{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-10480929","patent":{"patent_number":"US-10480929","title":"Method and apparatus for following an operator and locking onto a retroreflector with a laser tracker","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2019-01-04T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2019-11-19T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["G01C","G01S","G01S","G01S","G01S","G06F","G06F","G06F","G06F","G06F"],"num_claims":7,"abstract":"A method for optically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to direct a beam of light from the laser tracker to a retroreflector with steps including: projecting a first light from a light source disposed on the laser tracker to the retroreflector; reflecting a second light from the retroreflector, the second light being a portion of the first light; obtaining first sensed data by sensing a third light, the third light being a portion of the second light, wherein the first sensed data is obtained by imaging the third light onto a photosensitive array disposed on the laser tracker and converting the third light on the photosensitive array into digital form; generating by the user, between a first time and a second time, a predefined temporal pattern, the predefined temporal pattern including at least a decrease in optical power of the third light followed by an increase in the optical power of the third light, the predefined temporal pattern corresponding to the command; determining by the laser tracker that the first sensed data corresponds to the predefined temporal pattern; and, pointing the beam of light from the laser tracker to the retroreflector."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Method and apparatus for following an operator and locking onto a retroreflector with a laser tracker","description":"A method for optically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to direct a beam of light from the laser tracker to a retroreflector with steps including: projecting a first light from","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-10480929","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-10480929","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Method and apparatus for following an operator and locking onto a retroreflector with a laser tracker\" (US-10480929). https://patentable.app/patents/US-10480929","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-10480929","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-10480929","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-05-30T09:15:57.431Z"}