US 12,289,526 B2
Metrology system
Johan Stigwall, St. Gallen (CH); Zheng Yang, Friedrichshafen (DE); and Thomas Jensen, Rorschach (CH)
Assigned to HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH, Heerbrugg (CH)
Filed by HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH, Heerbrugg (CH)
Filed on Dec. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/078,514.
Claims priority of application No. 21214456 (EP), filed on Dec. 14, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0188857 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. H04N 23/695 (2023.01); G01S 17/66 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G06T 7/55 (2017.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); H04N 23/69 (2023.01); H04N 25/705 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/695 (2023.01) [G01S 17/66 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G06T 7/55 (2017.01); G06T 7/74 (2017.01); H04N 23/69 (2023.01); H04N 25/705 (2023.01); G06T 2207/10028 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30204 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A metrology system comprising:
a target object,
metrology instrument for tracking the target object and/or for determining at least an orientation of the target object, the metrology instrument comprises:
a base unit,
a support unit mounted on the base unit and configured for being rotatable relative to the base unit around a yaw axis,
a targeting unit mounted on the support unit and configured for being rotatable relative to the support unit around a pitch axis,
an angle determining unit configured to provide angle determination data for determining an alignment of the targeting unit and
a distance measuring device configured to provide distance data with respect to the target object, and
a control unit configured for controlling an alignment of the targeting unit and for deriving at least an orientation of the target object,
wherein the metrology instrument comprises:
a zoom objective,
an illumination unit and
a time-of-flight sensor comprising an array of pixels and capable of providing range data for each pixel of the array as point cloud data, the time-of-flight sensor provides the distance measuring device,
wherein the zoom objective, the illumination unit and the time-of-flight sensor are arranged so that an optical axis of the zoom optics, an optical axis of the illumination unit and an optical axis of the time-of-flight sensor are coaxial and an orientation of the coaxial axes is alignable by means of the targeting unit,
the target object provides particular characteristics at the target object,
the control unit comprises an object determination functionality which, when executed, provides:
receiving the point cloud data provided by the time-of-flight sensor,
deriving a digital representation of the target object by processing the point cloud data,
comparing the digital representation of the target object with a reference pattern of the target object, the reference pattern is related to the characteristics of the target object, and
determining the orientation of the target object based on the comparison of the digital representation of the target object with the reference pattern.