Methods and ranging apparatus for positioning target object in target space

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of positioning a target object in a target space by means of a ranging apparatus, the method comprises: acquiring a first size parameter of the target space on a first dimension; acquiring a second size parameter of the target object on the first dimension; and determining a first layout indication according to the first size parameter, the second size parameter and a first predetermined rule, the first layout indication containing information regarding a first target position of the target object on the first dimension of the target space. By means of the method in accordance with the invention, a desired positioning of the target object in the target space by means of a ranging apparatus may be implemented, such as being placed at the center or being placed at a one-third aliquot point, thus implementing the object placement and layout in the object space.

1 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method of searching a positioning point in a target space by means of a ranging apparatus, the method comprising:
 acquiring, by the ranging apparatus, a predetermined rule which indicates a relative position between the positioning point and a reference point;   searching, by the ranging apparatus, the positioning point in the target space according to the predetermined rule and the reference point;   determining, by the ranging apparatus, whether the ranging apparatus is at the positioning point in the target space; and   outputting, by the ranging apparatus, a prompt signal when the ranging apparatus determines that the ranging apparatus is at the positioning point.   
     
     
         13 .- 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined rule is stored in a memory of the ranging apparatus or received by the ranging apparatus through its communication module. 
     
     
         16 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 acquiring, by the ranging apparatus, a first size parameter of the target space on a first dimension; and   determining, by the ranging apparatus, the reference point based on at least one of the first size parameter of the target space on the first dimension or the predetermined rule.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the reference point includes at least one of: a corner point of the target space on a first dimension, or an aliquot point of the target space on the first dimension.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the positioning point is at the center of the target space on a first dimension; or   the positioning point is at a m/n aliquot point of the target space on the first dimension, wherein n is a natural number greater than or equal to three, m is a natural number greater than or equal to one, m is smaller than n and m is not equal to n/2.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined rule indicates a first relative position between the reference point and a first positioning point and a second relative position between the reference point and a second positioning point, and the method further comprises:
 searching, by the ranging apparatus, the first positioning point and the second positioning point in the target space according to the predetermined rule and the reference point; and   outputting, by the ranging apparatus, the prompt signal when the ranging apparatus determines that the ranging apparatus is at the first positioning point or the second positioning point.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first positioning point and the second positioning point are on a first dimension of the target space. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the positioning point and the reference point are on a first dimension of the target space; and   the first dimension includes a linear direction and an arc direction, and the relative position between the positioning point and the reference point is represented by a linear distance and an angle.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein outputting, by the ranging apparatus, the prompt signal includes at least one of:
 outputting, by the ranging apparatus, an optical prompt through a display;   outputting, by the ranging apparatus, an acoustic prompt through a speaker; or   outputting, by the ranging apparatus, the prompt signal to a prompt device connected to the ranging apparatus.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined rule includes arranging a target object at the target space according to the positioning point, and the method further comprises:
 acquiring, by the ranging apparatus, a first size parameter of the target space on a first dimension;   acquiring, by the ranging apparatus, a second size parameter of the target object on the first dimension; and   determining, by the ranging apparatus, the reference point based on the first size parameter, the second size parameter, and the predetermined rule.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined rule includes arranging a target object at the target space according to multiple positioning points, and the method further comprises:
 acquiring, by the ranging apparatus, a first size parameter of the target space on a first dimension;   acquiring, by the ranging apparatus, a second size parameter of the target object on the first dimension;   determining, by the ranging apparatus, a first positioning point at the first dimension based on the first size parameter, the second size parameter, and the predetermined rule;   acquiring, by the ranging apparatus, a third size parameter of the target space on a second dimension;   acquiring, by the ranging apparatus, a fourth size parameter of the target object on the second dimension; and   determining, by the ranging apparatus, a second positioning point at the second dimension based on the third size parameter, the fourth size parameter, and the predetermined rule.   
     
     
         35 . A ranging apparatus, comprising:
 an analysis module configured to:
 acquire a predetermined rule which indicates a relative position between a positioning point and a reference point; 
 search the positioning point in the target space according to the predetermined rule and the reference point; and 
 determine whether the ranging apparatus is at the positioning point; and 
   a prompt module configured to output prompt signal when it is determined that the ranging apparatus is at the positioning point.   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the predetermined rule is stored in a memory of the ranging apparatus or received by the ranging apparatus through its communication module. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a size parameter acquisition module including a rangefinder or a ranging wheel configured to acquire a first size parameter of the target space on a first dimension;   wherein the analysis module is further configured to determine the reference point based on at least one of the first size parameter of the target space on the first dimension or the predetermined rule.   
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the reference point includes at least one of: a corner point of the target space on a first dimension, or an aliquot point of the target space on the first dimension.   
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the positioning point is at the center of the target space on a first dimension; or   the positioning point is at a m/n aliquot point of the target space on the first dimension, wherein n is a natural number greater than or equal to three, m is a natural number greater than or equal to one, m is smaller than n and m is not equal to n/2.   
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the predetermined rule indicates a first relative position between the reference point and a first positioning point and a second relative position between the reference point and a second positioning point;   the analysis module is further configured to: search the first positioning point and the second positioning point in the target space according to the predetermined rule and the reference point; and   the prompt module is further configured to output the prompt signal when the analysis module determines that the ranging apparatus is at the first positioning point or the second positioning point.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the positioning point and the reference point are on a first dimension of the target space; and   the first dimension includes a linear direction and an arc direction, and the relative position between the positioning point and the reference point is represented by a linear distance and an angle.   
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the prompt module is configured to perform at least one of:
 outputting an optical prompt through a display;   outputting an acoustic prompt through a speaker; or   outputting the prompt signal to a prompt device connected to the ranging apparatus.   
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the predetermined rule includes arranging a target object at the target space according to the positioning point;   the size parameter acquisition module is further configured to acquire a second size parameter of the target object on the first dimension; and   the analysis module is further configured to determine the reference point based on the first size parameter, the second size parameter, and the predetermined rule.