Three dimensional coordinate measuring apparatus
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of calibrating a three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising (1) a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal, said movable arm having six degrees of freedom;
- (2) a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm;
(3) a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; and
(4) electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position and orientation of said probe in a selected volume, the calibration method including the steps of;
measuring predetermined positions and orientations with said movable arm to obtain known positioning data;
processing said known positioning data through an optimization program to determine the relative misalignments and dimensions of components in said arm;
optimizing said arm by incorporating said relative misalignments and dimensions in kinematic formulas for generating X, Y and Z values in an absolute coordinate system with respect to both position and orientation andwherein said optimizing step further includes compiling a calibration file for said arm containing said relative misalignments and dimensions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A novel, portable coordinate measuring machine comprises a multijointed (preferably six joints) manually positionable measuring arm for accurately and easily measuring a volume, which in a preferred embodiment, comprises a sphere ranging from six to eight feet in diameter and a measuring accuracy of 2 Sigma±0.005 inch. In addition to the measuring arm, the present invention employs a controller (or serial box) which acts as the electronic interface between the arm and a host computer.
449 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method of calibrating a three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising (1) a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal, said movable arm having six degrees of freedom;
- (2) a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm;
(3) a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; and
(4) electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position and orientation of said probe in a selected volume, the calibration method including the steps of;measuring predetermined positions and orientations with said movable arm to obtain known positioning data; processing said known positioning data through an optimization program to determine the relative misalignments and dimensions of components in said arm; optimizing said arm by incorporating said relative misalignments and dimensions in kinematic formulas for generating X, Y and Z values in an absolute coordinate system with respect to both position and orientation and wherein said optimizing step further includes compiling a calibration file for said arm containing said relative misalignments and dimensions. - View Dependent Claims (41)
- (2) a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm;
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2. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and wherein said transfer housing further includes; a carrier having a shaft extending therefrom; a casing having an opening therethrough for receiving said shaft of said carrier; and roller bearing means on said shaft within said opening, said roller bearing means comprising two oppositely disposed, spaced conical roller bearings with each conical roller bearing abutting a complimentary shaped conical race. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and wherein said transfer housing further includes; a carrier having a shaft extending therefrom; a casing having an opening therethrough for receiving said shaft of said carrier; roller bearing means on said shaft within said opening; and thrust bearing means positioned at an interface between said carrier and said casing for providing mechanical stiffening between said carrier and casing. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and wherein said position transducer comprises an encoder and wherein said transfer housing includes; preamplifier circuit board means in a location adjacent said encoder for transmitting amplified signals externally of said movable arm. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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11. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and wherein said transfer housing further includes; endstop indicator means for preventing mechanical overload due to mechanical stressing of said transfer housing.
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12. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and temperature monitoring means in said arm for monitoring temperature stability of said arm. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and EEPROM circuit board means mounted in said arm and encoded with calibration and identification data specified to a particular arm. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; a discrete serial box communicating with said arm and including at least a portion of said electronic circuit means, said serial box including microprocessor means for preprocessing position data prior to transfer of said position data to a host computer; and wherein said position transfer means comprises an encoder and wherein said housing includes preamplifier circuit board means in a location adjacent said encoder for transmitting amplified signals from said movable arm to said serial box. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; a discrete serial box communicating with said arm and including at least a portion of said electronic circuit means, said serial box including microprocessor means for preprocessing position data prior to transfer of said position data to a host computer; temperature monitoring means in said arm for monitoring temperature stability in said arm; and means for transferring said monitored temperature to said microprocessor means in said serial box.
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22. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and a portable base for supporting said arm, said portable base being movable along a mounting surface and including reference ball means for evaluating and calibrating measurement accuracy independently of any mounting surface on which said portable base moves. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and wherein said probe includes a pair of first and second switches, said first switch corresponding to data "take" and said second switch corresponding to data "acceptance". - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and wherein said probe includes option port means for attachment to external transducers.
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38. A three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising:
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a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom such that said arm is movable within a selected volume, each of said joints comprising a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; a probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; electronic circuit means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe in a selected volume; and spring counter balance means for facilitating movement of said arm. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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Specification