US-12624947-B2 - Point determination and projection device

US12624947B2US 12624947 B2US12624947 B2US 12624947B2US-12624947-B2

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a point determination and projection device configured to automatically detect the location of a point of interest, such as a midpoint or other intermediate point on a surface, and to project light or another image onto such point of interest to indicate its location to a user. In accordance with certain aspects of an embodiment of the invention, the device includes remote distance measurement devices, such as laser distance measurement devices, that measure the distance to, for example, corners of a wall surface, and a digital protractor that measures the angle between the two remote distance measurement devices. Based on those measurements, a processor calculates the location of a predesignated point of interest, such as a midpoint or other intermediate point between the two wall corners, and projects a light or other image toward the location of such midpoint or other intermediate point to indicate such location to a user.

Inventors

Michael J. Miller
Leonard Jay Wantz

Assignees

GROOVE UNLIMITED, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230725

Claims (20)

1 . A point determination and projection device, comprising: a first angularly adjustable remote distance measurement device; a second angularly adjustable remote distance measurement device; a digital protractor configured to measure angles between said first and second remote distance measurement devices; at least one angularly adjustable light projection device configured to project an image onto a surface; and a processor having computer executable code stored thereon configured to: receive a first distance measurement from said first remote distance measurement device to a first point on said surface; receive a second distance measurement from said second remote distance measurement device to a second point on said surface; receive an angle measurement from said digital protractor; calculate a location of at least one intermediate point of interest between said first point and said second point based on said first distance measurement, said second distance measurement, and said angle measurement; and control said at least one light projection device to project said image onto said surface at said location of said at least one intermediate point of interest.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one light projection device comprises a laser line generator configured to project a line onto said surface.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said line projected onto said surface comprises a vertical line intersecting said location of said at least one intermediate point of interest.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one light projection device is fixedly mounted to a servo motor, and wherein said computer executable code is further configured to send a drive signal to said servo motor to automatically move said at least one light projection device to a calculated projection angle.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a housing, wherein said first remote distance measurement device, said second remote distance measurement device, and said at least one light projection device are each pivotably mounted within said housing for angular movement through arcs parallel to a top face of said housing.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising: a first manually operable control knob positioned on said top face of said housing and mechanically engaging said first remote distance measurement device; and a second manually operable control knob positioned on said top face of said housing and mechanically engaging said second remote distance measurement device.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one light projection device comprises a plurality of independently pivotable light projection devices, and wherein said computer executable code is configured to simultaneously control said plurality of light projection devices to project images at a plurality of calculated intermediate points of interest on said surface.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said plurality of calculated intermediate points of interest comprises one-third points along said surface between said first point and said second point.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said computer executable code is further configured to: receive distance measurements to additional points on said surface defining at least one of a protrusion and a hidden corner; and calculate said location of said at least one intermediate point of interest based on said distance measurements to said additional points.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mode selector in communication with said processor and configured to designate an operational mode from a plurality of operational modes, each operational mode corresponding to a different surface configuration.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said image comprises at least one of a spot and a line.
12 . A measurement and projection system, comprising: at least one remote distance measurement device angularly adjustable relative to a housing; an angle measurement device configured to determine angular positions of said at least one remote distance measurement device; a plurality of independently angularly adjustable light projection devices, each light projection device configured to project a line onto a surface; and a processor configured to: determine distances and angles to a plurality of reference points on said surface; calculate locations of a plurality of intermediate points of interest between said reference points; and simultaneously control said plurality of light projection devices to project lines onto said surface at said locations of said plurality of intermediate points of interest.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein each of said plurality of light projection devices comprises a laser line generator.
14 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising a housing, and wherein said plurality of light projection devices are independently pivotably mounted within said housing, each having an associated angular position sensor in communication with said processor.
15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein said processor is configured to calculate said locations of said plurality of intermediate points of interest to include at least a midpoint and at least one fractional point between said reference points.
16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein said processor is further configured to determine said angular positions of said plurality of light projection devices and to automatically move said plurality of light projection devices to aim at said locations of said plurality of intermediate points of interest.
17 . A method of determining and projecting intermediate point locations, comprising: providing a point determination and projection device comprising at least one angularly adjustable remote distance measurement device, a digital protractor, and at least one angularly adjustable light projection device; measuring a first distance to a first reference point on a surface using said at least one remote distance measurement device; measuring a second distance to a second reference point on said surface using said at least one remote distance measurement device; measuring an angle between measurements to said first reference point and said second reference point using said digital protractor; calculating, using a processor, a location of at least one intermediate point of interest between said first reference point and said second reference point based on said first distance, said second distance, and said angle; determining a projection angle for said at least one light projection device to aim at said location of said at least one intermediate point of interest; and projecting an image from said at least one light projection device onto said surface at said location of said at least one intermediate point of interest.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said image comprises a line, and wherein said projecting step comprises projecting said line perpendicular to a direction between said first reference point and said second reference point.
19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising: measuring distances to a plurality of additional reference points on said surface; calculating locations of a plurality of intermediate points of interest based on said distances to said plurality of additional reference points; and simultaneously projecting images at said locations of said plurality of intermediate points of interest using a plurality of light projection devices.
20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising: selecting an operational mode from a plurality of operational modes, wherein each operational mode defines a sequence of measurements corresponding to a different surface configuration; and prompting a user to manipulate said at least one remote distance measurement device according to said sequence of measurements for said selected operational mode.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-provisional application Ser. No. 16/165,652 titled Point Determination and Projection Device,” filed Oct. 19, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,969,223, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/574,508 titled “Point Determination and Projection Device,” filed Oct. 19, 2017 by the inventors herein, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to measurement devices, and more particularly to a portable device for remotely determining and projecting the location of one or more calculated points of interest on a surface located between two other points of interest, such as a midpoint or other intermediate points between two corners or other features in a building space. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A wide variety of devices have long been available for aiding in the measurement of various distances, including rulers, tape measurers, laser distance meters, and the like, all of which may be used to measure a straight-line distance between two given points in space. Other devices may likewise be used for measuring angles between points, such as both manual and digital protractors. In each case, a user operates the device by fixing it at a first point from which the user proposes to measure, and extending the opposite end of the measurement device to the opposite point to which they are measuring. In some situations, however, it may be quite difficult to use such straight-line measurement devices, such as when attempting to measure the distance between two features or the dimensions of features that do not have clearly defined borders or edges. By way of non-limiting example, in various construction and space planning applications it may be desirable to determine and display the midpoint or such other point of interest, such as a one-third-point, a one-quarter-point, etc. of a feature, such as a wall. While a planner might use prior known, straight-line measurement devices to determine the overall length between the endpoints of the wall, then calculate the midpoint or other intermediate point of interest of that measurement, and then re-measure from one of the endpoints to mark or otherwise denote the location of that calculated point of interest, this process is more difficult in cases where obstructions or oddly shaped corners do not yield clearly defined endpoints. Thus, there remains a need in the art for a measurement device allowing the easy determination and indication of a point (or line) of interest between two points in space, such as the determination and indication of a midpoint (or midline) between two endpoints of a wall or other surface. Moreover, there remains a need in the art for such a measurement device that is portable and that may be used from a stationary point in space so as to avoid the need of the user to manually move from location to location to collect measurements. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Disclosed herein are devices and methods configured to address one or more of the above described disadvantages of the prior art. However, achieving the above purposes and/or benefits is not a necessary feature to each of the exemplary embodiments, and the claims herein may recite subject matter that does not achieve the above stated purposes. Disclosed herein is a point determination and projection device configured to automatically detect the location of a point of interest, such as a midpoint or other calculated intermediate point on a surface, and to project light or another image onto such point of interest to indicate its location to a user. In accordance with certain aspects of an embodiment of the invention, the device includes remote distance measurement devices, such as laser distance measurement devices, that measure the distance to, for example, corners of a wall surface, and a digital protractor that measures the angle between the two remote distance measurement devices. Based on those measurements, a processor calculates the location of a predesignated point of interest, such as a midpoint between the two wall corners, and projects a light or other image toward the location of such midpoint to indicate such location to a user. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the point determination and projection device may detect and display such midpoint or other intermediate point of interest even for walls or other structures that have abnormal or uneven terminal edges. Further, in certain configurations, multiple calculated intermediate points of interest (e.g., lines at every one-third-point along the surface) may simultaneously be displayed by the point determination and projection device. In accordance with certain aspects of an embodiment of the invention, a point determination and projection device is provided, comprising: at least one angularly adjustable, remote distance measurement device; a digital pr