Apparatus for determining a dimension of a selected surface of an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470519-B2
Application number	US-201214351073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2012
Priority date	Oct 11, 2011
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus configured to be used with a processing unit for determining a dimension of a selected surface of an object, the apparatus comprising i) a piece of stretchable fabric having a shape adapted to fit the selected surface of the object such that the piece of fabric stretches proportionally to the dimension of the surface when draped thereover; ii) a plurality of uniquely identified beacon devices disposed on the piece of fabric when unstretched in accordance with a first spatial configuration known a priori, where, when the piece of fabric is draped over and stretched by the surface, the beacon devices automatically shift position and form a second spatial configuration as a function of the dimension of the surface; and ii) electronic means for detecting the second spatial configuration and for generating data representing the second spatial configuration; where the processing unit is configured to receive data associated with the first and second spatial configurations and to determine the dimension of the surface as a function thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A measuring apparatus for determining dimensions of an object, comprising:
a stretchable material;
a plurality of uniquely identified beacon devices connected to the stretchable material, the beacon devices comprising:
a measuring means for measuring spatial configurations between the plurality of beacon devices;

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit receives the spatial configurations from the plurality of beacon devices thereby determining the dimensions of the object;
wherein the measuring means comprises a rotary encoder, the rotary encoder including:
a rotatable shaft;
a reel coupled to the rotatable shaft; and
a string, wherein a first end of the string is connected to the reel and a second end is connected to an attachment point on the stretchable material;

wherein the rotation of the rotatable shaft varies according to a distance between the beacon device and the associated attachment point;
wherein the processing unit calculates a distance value and an orientation value of the beacon device by measuring the rotation of the rotatable shaft;
the beacon devices are adjacent; and
wherein each beacon device includes a number of string loaded wheels equivalent to the number of adjacent beacon devices such that each pair of string loaded reels located within adjacent beacon devices are linked there-between by a common string extending from their respective wheels.

2. The measuring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the stretchable material is a garment having a shape adapted to fit a surface of the object; and
the spatial configuration includes:
a first spatial configuration representing a first position of a beacon device; and
a second spatial configuration representing a second position of the beacon device.

3. The measuring apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the beacon device has a first spatial configuration when the stretchable material is unstretched; and
the beacon device has a second spatial configuration when the stretchable material is stretched.

4. The measuring apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the spatial configurations between the plurality of beacon devices includes distance and orientation of each beacon device with respect to the other beacon devices.

5. The measuring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measuring means comprises a proximity sensor.

6. The measuring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the stretchable material further comprises:
a central communications device; and
a communications means connected to the plurality of beacon devices and the central communications unit;
wherein the central communications device:
receives spatial configurations from the beacon devices;
maps the spatial configurations among the beacon devices by which the configurations were generated; and
transmits the mapped spatial configurations to the processing unit.

7. The measuring apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the beacon devices include a storage means for storing the spatial configuration of the associated beacon device; and
the communications means is connected to the plurality of beacon device storage means.

8. The measuring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is a remote processing unit.

9. The measuring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spatial configurations comprise distance.

10. The measuring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beacon devices are arranged in an array.

11. A measuring apparatus for determining dimensions of an object, comprising:
a stretchable material;
a plurality of uniquely identified beacon devices connected to the stretchable material, the beacon devices comprising:
a measuring means for measuring spatial configurations between the plurality of beacon devices;

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit receives the spatial configurations from the plurality of beacon devices thereby determining the dimensions of the object;
wherein the measuring means comprises a rotary encoder, the rotary encoder including:
a rotatable shaft;
a reel coupled to the rotatable shaft; and
a string, wherein a first end of the string is connected to the reel and a second end is connected to an attachment point on the stretchable material;

wherein the rotation of the rotatable shaft varies according to a distance between the beacon device and the associated attachment point;
wherein the processing unit calculates a distance value and an orientation value of the beacon device by measuring the rotation of the rotatable shaft; and
wherein the attachment point includes a dump beacon device selected from among the plurality of beacon devices.

12. A measuring apparatus for determining dimensions of an object, comprising:
a stretchable material;
a plurality of uniquely identified beacon devices connected to the stretchable material, the beacon devices comprising:
a measuring means for measuring spatial configurations between the plurality of beacon devices;

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit receives the spatial configurations from the plurality of beacon devices thereby determining the dimensions of the object;
wherein the measuring means comprises stretchable string connected to an attachment point on the stretchable material;
wherein the processing unit calculates a distance value and an orientation value by measuring the tension of the stretchable string; and
wherein the attachment point includes a dump beacon device selected from among the plurality of beacon devices.

13. A measuring apparatus for determining dimensions of an object, comprising:
a stretchable material;
a plurality of uniquely identified beacon devices connected to the stretchable material, the beacon devices comprising:
a measuring means for measuring spatial configurations between the plurality of beacon devices;

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit receives the spatial configurations from the plurality of beacon devices thereby determining the dimensions of the object;
wherein the measuring means comprises a rotary encoder, the rotary encoder including:
a rotatable shaft;
a reel coupled to the rotatable shaft; and
a string, wherein a first end of the string is connected to the reel and a second end is connected to an attachment point on the stretchable material;

wherein the rotation of the rotatable shaft varies according to a distance between the beacon device and the associated attachment point;
wherein the processing unit calculates a distance value and an orientation value of the beacon device by measuring the rotation of the rotatable shaft;
wherein the attachment point includes a dump beacon device selected from among the plurality of beacon devices;
wherein the measuring means comprises a wire loaded reel, the wire loaded wheel including:
a reel;
an electrical wire, wherein a first end of the wire is connected to the reel and a second end of the wire is connected to an attachment point on the stretchable material;

wherein the electrical property of the wire varies according to the length of the wire between the beacon device and the associated attachment point; and
the processing unit calculates a distance value and an orientation value by measuring the electrical property of the wire.

14. The measuring apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the electrical properties include electrical resistance of the wire.

15. The measuring apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a central communications device;
a communications means connected to the plurality of beacon devices and the central communications unit;
wherein the central communications device:
receives the el

Assignees

• Univ King Saud

Inventors

• Alkhalaf Rakan Khaled Y

Classifications

• A41H1/02

  Devices for taking measurements on the human body · CPC title

• A61B5/6805

  Vests, e.g. shirts or gowns · CPC title

• G01B21/20 Primary

  for measuring contours or curvatures, e.g. determining profile · CPC title

• A61B2562/046

  in a matrix array · CPC title

• A61B5/1077

  Measuring of profiles · CPC title