Inspection program editing environment including real-time feedback related to throughput

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016298958-A1
Application number	US-201514682976-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 9, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system is provided for programming workpiece feature inspection operations for a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The system includes a computer-aided design (CAD) file processing portion and a user interface which includes an editing user interface portion and an execution time indicator. The CAD file processing portion analyzes an input CAD file to automatically determine workpiece features. The editing user interface portion includes an editable plan representation including an editable set of the workpiece features to be inspected. The execution time indicator is indicative of an estimated inspection program execution time for operating the CMM to execute a corresponding workpiece inspection program. The execution time indicator is automatically updated in response to a utilization of one of a first set of operations to modify the current workpiece feature inspection plan, so as to automatically indicate the estimated effect of the modification on the inspection program execution time.

First claim

1 . A system for programming workpiece feature inspection operations for a coordinate measuring machine, the coordinate measuring machine (CMM) including at least one sensor used for determining workpiece feature measurement data, a stage for holding a workpiece wherein at least one of the sensor or the stage are movable relative to one another, and a CMM control portion, the system comprising:
a computer-aided design (CAD) file processing portion, which inputs a workpiece CAD file corresponding to the workpiece and analyzes the file to automatically determine inspectable workpiece features on the workpiece corresponding to a plurality of geometric feature types; and a user interface comprising:
an editing user interface portion comprising an editable plan representation of a workpiece feature inspection plan for the workpiece corresponding to the CAD file, the editable plan representation comprising an editable set of workpiece features to be inspected; and
an execution time indicator that is indicative of an estimated inspection program execution time for operating the CMM to execute a workpiece inspection program corresponding to the current workpiece feature inspection plan as executed by a current CMM configuration; and
wherein a first set of operations is usable to modify the workpiece feature inspection plan and the system is configured such that the execution time indicator is automatically updated in response to a utilization of one of the first set of operations to modify the current workpiece feature inspection plan, so as to automatically indicate an estimated effect of the modification on the inspection program execution time.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the editing user interface portion includes a workpiece feature exclusion element usable to exclude a workpiece feature from the set of workpiece features to be inspected; the first set of operations includes a utilization of the workpiece feature exclusion element to exclude a workpiece feature from the set of workpiece features to be inspected; and the execution time indicator is automatically updated in response to a utilization of the workpiece feature exclusion element.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the editing user interface portion includes a workpiece feature inclusion element usable to include a workpiece feature in the set of workpiece features to be inspected; the first set of operations includes a utilization of the workpiece feature inclusion element to include a workpiece feature in the set of workpiece features to be inspected; and the execution time indicator is automatically updated in response to a utilization of the workpiece feature inclusion element.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the workpiece feature exclusion element and the workpiece feature inclusion element comprise the same element which operates to toggle between an exclusion state and an inclusion state for an associated workpiece feature.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the editing user interface portion includes a delete command usable to delete a currently selected workpiece feature from the set of workpiece features to be inspected; the first set of operations includes a utilization of the delete command; and the execution time indicator is automatically updated in response to a utilization of the delete command.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the editing user interface portion includes an undo command usable to undo a previously executed operation; the first set of operations includes a utilization of the undo command to undo a previously executed operation included in the first set of operations; and the execution time indicator is automatically updated in response to a utilization of the undo command.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the editing user interface portion includes workpiece feature sequence editing features usable to alter an inspection sequence of the set of workpiece features to be inspected; the first set of operations includes a utilization of a workpiece feature sequence editing feature to alter the inspection sequence; and the execution time indicator is automatically updated in response to a utilization of the workpiece feature sequence editing feature.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the workpiece feature sequence editing feature that is utilized comprises one of:
dragging a workpiece feature to a new position in a displayed sequence of the editable set of workpiece features to be inspected; cutting and pasting a workpiece feature to a new position in a displayed sequence of the editable set of workpiece features to be inspected; or utilizing an execution time reducing command that automatically re-sequences the inspection sequence of the set of workpiece features to be inspected so as to reduce the execution time.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the user interface includes a CMM definition portion usable to define or revise the current CMM configuration; the first set of operations includes a utilization of the CMM definition portion to revise the current CMM configuration; and the execution time indicator is automatically updated in response to a utilization of the CMM definition portion to revise the current CMM configuration.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the revised current CMM configuration comprises at least one of:
a revised configuration of the at least one sensor; a revised model or type of CMM machine; or a revised motion control parameter used by the CMM control portion.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface further comprises:
a workpiece inspection program simulation portion configurable to display a 3-D view including workpiece features on the workpiece and an indication of inspection operations to be performed on the workpiece features according to the current workpiece feature inspection plan; and a simulation status portion configured to characterize a state of progress through the current workpiece feature inspection plan corresponding to a currently displayed 3-D view, wherein the execution time indicator is included in the simulation status portion.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation status portion comprises a current time indicator that moves along a graphical total time range element to characterize a state of progress through the current workpiece feature inspection plan corresponding to the currently displayed 3-D view, and the execution time indicator is displayed in association with the graphical total time range element.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the execution time indicator is displayed in the vicinity of the right-hand end of the graphical total time range element.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the editing user interface portion further comprises:
a simulation status and control portion that includes the simulation status portion and a simulation animation control portion, the simulation animation control portion including elements that are usable to control at least one of a start, pause, stop or reset of an animated display of simulated progress through the current workpiece feature inspection plan as displayed in the 3-D view.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the simulation status portion further comprises a current time display displayed in the vicinity of at least one of the current time indicator or the total time range element, the current time display comprising a numerical time representation that is automatically updated corresponding to the current time indicator or the currently displayed 3-D view, and that further characterizes the st

Assignees

• Mitutoyo Corp
• Mitutoyo Europe GmbH

Inventors

• Yu Dahai
• Moch Thomas
• De Vlieghere Bart

Classifications

• G01B21/04 Primary

  by measuring coordinates of points · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G05B19/4093

  characterised by part programming, e.g. entry of geometrical information as taken from a technical drawing, combining this with machining and material information to obtain control information, named part program, for the NC machine · CPC title

• G05B19/4097

  characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence) · CPC title