Portable Articulated Arm Coordinate Measuring Machine and Integrated Environmental Recorder

• US 20110178753A1
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: York, Frederick John
• Application Number:
  US13/006,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178753A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/95
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/007 feeler heads therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/047 Accessories, e.g. for positioning, for tool-setting, for measuring probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/012 Contact-making feeler heads therefor
• 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 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24067 Processor stores variables, events and date in eeprom, for external monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37193 Multicoordinate measuring system, machine, cmm
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40233 Portable robot
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40596 Encoder in each joint
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45061 Measuring robot

Abstract

A portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machine (AACMM) that includes a manually positionable articulated arm, a measurement device attached to a first end of the AACMM, and an electronic circuit for receiving the position signal and for providing data corresponding to a position of the measurement device. The AACMM further includes an environmental recorder. The environmental recorder includes a sensor for outputting a value of a parameter, a memory, and logic executable by the environmental recorder to implement a method. The method includes monitoring the value of the parameter, and determining that the value of the parameter is outside of a programmable threshold. The value of the parameter and a timestamp are stored in the memory in response to the value of the parameter being determined to be outside of the programmable threshold. The contents of the memory are transmitted to the electronic circuit.

Claims

1. A portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machine (AACMM), comprising:

a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, the arm including a plurality of connected arm segments, each of the arm segments including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal;

a measurement device attached to a first end of the AACMM;

an electronic circuit for receiving the position signal from the at least one transducer and for providing data corresponding to a position of the measurement device; and

an environmental recorder in communication with the electronic circuit, the environmental recorder including

a sensor for outputting a value of a parameter;

a memory; and

logic executable by the environmental recorder to implement a method that comprises

monitoring the value of the parameter;

determining that the value of the parameter is outside of a programmable threshold;

storing the value of the parameter and a timestamp in the memory, the storing responsive to the determining; and

transmitting contents of the memory to the electronic circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental recorder further comprises a battery, and the monitoring, determining, and storing are performed using power from the battery when the portable AACMM is in a power off state.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing the value of the parameter and the time stamp in the memory at least once during a programmable time interval.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting is performed when the portable AACMM is powered on in response to at least one of the memory reaching a programmable capacity and a programmable amount of time passing since the last time that the contents were transmitted to the electronic circuit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the storing is further responsive to the value of the parameter being different than a previous value of the parameter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a shock sensor and the parameter is acceleration.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor.

8. A method of implementing a portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM), the method comprising:

receiving a value of a parameter from a sensor located on the portable AACMM, the portable AACMM comprised of a manually positionable articulated arm portion having opposed first and second ends, the arm portion including a plurality of connected arm segments, each arm segment including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal, a measurement device attached to the first end, and an electronic circuit which receives the position signal from the at least one transducer and provides data corresponding to a position of the measurement device;

monitoring the value of the parameter;

determining that the value of the parameter is outside of a programmable threshold;

storing the value of the parameter and a timestamp in a memory located on an environmental recorder, the storing responsive to detecting the event; and

transmitting contents of the memory to the electronic circuit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the monitoring, determining, and storing are performed using power from a battery connected to the environmental recorder when the portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine is in a power off state.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the value of the parameter and the time stamp in the memory at least once during a programmable time interval.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting is performed when the portable AACMM is powered on in response to at least one of the memory reaching a programmable capacity and a programmable amount of time passing since the last time that the contents were transmitted to the electronic circuit.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the storing is further responsive to the value of the parameter being different than a previous value of the parameter.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensor comprises a shock sensor and the parameter is acceleration.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising initiating an alert to the electronic circuit in response to detecting the event.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a report responsive to the contents of the memory.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the report is utilized to diagnose at least one of accuracy variations, electronic errors, and software anomalies.

18. A computer program product for implementing a portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM), 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:

receiving a value of a parameter from a sensor located on the portable AACMM, the portable AACMM comprised of a manually positionable articulated arm portion having opposed first and second ends, the arm portion including a plurality of connected arm segments, each arm segment including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal, a measurement device attached to a first end of the portable AACMM, and an electronic circuit which receives the position signal from the at least one transducer and provides data corresponding to a position of the measurement device;

monitoring the value of the parameter;

determining that the value of the parameter is outside of a programmable threshold;

storing the value of the parameter and a timestamp in a memory located on an environmental recorder, the storing responsive to detecting the event; and

transmitting contents of the memory to the electronic circuit.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the monitoring, determining, and storing are performed using power from a battery located on the environmental recorder when the portable AACMM is in a power off state.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises storing the value of the parameter and the timestamp in the memory at least once during a programmable time interval.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the transmitting is performed when the portable AACMM is powered on in response to at least one of the memory reaching a programmable capacity and a programmable amount of time passing since the last time that the contents were transmitted to the electronic circuit.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the storing is further responsive to the value of the parameter being different than a previous value of the parameter.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a shock sensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the method further includes initiating an alert to the electronic circuit in response to detecting the event.