Method and apparatus for using gestures to control a laser tracker

• US 8,896,848 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Steffensen, Nils P., Wilson, Todd P., Steffey, Kenneth, Hoffer, John M. Jr., Bridges, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Punnoose, Roy M
• Application Number:
  US14/180,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20140158860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 284 Days
• Field of Search: 356/4.01, 356/138, 356/139.03, 356/139.04, 356/141.1, 356/141.2, 356/141.5, 356/152.3, 356/154, 356/498, 356/614, 356/620, 356/622, 356/623
• US Class Current: 356/614
• 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: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/20 intensity of the measured or reference value being varied to equalise their effects at the detectors, e.g. by varying incidence angle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

Optically communicating from a user to a laser tracker a command to control tracker operation includes providing a rule of correspondence between each of a plurality of commands and temporal patterns; user selecting a first command; projecting a first light from the tracker to a retroreflector; reflecting a second light from the retroreflector that is part of the first light; obtaining first sensed data by sensing a third light imaged onto a photosensitive array that is part of the second light; user creating, between first and second times, a first temporal pattern including at least a decrease in the third light'"'"'s optical power followed by an increase in its optical power, the first temporal pattern corresponding to the first command; determining the first command based at least in part on processing the first sensed data according to the rule of correspondence; and executing the first command with the tracker.

Claims

1. A method for optically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control operation of the laser tracker with steps comprising:

providing the laser tracker having a structure rotatable about a first axis and a second axis, a first motor that rotates the structure about the first axis, a second motor that rotates the structure about the second axis, a first angular encoder that measures a first angle of rotation about the first axis, a second angular encoder that measures a second angle of rotation about the second axis, a first light beam and a second light beam that are directed by the structure, a retroreflector target that reflects a portion of the first light beam as a third light and reflects a portion of the second light beam as a fourth light, a distance meter that receives a first portion of the third light and measures a distance from the laser tracker to the retroreflector based at least in part on a speed of the first light beam, a position detector that receives a second portion of the light and measures a position of the first light beam on the retroreflector, a photosensitive array that receives the fourth light, and a processor in communication with the first encoder, the second encoder, the first motor, the second motor, the distance meter, the position detector, and the photosensitive array, wherein the processor causes the first light beam to track the retroreflector based at least in part on the measured position of the first light beam on the retroreflector;

providing a rule of correspondence between each of a plurality of commands and each of a plurality of temporal patterns of the fourth light;

selecting by the user a first command from among the plurality of commands;

projecting the second light beam from the laser tracker to the retroreflector;

obtaining first sensed data by sensing the fourth light imaged onto the photosensitive array;

generating by the user, between a first time and a second time, a first temporal pattern of the fourth light, the first temporal pattern of the fourth light including at least a decrease in optical power of the fourth light followed by an increase in the optical power of the fourth light, the first temporal pattern of the fourth light corresponding to the first command;

determining by the processor the first command based at least in part on processing the first sensed data obtained between the first time and the second time according to the rule of correspondence; and

executing the first command with the laser tracker.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of projecting the second light from the laser tracker to the retroreflector further includes a step of illuminating a light emitting diode disposed on the laser tracker to project the second light.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command includes steps of:

pointing the first beam of light from the laser tracker to the retroreflector; and

locking onto the retroreflector with the first beam of light.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of providing the laser tracker, the structure is a mirror.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of providing the laser tracker, the position detector is attached to the structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of providing the laser tracker, the photosensitive array is attached to the structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command further includes steps of:

measuring with the distance meter, a first distance from the laser tracker to the retroreflector;

measuring with the first angular encoder and the second angular encoder a first direction of the first light beam; and

determining a first three-dimensional coordinate of the retroreflector, based at least in part on the first distance and the first direction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of generating by the user, the first temporal pattern is generated by the user moving his fingers rapidly across the second light beam.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of generating by the user, a difference between the second time and the first time is less than three seconds.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of generating by the user, the first light beam is not reflected by the retroreflector between the first time and the second time.

11. A method for optically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control operation of the laser tracker with steps comprising:

providing the laser tracker having a structure rotatable about a first axis and a second axis, a first motor that rotates the structure about the first axis, a second motor that rotates the structure about the second axis, a first angular encoder that measures a first angle of rotation about the first axis, a second angular encoder that measures a second angle of rotation about the second axis, a first light beam that is directed by the structure, a retroreflector target that reflects a portion of the first light beam as a second light, a distance meter that receives a first portion of the second light and measures a distance from the laser tracker to the retroreflector based at least in part on a speed of the first light beam, a position detector that receives a second portion of the second light and measures a position of the first light beam on the retroreflector, and a processor in communication with the first encoder, the second encoder, the first motor, the second motor, the distance meter, and the position detector, wherein the processor causes the first light beam to track the retroreflector based at least in part on the measured position of the first light beam on the retroreflector;

providing a rule of correspondence between each of a plurality of commands and each of a plurality of temporal patterns of the second light;

selecting by the user a first command from among the plurality of commands;

projecting the first light beam from the laser tracker to the retroreflector;

obtaining first sensed data by sensing the first portion of the second light by the distance meter;

generating by the user, between a first time and a second time, a first temporal pattern of the second light, the first temporal pattern of the second light including at least a decrease in optical power of the second light followed by an increase in the optical power of the second light, the first temporal pattern of the second light corresponding to the first command;

determining by the processor the first command based at least in part on processing the first sensed data obtained between the first time and the second time according to the rule of correspondence; and

executing the first command with the laser tracker.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein in the step of providing the laser tracker, the structure is a mirror.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein in the step of providing the laser tracker, the position detector is attached to the structure.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first command further includes steps of:

measuring with the distance meter, a first distance from the laser tracker to the retroreflector;

measuring with the first angular encoder and the second angular encoder a first direction of the first light beam; and

determining a first three-dimensional coordinate of the retroreflector, based at least in part on the first distance and the first direction.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein in the step of generating by the user, the first temporal pattern is generated by the user moving his fingers rapidly across the first light beam.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein in the step of generating by the user, a difference between the second time and the first time is less than three seconds.