Patents Assigned to FARO TECHNOLOGIES
  • Publication number: 20120260512
    Abstract: A portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine for measuring the coordinates of an object in space is provided. The AACMM includes a base and a arm portion having an opposed first end and second end. The arm portion includes a plurality of connected arm segments, each arm segment including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal. An electronic circuit is provided that receives the position signal from the at least one position transducer. A probe member is disposed is coupled to the first end. A noncontact three-dimensional measuring device is coupled to the probe member, the device having an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and is configured to determine a distance to an object based at least in part on the propagation time of the emitted and reflected light beams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Klaus Kretschmer, Robert E. Bridges, Clark H. Briggs
  • Publication number: 20120262692
    Abstract: Coordinate measurement device configured to send a first beam of light to a target includes first and second light sources configured to emit first and second lights having differing first and second wavelengths; fiber-optic coupler that includes three ports, a first port configured to accept a first portion of the first light, a second port configured to accept a second portion of the second light, a third port configured to transmit a third light which includes a portion of the first and second portions; first and second angle measuring devices configured to measure first and second angles of rotation; distance meter configured to measure a first distance from the device to the target based at least in part on a third portion of the second beam received by an optical detector; and a processor configured to provide 3D coordinates of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Robert E. Bridges, Jacob J. Mertz
  • Publication number: 20120236320
    Abstract: Measuring with a system having retroreflector targets and a laser tracker includes storing a list of nominal coordinates for targets and one added point; capturing on a tracker photosensitive array a portion of the light emitted by a light beam and reflected off the targets; obtaining spot positions on a tracker camera photosensitive array from light reflected off the targets; determining a correspondence between three spot positions on the tracker photosensitive array and the nominal coordinates of the targets; directing a beam of light from the tracker to the targets based on the nominal coordinates of the first target and the first spot position; measuring 3-D coordinates of the targets with the tracker; determining 3-D coordinates of the at least one added point based on the measured 3-D coordinates of the targets and the nominal coordinates of the one added point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth Steffey, Nils P. Steffensen, Robert E. Bridges
  • Publication number: 20120229788
    Abstract: In a device for optically scanning and measuring an environment, which device is designed as a laser scanner, with a light emitter, which, by means of a rotary mirror, emits an emission light beam, with a light receiver which receives a reception light beam which is reflected from an object in the environment of the laser scanner, and with a control and evaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points, determines at least the distance to the object, the rotary mirror is part of a rotor, which is configured as a hybrid structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Philipp Schumann, Alexander Greiner
  • Publication number: 20120206808
    Abstract: A target includes a cube corner retroreflector including three planar reflectors, each planar reflector capable of reflecting light, each planar reflector perpendicular to the other two planar reflectors, each planar reflector intersecting the other two planar reflectors in a common vertex, and each planar reflector having two intersection junctions, each intersection junction shared with an adjacent planar reflector for a total of three intersection junctions within the cube corner retroreflector. The target further includes a non-reflecting portion of each intersection junction, wherein, for at least one intersection junction, the non-reflecting portion is wider in a first region than in a second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Lawrence B. Brown, Daniel G. Lasley, Jeremy M. Garey, Nils P. Steffensen
  • Publication number: 20120206716
    Abstract: A target includes a contact element having a region of spherical curvature, a retroreflector rigidly connected to the contact element, a transmitter configured to emit an electromagnetic signal, a temperature sensor disposed on the target, configured to measure an air temperature, and configured to send the measured air temperature to the transmitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Peter G. Cramer, Robert E. Bridges, Nils P. Steffensen, Robert C. Mehler, Kenneth Steffey, John M. Hoffer, JR., Daniel G. Lasley
  • Publication number: 20120204436
    Abstract: A portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machine (AACMM) includes a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, the articulated arm including a plurality of connected arm segments, each arm segment including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal resulting in the articulated arm having a plurality of position transducers. The AACMM also includes a base section connected to the second end; and a probe assembly connected to the first end, the probe assembly having a probe end, an inner core, and a handle; wherein the probe end is fixed with respect to the inner core, the handle is configured to rotate about the inner core, and the probe end is configured to measure a three-dimensional coordinate of a point in space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Simon Raab, Paul C. Atwell
  • Publication number: 20120188559
    Abstract: In a laser scanner for optically scanning and measuring an environment, the scanner having a center which defines for a scan the stationary reference system of the scanner and the center of the scan, a light emitter which emits an emission light beam, a light receiver which receives a reception light beam reflected by an object in the environment of the scanner, a control and evaluation unit which determines, for a multitude of measuring points of the scan, at least the distance between the center of the scan and the object, the scanner, for registering a scene with several scans having different centers, being movable between the centers of the scans, and a scanner mouse for registering the path followed by the scanner between the different centers of the scans, the scanner mouse optically registering the movement of the laser scanner relative to a reference surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Reinhard Becker, Martin Ossig
  • Publication number: 20120180565
    Abstract: A case for a device configured to couple with a mounting fixture is provided. The case includes a first housing and a second housing. The first housing and the second housing are cooperatively shaped to enclose a first portion of the device when the device is coupled to the mounting fixture. The first housing and the second housing form an opening when coupled together and expose a second portion of the device that comprises the coupling hardware for attaching the device to the mounting fixture. A third housing is removably coupled to the opening wherein the third housing is cooperatively shaped to receive the second portion of the device and enclose the device when the device is removed from the mounting fixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicants: GATOR CASES, INC., FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Brent Bailey, Clark H. Briggs, Marc M. Barber, Casey Keough, David M. Rudd
  • Publication number: 20120144685
    Abstract: A method for performing a diagnostic or calibration procedure on a portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machine (AACMM). The AACMM includes a manually positionable articulated arm portion having opposed first and second ends, the arm portion including a plurality of connected arm segments, each of the arm segments including at least one position transducer for producing position signals. The AACMM also includes an electronic circuit having a self-contained operating environment that includes a user interface application and a display device in communication with the user interface application. In addition, a measurement device is attached to the first end of the AACMM. The user interface application and display device are configured to facilitate performing and displaying results of a diagnostic or calibration procedure on the AACMM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Paul C. Atwell, Clark H. Briggs, Burnham Stokes
  • Publication number: 20120140244
    Abstract: A method for optically scanning and measuring an environment of a laser scanner includes the steps of emitting an emission light beam by a light emitter, reflecting the emission light beam by a mirror into the environment, wherein several complete revolutions are made during rotation of the measuring head, receiving a reception light beam by a light receiver via the mirror, which reception light beam is reflected by an object in the environment of the laser scanner , and determining for a multitude of measuring points of the scan, at least the distance of the center to the object, wherein the measuring head makes more than half a revolution for the scan, and wherein at least some measuring points are doubly determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jürgen Gittinger, Reinhard Becker, Martin Ossig
  • Publication number: 20120133953
    Abstract: In a method for optically scanning and measuring an object by a laser scanner by a procedure in which a emission light beam modulated with a target frequency is emitted by means of a light emitter, a reception light beam reflected or otherwise scattered in some way from an object in the surroundings of the laser scanner is received, with a measuring clock, as a multiplicity of samples by means of a light receiver and in each case at least the distance from the object is determined from the phase angles of the multiplicity of samples for a plurality of measuring points by means of a control and evaluation device, for determining the distances, a phase shift caused by a distance difference of temporal adjacent samples is corrected in order to correct the distances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Ossig, Philipp Schumann
  • Publication number: 20120120415
    Abstract: A method for mechanically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control operation of the laser tracker includes providing the tracker with an angular encoder, providing a rule of correspondence between each command and each rotational pattern of a portion of a tracker, and selecting a first command. Also, rotating by the user, between first and second times, the portion of the tracker in a first rotational pattern, the first rotational pattern corresponds to the first command, and obtaining a collection of first angular readings from the angular encoder, wherein the angular readings are obtained between the first and second times. Also, determining the first command based at least in part on processing the first angular readings according to the rule of correspondence, and executing the first command with the tracker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Nils P. Steffensen, David H. Parker
  • Publication number: 20120099119
    Abstract: A laser based coordinate measuring device measures a position of a remote target. The laser based coordinate measuring device includes a stationary portion, a rotatable portion, and at least a first optical fiber. The stationary portion has at least a first laser radiation source and at least a first optical detector, and the rotatable portion is rotatable with respect to the stationary portion. The first optical fiber system, which optically interconnects the first laser radiation source and the first optical detector with an emission end of the first optical fiber system, has the emission end disposed on the rotatable portion. The emission end emits laser radiation to the remote target and receives laser radiation reflected from the remote target with the emission direction of the laser radiation being controlled according to the rotation of the rotatable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Robert E. Bridges, Lawrence B. Brown, James K. West, D. Scott Ackerson
  • Publication number: 20120099100
    Abstract: A method for determining when a laser tracker is stable includes performing a plurality of first frontsight measurements and a plurality of first backsight measurements on a first target with the laser tracker, wherein the plurality of first frontsight measurements and the plurality of first backsight measurements are alternated in time, calculating a plurality of first two-face errors based on the plurality of first frontsight measurements and the plurality of first backsight measurements, determining at least one first stability metric based at least in part on the plurality of first two-face errors, the at least one first stability metric being a value defined by a rule, determining whether the laser tracker is stable based at least in part on the at least one first stability metric and a first termination criterion and generating an indication whether the laser tracker is stable or not stable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC
    Inventors: Peter G. Cramer, Kenneth Steffey, John M. Hoffer, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120099096
    Abstract: A laser based coordinate measuring device measures a position of a remote target. The laser based coordinate measuring device includes a stationary portion, a rotatable portion, and at least a first optical fiber. The stationary portion has at least a first laser radiation source and at least a first optical detector, and the rotatable portion is rotatable with respect to the stationary portion. The first optical fiber system, which optically interconnects the first laser radiation source and the first optical detector with an emission end of the first optical fiber system, has the emission end disposed on the rotatable portion. The emission end emits laser radiation to the remote target and receives laser radiation reflected from the remote target with the emission direction of the laser radiation being controlled according to the rotation of the rotatable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Robert E. Bridges, Lawrence B. Brown, James K. West, D. Scott Ackerson
  • Publication number: 20120069352
    Abstract: A method for optically scanning and measuring a scene by means of a laser scanner which, for making a scan having a certain center, optically scans and measures its environment provided with targets, whereby two adjacent scans having different centers and scanning the same scene overlap within a range of measuring points so that some targets are scanned by any of the two scans, whereby, for registering the two adjacent scans, the targets are localized in the measuring points during a first step and, during a second step, candidates of correspondence among the localized targets of the two adjacent scans are looked for and, during a third step, a test registration of the two adjacent scans is made which, if there is a sufficient compliance of the measuring points within the overlapping range, is taken over for registration, thus identifying the targets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Ossig, Reinhard Becker, Alexander Kramer
  • Publication number: 20120070077
    Abstract: With a method for optically scanning and measuring an environment by means of a laser scanner, which has a center, and which, for making a scan, optically scans and measures its environment by means of light beams and evaluates it by means of a control and evaluation unit, wherein a color camera having a center takes colored images of the environment which must be linked with the scan, the control and evaluation unit of the laser scanner, to which the color camera is connected, links the scan and the colored images and corrects deviations of the center and/or the orientation of the color camera relative to the center and/or the orientation of the laser scanner by virtually moving the color camera iteratively for each colored image and by transforming at least part of the colored image for this new virtual position and/or orientation of the color camera, until the projection of the colored image and the projection of the scan onto a common reference surface comply with each other in the best possible way.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Ossig, Ivan Bogicevic, Norbert Bücking
  • Publication number: 20120057174
    Abstract: A laser scanner or a laser tracker includes a light source that emits a light beam within an environment, and a data capture component that captures the light beam reflected back to the laser scanner or tracker from the environment. The laser scanner or tracker also includes a projector integrated within a body of the laser scanner or tracker or mounted to the body of the laser scanner or tracker at a predetermined location, the projector being operable to project visible information onto an object located within the environment, the projected visible information being indicative of images, data or information, the projected visible information being at least one of design intent information, information acquired by the laser scanner or tracker, or guidance to an operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Clark H. Briggs
  • Publication number: 20120050712
    Abstract: A laser based coordinate measuring device measures a position of a remote target. The laser based coordinate measuring device includes a stationary portion, a rotatable portion, and at least a first optical fiber. The stationary portion has at least a first laser radiation source and at least a first optical detector, and the rotatable portion is rotatable with respect to the stationary portion. The first optical fiber system, which optically interconnects the first laser radiation source and the first optical detector with an emission end of the first optical fiber system, has the emission end disposed on the rotatable portion. The emission end emits laser radiation to the remote target and receives laser radiation reflected from the remote target with the emission direction of the laser radiation being controlled according to the rotation of the rotatable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: FARO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Robert E. Bridges, Lawrence B. Brown, James K. West, D. Scott Ackerson