Patent ID: 8428335

Claim:
A method of inspecting a test part by forming a combined feature boundary representing a boundary of the test part based on first and second feature boundaries of overlapping portions of the test part, comprising: extracting the first and second feature boundaries from measurements of the overlapping portions of the test part taken by at least one measuring instrument; dividing each of the first and second feature boundaries extracted from the digital images of the test part into line segments of known shape; identifying a plurality of crossing points formed by the line segments; calculating parametric coordinates of a plurality of the crossing points and determining a sequence of crossing point evaluation based on the parametric coordinates; calculating a first cross product based on the line segments forming a first crossing point in the determined sequence; choosing a first path of the combined feature boundary according to a mathematical sign of the first cross product, the first path extending from the first crossing point to the second crossing point in the determined sequence; calculating a second cross product based on the line segments forming a second crossing point in the sequence; choosing a second path of the combined feature boundary extending from the second crossing point according to a mathematical sign of the second cross product, wherein the combined feature boundary includes the first and second crossing points and portions of at least one of the first and second feature boundaries defining the first and second paths; and presenting the combined feature boundary in a form for comparison with a predetermined standard for accepting or rejecting the test part.