Apparatuses and methods for accurate structure marking and marking-assisted structure locating

• US 9,789,462 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Singh, Navrit Pal
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATT, MARNIE A
• Application Number:
  US13/925,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20140375794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 348 95
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/121 Coherent waves, e.g. laser beams lasers per se H01S3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0626 Energy control of the laser beam B23K26/0622 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/082 Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/40937 concerning programming of machining or material parameters, pocket machining
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32025 Automatic marking of article
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45134 Marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Working equipment includes a tool configured to work a structure at a working location thereon, with the structure having an applied marking at a known location with a known relationship with the working location. A computer system is configured to determine placement of the structure, and accordingly position the tool into at least partial alignment with the working location, and which in at least one instance, the tool is aligned with a second, offset location. A camera is configured to capture an image of the structure and including the marking, and further including the second location with which the tool is aligned. And the computer system is configured to process the image to locate the working location, reposition the tool from the second location and into greater alignment with the located working location, and control the repositioned tool to work the structure at the located working location.

Claims

1. A laser-marking system comprising:

a laser source configured to emit a laser beam having one or more controllable parameters;

a steering assembly configured to steer the laser beam onto a structure to be worked, wherein the steering assembly comprises;

a galvanometer coupled to a mirror configured to reflect the laser beam, the galvanometer and mirror being controllably rotatable to steer the laser beam in a particular direction; and

a transmissive optical rotary encoder coupled to a computer system and the galvanometer, and configured to measure an angular position of the galvanometer; and

the computer system coupled to the laser source and steering assembly, and configured to;

direct operation of the steering assembly to steer the laser beam onto a known location on the structure, the known location having a known relationship with a working location for at least one tool to work the structure, the computer system being configured to determine an initial, linear location of the laser beam on the structure based on the measured angular position, and steer the laser beam to the known location based on the determined initial, linear location; and

direct operation of the laser source to emit the laser beam and control the one or more controllable parameters to cause the laser beam to apply a permanent marking to the structure at the known location, the permanent marking operably configured for use in positioning the at least one tool to work the structure at the working location.

2. The laser-marking system of claim 1 further comprising:

a camera or a laser scanner coupled to the computer system, wherein;

the camera is configured to capture an image of at least a portion of the structure and including one or more targets on or proximate the structure; and

the laser scanner is configured to measure points on a surface of the structure from which a 3D model of the structure is generatable,

wherein the computer system is configured to process the image or the 3D model to determine a placement of the structure, and locate the known location at which to apply the permanent marking based on the placement.

3. The laser-marking system of claim 1, wherein the known location is a desired location, and in at least one instance the permanent marking is offset from the desired location, and wherein the laser-marking system further comprises:

a camera coupled to the computer system and configured to capture an image of at least a portion of the structure and including the desired location and the permanent marking,

wherein the computer system is configured to process the image to locate the desired location, and determine an offset of the permanent marking from the located desired location.

4. The laser-marking system of claim 3, wherein the camera has a field of view steerable by the steering assembly, the computer system being configured to direct operation of the steering assembly to steer the field of view to one or more areas within which one or more targets on or proximate the structure are located,

wherein for the one or more areas, the camera is configured to capture one or more images of at least a portion of the structure and including the one or more targets, and

wherein the computer system is configured to process the one or more images to determine a placement of the structure, and locate the known location at which to apply the permanent marking based on the placement.

5. The laser-marking system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second laser source configured to project a laser image on the structure at the location before the laser beam is emitted to apply the permanent marking to the structure at the known location.

6. The laser-marking system of claim 1 further comprising:

a laser tracker configured to project one or more steerable laser beams onto retro-reflective targets and provide measurements of one or more beams reflected from the targets for determination of a placement of the structure, wherein each one of the retro-reflective targets is on or proximate the structure at a respective known target location.

7. The laser-marking system of claim 1 further comprising:

a range sensor configured to provide range measurements between the laser-marking system and the structure for calculation of an initial focus point or focal length for operation of the laser source, or dynamic adjustment of the focal length.

8. The laser-marking system of claim 1 further comprising:

a vibration sensor configured to provide measurements of vibration of the structure, or the laser-marking system including the vibration sensor disposed thereon, for compensation of vibrational movement of the structure or laser-marking system.

9. The laser-marking system of claim 1, wherein the known location has the known relationship with the working location for the at least one tool to drill a hole, install a fastener, cut the structure or route out a portion of the structure, and thereby work the structure after application of the permanent marking.

10. The laser-marking system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one tool is a component of working equipment; and

the known location has the known relationship with the working location specified by a master design file for the structure, the master design file being configured for use by the working equipment to position the at least one tool to work the structure at the working location, the at least one tool being separate and distinct from the laser source and steering assembly.

11. The laser-marking system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second galvanometer coupled to a second mirror configured to reflect the laser beam, the mirror being configured to reflect the laser beam onto the second mirror, and the second mirror being configured to reflect the laser beam onto the structure to be worked, the second galvanometer and second mirror being controllably rotatable to steer the laser beam in a second particular direction; and

a second optical rotary encoder coupled to the computer system and second galvanometer, and configured to measure an angular position of the second galvanometer,

wherein the computer system being configured to determine the initial, linear location of the laser beam includes being configured to determine the initial, linear location further based on the measured angular position of the second galvanometer.

12. A method comprising:

directing operation of a laser source to emit a laser beam onto a structure to be worked, the laser beam having one or more controllable parameters;

directing operation of a steering assembly to steer the laser beam to a known location on the structure, the known location having a known relationship with a working location for at least one tool to work the structure, wherein directing operation of the steering assembly comprises;

controllably rotating a galvanometer coupled to a mirror configured to reflect the laser beam, the galvanometer and mirror being controllably rotated to steer the laser beam in a particular direction;

measuring an angular position of the galvanometer by a transmissive optical rotary encoder coupled to the galvanometer; and

determining an initial, linear location of the laser beam on the structure based on the measured angular position, and steering the laser beam to the known location based on the determined initial, linear location; and

controlling the one or more parameters to cause the laser beam to apply a permanent marking to the structure at the known location, the permanent marking operably configured for use in positioning the at least one tool to work the structure at the working location.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

capturing an image of at least a portion of the structure and including one or more targets on or proximate the structure, or measuring points on a surface of the structure from which a 3D model of the structure is generatable; and

processing the image or the 3D model to determine a placement of the structure, and locating the known location at which to apply the permanent marking based on the placement.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the known location is a desired location, and in at least one instance the permanent marking is offset from the desired location, and wherein the method further comprises:

capturing an image of at least a portion of the structure and including the desired location and the permanent marking; and

processing the image to locate the desired location, and determining an offset of the permanent marking from the located desired location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the image is captured by a camera having a field of view steerable by the steering assembly, and the method further comprises:

directing operation of the steering assembly to steer the field of view to one or more areas within which one or more targets on or proximate the structure are located;

capturing for the one or more areas, one or more images of at least a portion of the structure and including the one or more targets; and

processing the one or more images to determine a placement of the structure, and locating the known location at which to apply the permanent marking based on the placement.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

projecting a laser image on the structure at the known location before the laser beam is emitted to apply the permanent marking to the structure at the known location.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

projecting one or more steerable laser beams onto retro-reflective targets, each one of the retro-reflective targets on or proximate the structure at a respective known target location, and

providing measurements of one or more beams reflected from the targets for determination of a placement of the structure.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the laser source and steering assembly are components of a laser-marking system, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing range measurements between the laser-marking system and structure for calculation of an initial focus point or focal length for operation of the laser source, or dynamic adjustment of the focal length.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the laser source and steering assembly are components of a laser-marking system, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing, by a vibration sensor, measurements of vibration of the structure, or the laser-marking system including the vibration sensor disposed thereon, for compensation of vibrational movement of the structure or laser-marking system.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein directing operation of the steering assembly further comprises:

controllably rotating a second galvanometer coupled to a second mirror configured to reflect the laser beam, the mirror reflecting the laser beam onto the second mirror, and the second mirror reflecting the laser beam onto the structure to be worked, the second galvanometer and second mirror being controllably rotated to steer the laser beam in a second particular direction; and

measuring an angular position of the second galvanometer by a second optical rotary encoder coupled to the second galvanometer,

wherein determining the initial, linear location of the laser beam includes determining the initial, linear location further based on the measured angular position of the second galvanometer.