Device for measuring the shape of a three-dimensional object
February 7, 2005. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesThree axis precision measuring device Method and apparatus for measuring direction Surface measurement instruments Coordinate measuring machine Method for interpolating between cartesian and rotary coordinates in machines Method and apparatus for determining the location of points on a three dimensional thing Three dimensional digitizer for digitizing the surface contour of a solid body Robot arm controller with common bus memory Three dimensional graphics tablet Industrial robot control method InventorApplicationNo. 06/699133 filed on 02/07/1985US Classes:702/168, By probe (e.g., contact)33/1N, Angular measurement33/503, Coordinate movable probe or machine700/161, Tracing or duplicating700/187, For curve or contour700/258, Having particular sensor700/262Using particular manipulator orientation computation (e.g., vector/matrix calculation)ExaminersPrimary: Krass, Errol A.Assistant: Teska, Kevin J. Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassesB25J 9/04 (20060101)B25J 17/02 (20060101) B25J 9/00 (20060101) B25J 9/02 (20060101) G01B 7/28 (20060101) G01B 7/004 (20060101) Foreign Application Priority Data1984-02-16 JPAbstractA device for measuring the shape of a three-dimensional object comprises a movable arm composed of a plurality of movable arm members and a probe coupled to a forward end of the movable arm by a universal joint. At each of the movable arm members and probe, there is provided an angle-of-rotation encoder for detecting the angle of rotation. In order to measure the shape of the three-dimensional object with a lesser number of measuring times, the probe has a flat surface portion at its forward end which contacts the object. A calculating section calculates the direction of the flat surface portion of the probe in contact with the object, on the basis of the information from the angle-of-rotation encoders and the known information on dimensions of the movable arm, to thereby determine a tangent plane of the object at a contact point between the flat surface portion and the object, and determines the shape of the object from a plurality of tangent planes at the contact points.Other References
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