Patent ID: 8898923

Claim:
An electrically powered caliper, comprising: a scale member including a first measuring surface to be located against a workpiece during a measurement; a slider including a second measuring surface to be located against a workpiece during a measurement; a displacement sensor configured to provide a position signal responsive to changes in a position of the slider along the scale member; a force sensing arrangement located on the slider and configured to provide a force signal responsive to changes in a measurement force exerted on a workpiece by a user through at least one of the first and second measuring surfaces during a measurement procedure; a signal processing portion configured to receive the position signal and indicate a respective position of the slider along the scale member, the signal processing portion including at least a first operating mode wherein it is configured to: receive a force signal and determine a respective force corresponding to the respective position of the slider; acquire force data comprising a plurality of respective forces and corresponding respective positions of the slider; and define an acceptable measurement force range defined by at least a minimum force threshold that is determined such that it exceeds a compensation force corresponding to at least one force component included in the force signal that is independent of user variations of the measurement force.