Noncontact measuring device

• US 9,571,796 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Original Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Inventors: Mian, Zahid F., Spoor, Ryk E., Gamache, Ronald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Atala, Jamie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong, Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US14/219,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 348/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/12 Measuring or surveying wheel-rims measuring techniques G01
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/25 by projecting a pattern, e.g. one or more lines, moiré fringes on the object G01B11/255 takes precedence ; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2545 with one projection direction and several detection directions, e.g. stereo
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/10 Suspensions, axles or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30244 Camera pose
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A solution including a noncontact electronic measurement device is provided. The measurement device includes one or more imaging devices configured to acquire image data of a surface of an object located in a measurement region relative to the measurement device and one or more projected pattern generators configured to generate divergent pattern(s) of structured light, which impact the surface of the object within a field of view of the imaging device when the object is located in the measurement region. Using image data acquired by the imaging device(s), a computer system can measure a set of attributes of the surface of the object and/or automatically determine whether the measurement device is within the measurement region. An embodiment is configured to be held by a human user during operation.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a handheld measurement device including;

a first imaging device configured to acquire image data of a surface of an object located in a measurement region relative to the handheld measurement device;

a second imaging device configured to acquire image data of the surface of the object located in the measurement region relative to the handheld measurement device, wherein the image data acquired by the first imaging device has a field of view at least partially overlapping the image data acquired by the second imaging device when the surface of the object is located in the measurement region relative to the handheld measurement device;

a projected pattern generator configured to generate a divergent pattern of structured light, wherein the divergent pattern of structured light impacts the surface of the object within a field of view of the first imaging device when the object is located in the measurement region; and

a computer system configured to measure a set of attributes of the surface of the object by performing a measurement method including;

concurrently activating the first and second imaging devices to acquire image data;

processing the image data acquired by the first and second imaging devices in response to the activating, wherein the processing includes determining whether the measurement device was located within a range of measurement locations when the image data was acquired, wherein the range of measurement locations includes a range of distances from the object and a range of orientations with respect to the object, for which the handheld measuring device is configured; and

determining a measurement of at least one attribute of the surface of the object using the image data in response to the processing determining the measurement device was located within the range of measurement locations when the image data was acquired.

2. The system of claim 1, the handheld measurement device further including an interface component, wherein the measurement method further includes providing information regarding the surface of the object to a user of the handheld measurement device using the interface component.

3. The system of claim 1, the handheld measurement device further including a three-axis accelerometer, wherein the processing the image data is further based on data received from the three-axis accelerometer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing includes determining a relative pose of the measurement device with respect to the surface of the object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement method further includes calculating a rotation of the handheld measurement device with respect to a gravity vector using the image data concurrently acquired by the first and second imaging devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a railroad wheel.

7. The system of 1, wherein the divergent pattern of structured light includes:

a first plurality of lines; and

a second plurality of lines substantially perpendicular to the first plurality of lines.

8. A system comprising:

a handheld railroad wheel measurement device including;

first and second imaging devices configured to acquire image data of a portion of a railroad wheel located in a measurement region relative to the handheld railroad wheel measurement device, wherein the image data acquired by the first imaging device has a field of view at least partially overlapping the image data acquired by the second imaging device when the railroad wheel is located in the measurement region;

a projected pattern generator configured to generate a divergent pattern of structured light, wherein the divergent pattern of structured light impacts a surface of the railroad wheel within the fields of view of the first and second imaging devices when the railroad wheel is located in the measurement region; and

a computer system configured to concurrently activate the first and second imaging devices and process the image data acquired by the first and second imaging devices, wherein the processing includes evaluating a set of attributes of the divergent pattern of structured light in the image data to determine whether the measurement device was located within the measurement region when the image data was acquired.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the measurement device further includes a three-axis accelerometer, wherein the computer system is further configured to process pose data acquired by the three-axis accelerometer to determine a pose of the measurement device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system processes the pose data by performing a method including:

determining a current orientation of the measurement device using the pose data; and

automatically determining a proper pose angle based on the current orientation of the measurement device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the measurement device includes a pair of handles located on opposing sides of the measurement device, and wherein each handle includes a trigger mechanism, wherein the computer system automatically assigns a side of the railroad wheel for each of the imaging devices based on the trigger mechanism used by a user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the image data acquired by the first and second imaging devices includes a plurality of pairs of images concurrently acquired by each of the first and second imaging devices, and wherein the processing includes determining a measurement of at least one feature of a surface of the railroad wheel using the plurality of pairs of images.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a central computer system for managing an inspection of a plurality of railroad wheels by a user using the handheld railroad wheel measurement device, wherein the managing includes:

receiving measurement data from the computer system for a railroad wheel in the plurality of railroad wheels; and

evaluating an operability of the railroad wheel based on the received measurement data and data corresponding to a previous measurement of the railroad wheel.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the handheld railroad wheel measurement device further includes an interface component, wherein the measurement method further includes providing information regarding a pose of the handheld railroad wheel measurement device with respect to a surface of the railroad wheel to a user of the handheld measurement device.

15. A system comprising:

a measurement device including;

a first imaging device configured to acquire image data of a surface of an object located in a measurement region relative to the handheld measurement device;

a projected pattern generator configured to generate a divergent pattern of structured light, wherein the divergent pattern of structured light impacts the surface of the object within a field of view of the imaging device when the object is located in the measurement region;

an accelerometer; and

a computer system configured to acquire data for measuring a set of attributes of the surface of the object by performing an acquisition method including;

activating the first imaging device and the projected pattern generator;

determining a pose of the measurement device using image data acquired by the first imaging device and data received from the accelerometer; and

evaluating at least one of;

the image data and the pose to determine whether the measurement device is within a measurement region.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the acquisition method further includes storing image data for measuring the set of attributes in response to evaluating the measurement device as being within the measurement region.

17. The system of claim 15, the measurement device further including a second imaging device configured to acquire image data of the surface of the object located in the measurement region relative to the measurement device, wherein the image data acquired by the first imaging device has a field of view at least partially overlapping the image data acquired by the second imaging device when the surface of the object is located in the measurement region relative to the measurement device, and wherein the acquisition method further includes concurrently activating the second imaging device with the first imaging device, wherein the determining further uses the image data acquired by the second imaging device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the measurement device is configured to be held by a user during operation, the measurement device further including an interface component, wherein the acquisition method further includes providing information regarding a location of the measurement device with respect to the measurement region to a user of the measurement device using the interface component.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for processing image data acquired when the measurement device was within the measurement region; and

means for determining a measurement of at least one attribute of the surface of the object based on the processing.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for processing and means for determining comprise the computer system located on the measurement device.