Photometric apparatus and measurement control program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9494423-B2
Application number	US-201314389335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2012
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A photometric apparatus includes a photosensor portion that receives light and performs a measuring operation for acquiring predetermined photometric data relating to the received light, a tilt sensor portion that detects a tilt angle with respect to a predetermined reference plane, and a measurement control portion that determines a tilt state of the photosensor portion based upon the tilt angle, and executes a measurement control process for specifying the photometric data acquired by the photosensor portion as effective photometric data, when the tilt state satisfies a predetermined condition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photometric apparatus comprising:
a photosensor portion that receives light and performs a measuring operation for acquiring predetermined photometric data relating to the received light;
a tilt sensor portion that detects a tilt angle with respect to a predetermined reference plane; and
a measurement control portion that determines a tilt state of said photosensor portion based upon said tilt angle, and executes a measurement control process for specifying said photometric data acquired by said photosensor portion as effective photometric data, when said tilt state satisfies a predetermined condition.

2. The photometric apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
said photosensor portion and said tilt sensor portion are mounted on a plane parallel to said predetermined reference plane, and
said photometric apparatus includes a common unit having said photosensor portion, said tilt sensor portion, and said measurement control portion.

3. The photometric apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tilt sensor unit having therein said tilt sensor portion; and
a photosensor unit having therein said photosensor portion, wherein
said tilt sensor unit and said photosensor unit are connected to each other such that said tilt sensor portion and said photosensor portion have a predetermined physical positional relationship.

4. The photometric apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
said tilt sensor portion is mounted on said predetermined reference plane,
said tilt sensor unit further has therein said measurement control portion,
said measurement control portion determines a tilt state of said photosensor portion based upon said tilt angle and said predetermined physical positional relationship recognized beforehand, and
said measurement control portion controls said measuring operation of said photosensor portion.

5. The photometric apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
said tilt sensor portion is mounted on said predetermined reference plane,
a photosensor unit further has therein said measurement control portion,
said measurement control portion can acquire information of said tilt angle, and
said measurement control portion determines a tilt state of said photosensor portion based upon said tilt angle and said predetermined physical positional relationship recognized beforehand.

6. The photometric apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a measurement result display portion that displays said photometric data.

7. The photometric apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
said photosensor portion continuously executes said measuring operation,
said measurement control process includes a process of allowing said measurement result display portion to display said photometric data in the case where said tilt state satisfies said predetermined condition, and
said effective photometric data includes said photometric data displayed on said measurement result display portion after said tilt state satisfies said predetermined condition.

8. The photometric apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tilt angle display portion that displays said tilt angle.

9. The photometric apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a condition input portion that can set said predetermined condition by an external operation.

10. The photometric apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
said measurement control process includes a process of allowing said photosensor portion to execute said measuring operation, when said tilt state satisfies said predetermined condition, and
said effective photometric data includes said photometric data.

11. The photometric apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a photometric data storage portion that stores said photometric data, wherein
said photosensor portion continuously executes said measuring operation,
said measurement control process includes a storage control process of allowing said photometric data storage portion to store said photometric data in the case where said tilt state satisfies said predetermined condition, and
said effective photometric data includes said photometric data stored in said photometric data storage portion.

12. The photometric apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
said storage control process includes a process of allowing said photometric data storage portion to store said photometric data in association with said predetermined condition.

13. A measurement control program in a photometric apparatus including a photosensor portion that receives light and performs a measuring operation for acquiring predetermined photometric data relating to the received light; and a tilt sensor portion that detects a tilt angle with respect to a predetermined reference plane, said measurement control program comprising the steps of:
(a) determining a tilt state of said photosensor portion based upon said tilt angle;
(b) determining whether said tilt state determined in said step (a) satisfies said predetermined condition or not; and
(c) determining said photometric data acquired by said photosensor portion as effective photometric data, when said tilt state satisfies said predetermined condition in said step (b).

14. The measurement control program according to claim 13 , wherein
said photometric apparatus includes a tilt sensor unit having therein said tilt sensor portion mounted on said predetermined reference plane, and a photosensor unit having therein said photosensor portion, said tilt sensor unit and said photosensor unit being connected to each other such that said tilt sensor portion and said photosensor portion have a predetermined physical positional relationship,
said steps (a) to (c) are executed in one of said tilt sensor unit and said photosensor unit, and
said step (a) includes the steps of:
(a-1) recognizing said predetermined physical positional relationship; and
(a-2) determining the tilt state of said photosensor portion based upon said tilt angle and said predetermined physical positional relationship.

15. A photometric apparatus comprising:
a photosensor portion that receives light and performs a measuring operation for acquiring predetermined photometric data relating to the received light;
a tilt sensor portion that detects a tilt angle with respect to a predetermined reference plane;
a measurement control portion that executes a predetermined alarm process recognizable by a user, when a tilt state of said photosensor portion, determined based upon said tilt angle, does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

16. The photometric apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a tilt sensor unit having therein said tilt sensor portion; and
a photosensor unit having therein said photosensor portion, wherein
said tilt sensor unit and said photosensor unit are connected to each other such that said tilt sensor portion and said photosensor portion have a predetermined physical positional relationship.

17. The photometric apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein
said measurement control portion executes a predetermined notification process recognizable by a user upon a start of executing said measuring operation.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Yamanoi Yuta
• Yashiro Takehiro
• Ishida Kouichi
• Ochi Keizou
• Matsubara Noriaki
• Yokota Satoshi

Classifications

• G01C9/06 Primary

  Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means · CPC title

• G01J2001/4247

  for testing lamps or other light sources · CPC title

• G01J1/0266 Primary

  Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a photometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of the measurement area; Position tracking; Photodetection involving different fields of view for a single detector · CPC title

• G01B21/24

  for testing alignment of axes · CPC title

• G01J1/42

  using electric radiation detectors (optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10) · CPC title