Integrated system for quickly and accurately imaging and modeling three-dimensional objects

• US 6,512,993 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2001
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Cyra Technologies, Inc. (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Dimsdale, Jerry, Kacyra, Ben K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/981,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 702/159, 702/20, 702/151-153, 702/155, 702/167, 702/172, 702/1, 356/318, 356/317, 703/2, 342/54, 342/52, 342/450, 342/451-2, 382/181, 382/190, 382/201, 382/203, 382/206, 382/285, 382/286, 382/291, 382/312, 382/313, 382/316, 382/317-9, 382/321, 345/419, 345/420, 345/32, 345/39, 345/441, 250/336.1, 250/493.1, 250/559.13, 250/504.H
• US Class Current: 702/159
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4818 using optical fibres

Abstract

An integrated system generates a model of a three-dimensional object. A scanning laser device scans the three-dimensional object and generates a point cloud. The points of the point cloud each indicate a location of a corresponding point on a surface of the object. A first model is generated, responsive to the point cloud, that generates a first model representing constituent geometric shapes of the object. A data file is generated, responsive to the first model, that can be inputted to a computer-aided design system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for obtaining position information about surface points of a three dimensional object comprising:

a diode pumped, frequency doubled solid state laser for generating a pulsed laser beam, with each pulse having an energy less than 0.2 μ

J and wherein the laser beam has an average power of not greater than 1 milliwatt;

a scanning mirror system for scanning the laser pulses over the object; and

monitoring means for automatically measuring the range to the object based on the time of flight of the laser pulses, said time measurement having a resolution of 20 psec or less, said monitoring means also measuring the angular position of the laser beam and with the range and angular position information being suitable for generating a three dimensional representation of the object.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the laser pulses have a duration less than 1 nanosecond.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the wavelength of the laser beam is in the visible region of the spectrum.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the wavelength of the laser beam is about 532 nm.

3. An apparatus for obtaining position information about surface points of a three dimensional object comprising:

a diode pumped, frequency doubled solid state laser for generating a pulsed laser beam, with each pulse having an energy less than 0.2 μ

J and wherein the laser beam has an average power of not greater than 1 milliwatt;

a scanning mirror system for scanning the laser pulses over the object; and

monitoring means for automatically measuring the range to the object based on the time of flight of the laser pulses, said time measurement having a resolution of 30 psec or less, said monitoring means also measuring the angular position of the laser beam and with the range and angular position information being suitable for generating a three dimensional representation of the object and-wherein said monitoring means has a positional accuracy for each point in three dimensional space equal to or better than six millimeters at one standard deviation over a range of up to 100 meters.

6. An apparatus for obtaining position information about surface points of a three dimensional object comprising:

a diode pumped, frequency doubled solid state laser for generating a pulsed laser beam, with each pulse having an energy less than 0.2 μ

J and wherein the laser beam has an average power of not greater than 1 milliwatt;

a scanning mirror system for scanning the laser pulses over the object; and

monitoring means for automatically measuring the range to the object based on the time of flight of the laser pulses, said time measurement having a resolution of 30 psec or less, said monitoring means also measuring the angular position of the laser beam and with the range and angular position information being suitable for generating a three dimensional representation of the object and where the object is provided with retro reflectors and wherein the range of operation is up to one mile.

7. An apparatus for obtaining position information about surface points of a three dimensional object comprising:

a diode pumped, frequency doubled solid state laser for generating a pulsed laser beam, with each pulse having an energy less than 0.2 μ

J and wherein the laser beam has an average power of not greater than 1 milliwatt;

a scanning mirror system for scanning the laser pulses over the object; and

monitoring means for automatically measuring the range to the object based on the time of flight of the laser pulses, said time measurement having a resolution of 30 psec or less, said monitoring means also measuring the angular position of the laser beam and with the range and angular position information being suitable for generating a three dimensional representation of the object, said apparatus further including a processor for generating a point cloud based upon the range and angular position information, the point cloud comprising a plurality of data points that each represents a location of a corresponding point on the surface of the object.

8. An apparatus for obtaining position information about surface points of a three dimensional object comprising:

a diode pumped, frequency doubled solid state laser for generating a pulsed laser beam, with each pulse having an energy less than 0.2 μ

J and wherein the laser beam has an average power of not greater than 1 milliwatt;

a scanning mirror system for scanning the laser pulses over the object; and

monitoring means for automatically measuring the range to the object based on the time of flight of the laser pulses, said time measurement having a resolution of 30 psec or less, said monitoring means also measuring the angular position of the laser beam and with the range and angular position information being suitable for generating a three dimensional representation of the object, said apparatus further including a processor means for rendering a model of the object which includes the range and position information generated by the modeling means.

9. An apparatus for obtaining position information about surface points of a three dimensional object comprising:

a laser for generating a pulsed laser beam;

means for scanning the laser pulses over the object; and

monitoring means for automatically measuring the range to the object based on the time of flight of pulses, said time measurement having a resolution of 30 psec or less, said monitoring means also measuring the angular position of the laser beam, said monitoring means having a positional accuracy for each point in three dimensional space equal to or better than six millimeters at one standard deviation over a range of up to 100 meters.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein each output pulse has an energy less than 0.2μ

J and wherein the average power of the laser beam is not greater than 1 milliwatt.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the laser pulses have a duration less than 1 nanosecond.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said monitoring means has a positional accuracy for each point in three dimensional space equal to or better than six millimeters at one standard deviation over a range of up to 100 meters.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein each range measurement can be made in under 0.005 seconds.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the wavelength of the laser beam is in the visible region of the spectrum.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the wavelength of the laser beam is about 532 nm.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 where the object is provided with retro reflectors and wherein the range of operation is up to one mile.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 further including a processor for generating a point cloud based upon the range and angular position information, the point cloud comprising a plurality of data points that each represents a location of a corresponding point on the surface of the object.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 further including a processor means for rendering a model of the object which includes the range and position information generated by the modeling means.