Digitizing apparatus with extension-intersection measuring function

• US 5,331,566 A
• Filed: 11/08/1991
• Issued: 07/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Okuma Corporation
• Original Assignee: Okuma Corporation
• Inventors: Kashima, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US07/789,336
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 364/474.03, 364/474.15, 364/474.28, 364/474.29, 364/474.31, 364/474.35, 364/723, 318/573, 318/578, 318/568.15
• US Class Current: 700/187
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4207 in which a model is traced or scanned and corresponding data recorded

Abstract

A digitizing apparatus capable of significantly shortening processing time is arranged to obtain straight portions from measured point-group data and is arranged to obtain the coordinates of intersections of two neighboring straight lines in sequential operations. The digitizing apparatus obtains form data of a subject three-dimensional model by scanning measurement lines on the surface of said three-dimensional model and includes a continuous cycle scanning measuring section for measuring coordinates of points on the measurement lines which are positioned at intervals of constant scanning distances, a measured-coordinate temporary storage section for temporarily storing the coordinates, an extension-intersection calculating section for extracting straight line portions in accordance with the coordinates read from the measured-coordinate temporary storage section and for calculating an extension-intersection as an intersection of two neighboring straight lines, and an extension-intersection storage section for storing the extension-intersection calculated in the extension-intersection calculating section.

Claims

1. A digitizing apparatus for obtaining form data of a subject three-dimensional model by scanning measurement lines on the surface of said three-dimensional model using a stylus of a tracer head, said digitizing apparatus comprising:

a continuous cycle scanning measuring section for measuring coordinates of points on said measurement lines which are positioned at intervals of a constant scanning distance of said stylus;

a measured-coordinate temporary storage section for temporarily storing the coordinates of the points on said measurement lines;

an extension-intersection calculating section for determining associated sets of points from among the points on said measurement lines which extend along a same respective straight line in accordance with the coordinates read from said measured-coordinate temporary storage section, for extracting straight lines for the associated sets of points, and for calculating an extension-intersection as an intersection of two neighboring straight lines;

an extension-intersection storage section for storing the extension-intersection calculated in said extension-intersection calculating section; and

a data comparison and collation output section for comparing and collating the coordinates of the intersection read from said extension-intersection storage section and previously prepared and stored coordinates of intersections on a drawing so as to output results of said comparison and collation denoting a deviation error between the coordinates of the intersection of the three-dimensional model and the coordinates of intersections on the drawing.

2. A digitizing apparatus with an extension-intersection measuring function according to claim 1, wherein the coordinates of the intersections on the drawing are supplied from a floppy disk.

3. A digitizing apparatus with an extension-intersection measuring function according to claim 1, wherein said comparison and collation output section outputs results of said collation, the coordinates of the intersections and deviation error for display or storage to an external storage device.