Patent ID: 8601702

Claim:
A method for operating a portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) as a standalone measurement device, with steps comprising: providing a base; providing a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, the arm being rotationally coupled to the base on the second end, the arm including a plurality of connected arm segments, each arm segment including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal; providing a measurement device attached to the first end; providing an electronic circuit disposed internal to the AACMM having a processor and memory configured to execute a computer program, the electronic circuit configured to receive the position signals from the transducers and determine a position of the measurement device; providing a display directly attached to the base and electrically coupled to the electronic circuit, the display having a programmable user interface; providing the computer program having computer-readable program code resident in the memory, which when executed by the processor causes the electronic circuit, display, and user interface to operate the AACMM as a standalone measurement device; attaching the base to a stationary object; executing the computer program; entering a first instruction by an operator using the user interface; moving the measurement device to a first position by the operator; measuring one or more coordinates of the first position; and displaying the first position coordinates on the display.