System and method for a wireless feature pack

• US 9,069,355 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Tait, Hogar, Ferrari, Paul, Frohlich, Brian, Gerent, Jerry, Janewicz, Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/783,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20130331986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/248, 700/249, 700/253, 700/257, 700/258, 370/325, 370/328, 370/352, 370/392, 370/409
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/008 using coordinate measuring machines
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0268 using internal positioning means

Abstract

Systems and methods for transmitting measurement data wirelessly are described herein. A coordinate measurement device comprises an articulated arm comprising a plurality of articulated arm members, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a base at a proximal end. The device further comprises an add-on device assembly coupled to the coordinate acquisition member. The device further comprises a feature pack coupled to the base of the articulated arm. The feature pack may receive the coordinate data and the add-on device data packet, inserts bits of the coordinate data into a packet that can be transmitted over a network, and wirelessly transmits the packetized coordinate data and the add-on device data packet to a base station.

Claims

1. A coordinate measurement device, comprising:

an articulated arm comprising a plurality of articulated arm members, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a base at a proximal end, wherein the coordinate acquisition member generates coordinate data based on a measured position of the articulated arm;

an add-on device assembly coupled to the coordinate acquisition member, wherein the add-on device assembly generates an add-on device data packet that can be transmitted over a network in response to a trigger signal received by the add-on device assembly that indicates a time at which the coordinate acquisition member measured a position of the articulated arm, and wherein the add-on device data packet comprises measurement data of the add-on device assembly; and

a feature pack coupled to the base of the articulated arm, wherein the feature pack receives the coordinate data and the add-on device data packet, inserts bits of the coordinate data into a packet that can be transmitted over a network, and wirelessly transmits the packetized coordinate data and the add-on device data packet to a base station.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the time at which the coordinate acquisition member measured a position of the articulated arm is a time relative to a time when a first trigger signal was received by the add-on device assembly.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to communicate with the add-on device assembly through the feature pack, and wherein a base station packet transmitted by the base station and intended for the add-on device assembly comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the feature pack.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the feature pack is configured to receive packets addressed to the MAC address of the feature pack from a computer system.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein, in response to receiving the packets from the computer system, the feature pack is further configured to modify the MAC address identified in the packets to a second MAC address of the add-on device assembly, thereby enabling the computing device to communicate directly with the add-on device assembly without requiring the computing device to know the second MAC address of the add-on device assembly.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the articulated arm is configured to generate coordinate data at a higher frequency than the add-on device assembly is configured to generate add-on device data.

7. A method of operating a coordinate measurement device, comprising:

receiving coordinate data based on measured positions of an articulated arm;

receiving add-on device data packets that can be transmitted over a network from an add-on device assembly coupled to the articulated arm, wherein the add-on device data packets are received in response to trigger signals provided to the add-on device assembly that indicate times at which positions of the articulated arm are measured, and wherein the add-on device data packets comprise measurement data of the add-on device assembly;

inserting portions of the received coordinate data into packets to produce packetized coordinate data that can be transmitted over a network; and

transmitting wirelessly the packetized coordinate data and the add-on device data packets to a base station.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving wirelessly a base station packet from the base station that is intended for the add-on device assembly.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising modifying a media access control (MAC) address included in the base station packet to a MAC address of the add-on device assembly.

10. A base station, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

receive wirelessly over a network packetized coordinate data and an add-on device data packet, wherein the packetized coordinate data comprises coordinate data derived from a measured position of an articulated arm, and wherein the add-on device data packet comprises measurement data of the add-on device assembly, and

extract coordinate data from the packetized coordinate data and to extract add-on device measurement data from the add-on device data packet, and

synchronize the extracted coordinate data with the extracted add-on device measurement data for further processing, wherein said synchronization is based on a timestamp of the packetized coordinate data and a timestamp of the add-on device data packet.

11. The base station of claim 10, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a base station packet intended for the add-on device assembly responsive to receiving the packetized coordinate data or the add-on device data packet.

12. A method of operating a base station, comprising:

receiving wirelessly over a network packetized coordinate data and an add-on device data packet, wherein the packetized coordinate data comprises coordinate data based on a measured position of an articulated arm, and wherein the add-on device data packet comprises measurement data of the add-on device assembly;

extracting coordinate data from the packetized coordinate data and extracting add-on device measurement data from the add-on device data packet; and

associating the extracted coordinate data with the extracted add-on device measurement data for further processing, wherein the association is based on a timestamp of the packetized coordinate data and a timestamp of the add-on device data packet.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting a base station packet to the add-on device assembly through a feature pack, wherein the base station packet comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the feature pack and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the add-on device assembly.