Method and apparatus for following an operator and locking onto a retroreflector with a laser tracker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9885559-B2
Application number	US-201715450200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 21, 2010
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A method for measuring three-dimensional (3D) coordinates includes providing a retroreflector and a laser tracker. In a first instance, an operator gives a follow-operator command. The laser tracker responds by following movement of the operator. In a second instance, the operator gives a lock-on command. The laser tracker responds by steering a beam of light onto the retroreflector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional (3D) coordinate measurement system, comprising:
a retroreflector;
a laser tracker including:
a first light source;
a second light source;
at least one camera proximate the second light source; and
a processor responsive to executable instructions which when executed by the processor is operable to:
in a first instance, determine that a follow-operator command has been given by an operator and in response turn the laser tracker to follow movement of the operator; and
in a second instance, determine that a lock-on command has been given by the operator and in response, steer a beam of light from the first light source onto the retroreflector.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the follow-operator command is at least one of: a movement of the retroreflector in space; and, a temporal change in returned light from the retroreflector.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the laser tracker is further configured to illuminate the retroreflector with the second light source during the follow-operator command and to capture an image of the illuminated retroreflector in response.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the follow-operator command is performed with the retroreflector held in a hand of the operator.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the lock-on command is at least one of: a movement of the retroreflector in space; and, a temporal change in returned light from the retroreflector.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the laser tracker is further configured to illuminate the retroreflector during the lock-on command with the second light source and to capture an image of the illuminated retroreflector in response.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the lock-on command is performed with the retroreflector held in a hand of the operator.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the follow-operator command and the lock-on command is based on a position of an arm of the operator relative to a torso of the operator.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further responsive to executable instructions which when executed by the processor is operable to, in the second instance, track movement of the retroreflector with the beam of light following the lock-on command.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further responsive to executable instructions which when executed by the processor is operable to, in the second instance, determine 3D coordinates of the retroreflector following the lock-on command.

11. A method for measuring three-dimensional (3D) coordinates comprising:
providing a retroreflector and a laser tracker, the laser tracker including a first light source, a second light source, at least one camera proximate the second light source, and a processor;
in a first instance:
giving by an operator a follow-operator command;
responding with the processor, executing executable instructions, to the follow-operator command by turning the laser tracker to follow movement of the operator;

in a second instance:
giving by the operator a lock-on command;
responding with the processor, executing executable instructions, to the lock-on command by steering a beam of light from the first light source onto the retroreflector.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein, in giving the follow-operator command, the follow-operator command is at least one of: a movement of the retroreflector in space; and, a temporal change in returned light from the retroreflector.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein, during the follow-operator command, the laser tracker illuminates the retroreflector with the second light source and captures an image of the illuminated retroreflector in response.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the follow-operator command is performed with the retroreflector held in a hand of the operator.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein, in giving by the operator a lock-on command, the lock-on command is at least one of: a movement of the retroreflector in space; and, a temporal change in returned light from the retroreflector.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein, during the lock-on command, the laser tracker illuminates the retroreflector with the second light source and captures an image of the illuminated retroreflector in response.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein, in the second instance, the lock-on command is performed with the retroreflector held in a hand of the operator.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of the follow-operator command and the lock-on command is based on a position of an arm of the operator relative to a torso of the operator.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein, following the second instance, the laser tracker tracks movement of the retroreflector with the beam of light.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein, following the second instance, the laser tracker determines 3D coordinates of the retroreflector.

Assignees

• Faro Tech Inc

Inventors

• Nagalla Kalyan
• Mehler Robert C
• Bridges Robert E

Classifications

• G01S17/86

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

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G01S3/786

  the desired condition being maintained automatically · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G01S17/66

  Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title