INTEGRATED PART TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

• US 20110178758A1
• 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: Perez, Orlando, Atwell, Paul C., Briggs, Clark H.
• Application Number:
  US13/006,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178758A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/134
• 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

Exemplary embodiments include a portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machine, including 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 articulated arm coordinate measurement machine, an electronic circuit for receiving the position signals from the transducers and for providing data corresponding to a position of the measurement device, at least one sensor element, which is disposed on the articulated arm coordinate measurement machine, that is responsive to electromagnetic radiation and produces an electrical signal in response to a temperature of an object and an electronic system that converts the electrical signal into a temperature value.

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 signals from the transducers and for providing data corresponding to a position of the measurement device;

at least one sensor element, which is disposed on the AACMM, that is responsive to electromagnetic radiation and produces an electrical signal in response to a temperature of an object; and

an electronic system that converts the electrical signal into a temperature value.

2. The AACMM as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic circuit is configured to display the temperature value.

3. The AACMM as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a user interface configured to display a plurality of temperature values in a plot.

4. The AACMM as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to associate the temperature value with a coordinate of the object.

5. The AACMM as claimed in claim 4 wherein the processor is further configured to use coordinates of at least three points measured by the measurement device.

6. The AACMM as claimed in claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to overlay a CAD model onto the at least three points.

7. The AACMM as claimed in claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to overlay a given geometrical shape onto the at least three points.

8. The AACMM as claimed in claim 3 wherein the processor is further configured to plot the plurality of temperature values as a function of position on the object.

9. The AACMM as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to plot the plurality of temperature values onto a three-dimensional representation of the object.

10. The AACMM as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to represent the temperature values with gray scale, colors, contours, or whiskers.

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

measuring a temperature value of an object with an integrated temperature measurement system disposed on the portable AACMM, wherein the integrated temperature measurement system is responsive to electromagnetic radiation that varies with the temperature of the object, the portable AACMM comprised of a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, the arm 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 AACMM, and an electronic circuit which receives the position signals from the transducers and provides data corresponding to a position of the measurement device;

receiving the temperature value in the electronic circuit; and

displaying the temperature value on a user interface.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the user interface is disposed on the AACMM.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the user interface displays a plurality of temperature values in a plot.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the plot displays at least one of a temperature gradient and a critical temperature of the object.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the temperature values are processed to determine if there is at least one of a critical temperature and a critical expansion of the object.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the plot indicates the magnitude of dimensional changes resulting from changes in the temperatures of the object relative to a reference temperature.

17. 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:

measuring a temperature value of an object with an integrated temperature measurement system disposed on the portable AACMM, wherein the integrated temperature measurement system is responsive to electromagnetic radiation that varies with the temperature of the object, the portable AACMM comprised of a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, the arm 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 AACMM, and an electronic circuit which receives the position signals from the transducers and provides data corresponding to a position of the measurement device;

receiving the temperature value in the electronic circuit; and

displaying the temperature value on a user interface.

18. A computer program product as claimed in claim 17 wherein the user interface is disposed on the AACMM.

19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 wherein the user interface displays a plurality of temperature values in a plot.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19 wherein the plot displays at least one of a temperature gradient and a critical temperature of the object.

21. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19 wherein the temperature values are processed to determine if there is at least one of a critical temperature and a critical expansion of the object.

22. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19 wherein the plot indicates the magnitude of dimensional changes resulting from changes in the temperatures of the object relative to a reference temperature.