Method for determining the 3D coordinates of the surface of an object

• US 20060265177A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Optotechnik GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Leitner, Markus, Steinbichler, Marcus, Prams, Matthias, Maidhof, Armin
• Granted Patent: US 7,436,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging

Abstract

A method serves to determine the 3D coordinates of an object. The 3D coordinates of a partial surface (6) of the object are determined by a 3D measuring device (3), which includes one or more detectors (4) and whose position is determined by a tracking system. The 3D coordinates of an adjacent partial surface (7) of the object are determined by the 3D measuring device (3). The 3D coordinates of an overlap region of the adjacent partial surfaces (6, 7) are put together by a matching method. In doing so, an error function is determined and minimized iteratively. Furthermore, the error function of a detector (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) is determined.

Claims

1. A method for determining the 3D coordinates of the surface of an object, comprising the steps of

determining the 3D coordinates of a partial surface (5, 6) of the object (1) by a 3D measuring device (3), which includes one or more detectors (4) and whose position is determined by a tracking system (2),

determining the 3D coordinates of an adjacent partial surface (7) of the object (1) by the 3D measuring device,

placing the 3D coordinates of an overlap region of the adjacent partial surfaces (5, 6, 7) together by a matching method, in which an error function is determined and minimized, and

determining the error function of a detector (4) of the 3D measuring device (3).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the additional step of determining whether the error function of the detector (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) exceeds a specific value (10).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the error function of the detector (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) is included in the matching method.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the error function of the detector (4) is included in the matching method with a specific weighting.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the additional step of determining the error functions of several detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3).

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the error function of one or more or all detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) is included in the matching method.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of determining one or more 3D coordinates of the surface of the object (1) by a further 3D measuring device, whose position is determined by a or the tracking system (2).

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein one or more or all points determined by the further 3D measuring device and/or detectors are included in the matching method.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the error function of the detector (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) is included in the matching method.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the error function of the detector (4) is included in the matching method with a specific weighting.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, comprising the additional step of determining the error functions of several detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3).

12. The method as claimed in claim 2, comprising the additional step of determining the error functions of several detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3).

13. The method as claimed in claim 3, comprising the additional step of determining the error functions of several detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3).

14. The method as claimed in claim 4, comprising the additional step of determining the error functions of several detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3).

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, comprising the additional step of determining the error functions of several detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3).

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the error function of one or more or all detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) is included in the matching method.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the error function of one or more or all detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) is included in the matching method.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the error function of one or more or all detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) is included in the matching method.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the error function of one or more or all detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) is included in the matching method.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the error function of one or more or all detectors (4) of the 3D measuring device (3) is included in the matching method.