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Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining the position of a mobile body which is movable along a rectilinear path relative to a fixed reference body in which the position of the mobile body is independent of any spurious movements of the body or variations in the intensity of the source of radiation. In the preferred embodiment of the apparatus, an optical sensor includes a source of optical radiation integral with the mobile body and the intensity of which varies continuously in the direction of movement of the mobile body, two optical receivers integral with the fixed reference body and side-by-side in the direction of movement of the mobile body and directly facing the source of optical radiation without any interposed device, the optical receivers always being fully illuminated by the source of optical radiation, photoelectric diodes to transform the optical signals falling on the optical receivers into electrical signals of corresponding intensity, a subtractor and an adder to provide signals corresponding to the difference and the sum of the electric signals, a divider to provide a signal corresponding to the ratio between the difference and the sum of the signals and a comparator to compare the ratio signal with the contents of a memory in which the correspondence between the ratio signal and the position of the mobile body is stored.

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First Claim