SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING RELATIVE POSITIONS AND/OR ORIENTATIONS OF TWO OBJECTS, AS WELL AS BEAM GUIDANCE DEVICE, INTERFEROMETER DEVICE AND DEVICE FOR CHANGING OPTICAL PATH LENGTH USED IN THE SYSTEM AND THE METHOD

• Main Authors: SPIEWECK MICHAEL, GUMBRELL EDWARD, HOELLER FRANK, WERNER JUERGEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.02.2009
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TESTING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system and a method for measuring relative positions of two objects. SOLUTION: The system includes a coherent radiation source 43, a beam guidance device for providing a measuring beam to a measuring branch 49, a radiation intensity sensor 65 for measuring the intensity of coherent superimposition of radiations, after passing through the measuring branch 49, and a calculator 67, in response to a measurement signal from the sensor 65 for detecting the optical path length of the branch 49 to detect the relative positional relation of the two objects. The measuring branch 49 includes at least one emitter for emitting the radiation between the two objects to the branch 49 and is capable of being mounted on the first object, and at least one receiver 18 mounted on the first object for receiving radiation reflected to return by at least three retro-reflectors 19, mounted on the second object and supplying the radiation to the radiation intensity sensor 65. The receiver 18 emits radiation so that at least three retro-reflectors 19 are included. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT