Calibration method for a device having a scan function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752863-B2
Application number	US-201214006096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2012
Priority date	May 13, 2011
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A device having a scan function comprising an electro-optical distance measuring element having a laser axis as the target axis, a motorized optical deflection unit, which deflects the target axis by a deflection angle, and an angle measuring element for determining at least one angular position of the deflection unit. First measurement of angle coordinates of a reticle in a first angular position of the deflection unit as the first position, and second measurement of angle coordinates of the reticle in a second angular position of the deflection unit as the second position. The first and second measurements of the reticle are carried out on the basis of images taken with a camera, the optical axis of which is deflected by the deflection unit, and calibration parameters are determined on the basis of the angular positions and the angular coordinates in the first and second positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A field calibration method for a 3D scanner device having a scan function, the 3D scanner device including:
an electro-optical distance measuring device with a laser axis as the target axis;
a motorized optical deflection unit, which independently deflects the target axis by a variable deflection angle about a fast axis with respect to the distance measuring device; and
an angle measurement device for determining an angular position of the deflection unit, the method comprising the following steps:
a first survey of angle coordinates of a target mark in a first angular position of the deflection unit as the first face; and
a second survey of angle coordinates of the target mark in a second angular position of the deflection unit as the second face;
the first face and second face differ; and
wherein the first and second surveys are carried out using images, which is carried out with a camera, the optical axis of which is deflected by the deflection unit with respect to the camera, and

wherein a determination of calibration parameters is carried out on the basis of the angular positions and the angle coordinates in the first and second faces using an adjustment calculation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the field calibration for the device is carried out by measuring in polar coordinates, the target axis is deflected by a mirror which is movable with respect to the distance measuring device, and the first face is rotated relative to the second face in two axes such that the target axis in both faces points at least approximately in the same spatial direction.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second surveys of the target mark are carried out using digital image processing in image coordinates of the camera.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the survey is carried out by way of a determination of a direction to the target mark and/or a rotation of the target mark on the basis of the image coordinates both in the first and second faces.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the survey is carried out with a resolution of the image coordinates of the target mark with a resolution of less than 5 angular seconds with a subpixel resolution of the images.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the survey is carried out with a resolution of the image coordinates of the target mark with a resolution of less than 1 angular second with a subpixel resolution of the images.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the survey is carried out by comparing and matching at least one visual feature of the target marks in the images from the first and second faces with a subpixel resolution of the visual feature in the images.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the calibration parameters are ascertained on the basis of a mathematical device model, which represents the mechanical setup and the beam guidance of the device, the mathematical device model having, as one of the calibration parameters, a direction angle deviation of the non-deflected laser axis with respect to a rotation axis of the deflection unit.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , additionally including:
a distance calibration of the distance measuring device using a reference section integrated in the device in the distance measuring device;
a measurement of a distance from the target mark using the distance-calibrated distance measuring device in the first and in the second face; and
an incorporation of these distances during the ascertainment of the calibration parameters.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , additionally including a calibration of the target axis in image coordinates of the camera by way of ascertaining a point of incidence of the laser axis on the target mark using the camera.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , additionally including the determination of the calibration parameters of the device having a scan function in its field setup on the basis of a plurality of target marks and surveying the same in each case in the first and second face, wherein the calibration method can be carried out, without re-stationing, in a single field setup of the device with unknown position of the target mark, and wherein the target marks can be seen under in each case different sight angles, wherein the target marks are applied to 2 to 10 target plates, which are set up in different positions with respect to the device having a scan function.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , additionally including an ascertainment and display of a recommended setup region of the target marks by the device, according to the ascertained calibration parameters and on the basis of the device model.

13. A 3D scanner device for spatially surveying an object in the form of a point cloud, the 3D scanner being configured to measure in polar coordinates, the 3D scanner device comprising:
an electro-optical distance measuring device for ascertaining a distance in the direction of a target axis;
a motorized deflection unit for the variable angular independent deflection of the target axis with respect to the distance measuring device, having at least one mirror which is movable about a fast axis by way of a motor relative to the target axis;
a measurement device for ascertaining the angular deflection of the deflection unit;
a control unit for the at least partially automated execution of surveying tasks having a local or spatially separate user interface;
wherein the deflection unit deflects an optical axis of a camera with respect to the camera, and the camera and the control unit are configured such that the angle deflection of the 3D scanner is calibratable in the field on the basis of images of at least one target mark, captured by the camera in a plurality of different angle deflections, in each case in a first face of the deflection unit and in a second face, which is rotated in two axes with respect to the first face such that the target axis in both faces at least approximately points in the same spatial direction.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein an angle measurement accuracy in the captured images of better than 5 angular seconds is achievable using the camera and control unit.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein an angle measurement accuracy in the captured images of better than 1 angular second is achievable using the camera and control unit.

16. The device as claimed in claim 13 , additionally including an add-on collimator, which is configured such that the target axis of the distance measuring device, which target axis which cannot be captured by the camera, is surveyable in its angular position.

17. The device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the control unit is configured such that a visual feature of the target marks is surveyable on the basis of the images of the target marks, which are captured in a plurality of angular positions by the camera, by numerical image processing, wherein the measurement unit is calibratable on the basis of surveys using geometrical image transformations, which bring the visual feature in the images from a first and a second angular position into coincidence.

18. A calibration target for calibrating a 3D scanner, with a method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the calibration target has at least two planar calibration target plates, comprising:
a visual feature with at least two adjoining contrast surfaces, which are imaged by alternately bright and dark surface regions;
a laser reflection region having a retroreflective surface; and

Assignees

• Hinderling Juerg
• Gordon Bianca
• Walser Bernd
• Hexagon Technology Ct Gmbh

Inventors

• Hinderling Juerg
• Gordon Bianca
• Walser Bernd

Classifications

• G01S17/42

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

• G01S17/86

  Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders · CPC title

• G01S7/4972 Primary

  Alignment of sensor · CPC title

• G01C15/002 Primary

  Active optical surveying means (optical plumbing G01C15/105) · CPC title

• G01B11/002 Primary

  for measuring two or more coordinates · CPC title