The novel miniaturized inclinometer for angle measurement with accurate measurement indicator is designed to monitor the angular motion of limbs. The device contains at least one inclinometer with signal conditioning electronics, including a microprocessor, placed within a miniature housing. A number of different sensors can be used and positioned in their housings so that their outputs vary as a function of their angle with respect to the gravity sector. The microprocessor controls a multiplexer, which controls the activities of the sensors; performs analog to digital conversions and measures the output curves from the sensor pairs to perform a conversion which results in a three hundred and sixty degree range with respect to gravity. Calibration data is stored in a read only memory and the microprocessor corrects variables to ensure accuracy and measures the difference in angle between the pairs of sensors.
A processing device embodied in an integrated circuit may be divided into first and second functional units. A mount for the integrated circuit may be assigned to the first functional unit, which may define the external electrical connections of the processing device. Processing may take place in a second functional unit of the processing device, whose essential connections may normally be accessible from outside via the external connections of the first functional unit. The processor device having first and second functional units in a mount may be similar to a hybrid circuit but may serve a different purpose. The first functional unit, which may also comprise more than one monolithic integrated circuit, may define the external connections and may make available suitable matching circuits for the second functional unit. In this manner, the processing device, which may be contained in the second functional unit and may also comprise more than one monolithic integrated circuit, may be considered to be "masked" as viewed from outside. In addition to the matching circuits, the first functional unit may contain subcircuits performing more general functions, such as oscillators, supply voltage regulator circuits, buffer circuits, protective circuits, etc.
Electronic devices are provided to measure the angle between two arbitrary surfaces, using the local direction of gravity as an absolute direction reference. One case is an electronic device to measure the angle between the keel of a rowing shell and the oarlock pin.
A handheld measurement device of an embodiment of the invention includes a distance measurement engine and an angular position measurement engine. A controller controls the distance measurement engine and associates an elevation, azimuth position, or relative angular position from the angular position measurement engine with distance measurements taken from the elevation engine. In preferred operations, each point measured from a target under the control of a user is automatically associated with an elevation and/or azimuth position obtained from the angular position engine. Preferably, the controller determines a set of relative coordinates in space for a plurality of related target points. The controller may then calculate a variety of useful distances, areas, volumes, etc., regarding the plurality of target points.
Improved apparatus and methods of sensing or monitoring body orientation and motion and measuring range of motion (ROM) for use in athletic training and physical rehabilitation and evaluation. The apparatus includes a 3-axis sensor, at least one memory, and at least one processor, and is attachable to an object to be monitored. The 3-axis sensor senses a magnitude of tilt along each of a first, second, and third axis, the memory stores data representing the sensed magnitudes of tilt, and the processor processes the data stored in the memory. In one embodiment, the processor determines an angle between each of the first, second, and third axes and a horizontal plane, and selects the two axes corresponding to the two smallest angles between the three axes and the horizontal plane. The processor then generates an indication of the orientation of the object based upon the sensed magnitudes of tilt along the two selected axes.
