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

• US 6,847,462 B1
• Filed: 10/23/1998
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems Limited (Melker Schörling Tjänste AB)
• Inventors: Dimsdale, Jerry, Kung, Jonathan Apollo, Kacyra, Ben K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hoa Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sang H.
• Application Number:
  US09/177,935
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 356/601, 356607-608, 356/614, 356/622, 356/625, 356639-640, 356/3.09, 356/4.03, 356/64.01, 250/234, 345419-424, 345/427, 382/195, 382/141, 382/285
• US Class Current: 356/601
• 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 positional information about surface points of a three dimensional object comprising:

a scanning module for measuring three dimensional information about an object;

a video module for capturing and displaying image information from the object, the video module operable to generate a control signal corresponding to the image information; and

a processor operating with the scanning and video modules, the processor being operable to receive the control signal from the video module for use in selectively targeting the scanning module.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said processor functions to specify a portion of the object to be targeted by the scanning module by dragging the image of an outline over the video image of the area to be targeted.

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

a scanning module for measuring three dimensional information about an object;

a video module for displaying image information obtained from the scanning module, the video module operable to generate a control signal corresponding to the image information; and

a processor operating with the scanning and video modules, the processor being operable to receive the control signal from the video module for use in selectively refining the targeting of the scanning module.

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

a scanning module for measuring three dimensional position information about an object, said scanning module including a laser for emitting a laser beam of visible radiation and a detector for measuring reflected visible radiation;

a video module for capturing image information from the object and generating a control signal in response thereto; and

a processor for controlling the scanning module, the processor receiving and using the control signal to target the scanning module such that said laser beam can be manually positioned to target a portion of the object to be scanned.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the video module includes at least one camera for capturing the image information.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the video module includes at least one display device for displaying captured said image information to a user.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the display device of the video module is further capable of allowing a user to specify the portion of the object to be scanned.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the display device allows a user to specify the portion to be scanned by specifying an outline region from an image displayed in the display device that corresponds to the captured image information.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the display device of the video module is further capable of allowing a user to specify a resolution at which the portion of the object will be scanned.