GB2152659A - Device for measuring direction of acceleration and/or inclination - Google Patents
Device for measuring direction of acceleration and/or inclination Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2152659A GB2152659A GB08400757A GB8400757A GB2152659A GB 2152659 A GB2152659 A GB 2152659A GB 08400757 A GB08400757 A GB 08400757A GB 8400757 A GB8400757 A GB 8400757A GB 2152659 A GB2152659 A GB 2152659A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- measuring
- obscured
- acceleration
- inclination
- obscuring
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01P—MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT
- G01P15/00—Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
- G01P15/02—Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration by making use of inertia forces using solid seismic masses
- G01P15/08—Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration by making use of inertia forces using solid seismic masses with conversion into electric or magnetic values
- G01P15/093—Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration by making use of inertia forces using solid seismic masses with conversion into electric or magnetic values by photoelectric pick-up
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
- G01C9/00—Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
- G01C9/02—Details
- G01C9/06—Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
- G01C9/00—Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
- G01C9/18—Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels by using liquids
- G01C9/20—Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels by using liquids the indication being based on the inclination of the surface of a liquid relative to its container
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01P—MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT
- G01P13/00—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement
- G01P13/02—Indicating direction only, e.g. by weather vane
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
- Remote Sensing (AREA)
- Length Measuring Devices By Optical Means (AREA)
Abstract
The device comprises illumination means 3, obscuring means 1, 2 responsive to acceleration and/or gravity and adapted to obscure a part of said illumination means 3, the part of the illumination means which is obscured depending upon the direction of an acceleration or amount of inclination applied to the device, measuring and analysing means (4, 7, 8) adapted to determine which part of the illumination means (3) is obscured and adapted to determine the direction in which the acceleration is applied to the device. The obscuring means is preferably mercury in a cylindrical or toroidal container, the illumination means is preferably a plurality of light sources arranged around the periphery of a disc, and the measuring and analysing means preferably comprises a photocell 4, a microprocessor 7 and an LED display 8. The light source may be sequentially switched on and off. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
A device for measuring the direction of acceleration
This invention relates to a device for measuring the direction of acceleration.
According to one aspect of the of the invention there is provided a device for measuring the direction of acceleration comprising illumination means, obscuring means responsive to acceleration and adapted to obscure a part of said illumination means, the part of the illumination means which is obscured depending upon the direction of an acceleration applied to the device, measuring and analysing means adapted to determine which part of the illumination means is obscured and adapted to determine the direction in which the acceleration is applied to the device.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a device for measuring inclination from a horizontal plane which comprises illumination means, obscuring means responsive to gravity and adapted to obscure a part of said illumination means, the part of the illumination means which is obscured depending upon the inclination of the device, measuring and analysing means adapted to determine which part of the illumination means is obscured and adapted to determine the inclination of the device.
Advantageously the obscuring means comprises an obscuring medium, preferably a liquid, arranged between the illuminating means and the measuring and analysing means. The obscuring medium may be an opaque liquid such as mercury, or alcohol mixed with a dye.
Advantageously also, the illuminating means comprises a disc having a plurality of light sources disposed on a face of the disc, the light sources being disposed at a constant radial distance from the centre of the disc.
Preferably an odd number of light sources are provided, and each light source is a constant distance from its immediately adjacent light sources.
It is preferable that a switching device is provided for sequentially switching each light source on and off.
Desirably the measuring and analysing means includes a photo-electric cell which is adapted to measure the light it receives from each light source as each light source is switched on, and preferably also includes a microprocessor.
The photo-electric cell preferably is adapted to form a signal indicative of the intensity of light received from the illumination means, from which signal the microprocessor can determine whether the light source is obscured by the obscuring medium, unobscured by the obscuring medium, or partially obscured by the obscuring medium. The resolving power of the photo-electric cell and microprocessor may be sufficient to make possible the determination, to a high degree of accuracy of the proportion of each light source which is obscured.
Preferably display means are provided which displays the value of the direction of acceleration or inclination, calculated by the microprocessor. The display means may be, for example a liquid crystal display, or a light emitting diode display.
It will be appreciated that when the acceleration is due solely to the affect of gravity, the direction of acceleration is vertically downwards, so that the device can be used to measure inclination from a horizontal plane.
In this embodiment the microprocessor is provided with reference data concerning which light sources are obscured, unobscured or partially obscured when the device is arranged on the horizontal plane.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a device for measuring inclination comprising illumination means, obscuring means responsive to gravity and adapted to obscure a part of said illumination means, the part of the illumination means which is obscured depending upon the inclination of the device, measuring means adapted to determine which part of the illumination means is obscured and to transmit a plurality of signals representing this information to analysing means, said analysing means being adapted to compare signals representing the part of the illuminating means which is obscured when the device is at a horizontal plane, with the signals transmitted from the measuring means, in order to determine the inclination of the device from the horizontal plane.
Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a device for measuring the direction of acceleration according to the invention;
Figure 2 is an elevation of an illumination disc for use with a device according to the present invention;
Figure 3 illustrates one embodiment of an obscuring medium and the container therefor, according to the invention;
Figure 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of an obscuring medium and a container therefor; and
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention.
Referring to Fig. 1 a device for measuring the direction of acceleration is shown and includes a container 1 for containing an obscuring medium 2, the container being disposed between an illumination disc 3 and a light sensitive measuring device in the form of a photo-electric cell 4.
A front surface 3a of the disc 3 is illustrated in Fig. 2. A plurality of light sources 5 are disposed on the face 3a at a constant radial distance R from the centre C of the disc 3.
Each light source 5 extends about an arc of a degrees. Between each light source 5 there is a gap which occupies an arc of ss degrees.
The angle represented by a is known as the segment angle, and the angle represented by ss is known as the boundary angle.
Figs. 3 and 4 show alternative embodiments for the container 1. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the container 1 is of generally cylindrical shape, and in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 the container is of generally toroidal shape. The embodiment shown in
Fig. 4 has the advantage over the embodiment of Fig. 3 that less obscuring medium is needed.
A switching device 6 is provided for sequentially switching on and off the light sources 5. At any given instant only one light source 5, at most, is switched on.
The light sensitive measuring device 4 can measure whether a particular light source 5 is obscured by the obscuring medium 2. If a light source is only partially obscured, the photo-electric cell 4 can determine the percentage of a particular light source that is obscured. The photo-electric cell 4 can produce a signal indicative of which light sources are obscured, are not obscured, or are only partially obscured, and transmits this signal to a microprocessor 7. The microprocessor 7 can calculate the inclination of the device from the signal provided by the photo-electric cell 4.
The value of inclination can be displayed on an LED display 8.
It should be noted that calibration is provided between the switching device 6, the photo-electric cell 4 and the microprocessor 7.
In Fig. 5 the device comprises a generally cuboid container 9 having an LED display 8. a "start" button 10, a ''set memory" button 11, and an "auxiliary start" button 1 2.
The operation of the device for the particular application of measuring inclination will now be described. Firstly the device is placed upon the surface of which the inclination is to be measured. The obscuring medium 2 moves under the influence of gravity so that its upper surface 2a remains disposed along a horizontal plane. This causes different light sources 5 to be obscured by the obscuring medium from those light sources which would be obscured if the device was located on the horizontal surface.
The start button 10 can be pressed when it is desired to take a reading of inclination relative to the horizontal. After the start button 10 has been pressed the switching device 6 sequentially activates each of the light sources 5. The switching device 6 may begin, for example, by switching on the light source 5a.
The light from the light source 5a passes through the container 1 and is totally unobscured by the obscuring medium 2. The photo-electric cell 4 measures the light from the light source 5a and forms a signal representative of the presence of light which is transmitted to the microprocessor 7. The light source 5a is then switched off by the switching device 6 and the light source 5b is switched on. The light from the light source Sb which is received by the photo-electric cell 4, is partially obscured by the obscuring medium 2. Consequently, the photo-electric cell 4 forms a signal representative of the percentage of the light from the light source 5b that is obscured and transmits the signal to the microprocessor 7.The light source 5b is then switched off by the switching device 6, and the light source Sc is switched on. In this case the light from the light source Sc is totally obscured by the obscuring medium and therefore substantially no light reaches the photoelectric cell 4; a signal representative of the absence of light is transmitted to the microprocessor 7. This procedure is repeated until each of the light sources 5 has been switched on and the quantity of light therefrom measured by the photo-electric cell 4.
When all of the light sources 5 have been switched on and off, the microprocessor 7 analyses the information transmitted to it by the photo-electric cell 4 in order to calculate the inclination of the surface.
Part of the memory of the microprocessor 7 is programmed with information relating to which light sources are obscured, partially obscured and unobscured when the device is arranged on the horizontal plane. The microprocessor 7 can compare this information with the information provided by the photo-electric cell 4 in order to determine the angle at which the surface is disposed relative to the horizontal. When the microprocessor 7 has calculated the inclination, this value is dispiayed on the display 8.
The microprocessor 7 is provided with an additional memory which can be set using the memory set button 11. This additional memory is set by first placing the device at a predetermined inclination and then pressing the memory set button 11. The device measures which light sources 5 are obscured, partially obscured and unobscured, then stores information representative of this data in the additional memory of the microprocessor 7.
This facility enables the device to be used to determine the inclination of a surface relative to a plane other than the horizontal. Once the additional memory has been set the device can be placed on the surface of which the inclination is to be measured, and the auxiliary start button 12 is pressed.
The device operates in a similar way to that described above when the start button 10 is pressed, except that the microprocessor compares the information it receives with the data stored in the additional memory. Hence the inclination of the surface relative to the predetermined inclination is calculated.
It will be appreciated that further additional memories could be provided if desired.
Claims (27)
1. A device for measuring the direction of acceleration comprising illumination means, obscuring means responsive to acceleration and adapted to obscure a part of said illumination means, the part of the illumination means which is obscured depending upon the direction of an acceleration applied to the device, measuring and analysing means adapted to determine which part of the illumination means is obscured and adapted to determine the direction in which the acceieration is applied to the device.
2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the acceleration measured, is the acceleration due to gravity.
3. A device for measuring inclination from a horizontal plane which comprises illumination means, obscuring means responsive to gravity and adapted to obscure a part of said illumination means, the part of the illumination means which is obscured depending upon the inclination of the device, measuring and analysing means adapted to determine which part of the illumination means is obscured and adapted to determine the inclination of the device.
4. A device according to any one of
Claims 1 to 3 wherein said measuring and analysing means comprise a measuring adapted to determine which part of the illumination means is obscured and to transmit a plurality of signals representing this information to an analysing means, said analysing means being adapted to compare signals representing the part of the illuminating means which is obscured when the device is at a horizontal plane, with the signals transmitted from the measuring means, in order to determine the direction of aceleration or inclination of the device from the horizontal plane.
5. A device according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the obscuring means comprises an obscuring medium, arranged between the illuminating means and the measuring and analysing means.
6. A device according to Claim 5 wherein the obscuring medium is a liquid.
7. A device according to Claim 6 wherein the obscuring medium is an opaque liquid.
8. A device according to Claim 7 wherein the opaque liquid is mercury.
9. A device according to Claim 7, wherein the opaque liquid is alcohol mixed with a dye.
10. A device according to any one of
Claims 1 to 9 wherein the illuminating means comprises a plurality of light sources.
11. A device according to Claim 10 wherein the light sources are disposed at a constant radial distance from a centrepoint.
12. A device according to Claim 10 or
Claim 11 wherein an odd number of light sources are provided.
1 3. A device according to any one of
Claims 10 to 1 2 wherein each light source is a constant distance from its immediately adjacent light sources.
1 4. A device according to any one of
Claims 10 to 1 3 wherein the light sources are arranged on a face of a disc.
1 5. A device according to any one of
Claims 10 to 14 wherein a switching device is provided for sequentially switching each light source on and off.
16. A device according to any one of
Claims 1 to 1 5 wherein the measuring and analysing means includes photosensitive means to detect light from said illumination means.
1 7. A device according to Claim 16 where appendent to Claim 1 5 wherein said photo sensitive means is adapted to measure the light received from each light source as each light source is switched on.
1 8. A device according to Claim 1 6 or
Claim 1 7 in which the photo sensitive means comprises a photo electric cell.
1 9. A device according to any one of
Claims 1 6 to 1 8 where the photo sensitive means is adapted to form a signal indicative of the intensity of light received from the illumination means.
20. A device according to Claim 1 9 wherein the measuring and analysing means determine from said signal whether any particular light source is obscured by the obscuring medium, unobscured by the obscuring medium, or partially obscured by the obscuring medium.
21. A device according to any one of the preceding claims when the measuring and analysing means includes a microprocessor.
22. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein display means are provided which displays the value of the direction of acceleration or inclination.
23. A device according to Claim 22 wherein the display means comprises a liquid crystal display.
24. A device according to Claim 20 wherein the display means comprises a light emitting diode emitting diode display.
25. A device according to any one of
Claims 21 to 23 where appendant to claims 10 and 21 wherein the microprocessor is provided with reference data concerning which light sources are obscured, unobscured or partially obscured when the device is arranged on the horizontal plane.
26. A device for measuring the direction of acceleration, and/or inclination described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 1 and/or Fig. 2, or Fig. 3 or Fig. 4, or Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.
27. Any novel feature or features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08400757A GB2152659B (en) | 1984-01-12 | 1984-01-12 | Device for measuring direction of accleration and/or inclination |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08400757A GB2152659B (en) | 1984-01-12 | 1984-01-12 | Device for measuring direction of accleration and/or inclination |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8400757D0 GB8400757D0 (en) | 1984-02-15 |
| GB2152659A true GB2152659A (en) | 1985-08-07 |
| GB2152659B GB2152659B (en) | 1987-04-15 |
Family
ID=10554868
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08400757A Expired GB2152659B (en) | 1984-01-12 | 1984-01-12 | Device for measuring direction of accleration and/or inclination |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2152659B (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1988002100A1 (en) * | 1986-09-15 | 1988-03-24 | Notron Engineering Ag | Optoelectronic theodolite sensor |
| EP0530171A1 (en) * | 1991-08-28 | 1993-03-03 | SMET-AQUA, naamloze vennootschap | Device for measuring an inclination and/or detecting or measuring a variation in inclination or speed |
| WO1993018371A1 (en) * | 1992-03-12 | 1993-09-16 | Peter Desmond Horton | Angle sensor |
| US8277119B2 (en) | 2006-12-19 | 2012-10-02 | Vibrosystm, Inc. | Fiber optic temperature sensor |
Citations (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB570102A (en) * | 1943-02-23 | 1945-06-22 | Vickers Armstrongs Ltd | Improvements in apparatus for the gravitational control of photo-electric cells |
| GB1361888A (en) * | 1971-08-20 | 1974-07-30 | Dresser Ind | Motion displacement transducer |
| GB2018429A (en) * | 1978-04-10 | 1979-10-17 | Cwm Toit Beleggings Beperk | Acceleration monitoring systems |
| GB2065347A (en) * | 1979-12-13 | 1981-06-24 | Carlson Robert W | Deceleration warning system |
| GB2121961A (en) * | 1982-06-09 | 1984-01-04 | Jeco Kk | Angle change detector |
-
1984
- 1984-01-12 GB GB08400757A patent/GB2152659B/en not_active Expired
Patent Citations (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB570102A (en) * | 1943-02-23 | 1945-06-22 | Vickers Armstrongs Ltd | Improvements in apparatus for the gravitational control of photo-electric cells |
| GB1361888A (en) * | 1971-08-20 | 1974-07-30 | Dresser Ind | Motion displacement transducer |
| GB2018429A (en) * | 1978-04-10 | 1979-10-17 | Cwm Toit Beleggings Beperk | Acceleration monitoring systems |
| GB2065347A (en) * | 1979-12-13 | 1981-06-24 | Carlson Robert W | Deceleration warning system |
| GB2121961A (en) * | 1982-06-09 | 1984-01-04 | Jeco Kk | Angle change detector |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1988002100A1 (en) * | 1986-09-15 | 1988-03-24 | Notron Engineering Ag | Optoelectronic theodolite sensor |
| US4861981A (en) * | 1986-09-15 | 1989-08-29 | Notron Engineering Ag | Optoelectronic theodolite sensor |
| EP0530171A1 (en) * | 1991-08-28 | 1993-03-03 | SMET-AQUA, naamloze vennootschap | Device for measuring an inclination and/or detecting or measuring a variation in inclination or speed |
| BE1005207A3 (en) * | 1991-08-28 | 1993-05-25 | Smet Aqua Nv | DEVICE FOR MEASURING A SLOPE AND / OR detecting OR MEASURING A VARIETY OF SLOPE OF SPEED. |
| WO1993018371A1 (en) * | 1992-03-12 | 1993-09-16 | Peter Desmond Horton | Angle sensor |
| US8277119B2 (en) | 2006-12-19 | 2012-10-02 | Vibrosystm, Inc. | Fiber optic temperature sensor |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2152659B (en) | 1987-04-15 |
| GB8400757D0 (en) | 1984-02-15 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |