Patent ID: 9607239
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: G01B,G05B,G06K,G06T,H04N

Claim:
1. A portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) for measuring three-dimensional (3D ) coordinates of an object in space, comprising: a base; a manually positionable arm portion having an opposed first end and second end, the arm portion being rotationally coupled to the base, the arm portion including a plurality of connected arm segments, each arm segment including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal; a processor; an electronic circuit which receives the position signal from the at least one position transducer in each arm segment, the electronic circuit configured to send a first electrical signal to the processor in response to the position signal; a probe end coupled to the first end; a noncontact 3D measuring device coupled to the probe end, the noncontact 3D measuring device having a projector and a scanner camera, the projector configured to emit a first pattern of light onto the object, the scanner camera arranged to receive the first pattern of light reflected from the object and to send a second electrical signal to the processor in response; an edge-detecting camera coupled to the probe end, the edge-detecting camera being one of the scanner camera or a second camera different than the scanner camera, the edge-detecting camera positioned to receive during operation a second light reflected from an edge feature of the object and to send a third electrical signal to the processor in response; and the processor configured to determine first 3D coordinates of first points on a surface of the object based at least in part on the first pattern of light from the projector, the first electrical signal, and the second electrical signal, the processor further configured to determine a first ray from the edge-detecting camera to the object, the first ray based at least in part on the first electrical signal and the third electrical signal, the processor further configured to determine second 3D coordinates of an edge point of the edge feature, the second 3D coordinates based at least in part on an intersection of the first ray with the first 3D coordinates of the surface.