System and method of scanning an environment and generating two dimensional images of the environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018285482-A1
Application number	US-201715713931-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Oct 4, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method of generating a two-dimensional (2D) image of an environment is provided. The system includes a housing having a body and a handle. A 2D scanner is disposed in the body and has a light source, an image sensor and a controller, the light source steers a beam of light within a first plane to illuminate object points in the environment. The image sensor is arranged to receive light reflected from the object points and the controller determines a distance value to at least one of the object points. An inertial measurement unit is provided having a 3D accelerometer and a 3D gyroscope. One or more processors are responsive to executable instructions for generating a 2D image of the environment in response to an activation signal from an operator and based at least in part on the distance values and the signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system of generating a two-dimensional (2D) image of an environment, the system comprising:
a housing having a body and a handle, the housing being sized to be carried by a single person during operation, the body having a first plane extending therethrough; a 2D scanner disposed in the body and having a light source, an image sensor and a controller, the light source steers a beam of light within the first plane to illuminate object points in the environment, the image sensor is arranged to receive light reflected from the object points, the controller being operable to determine a distance value to at least one of the object points; an inertial measurement unit disposed in the housing and having a three-dimensional accelerometer and a three-dimension gyroscope, the inertial measurement unit generating a signal in response a change in position or orientation of the housing; and one or more processors operably coupled to the inertial measurement unit and the 2D scanner, the one or more processors being responsive to executable instructions for generating a 2D image of the environment in response to an activation signal from an operator and based at least in part on the distance value and the signal.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a haptic feedback device disposed within the handle and operably coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are responsive for activating the haptic feedback device in response to the signal indicating the orientation has crossed a variance threshold.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a laser projector coupled to the body, the laser projector having a second light source that emits in operation a visible beam of light in a second plane parallel to the first plane.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a portable computing device having a second image sensor, the portable computing device being coupled for communication to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are responsive to merge a first image from the portable computing device into the 2D image of the environment in response to the image being acquired by the second image sensor, a first position of the first image on the 2D image corresponding a second position in the environment where the first image is acquired.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the body further comprises:
a planar bottom wall, the one or more processors being disposed adjacent the bottom wall; a plurality of intake vents extending through the bottom wall, each of the plurality of intake vents having a first opening extending through a bottom surface of the body adjacent the 2D scanner and a second opening adjacent the one or more processors; and a plurality of exhaust vents extending through a side of the body on an opposite side of the one or more processors from the second opening.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a three-dimensional camera disposed in the body, the three-dimensional camera being operably coupled to the one or more processors.

7 . A method for generating a two-dimensional (2D) image of an environment, the method comprising:
moving a measurement device to a plurality of registration positions in the environment, the measurement device having a 2D scanner, an inertial measurement unit and is sized and weighted to be carried by a single operator, the 2D scanner being configured to sweep a beam of light in a horizontal plane, the inertial measurement unit being configured to determine movement and orientation of the measurement device, the plurality of registration positions including a first registration position and a second registration position; obtaining by the 2D scanner a first plurality of 2D scan sets while the measurement device moves from the first registration position to the second registration position, each of the first plurality of 2D scan sets being a set of 2D coordinates of points in the environment, each of the first plurality of 2D scan sets being collected by the 2D scanner at a different position relative to the first registration position; determining for the measurement device a first translation value corresponding to a first translation direction, a second translation value corresponding to a second translation direction, a first rotation value corresponding to a first orientational axis, and a second rotation value corresponding to a second orientational axis, wherein the first translation value, the second translation value, the first rotation value and the second rotation value are determined based at least in part on measurements of movement and orientation by the inertial measurement unit; and generating a 2D image of the environment based at least in part on the plurality of 2D scans, the first translation value, the first translation direction, the second translation value, the second translation direction, the first rotation value, and the second rotation value.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising actuating a haptic feedback device in the measurement device in response to the second rotation value crossing a predetermined threshold.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
emitting a visible laser light beam from a laser projector onto a point on an object, the laser projector being coupled to the measurement device, the measurement device further having one or more processors; measuring a distance from the measurement device to the point on the object using a three-dimensional camera coupled to the measurement device; and annotating the 2D image, with the one or more processors, to include a position of the point on the object based at least in part on the distance.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
coupling for communication a portable computing device to the measurement device, the portable computing device having an image sensor; acquiring a first image with the image sensor; transmitting the first image to the measurement device; and annotating the 2D image, with the one or more processors, to include the first image, wherein a position of the first image in the 2D image is based at least in part on a device position of the measurement device when the first image is acquired by the image sensor.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the object includes a target member and the visible laser light beam is emitted onto a target.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
annotating the 2D image, with the one or more processors, with a location of the target; generating a three-dimensional point cloud of at least a portion of the environment, the three-dimensional point cloud including a scan of the target; aligning the target in the three-dimensional point cloud with the position of the target in the 2D image; and merging the three-dimensional point cloud into the 2D image.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
scanning an area about the point on the object with the three-dimensional camera; determining a scanning position and orientation of the measurement device when the area is being scanned; generating a three-dimensional point cloud of the area; and annotating the 2D image to include a linkage to the three-dimensional point cloud of the area, the annotation being positioned in the 2D image in a position corresponding to the position of the object in the area.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the annotating of the 2D image further includes an annotation selected from a group comprising photos, videos, sounds, text, and hyperlinks.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherei

Assignees

• Faro Tech Inc

Inventors

• Santos Joao
• Frank Aleksej
• Ramadneh Ahmad
• Raab Simon
• Zweigle Oliver
• White Derik J

Classifications

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G09B25/04

  of buildings · CPC title

• G01S17/87

  Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G06F30/13 Primary

  Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads · CPC title