Device and method for optically scanning and measuring an environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10070116-B2
Application number	US-201514712993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 10, 2014
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A method for scanning and measuring an environment is provided. The method includes providing a three-dimensional (3D) measurement device having a controller. Images of the environment are recorded and a 3D scan of the environment is produced with a three-dimensional point cloud. A video image of the environment is recorded. The video image is displayed on a first portion of a display. A portion of the three-dimensional point cloud is displayed on a second portion of the display, the second portion of the display being arranged about the periphery of the first portion of the display. Wherein a portion of the 3D point cloud displayed in the second portion represents a portion of the environment outside of a field of view of the video image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for optically scanning and measuring an environment comprising:
providing a three-dimensional (3D) measurement device having a first camera, a second camera disposed a defined distance from the first camera, a third camera, and a projector, the 3D measurement device further having a control and evaluation device operably coupled to the first camera, second camera, third camera and the projector, wherein alignments of the first camera and of the second camera to each other are adjustable to overlap a field of view of the first camera and a field of view of the second camera to provide stereoscopic images of objects in the environment;
recording images of the environment with the first camera and the second camera;
producing a 3D scan of the environment with a three-dimensional point cloud from the images recorded by the first camera and the second camera;
recording a video image of the environment with the third camera;
displaying the video image on a first portion of a display; and
displaying at least a portion of the three-dimensional point cloud on a second portion of the display, the second portion of the display being arranged about the periphery of the first portion of the display;
wherein the at least a portion of the three-dimensional point cloud displayed in the second portion represents a portion of the environment outside of a field of view of the video image,
wherein a scale of the image changes with a movement of the three-dimensional measurement device, the scale being a ratio of an area of the first portion of the display to an area of the second portion of the display.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the three-dimensional point cloud displayed in the second portion adjoins the video image continuously.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein a portion of the three-dimensional point cloud which is obscured by the video image is represented on the display by coloring the video image in a color which corresponds to a density of the points of the three-dimensional point cloud.

4. Method according to claim 1 further comprising displaying marks for recognizable structures in the environment that are represented on the display in the video image.

5. Method according to claim 4 wherein the density of the marks is a qualitative measure for a level of a registration of multiple 3D scans.

6. Method according to claim 4 wherein the recognizable structures are localized in the three-dimensional point cloud or in the video image.

7. Method according to claim 1 further comprising:
producing with the projector at least one pattern on an object in the environment; and
recording images of the object which include the pattern.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
producing with the projector at least one pattern on an object in the environment; and
recording with the third camera video images of the object in the visible wave-length range, while the projector produces the pattern in the infrared range.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the first and second cameras are sensitive to light within the wave-length range of the pattern.

10. A device comprising:
at least two first cameras arranged a predetermined first distance apart, each of the at least two cameras configured to record images of the environment, wherein alignments of the at least two first cameras to one another are adjustable to overlap a field of view of the at least two first cameras to provide stereoscopic images of objects in the environment;
a projector attached a predetermined second distance from the at least two first cameras;
a second camera arranged a predetermined distance from the projector, the second camera configured to record a video image of the environment;
a controller operably coupled to the at least two first cameras, the projector and the second camera, the controller being responsive to producing a three-dimensional point cloud in response to the images recorded in the environment; and
a display operably coupled to the controller, the display having a first portion displaying the video image and a second portion displaying the three-dimensional point cloud, the second portion being arranged about the periphery of the first portion, wherein the portion of the point cloud displayed in the second portion represents areas of the environment outside of a field of view of the video image, wherein a scale of the image changes with a movement of the three-dimensional measurement device, the scale being a ratio of an area of the first portion of the display to an area of the second portion of the display.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the controller is configured to change the color of the video image in the first portion in response to a determination of a density of points in the three-dimensional point cloud.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to display marks in the first portion in response to determining the presence of recognizable structures in the video image.

13. Method for optically scanning and measuring an environment comprising:
providing a three-dimensional (3D) measurement device having at least two cameras, the 3D measurement device further having a control and evaluation device operably coupled to the at least two cameras, wherein a first camera and a second camera of the at least two cameras are disposed a defined distance apart, wherein alignments of the first camera and of the second camera to each other are adjustable to overlap a field of view of the first camera and a field of view of the second camera to provide stereoscopic images of objects in the environment;
recording images of the environment with the at least two cameras;
producing a 3D scan of the environment with a three-dimensional point cloud;
recording a video image of the environment;
displaying the video image on a first portion of a display; and
displaying at least a portion of the three-dimensional point cloud on a second portion of the display, the second portion of the display being arranged about the periphery of the first portion of the display;
wherein the at least a portion of the three-dimensional point cloud displayed in the second portion represents a portion of the environment outside of a field of view of the video image,
wherein a scale of the image changes with a movement of the three-dimensional measurement device, the scale being a ratio of an area of the first portion of the display to an area of the second portion of the display.

14. Method according to claim 13 wherein the at least a portion of the three-dimensional point cloud displayed in the second portion adjoins the video image continuously.

15. Method according to claim 13 a portion of the three-dimensional point cloud which is obscured by the video image is represented on the display by coloring the video image in a color which corresponds to a density of the points of the three-dimensional point cloud.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein a portion of the three-dimensional point cloud which is obscured by the video image is represented on the display by coloring the video image in a color which corresponds to a precision of the points of the three-dimensional point cloud.

17. Method according to claim 13 further comprising displaying marks for recognizable structures in the environment that are represented on the display in the video image.

Assignees

• Faro Tech Inc

Inventors

• Hillebrand Gerrit
• Debitsch Rasmus
• Heidemann Rolf

Classifications

• G01B11/2545 Primary

  with one projection direction and several detection directions, e.g. stereo · CPC title

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04N23/635

  Region indicators; Field of view indicators · CPC title

• H04N13/167 Primary

  Synchronising or controlling image signals · CPC title

• G06T7/30

  Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration · CPC title