Granted Patent B2

US 12,209,857 · App. 17/824,855 · Granted Jan 28, 2025

Inventor: Paul Racine (Providence, RI)

Assignee: Hexagon Metrology, Inc.

G01B5/008G01B11/005G01B21/045G01B21/047

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. A method of measuring an object having a feature, the feature having a plurality of profiles each having a surface, the method comprising:

providing a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) having a wrist coupled with a measuring probe, the probe having a tolerance angle with respect to a surface normal of a surface to be measured, the wrist having a first given orientation that is adjustable to a second given orientation;

determining an ideal vector that can be used to measure a given segment within the tolerance;

determining the wrist orientation in a CMM coordinate space;

determining the ideal vector in the CMM coordinate space to define a part vector;

determining a probe vector from the wrist and probe characteristics;

aligning the probe vector with a part vector; and

measuring the feature.

2. The method as defined by claim 1 , further comprising:

segmenting the object to be measured into a plurality of segments as a function of an ideal vector that can be used to measure a given segment within the tolerance;

determining a first group of segments that can be measured within the probe tolerance for a first ideal vector; and

determining a second group of segments that can be measured within the probe tolerance for a second ideal vector.

3. The method as defined by claim 2 , further comprising:

determining the first ideal vector in the CMM coordinate space to define a first part vector;

aligning the probe vector with the first part vector; and

measuring the first group of segments.

4. The method as defined by claim 3 , further comprising:

determining the second ideal vector in the CMM coordinate space to define a second part vector;

aligning the probe vector with the second part vector; and

measuring the second group of segments.

5. The method as defined by claim 3 , wherein the probe vector remains in the same orientation while measuring all of the first group of segments.

6. The method as defined by claim 1 , wherein the probe is an optical probe and the probe vector is a beam vector.

7. The method as defined by claim 6 , wherein aligning the probe vector with the part vector comprises making the probe vector coincident and/or parallel with the part vector.

8. The method as defined by claim 1 , further comprising calculating a first motion geometry representative of motion of the probe from a first wrist angle, and calculating a second motion geometry representative of motion of the probe from a second wrist angle.

9. The method as defined by claim 8 , further comprising find an intersection point of the first motion geometry and the second motion geometry.

10. The method as defined by claim 9 , further comprising: calculating the first wrist angle so that the beam vector passes through the intersect point.

11. The method as defined by claim 10 , further comprising calculating the second wrist angle so that the beam vector coincides with the part vector.

12. The method as defined by claim 8 , further comprising finding the closest point between the first motion geometry and the second motion geometry.

13. The method as defined by claim 12 , further comprising: calculating the closest point on the second motion geometry to the first motion geometry.

14. The method as defined by claim 13 , further comprising calculating the first wrist angle so that the beam vector passes through the closest point.

15. The method as defined by claim 14 , further comprising calculating the second wrist angle so that the beam vector most closely approaches the part vector.

16. A computer program product for use on a computer system for measuring an object, the computer program product comprising a tangible, non-transient computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:

program code for controlling a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) having a wrist coupled with a measuring probe, the probe having a tolerance angle with respect to a surface normal of a surface to be measured, the wrist having a first given orientation that is adjustable to a second given orientation;

program code for determining an ideal vector that can be used to measure a given segment within the tolerance;

program code for determining the wrist orientation in a CMM coordinate space;

program code for determining the ideal vector in the CMM coordinate space to define a part vector;

program code for determining a probe vector from the wrist and probe characteristics;

program code for causing the probe vector to align with a part vector; and

program code for causing the CMM to measure the feature.

17. The computer program product as defined by claim 16 , further comprising:

program code for segmenting the object to be measured into a plurality of segments as a function of an ideal vector that can be used to measure a given segment within the tolerance;

program code for determining a first group of segments that can be measured within the probe tolerance for a first ideal vector; and

program code for determining a second group of segments that can be measured within the probe tolerance for a second ideal vector

program code for determining the first ideal vector in the CMM coordinate space to define a first part vector;

program code for causing the CMM to align the probe vector with the first part vector; and

program code for causing the CMM to measure the first group of segments.

18. The computer program product as defined by claim 17 , further comprising:

program code for determining the second ideal vector in the CMM coordinate space to define a second part vector;

program code for causing alignment of the probe vector with the second part vector; and

program code for causing the CMM to measure the second group of segments.

19. A system for measuring an object, the system comprising:

a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) having a wrist coupled with a measuring probe, the probe having a tolerance angle with respect to a surface normal of a surface to be measured, the wrist having a first given orientation that is adjustable to a second given orientation;

a controller configured to:

determine an ideal vector that can be used to measure a given segment within the tolerance;

determine the wrist orientation in a CMM coordinate space;

determine the ideal vector in the CMM coordinate space to define a part vector;

determine a probe vector from the wrist and probe characteristics;

cause the probe vector to align with a part vector; and

cause the CMM to measure the feature.

20. The system for measuring an object of claim 19 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a first group of segments that can be measured within the probe tolerance for a first ideal vector; and

determine a second group of segments that can be measured within the probe tolerance for a second ideal vector.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (35)