Coordinate measuring machine having a camera

• US 10,401,144 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Pettersson, Bo, Siercks, Knut, Voit, Eugen, Hinderling, Jurg, Zebhauser, Benedikt, Schneider, Klaus, Jordil, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Itskovich, Mikhail
• Application Number:
  US14/363,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20150049186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,462 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/005 coordinate measuring machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/047 Accessories, e.g. for positioning, for tool-setting, for measuring probes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/401 characterised by control arrangements for measuring, e.g. calibration and initialisation, measuring workpiece for machining purposes G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37193 Multicoordinate measuring system, machine, cmm
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37237 Tool collision, interference
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A coordinate measuring machine (1) for determining at least one spatial coordinate of a measurement point of an object (15) to be measured, comprising a base (5) and a drive mechanism, adapted to drive a probe head (13) in a manner such that the probe head (13) is capable to move relative to the base (5) for approaching a measurement point, characterized by a first range camera (3, 33) having a range image sensor with a sensor array, wherein the range camera (3, 33) is adapted to be directed to the object (15) for providing a range image (23) of the object (15), and wherein range pixels of the range image are used for creating a point cloud with 3D-positions of target points of the object (15), and a controller, adapted to control the drive mechanism on the basis of 3D-positions of the target points.

Claims

1. A coordinate measuring machine for determining at least one spatial coordinate of a measurement point of an object to be measured, comprising:

a base,

a frame structure comprising at least a first and a second frame member and a vertical rod, wherein the first and the second frame member and the vertical rod are arranged for being moveable in at least two perpendicular directions by at least two drive mechanisms comprising at least one motor drive,

a probe head which is attached to the vertical rod of the frame structure and comprises a tactile measuring sensor, and

a first range camera having a range image sensor with a sensor array, wherein the first range camera is;

provided at the probe head or in an area close to the probe head at the vertical rod,

configured to be moved synchronously with the probe head and the tactile measuring sensor, and

configured to be directed to the object in the measuring volume and to provide a first range image of the object,

wherein the drive mechanisms are adapted to drive the probe head relative to the base for approaching the measurement point in a measuring volume of the coordinate measuring machine, in which measuring volume the object is positionable, so that the measuring point is detectable by the tactile measuring sensor,

wherein the coordinate measuring machine comprises a controller comprising a processor and a memory, the controller being configured;

to create a point cloud with 3D-positions of the target points of the object by using range pixels from the first range image, and

to automatically control the drive mechanisms by actuating the at least one motor drive on the basis of the 3D-positions of the target points to measure the object with the tactile measuring sensor.

2. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein the first range camera provides a range image stream, and the controller is adapted to control the drive mechanism on the basis of the range image stream.

3. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein the first range camera is provided in a rotatable manner to be directed to the moving direction of the probe head.

4. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein the first range camera is alignable by position variation of at least one of the frame members and/or by variation of a capturing direction of the camera by swiveling a camera objective relative to a camera base.

5. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein the first range camera comprises integrated illumination source for illuminating the measuring volume and/or the object.

6. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein a second range camera is provided on the first or second frame member and is directed to the base for providing a second range image of an area of the object.

7. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 6, the controller is adapted to use 3D-data from either of the range images, depending on a position and moving direction of the probe head.

13. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine, while the first range camera moves together with the probe head, a distance between the first range camera and the object.

14. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 13, wherein, if the distance between the first range camera and the object falls below a threshold value, the controller is configured to adjust the measurement path and/or to cause the drive mechanism to reduce a movement speed of the probe head.

8. A coordinate measuring machine for determining at least one spatial coordinate of a measurement point of an object to be measured, comprising:

a base,

a probe head comprising a tactile measuring sensor,

a drive mechanism comprising at least one motor drive, adapted to drive the probe head relative to the base for approaching the measurement point,

a first range camera having a range image sensor with a sensor array, wherein the range camera is adapted to be directed to a user of the coordinate measuring machine to take a sequence of user range images, and

a controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is adapted to;

control the drive mechanism by actuating the at least one motor drive,

determine changes of a current user range image to one or more of preceding user range images,

identify, based on the changes, at least one movement of the user that corresponds to a predefined command, wherein one or more movements of the user are predefined as a command for one or more actions to be performed, and

automatically control the coordinate measuring machine on the basis of the command corresponding to the identified movement.

9. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 8, wherein a point cloud of the object and/or CAD-data of the object are provided to the user using a virtual reality provided by VR goggles.

10. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 8, wherein a zone in the range image corresponding to a space in the user area is defined as control zone, and the controller is adapted to ignore changes of the current range image outside of the zone.

11. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 8, wherein predetermined sequences of changes corresponding to predetermined movements of a user are stored in a map in advance, and the controller controls the drive mechanism to perform an action assigned to the respective sequence of changes.

15. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control the drive mechanism on the basis of the command corresponding to the identified movement.

16. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 8, wherein the movement of the user comprises a pointing of a user to a pointing direction, and the controller is configured to control the drive mechanism on the basis of the command corresponding to the pointing direction.

17. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 8, wherein the actions for which commands are predefined and which the controller is configured to perform comprise at least one of:

resetting the coordinate measuring machine,

ending or restarting the measuring process,

adding an additional measurement point, and

skipping pre-selected measurement points.

18. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 8, wherein the movement of the user comprises a movement of one or more extremities of the user.

12. A coordinate measuring machine for determining at least one spatial coordinate of a measurement point of an object to be measured, comprising:

a base,

a probe head comprising a tactile measuring sensor,

a drive mechanism comprising at least one motor drive, adapted to drive the probe head relative to the base for approaching a measurement point,

at least a first range camera having a range image sensor with a sensor array, wherein the first range camera is adapted to be directed to the object for providing a range image of the object, and

a controller, comprising a processor and a memory, the controller being adapted to control the drive mechanism by actuating the at least one motor drive and to determine the at least one spatial coordinate by determining a drive position of the drive mechanism,

wherein the first range camera or a second range camera is adapted to be directed to a user of the coordinate measuring machine to take a sequence of user range images,

wherein the controller is adapted to;

create a point cloud with the 3D-positions of the target points of the object by using the range pixels of the range image,

determine changes of a current user range image to one or more of preceding user range images,

determine, based on the changes, at least one movement of the user that corresponds to a predefined command, wherein one or more movements of the user are predefined as a command for one or more actions to be performed, and

automatically control the drive mechanism on the basis of the 3D-positions of the target points and/or control the coordinate measuring machine on the basis of the command corresponding to the identified movement.

19. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to control the drive mechanism on the basis of the command corresponding to the identified movement.

20. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 12, wherein the movement of the user comprises a pointing of a user to a pointing direction, and the controller is configured to control the drive mechanism on the basis of the command corresponding to the pointing direction.

21. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 12, wherein the actions for which commands are predefined and which the controller is configured to perform comprise at least one of:

resetting the coordinate measuring machine,

ending or restarting the measuring process,

adding an additional measurement point, and

skipping pre-selected measurement points.

22. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 12, wherein the movement of the user comprises a movement of one or more extremities of the user.

23. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 12, wherein the measuring sensor is a tactile measuring sensor.