US 11,853,028 B2
Coordinate measurement system with auxiliary axis
Kishore Lankalapalli, Sanford, FL (US); Kenneth Steffey, Longwood, FL (US); Keith G. Macfarlane, Lake Mary, FL (US); Paul C. Atwell, Lake Mary, FL (US); Dragos M. Stanescu, Lake Mary, FL (US); John Lucas Creachbaum, Deltona, FL (US); Brent Bailey, Winter Springs, FL (US); and Matthew Mogensen, Longwood, FL (US)
Assigned to FARO Technologies, Inc., Lake Mary, FL (US)
Filed by FARO Technologies, Inc., Lake Mary, FL (US)
Filed on Feb. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/171,183.
Application 17/171,183 is a continuation of application No. 16/364,474, filed on Mar. 26, 2019, granted, now 10,969,760.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/714,861, filed on Aug. 6, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/656,477, filed on Apr. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0165389 A1, Jun. 3, 2021
Int. Cl. G05B 19/401 (2006.01); G01B 21/04 (2006.01); G01B 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/401 (2013.01) [G01B 11/007 (2013.01); G01B 21/047 (2013.01); G05B 2219/37193 (2013.01); G05B 2219/40233 (2013.01); G05B 2219/40596 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45061 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An auxiliary axis measurement system for determining three-dimensional coordinates of an object, the system comprising:
a primary axes assembly having one or more primary axes, wherein each axis of the one or more primary axes includes an encoder configured to measure movement relative to a respective axis;
an auxiliary axis assembly having three auxiliary axes, wherein each axis of the three auxiliary axes includes an encoder configured to measure movement relative to a respective axis, wherein the three auxiliary axes comprise a rotatable axis, a tilt axis, and a translation axis; and
a control unit operably connected to the encoders of the primary axes assembly and the encoders of the auxiliary axis assembly and configured to receive data therefrom, wherein the control unit processes, integrates, and synchronizes the data from both the primary axes assembly and the auxiliary axis assembly in real-time to employ a single coordinate system to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of the object,
wherein the control unit corrects, in real-time, for delays of data collection between the encoders based on a capture signal sent from the control unit to each encoder and wherein the collected data is synchronized to the capture signal and data from each encoder is transmitted to the control unit at a capture interval.