Automated and accelerated warm-up and stability check for laser trackers

• Main Authors: JOHN M HOFFER JR, PETER G CRAMER, KENNETH STEFFEY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.08.2014
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; NAVIGATION; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; SURVEYING; TESTING; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

A method for warming up a first instrument that includes providing an instrument measuring a first instrument temperature with the first temperature sensor at a starting time; measuring a first air temperature with the second temperature sensor at the starting time; determining a first profile based at least in part on the first instrument temperature and the first air temperature, the first profile representing an amount of first electrical current applied as a function of time, the first profile selected to provide a predicted level of instrument performance within a warm-up time; applying the first electrical current according to the first profile; and providing an operator at the starting time with a numerical value for the warm-up time of the instrument, wherein the warm-up time is based at least in part on the first instrument temperature and the first air temperature.