extreme value; obtaining a plane defined by the obtained three-dimensionally measured values at three or more points; and adjusting the tilt correction table for leveling the obtained plane.

Abstract: An electronic inclination sensor is provided for the determination and display of surface inclination and the direction of such inclination. The information regarding the inclination and direction of inclination can be displayed such that an end user can readily and easily comprehend and use the information without additional interpretation. Further, when the inclination is displayed in decimal values, a large range of inclination angles can be displayed with significant accuracy.

Abstract: An apparatus used for notifying a user of a patient's upper body physical orientation. The apparatus uses an inclinometer that is attached in the region of the patient's upper body to measure the physical orientation of the patient's upper body, which is then transmitted to a display. In one embodiment, the display can be set to display a plurality of alarm conditions. In other embodiments the patient upper body orientation information is transmitted to a processor and then to the nurses' station or to a ventilator. The invention also relates to a method for measuring the physical orientation of a patient, using such an apparatus.

Abstract: A gyroscope, in one embodiment a ring laser gyro, is used in an alignment measuring device for checking and adjusting alignment of a vehicle. The device includes an “x” and a “y” digital inclinometer working in concert with the gyroscope to measure various angle related to vehicle alignment.

Abstract: A method for evaluation whether oscillations in a control process depend on static friction in an actuator. A signal from the actuator or the signal from the process is measured. The measured signal is signal processed for the purpose of detecting whether the measured signal comprises abrupt inclination changes. It is decided whether there is static friction in the actuator based on whether the signal comprises abrupt inclination changes.

Abstract: In a system for observing the ground based on various data items measured at one or more observation points by at least one measuring instrument, the measured data items are collected in a collection center, it is determined whether at least one of the measured data items is abnormal based on expert knowledge, a re-measurement instruction is given to the measuring instrument in a case where at least one of the measured data items is abnormal, and the measured data items are edited according to contract conditions for each user to generate measurement data for users in a case where it is determines that the measuring instrument does not malfunction as a result of re-measurement. Thus, the measurement data satisfying users' demands can be generated with good quality and high reliability, based on the measurement data items obtained at one or more observation points.

Abstract: A sensor system is mounted on a host for recording motion of the host over time. The sensor system includes a sensor pad having a surface with a positive slope away from a center of the surface, and a mass resting on the sensor pad. The sensor pad includes an array of pressure sensors for determining the location of the mass on the sensor pad. The sensor system can further include a memory and a controller coupled to the memory and the sensor pad. The controller can determine the motion of the host from the location of the mass and record the motion in the memory.

Abstract: A spirit level has a first inclination sensor, at least one second inclination sensor, and a display to represent an inclination for the at least one second inclination sensor based on an inclination for the first inclination sensor. The display may represent the inclination for the at least one second inclination sensor as an inclination relative to the inclination at the first sensor. At least one of the inclination sensors may have a changing inclination. In this case, the display represents the inclination for the at least one second inclination sensor based on the changing inclination. The inclination sensors may be movable with respect to a remainder of the spirit level. In this case, the inclination sensors may be connected to the remainder of the sprit level with a cable or high frequency radio links.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the determination of the inclination of the roadway in a vehicle, with an arrangement (4), for at least the indirect determination of parameters, which at least indirectly characterise the inclination of the-roadway. Said arrangement (4), for the at least indirect determination of parameters which at least indirectly characterise the inclination of the roadway, forms a construction unit (5) with a device (1) which may be operated by the driver for setting a driver command which alters or sets the driving state of a gearbox unit.

Abstract: An irradiation direction control apparatus 1 for a vehicular lamp has a vehicle height detecting means 2 for detecting change in the height of an axle portion of at least one of front wheels and rear wheels. The detecting means 2 sends irradiation control means 4 detection information representing the detected change in the height. The irradiation control means 4 calculates a moving average value of data representing change in the height of the axle portion or representing the pitch angle every predetermined time period, and subsequently obtains a second moving average value of the calculated moving average. Further, the control means 4 generates a control signal according to the obtained moving average value, and controls the irradiation direction of the lamp 6 so that the irradiation direction thereof is maintained at all times in a fixed direction.

Abstract: A Bragg grating inclinometer that includes an upper part, a lower part forming a pendulum suspended from the upper part by an articulation, at least two portions of optic fiber placed on either side of the articulation, the ends of each portion being fastened to the two parts, each portion being previously put under tension between the two parts, and at least one Bragg grating in one of the portions. Any variation in the inclination of a structure to which the upper part is fastened induces a stress on the grating, which then modifies a light propagating in the portion where it is placed. The variation in inclination is determined from the modified light. The inclinometer can be applied in particular to the surveillance of civil engineering structures.

Abstract: A spirit level has a first inclination sensor, at least one second inclination sensor, and a display to represent an inclination for the at least one second inclination sensor based on an inclination for the first inclination sensor. The display may represent the inclination for the at least one second inclination sensor as an inclination relative to the inclination at the first sensor. At least one of the inclination sensors may have a changing inclination. In this case, the display represents the inclination for the at least one second inclination sensor based on the changing inclination. The inclination sensors may be movable with respect to a remainder of the spirit level. In this case, the inclination sensors may be connected to the remainder of the sprit level with a cable or high frequency radio links.

Abstract: The three-dimensional orientation of a given object is determined. The given object may comprise an object having surface characteristics which provide poor contrast in representative images of the given object. In a specific embodiment, the object may comprise a golf ball. A model representation is obtained of a reference object, and a run-time image is obtained of the given object. From the run-time image, shape information is obtained for certain identified shapes collectively forming a subset of the visible shapes. The shape information is matched to a number of incremental poses of the model representation varying along three degrees of freedom.

Abstract: An improved set of calipers or dividers having a pair of measurement jaws for measuring the distance between points, a display, and a calculation module which performs calculations or retrieves values for any one or more of the following functions: scaling, nominal values, basic geometry, and complex geometry. The scaling function is performed in one of two ways: numerical input or a calculated scaling factor. The nominal values function displays the nominal value which corresponds to the measured value of any preprogrammed table of values. Common tables would include tables of drill sizes, wire gauge, sheet metal gauge, screw size, font size, paper weight, hole size, etc. The basic geometry function calculates geometric values based on one or more measured inputs. For example, the user can measure the opposite and adjacent legs of a triangle and the caliper will calculate and display the angle.

Abstract: To reduce a dispersion in a sensitivity of a magnetism detecting circuit driving, by current, a magnetism sensor comprising magnetism resistance elements in a bridge constitution to a dispersion in a sensitivity of a magnetism sensor. An electronic azimuth meter is provided with EEPROM and drive current set values are previously stored to EEPROM. The drive current set values are calculated by a predetermined calculation by measuring bridge resistance of a magnetism sensor of the electronic azimuth meter. In detecting magnetism by the magnetism sensor, CPU controls a sensor drive circuit based on the drive current set values stored to EEPROM. Thereby, the sensor drive circuit supplies a magnetism sensor with optimum drive current in accordance with a bridge resistance value thereof.

Abstract: A system for automatic headlight leveling control in a motor vehicle has two level sensors which are offset in the longitudinal direction for measuring the vehicle body pitch angle in the form of a level difference. An electronic control unit determines a desired value for the headlight adjustment as a function of the first derivative of the directly measured or further processed level difference. In one embodiment of the invention, electronic control unit determines a static level difference and a dynamic level difference, and the desired value is determined as a function of the first derivative or the second derivative of the dynamic level difference.

Abstract: A method for operating a position measuring system and a suitable position measuring system in which after the onset of measurement incremental signals relating to the relative position of two parts movable relative to one another are generated by the position measuring system and transmitted to an evaluation unit in serial form at predetermined sampling times. Beyond a known, defined absolute position of the two parts movable relative to one another, absolute position signals are transmitted in serial form to the evaluation unit at the predetermined sampling times. It is also possible to ascertain a differential position value from the position data, which indicates the difference, occurring in the preceding sampling interval, between the most recently determined relative position value and the first absolute position value.

Abstract: A trolley camera position detecting apparatus of the present invention is configured so that a girder camera is installed on a girder, a clinometer is installed to the girder camera, a constant value &dgr;o relating to a horizontal travel amount &dgr;g of a girder reference point is measured in advance by using the output values &dgr;cg and &dgr;kg, and on the other hand, the horizontal travel amount &dgr;g is calculated by using the output values &thgr;cg and &dgr;kg of the girder camera and clinometer, which are measured every moment, and the constant value &dgr;o, and the position of a trolley camera with the rail center being a reference is corrected by using the horizontal travel amount &dgr;g.

Abstract: A method for estimating a real function that describes a phenomenon occurring in a space of any dimensionality is disclosed. The function is estimated by taking a series of measurements of the phenomenon being described and using those measurements to construct an expansion that has a manageable number of terms. A reduction in the number of terms is achieved by using an approximation that is defined as an expansion on kernel functions, the kernel functions forming an inner product in Hilbert space. By finding the support vectors for the measurements one specifies the expansion functions. The number of terms in an estimation according to the present invention is generally much less than the number of observations of the real world phenomenon that is being estimated. In one embodiment, the function estimation method may be used to reconstruct a radiation density image using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan measurements.

Abstract: An improved set of calipers or dividers having a pair of measurement jaws for measuring the distance between points, a display, and a calculation module which performs calculations or retrieves values for any one or more of the following functions: scaling, nominal values, basic geometry, and complex geometry. The scaling function is performed in one of two ways: numerical input or a calculated scaling factor. The nominal values function displays the nominal value which corresponds to the measured value of any preprogrammed table of values. Common tables would include tables of drill sizes, wire gauge, sheet metal gauge, screw size, font size, paper weight, hole size, etc. The basic geometry function calculates geometric values based on one or more measured inputs. For example, the user can measure the opposite and adjacent legs of a triangle and the caliper will calculate and display the angle.

Abstract: A leveling rod for an electronic level has a plurality of bar-shaped marks disposed adjacent each other in a longitudinal direction along the leveling rod in parallel with each other and perpendicular to a length of the leveling rod. The marks are arranged at a constant pitch. The width dimensions of the marks in the longitudinal direction of the leveling rod are represented by a plurality of integers. A permutation of predetermined number of values chosen from a sequence of numbers made up of a sequential array of the ratios of the width dimensions is arranged to be different from a permutation chosen from any other portion of the sequence of numbers.

Abstract: A system for determining the spatial position and orientation of each of a plurality of bodies. Each one of the bodies has at least three markers in a predetermined, relative geometric relationship. The markers are adapted to emit energy in response to an activation signal and/or to reflect energy impinging upon such passive marker from an activatable energy source. A common energy detector is provided for detecting the energy emitted by the active marker and the energy reflected by the passive marker. A common processor is provided. The processor has a memory. The memory has stored therein the predetermined, relative geometric relation of the markers for each one of the bodies. The processor compares the stored predetermined geometric relation of the markers for each of the bodies with the energy detected by the energy detector to identify the bodies emitting/or reflecting the detected energy.

Abstract: An apparatus provides a correct image of the surface of an inner wall of a narrow red-hot coking chamber of a coke oven. The apparatus employs linear CCD cameras (LC2 to LC5). The cameras are arranged so that optical axes thereof obliquely cross the inner wall. The cameras are moved by a carriage (HSA) with a linear view field of the cameras being substantially in parallel with the inner wall. The cameras provide linear images while being moved. The linear images are combined into a two-dimensional image and stored in an image memory under the control of an image processing unit (11A). The image is read out of the memory and displayed or printed on an output unit (10, MOV, CPTR, PTR).

Abstract: An inclinometer for providing two different, direct readings corresponding to the angle of inclination of a worksurface includes a pair of parallel gauging surfaces engageable with the worksurfaces in first and second distinct positions. The inclinometer includes a body which defines the gauging surfaces, and a pointer is mounted to the body and is biased toward a predetermined orientation when either gauging surface is placed on the worksurface. The body carries two differently calibrated scales, one of which is oriented so as to interact with the pointer when a first one of the gauging surfaces rests on the worksurface and the other of which interacts with the pointer to provide a second reading when a second one of the gauging surfaces is placed on the worksurface. The scales may be calibrated to provide an angle reading and a pitch reading, and are preferably applied to a cover plate which overlies a cavity defined by the body within which the pointer is pivotably mounted.

Abstract: A measuring device capable of being used by physicians, veterinarians, and surgeons either pre-operatively, intraoperatively, or post-operatively to determine the actual size of objects shown in images made by x-rays (and other imaging techniques). The measuring device is electronic and can also be used to measure the angle between two objects whose images are shown. The measuring device can also be used to determine the proper size and shape of implants to be surgically implanted in a living body. The device can also be used to determine the proper size and shape for templates to be used to select an implant to be surgically implanted in a living body.