GB2397377A

GB2397377A - A measuring tool assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2397377A
Application number: GB0300901A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Reed
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-01-15
Filing date: 2003-01-15
Publication date: 2004-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-15
Also published as: GB2397377B; GB0300901D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a measuring tool assembly. The assembly comprising a signal emitter and signal sensor means, the signal emitter and signal sensor means is arranged to emit a signal from the tool to a wall and receive a signal from a wall to The tool, the signal emitter and signal sensor means is pivotable. processing means is arranged to determine a distance between the tool and two or more points on a wall.

Description

A SURVF.YTNC' TOOL The present invention relates to a surveying tool.

''r'he surveying tool is suitable for use in measuring dimen- sions of an inside wall of a room of a building.

in the past, when an architect needed to survey the inside dimensions of a room in a building, a tape measure was used. in the present day, in certain jurisdictions, if a tape measure is used two men would have to attend site due to health & safety requirements.

More recently, a single surveyor can take a digital measuring device to site and take accurate spot points.

However, this device only measures one dimension. i.e. a distance between two points on two walls. Collect- ing this information typically takes at least a day, and then the information needs to be transferred to a C.A.D. system. This unit immediately transfers site information to a drawing. Also, the device is designed to touch a wall, which inevitably leads to wear of the device.

ITS 4274735 ( in the name of the assignee Canon Kabushiki Kaisha of Tokyo, Japan) describes a known distance measuring device. 'l'he device has a light projecting means. Light is projected from the light project- ing means to a target. '(he concurrently reflected light from the target is received by a photoelectric light receiving means, which has a plurality of photosensitive elements independent of each other. The phoLosen- sit!ve elements are arranged in such predetermined distances from the above described light projecting mc.los as lie co respond to individual object. distances viifL'efent +'ror each other. i:'rv r The concar:ent si:a.e of ontpul of said photoelectric lig-Th' receivir! g matins there can be detected a distar,cc to the above described : . : - . ; ! ' : : : : :.:: .' i 1 target.

US 4522492 (also In the name of assignee Canon Kabushi!:i Kaisha of Tokyo, Japan) describes another known distance rneastiring device. l-he distance rneasri.lg device comprises a syste.n which projects infra- red rays on a distant o'ojec'., a hg,ht receiving optical system positioned at a prescribed base length from the infrared ray projecting system; a sensor of the signal storage type including an array of light sensitive elements arranged in a position which approximately coincides with the imaging plane of the light receiving optical system. A control means arranged to cause the sensor to perform a storing action under a first condi- tion ire which the infrared ray projecting system is allowed to operate and also tinder a second condition in which the infrared ray projection system is not allowed to operate, and digital computing means designed to detect a difference between output signals of every light sensitive element respectively produced under the first and second conditions and to detect a distance to the distant object on the basis of the results of detection of the difference between these signals.

Am aim of the present invention is to provide an improved measuring tool.

According to a tri-st aspect o+; the invention there is provided a measuring tool assembly comprising a signal emitter and signal sensor me;. ms, tile signal emitter and signal sensor rricans being arranged to end t a signal from the tool to a wall and receive a signal from a wall to the tool, the signal emitter and signal sensor means being pivotable, and processir;g teens being arranged to determine a distance between the tool and two or more points on a wall.

cccr ing lo a solo flu aspect Of the i:nve.i.; -t.^ere is crevidei rneas:!ri!-...c- too assurer bly co::-.prisin. a signal emitter and signal sensor means, the signal emitter and signal sensor neons being arra.-'gc ci to eriii. a ; i i signal flora Me tool to a Novell and receive a signal from a wall to the tool, the signal emitter and signal sensor means being rotatable, and processing means being arranged to determine a distance between the tool and two or rrlore poir Is or. a wall.

T he signal emitter Hind signal sensor rears may be in the To m of an infra red Light en:!it-,er and receiver.

Preferably, the measuring too! assembly Comprises two signal emitter and signal sensor mearl.s. The first signal emitter arid signal sensor means may be rot table/pivotable in one plane such as a horizontal plane or substantially so. The second signal emitter and signal sensor means may be rotatable/ pivotable about a second plane such as a vertical plane or substantially so.

The first signal emitter and signal sensor and the second signal emitter and signal sensor may be arranged so that they rotate in two planes transverse to one another. In one preferred embodiment of' the invention, two axis are orthogonal. This allows simple extrapolation of results when it is assumed that rooms are of uniform shape so that rather than take multiple sweeps to he sure of room interior dissension one just extrapolates the sweeps throne both scanners.

The device is a pivoted unit with the single infrared lens to create a radial sweep of' inforrration of the inter- nal dimensions of a focmlsFacc gSee diagram) The device may be manually or mechanically or electromechanical rotatable. Motors may drive shafts on which the scanners acre arranged. 'I'he device m.J be arranged to rotate in increments of, for e.xarnple betvveer ('.25 d.e;-fees arid 10 Degrees. Lois depends i-rgcly On the Occur cy reilui;-ed in the -.articulaf ap;!ication of the d /ice.

: ; : -I Where one scanner is arranged on a first shaft and a second scanner is arranged on a second shaft the two shafts may be operable one after the other to avoid any cross interference. where time is of importance it may be advisable to run them simultaneously.

This tool is ideal for architects, surveyors, property agents, interior designers, contractor / developers & services industry i.e.; mechanical ventilation.

The unit may be connected to a storage and/ or display means. if connected to a PC it can give drawings interpreted from a X,Y,Z file and save then for later use. This may done on site and gives immediate results.

Alternatively, unit is connected to a PC at a suitable later time.

The unit head is placed in a room strategically. This point is calibrated to be the origin point 0. From 0 all the radia! dimensions can be gathered as the beam sweeps in a 360-degree measure. The information is then collated at the PC on site or can be taken away. A PC on site (laptop/notebook) malces the process easier as site information can be checked straight away.

Once the information is sent to the PC the file created is a standard x,y, z survey file which is a standard in the industry. Most (.A.O. programs in the industry can read this file and automatically transfer the information to a vector based drawing.

Therefore the unit has taken a full inierrial survey of the internal building. This has many advantages; 1 '} 2: soda', a single surveyor can take a digital measuring device to site and take accurate spot points. This irforrmation takes at least a day, and then the information needs to be transferred to a C.A.D. system. This unit irr=ediately transfer site information to a drawing.

Aceordirg to a third aspect Lithe invention tl.ere is provided a l.ethud of neasur;-.g -Lhe interior dirmensioils of a scorn, CG=ptiSiilg providing a measuring tool assembly in accordance with the -Faust or second aspect of the invention, operating said tool by rotating or pivoting too] whilst scanning readings Readings may be scanned periodically or substantially continuously.

The unit can be moved in upward and downward directions so as to allow surveying of different altituLcs within a room. '['his allows discontinuities such as fircp'lace cavities to be mapped.

amounted on a tripod to vary the height of survey e; the walls may have openings at different heights, struc- turc impairing the line ot'vision of the infrared camera or that on oldcr/rnodern buildings the walls may lean out or in.

The r:uit's head once mounted on the tripod can be twisted to measure a vertical sweep rather the horizontal; this would have many functions; 1: to survey tne internal and external elevations ot'a building.

2: to survey the ceiling where awkward pipes and services arc difficult to reach (as well as taking away the cost of having scaffolding in order to get to the equipTr.ent in the first place).

Limitations: ' 1: there will be areas of an intemal room, which are out of 'he sphere of vision from the camera. This can be easily combated with a few points taken front within the room. All the individual surveys can be gathered in one C.A.L). file and overlaid lo check accuracy.

2: if internal room survey requires further spot checks to be made alig:ring drawings trill take time - however a lot faster then having to draw the survey front scratch 3: curved surfaces in space evils always require a t wo spot survey to complete a!1 arcs for the survey.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a measuring tool assembly comprising a image recording means, the image recording means being arranged to sense a distance between the tool and a wall, the image recording means being pivotable, and processing means being arranged to determine a distance between the toci and two or more points on a wall.

A measuring tool in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is plan view of a room of a building with a measuring tool assembly in accordance with the inven- tion located towards centre of said room, Figure 2 is Another plan view showing information produced by the measuring tool once a suitable drawing computer program has interpreted the x, y, z file, and igure is a section ta.!en along the line III-1 in Figure 2, demonstr sting a vertical sweep measurement.

- l

, ',. .' _ _ ' 2' ,;-, . '' :t, V.,.

As shover in Figure 1, the tool can be placed towards the middle of the flog' of the coo a. tool can be placed on tripod. tripod height is variable. In use, the beam sweeps in 360 degrees spin. This can be done more than once to check accuracy ot system.

Claims

a; D - I. I. Claims 1. a measuring tool assembly comprising a signal

emitter and signal sensor means, the signal emitter and signal sensor means being arranged to emit a signal *om the tool to a wall and receive a signal from a wall to the tool, the signal emitter and signal sensor means being pivotable, and processing means being arranged to determine a distance between the tool and two or more points on a wall.

2. a measuring tool assembly comprising a signal emitter and signal sensor means, the signal emitter and signal sensor means being arranged to emit a signal from the tool to a wall and receive a signal from a wall to the tool, the signal emitter and signal sensor means being rotatable, and processing means being arranged to determine a distance between the tool and two or more points on a wall.

3. a measuring tool assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the signal emitter and signal sensor means is in the form of an infra red light emitter and receiver.

4. a measuring tool assembly according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the measuring tool assembly comprises two signal emitter and signal sensor means.

5. a measuring tool assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first signal emitter and signal sensor means is rotatable/pivotable in one plane.

6. a measuring tool assembly according to claim 5, wherein the second signal emitter and signal sensor means is rotatable/ pivotable about a second plane. I; :

- 7 At, , ' N, , 7. a measuring tool assembly according to claim 6, wherein the first signal emitter and signal sensor and the second signal emitter and signal sensor are arranged so that they rotate in two planes transverse to one another.

8. a measuring tool assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first signa! emitter ard signal sensor rotate in a horizontal plane or substantially so and the second signal emitter and signal sensor rotate. in a vertical plane Of substantially so 9. a measuring tool assembly according to claim 7, wherein two axis are orthogonal. This allows simple extrapolation of results when it is assumed that rooms are of uniform shape so that rather than take multiple sweeps to be sure of room interior dimension one just extrapolates the sweeps from both scanners.

10. a neasurirlg tool assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein assembly is a pivoted unit with a single inrarcd lens which creates a radial sweep of information of the internal dimensions of a roomistructure.

a measuring tool assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the device is manually

rotatable.

12. a measuring tool assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the device is electromechani-

cally rotatable.

a measuring tool assembly according to claim 12, wherein motors drive shafts on which the scar nets are arranged. i

tI0 r. , . , 14. a measuring tool assembly according to claim 12, wherein assembly is arranged to rotate in incre- mentally of a predetermined number of degrees.

15. a measuring tool assembly according to any claim when dependent on claim 6, wherein one scanner is arranged on a first shaft and a second scanner is arranged on a second shaft, the two shafts being operable one after the other to avoid any cross interference.

16. a measuring tool assembly according to any of claims 1 to 14, when dependent on claim 6, wherein one scanner is arranged on a first shaft and a second scanner is arranged on a second shaft, the two shafts being operable simultaneously.

17. a measuring tool assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the unit is connected to a storage and/ or display means.

18. measuring tool assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the unit is connected to a PC to give drawings interpreted from a X,Y,7 file.

19. a method of measuring the interior dimensions of a room, comprising providing a measuring tool assembly in accordance with the first or second aspect of the invention, operating said tool by rotating or pivoting tool whilst scanning readings of interior of room.

20. a method of measuring the interior dimensions of a room according to claim 19, comprising scanning readings periodically. : i

: 1: ) ) l) ) \\ )i l 21. a measuring tool assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the unit can have means to be moved in upward and downward direction (e.g. an extension arm) so as to allow surveying of different altitudes within a room.

22. a measuring tool assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the unit can have means to be moved in a sideways direction (e.g. an extension arm) so as to allow surveying of different positions within a room.

23. a measuring tool assembly comprising a image recording means, the image recording means being arranged to sense a distance between the tool and a wall, the image recording means being pivotable, and processing means being arranged to determine a distance between the tool and two or more points on a wall.

24. a measuring tool assembly substantially as described herein with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.