Portable Articulated Arm Coordinate Measuring Machine Having Integrated Software Controls

• US 20110178754A1
• 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: Stokes, Burnham, Atwell, Paul C., Briggs, Clark H.
• Application Number:
  US13/006,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178754A1
• 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) having integrated software controls. The AACMM includes a manually positionable articulated arm portion having opposed first and second ends, the arm portion including a plurality of connected arm segments, each of the arm segments including at least one position transducer for producing position signals. The AACMM also includes a measurement device attached to the first end of the AACMM, and an electronic circuit having a self-contained operating environment for the AACMM. The self-contained operating environment includes a user interface application, an application programming interface, and logic. The logic is configures for performing data collection including receiving position signals from the transducers, calculating data corresponding to a position of the measurement device, the calculating responsive to the position signals, and outputting the data to at least one of the user interface application and the application programming interface.

Claims

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

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

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

an electronic circuit having a self-contained operating environment for the AACMM, the self-contained operating environment including a user interface application, an application programming interface, and logic configured for

performing data collection including receiving position signals from the transducers;

calculating data corresponding to a position of the measurement device, the calculating responsive to the position signals; and

outputting the data to at least one of the user interface application and the application programming interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured for facilitating a calibration procedure for the AACMM.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the performing is initiated in response to the AACMM being powered on.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable AACMM further comprises a display device and the user interface application outputs the data to the display device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the display device displays information to guide an operator through performing the data collection.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the display device displays a picture of a part being measured by the portable AACMM.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein updates to the self-contained operating environment require an authorization.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the self-contained operating environment operates in kiosk mode.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the self-contained operating environment further includes at least one of a network interface, a display interface, a sound interface, and a power interface.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface application supports communicating with an operator in least two different languages.

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

providing a self-contained operating environment for 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 position signals, a measurement device attached to the first end of the portable AACMM, and an electronic circuit having the self-contained operating environment, the electronic circuit including a user interface application, an application programming interface, and logic configured for

performing data collection including receiving position signals from the transducers;

calculating data corresponding to a position of the measurement device, the calculating responsive to the position signals; and

outputting the data to at least one of the user interface application and the application programming interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured for facilitating a calibration procedure for the AACMM.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the performing is initiated in response to the AACMM being powered on.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the portable AACMM further comprises a display device and the user interface application outputs the data to the display device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the display device displays information to guide an operator through performing the data collection.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the display device displays a picture of a part being measured by the portable AACMM.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein updates to the self-contained operating environment require an authorization.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the self-contained operating environment operates in kiosk mode.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the self-contained operating environment further includes at least one of a network interface, a display interface, a sound interface, and a power interface.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the user interface application supports communicating with an operator in least two different languages.

21. 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 an electronic circuit on the AACMM causes the computer to implement a method, the method including:

providing a self-contained operating environment for 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 position signals, a measurement device attached to the first end of the portable AACMM, and the electronic circuit, the electronic circuit having the self-contained operating environment and including a user interface application, an application programming interface, and logic configured for

performing data collection including receiving position signals from the transducers;

calculating data corresponding to a position of the measurement device, the calculating responsive to the position signals; and

outputting the data to at least one of the user interface application and the application programming interface.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the logic is further configured for facilitating a calibration procedure for the AACMM.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein updates to the self-contained operating environment require an authorization.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the self-contained operating environment operates in kiosk mode.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the self-contained operating environment further includes at least one of a network interface, a display interface, a sound interface, and a power interface.

23. The computer program product of 21, wherein the performing is initiated in response to the AACMM being powered on.