Handheld measuring instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9689652-B2
Application number	US-201314419896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2013
Priority date	Aug 8, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a handheld measurement instrument and a configurator forming a measurement kit. The measuring instrument and the configurator are provided each with an interface, enabling communication between the measuring instrument and the configurator. The handheld measurement instrument further comprises a measuring unit for measuring distances or angles of an object by contacting physically distinct points of said object; and a circuit unit applying a function of a functionality on electronic signals/electronic measurement results delivered from the measuring unit in order to deliver the measuring results in a desired form to the user by output means. The form the results should be presented can be selected by the user using input means of the measuring instrument. The circuit unit is configurable by the user using the configurator in order to determine, with which functionality the circuit unit and the input means, respectively should be equipped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handheld measurement instrument comprising:
a measuring unit for measuring distances or angles of an object by contacting physically distinct points of said object, said measuring unit is configured for delivering an according electronic measurement signal to a connected circuit unit;
the circuit unit being configured to transform the measurement signal into a measurement result and for delivering the measurement result to a user by output means, wherein the circuit unit being configured for applying at least one function of a functionality stored in storage means of the measuring instrument to the measurement result in order to present the measurement result in a desired form; and
input means enabling the user to select a distinct functionality and/or a distinct function of a functionality; wherein:
the measuring instrument is provided with an interface enabling communication between the circuit unit of the measurement instrument and an external configurator; and
the circuit unit is configurable by the user using the external configurator in order to determine, with which functionality the circuit unit and the input means, respectively should be equipped, such that only the actually required functionality or functionalities are equipped to the circuit unit and the input means, respectively, adapted to the current measurement and/or the predilection of a particular user.

2. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein:
the input means is a single button placed in a sealed way in a casing of the measuring instrument, so that liquids and dirt is prevented to enter the measuring instrument.

3. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein:
the input means comprises at least one of the group consisting of: push button or tappet switch, a capacitive button, a capacitive push-button, a capacitive 8-way switch, a capacitive slider, a capacitive wheel, a capacitive keypad, and a capacitive touch screen.

4. The measuring instrument according to claim 3 , wherein the push button or tappet switch is made of an elastomer.

5. The measuring instrument according to claim 3 , wherein the push button or tappet switch is covered by a foil.

6. The measuring instrument according to claim 3 , wherein foil covers a whole front of the handheld instrument where the button is located.

7. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein:
the input means and the circuit unit, respectively are configurable and/or programmable with additional functionalities and/or programs by using communication between the circuit unit and the external configurator via the interface.

8. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sound generator and storage means to store sound files loadable by the user using the external configurator;
wherein the circuit unit is programmable by the user as a voice generator and a program “voice generator” is applicable to the input means both by means of the external configurator.

9. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source, wherein the input means and the circuit unit, respectively are programmable with a “light source” program by the user using the external configurator.

10. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera to take digital images;
a storage means to store the digital images; and
an image-transfer interface for sending the digital images to an external electronic unit, wherein the input means and the circuit unit, respectively are programmable by the user with a “camera” program by means of the external configurator.

11. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring instrument comprises at least one of the group comprising:
a digital caliper,
an outside micrometer screw, and
an inside micrometer screw.

12. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein functionalities are software applicable on the measurement results or measurement signals in order to present the measurement result in a desired way, and a functionality selectable for configuration the circuit unit and input means are at least one of the group comprising: unit, resolution, collect data, analysing data, automatic minimum, automatic maximum, go/no-go tolerance, store minimum, store maximum, set reference; store current data, start calibration.

13. An external configurator, which is a physically separate element, external to the measurement instrument of claim 1 , comprising:
an internal storage means for storing software comprising programs and functionalities to configure or program a handheld measuring instrument according to claim 1 ;
a circuitry managing download from an external storage unit;
an interface to communicate with that external storage means; and
a communication interface to communicate with a circuit unit of the handheld measuring instrument in order to equip the input means and the circuit unit, respectively of said handheld measuring instrument with the according functionalities and/or programs.

14. The configurator according to claim 13 , wherein the circuitry manages upload of the software to the external storage unit.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more programs and/or functionalities for a handheld measuring device according to claim 1 .

16. A measurement kit comprising the handheld measuring instrument and the external configurator according to claim 11 .

17. The measurement kit according to claim 16 , comprising:
a computer program product storage medium.

18. A method comprising:
connecting a handheld measuring instrument and an external configurator by means of their interfaces,
selecting one or more functionalities and/or programs adapted to the current measurement and/or predilection of a particular user and instructing the configurator to configure or program the handheld measuring instrument accordingly with the selected functionality/functionalities and/or program/programs;
waiting until the configurator has accomplished the configuration and/or programming of the circuit unit and the input means of the handheld measuring instrument, so that they are equipped only with the selected actually desired functionality/functionalities and/or program/programs
carrying out the measurement by using the selected functionality/functionalities and/or program/programs by using the accordingly configured/programmed input means of the handheld measuring instrument
achieving the measurement result in the desired form.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein additional functionalities and/or programs are downloaded from an external storage means to internal storage means of the configurator by means of a communication interface of the configurator and then are disposable for configuring/programming the handheld measuring instrument.

20. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring instrument is equipped with a movement sensor, in particular a multi axis acceleration sensor, wherein the on/off function of the handheld measuring instrument is implemented by sensing the movement of the handheld measuring instrument by the movement sensor.

21. The measuring instrument according to claim 7 , wherein a program is an additional software usable independently of the measurement results/measurement signal enabling additional features, the program may be at least one of the group consisting of a light source, a voice generator, and a

Assignees

• Hexagon Technology Ct Gmbh

Inventors

• Jordil Pascal

Classifications

• G01B2210/58

  Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit · CPC title

• G01B3/002

  Details · CPC title

• G01B3/205

  provided with a counter for digital indication of the measured dimension · CPC title

• G01B3/18 Primary

  Micrometers · CPC title

• G01B21/047

  Accessories, e.g. for positioning, for tool-setting, for measuring probes · CPC title