METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SYNCHRONIZING MEASUREMENTS TAKEN BY MULTIPLE METROLOGY DEVICES

• US 20110170534A1
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: York, Frederick John
• Granted Patent: US 8,630,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0667 Bidirectional timestamps, e.g. NTP or PTP for compensation of clock drift and for compensation of propagation delays arrangements for monitoring round trip delays in packet switching networks H04L43/0864

Abstract

Apparatus includes at least two devices that communicate with each other, wherein a first one of the at least two devices having an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface, the interface including one or more components configured for communications in both a wired manner and a wireless manner with a second one of the at least two devices. The second one of the at least two devices having an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface, the interface including one or more components configured for communications in both a wired manner and a wireless manner with the first one of the at least two devices. Wherein one of the at least two devices includes a master clock and the other one of the at least two devices includes a slave clock, wherein the master clock communicates a time to the slave clock and the slave clock is responsive to the communicated time from the master clock to adjust a time of the slave clock if necessary to substantially correspond to the time of the master clock, thereby time synchronizing the at least two devices together.

Claims

1. Apparatus including at least two devices that communicate with each other, the apparatus comprising:

a first one of the at least two devices having an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface, the interface including one or more components configured for communications in both a wired manner and a wireless manner with a second one of the at least two devices;

the second one of the at least two devices having an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface, the interface including one or more components configured for communications in both a wired manner and a wireless manner with the first one of the at least two devices; and

wherein one of the at least two devices includes a master clock and the other one of the at least two devices includes a slave clock, wherein the master clock communicates a time to the slave clock and the slave clock is responsive to the communicated time from the master clock to adjust a time of the slave clock if necessary to substantially correspond to the time of the master clock, thereby time synchronizing the at least two devices together.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two devices are connected in a distributed network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wired communications occur over an Ethernet local area network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications occur over a Wi-Fi network.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two devices comprises a metrology device, wherein each metrology device measures a parameter and wherein the measurements made by each metrology device occur in a time synchronized manner as a result of the time of the slave clock substantially corresponding to the time of the master clock.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each metrology device comprises a device from the group that includes an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM), an AACMM having a scanner attached thereto, a laser tracker, and a laser scanner.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each metrology device comprises a device from the group that includes an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) having a scanner attached thereto and a laser tracker, wherein each of the AACMM and the laser tracker track the position of the scanner attached to the AACMM.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the AACMM and the laser tracker tracks the position of the scanner attached to the AACMM during one of an AACMM relocation procedure or an AACMM calibration procedure.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first one of the at least two devices comprises a metrology device which measures a parameter, wherein the second one of the at least two devices comprises a non-metrology device, and wherein the measurements made by the metrology device occur in a time synchronized manner with an action of the non-metrology as a result of the time of the slave clock substantially corresponding to the time of the master clock.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the non-metrology device comprises a device from the group that includes a sensor, a camera, a robot, and industrial equipment.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the distributed network comprises one from the group that includes a real time industrial network and an enterprise network.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the distributed network comprises one from the group that includes an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a router that connects in a wired and/or wireless manner with each one of the at least two devices, wherein the router includes an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wired communications occur over an Ethernet local area network in a Synchronous Ethernet manner.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface within each of the two devices implements hardware assisted timestamping.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface within each of the two devices further comprises a switch having at a first input thereof a wired connection from the other one of the at least two devices and having at a second input thereof a wireless connection from the other one of the at least two devices, wherein the wireless connection from the other one of the at least two devices includes one or more components that convert the wireless connection to a wired connection that is applied to the second input of the switch.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface within each of the two devices implements hardware assisted timestamping such that when the master clock communicates a time to the slave clock and the slave clock is responsive to the communicated time from the master clock to adjust a time of the slave clock if necessary to correspond to the time of the master clock with a difference between the time of the master clock and the time of the slave clock being no greater than 500 nanoseconds.

18. A method for communicating between at least two devices, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first one of the at least two devices with an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface configured for communications in both a wired manner and a wireless manner with a second one of the at least two devices;

providing the second one of the at least two devices with an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface configured for communications in both a wired manner and a wireless manner with the first one of the at least two devices; and

wherein one of the at least two devices includes a master clock and the other one of the at least two devices includes a slave clock, the master clock communicating a time to the slave clock and the slave clock is responsive to the communicated time from the master clock for adjusting a time of the slave clock if necessary to substantially correspond to the time of the master clock, thereby time synchronizing the at least two devices together.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising connecting the at least two devices in a distributed network.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the wired communications occur over an Ethernet local area network.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless communications occur over a Wi-Fi network.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the at least two devices comprises a metrology device, further comprising each metrology device measuring a parameter and wherein the measurements made by each metrology device occur in a time synchronized manner as a result of the time of the slave clock substantially corresponding to the time of the master clock.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each metrology device comprises a device from the group that includes an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM), an AACMM having a scanner attached thereto, a laser tracker, and a laser scanner.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein each metrology device comprises a device from the group that includes an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) having a scanner attached thereto and a laser tracker, further comprising each of the AACMM and the laser tracker tracking the position of the scanner attached to the AACMM.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising each of the AACMM and the laser tracker tracking the position of the scanner attached to the AACMM during one of an AACMM relocation procedure or an AACMM calibration procedure.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the first one of the at least two devices comprises a metrology device which measures a parameter, wherein the second one of the at least two devices comprises a non-metrology device, and wherein the measurements made by the metrology device occur in a time synchronized manner with an action of the non-metrology as a result of the time of the slave clock substantially corresponding to the time of the master clock.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the non-metrology device comprises a device from the group that includes a sensor, a camera, a robot, and industrial equipment.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the distributed network comprises one from the group that includes a real time industrial network and an enterprise network.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the distributed network comprises one from the group that includes an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising a router that connects in a wired and/or wireless manner with each one of the at least two devices, wherein the router includes an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the wired communications occur over an Ethernet local area network in a Synchronous Ethernet manner.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface within each of the two devices implements hardware assisted timestamping.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface within each of the two devices further comprises a switch having at a first input thereof a wired connection from the other one of the at least two devices and having at a second input thereof a wireless connection from the other one of the at least two devices, wherein the wireless connection from the other one of the at least two devices includes one or more components that convert the wireless connection to a wired connection that is applied to the second input of the switch.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface within each of the two devices implements hardware assisted timestamping such that when the master clock communicates a time to the slave clock and the slave clock is responsive to the communicated time from the master clock to adjust a time of the slave clock if necessary to correspond to the time of the master clock with a difference between the time of the master clock and the time of the slave clock being no greater than 500 nanoseconds.

35. A computer program product for implementing communications between at least two devices, the computer program product comprising a storage medium having computer readable program code embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement a method, the method including the steps of:

providing a first one of the at least two devices with an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface configured for communications in both a wired manner and a wireless manner with a second one of the at least two devices;

providing the second one of the at least two devices with an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface configured for communications in both a wired manner and a wireless manner with the first one of the at least two devices; and

wherein one of the at least two devices includes a master clock and the other one of the at least two devices includes a slave clock, the master clock communicating a time to the slave clock and the slave clock is responsive to the communicated time from the master clock for adjusting a time of the slave clock if necessary to substantially correspond to the time of the master clock, thereby time synchronizing the at least two devices together.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, in which the method further comprises connecting the at least two devices in a distributed network.

37. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the wired communications occur over an Ethernet local area network.

38. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the wireless communications occur over a Wi-Fi network.

39. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein each of the at least two devices comprises a metrology device, further comprising each metrology device measuring a parameter and wherein the measurements made by each metrology device occur in a time synchronized manner as a result of the time of the slave clock substantially corresponding to the time of the master clock.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein each metrology device comprises a device from the group that includes an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM), an AACMM having a scanner attached thereto, a laser tracker, and a laser scanner.

41. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein each metrology device comprises a device from the group that includes an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) having a scanner attached thereto and a laser tracker, further comprising each of the AACMM and the laser tracker tracking the position of the scanner attached to the AACMM.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, in which the method further comprises each of the AACMM and the laser tracker tracking the position of the scanner attached to the AACMM during one of an AACMM relocation procedure or an AACMM calibration procedure.

43. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the first one of the at least two devices comprises a metrology device which measures a parameter, wherein the second one of the at least two devices comprises a non-metrology device, and wherein the measurements made by the metrology device occur in a time synchronized manner with an action of the non-metrology as a result of the time of the slave clock substantially corresponding to the time of the master clock.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the non-metrology device comprises a device from the group that includes a sensor, a camera, a robot, and industrial equipment.

45. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the distributed network comprises one from the group that includes a real time industrial network and an enterprise network.

46. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the distributed network comprises one from the group that includes an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network.

47. The computer program product of claim 35, further comprising a router that connects in a wired and/or wireless manner with each one of the at least two devices, wherein the router includes an IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface.

48. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the wired communications occur over an Ethernet local area network in a Synchronous Ethernet manner.

49. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface within each of the two devices implements hardware assisted timestamping.

50. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface within each of the two devices further comprises a switch having at a first input thereof a wired connection from the other one of the at least two devices and having at a second input thereof a wireless connection from the other one of the at least two devices, wherein the wireless connection from the other one of the at least two devices includes one or more components that convert the wireless connection to a wired connection that is applied to the second input of the switch.

51. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol interface within each of the two devices implements hardware assisted timestamping such that when the master clock communicates a time to the slave clock and the slave clock is responsive to the communicated time from the master clock to adjust a time of the slave clock if necessary to correspond to the time of the master clock with a difference between the time of the master clock and the time of the slave clock being no greater than 500 nanoseconds.