Six DOF measurement aid module for determining 3D coordinates of points to be measured of an object surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11543240-B2
Application number	US-202117215638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2021
Priority date	Apr 1, 2020
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A six DOF measurement aid module for determining 3D coordinates of points to be measured of an object surface, comprising a laser tracker for determining the position and orientation of the six DOF measurement aid module. The six DOF measurement aid module has a body comprising an object coupling device with an object interface, configured to couple, via the object interface, alternatively both a handle to the body with a fixed pose and the body to a mobile platform with a fixed pose, a sensor attachment coupling device with a sensor interface-configured to couple alternatively both a sensor attachment effecting non-contact measurement and a sensor attachment effecting tactile measurement to the body with a fixed pose via the sensor interface, and visual markings, which are arranged in a defined spatial relationship in a manner forming a pattern in a marking region on the body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A six degree-of-freedom (DOF) measurement aid module for use in a system for determining three-dimensional (3D) coordinates of points to be measured of an object surface, said system comprising a laser tracker for determining the position and orientation of the six DOF measurement aid module, comprising:
a body comprising:
an object coupling device with an object interface, which object coupling device is configured to couple, via the object interface, alternatively both a handle to the body with a fixed pose and the body to a mobile platform with a fixed pose,
a sensor attachment coupling device with a sensor interface, which sensor attachment coupling device is configured to couple alternatively both a sensor attachment effecting non-contact measurement and a sensor attachment effecting tactile measurement to the body with a fixed pose via the sensor interface, and
visual markings, arranged in a defined spatial relationship in a manner forming a pattern in a marking region on the body and make the orientation of the six DOF measurement aid module determinable for the laser tracker.

2. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor attachment coupling device comprises:
a first coupling part with a first coupling part interface, which first coupling part is configured to couple at least one sensor attachment effecting non-contact measurement to the body with a fixed pose via the first coupling part interface, and
a second coupling part with a second coupling part interface, which second coupling part is configured to couple at least one sensor attachment effecting tactile measurement to the body with a fixed pose via the second coupling part interface.

3. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the interfaces provide a communicative connection between coupled sensor attachment and six DOF measurement aid module, and respectively between handle or mobile platform and the six DOF measurement aid module,
the six DOF measurement aid module is configured, for the purpose of determining 3D coordinates of points to be measured of an object surface, to provide to the laser tracker
coupling information relating to:
a coupled and a decoupled state as coupling state, and
the identification of a coupled sensor attachment, of a coupled handle or of a coupled mobile platform, and

measurement information,

and wherein the six DOF measurement aid module is further configured to display the pattern formed by the visual markings.

4. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 1 , wherein the six DOF measurement aid module comprises at least one sensor attachment from a group of sensor attachments comprising:
a. sensor attachments effecting non-contact measurement, and
b. sensor attachments effecting tactile measurement.

5. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 4 , wherein the handle comprises an actuatable trigger mechanism, which generates a trigger signal as measurement information upon actuation.

6. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 5 , wherein the six DOF measurement aid module is configured:
a. in the case of a coupled tactile sensor attachment, on the basis of a trigger signal generated by actuation of the trigger mechanism, to provide to the laser tracker coordinate information as measurement information for determining 3D coordinates of points to be measured of an object surface, and
b. in the case of a coupled sensor attachment effecting non-contact measurement, to continuously provide to the laser tracker coordinate information as measurement information for determining 3D coordinates of points to be measured of an object surface, wherein continuously provided coordinate information is marked on the basis of an actuation of the trigger mechanism.

7. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 4 , wherein:
a. the sensor attachment coupling device is furthermore designed to couple a sensor attachment to the body via an adapter piece, which is connectable to the sensor attachment with a fixed pose, in an orientation and position defined relative to the sensor attachment coupling device by the adapter piece, and
b. the coupling information furthermore relates to information concerning the defined orientation and position of the sensor attachment relative to the sensor attachment coupling device.

8. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 4 , wherein the six DOF measurement aid module is configured, in a state coupled to an automatically guided mobile platform with a collision prevention system, to provide coupling information via the object interface to the collision prevention system for preventing collisions within a movement space of the automatically guided mobile platform with coupled six DOF measurement aid module.

9. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 1 , wherein the visual markings are light spots.

10. The six DOF measurement aid module according claim 1 ,
wherein the body further comprises a reflector, which is assigned to the visual markings and makes the position of the six DOF measurement aid module determinable for a laser tracker.

11. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 1 , further comprising a feed for supplying the six DOF measurement aid module with electrical power, wherein the feed:
a. is provided via the object interface, and
b. is configured to feed the electrical power alternatively both via a battery power source and via a grid system power source.

12. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 11 , wherein the feed connects a power source to the six DOF measurement aid module via the coupled handle or via the coupled mobile platform and thus via the object interface.

13. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 11 , wherein the feed is configured to supply electrical power to:
a. the visual markings, and
b. sensor attachments coupled via the sensor attachment coupling device, and thus via the sensor interface.

14. The six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 11 , further comprising a consumer power regulating functionality with power supply display, wherein the consumer power regulating functionality
a. identifies a power source connected for the feed and displays the power source by means of the power supply display, and,
b. in the case of a connected battery power source, furthermore ascertains a charge level of the battery power source and displays the charge level by means of the power supply display and regulates the power consumption of the six DOF measurement aid module on the basis of the charge level.

15. A six degree-of-freedom (DOF) measuring system comprising:
a. a six DOF measurement aid module according to claim 1 ;
b. a laser tracker having a position and orientation determining functionality for determining a position and orientation of the measurement aid module,

wherein the laser tracker is configured to determine 3D coordinates of points to be measured of an object surface on the basis of:
c. coupling information relating to
a coupled and decoupled state of a sensor attachment, of a handle or of a mobile platform, and
the identification of a coupled sensor attachment of a coupled handle or of a coupled mobile platform,

d. measurement information, and
e. the pattern formed by the visual markings.

16. A computer program product comprising non-transitory program code fixed in a tangible medium which, when the latter is executed, instructs a computer or a plurality of computing units connected to

Assignees

• Leica Geosystems Ag

Inventors

• Fuchs Simon
• Moser Daniel

Classifications

• G01B11/002 Primary

  for measuring two or more coordinates · CPC title

• G01B5/20

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• G01B5/0002

  Arrangements for supporting, fixing or guiding the measuring instrument or the object to be measured · CPC title

• G01B21/00

  Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant · CPC title

• G01B21/047 Primary

  Accessories, e.g. for positioning, for tool-setting, for measuring probes · CPC title