Patent Document ID: 9430849
Application ID: 14409517
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for automatically executing the measurement of at least one geometric dimension of an object having arrangement, with respect to the dimension to be measured, that is unknown beforehand, the method comprising: acquiring a reference model of a sample of the object positioned in a first condition, the reference model having a plurality of predetermined reference points; using a gripping means ( 5 ), gripping the object and moving the object within 3-dimensional space to attain the object being positioned in said first condition, the gripping means ( 5 ) providing movement of the object i) translatable along any one spatial direction and ii) rotatable around any one spatial rotation axis, wherein in moving the object to be positioned in the first condition, the gripping means being operatively controlled by an electronic control means ( 7 ) to repeatedly move the object from a current position to a new position using translation and rotation until the object is determined to be positioned in the first condition; with the object gripped by the gripping means ( 5 ) in the new position, using an optical means ( 2 ) to acquire an image of the object; using a comparison means ( 4 ) to compare i) the plurality of predetermined reference points of the reference model with ii) a plurality of corresponding predetermined reference points of the image of the object taken with the object in the new position, to determine whether the object is positioned in the first condition; and upon the comparison means ( 4 ) determining that the object is positioned in the first condition, using the electronic control means to make a geometric measurement of the object.