# US 10,481,237 B2 · Method and apparatus for using gestures to control a measurement device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,237 B2 - Document ID: US10481237B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/910,493 - Filed: 2018-03-02 - Published: 2018-07-12 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2013-05-01 - Assignees: Faro Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: FARO Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Robert E. Bridges; David H. Parker; Kelley Fletcher - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481237B2 ## CPC - G01S 3/786: the desired condition being maintained automatically - G01B 11/002: {for measuring two or more coordinates} - G01B 11/14: for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00) - G01C 15/002: {Active optical surveying means (optical plumbing G01C15/105)} - G01S 17/66: Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves - G01S 17/86: Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders - G06F 3/015: {Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection} - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - G06T 7/12: Edge-based segmentation - G06T 7/174: involving the use of two or more images - G06T 7/194: involving foreground-background segmentation - G06T 7/254: involving subtraction of images - G06T 7/30: Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration - G06V 40/20: Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition (recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16) - G06V 40/28: {Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language (static hand signs G06V40/113)} - G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence - G06T 2207/20224: Image subtraction - G06T 2207/30196: Human being; Person - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A method and system are provided for controlling a measurement device remotely through gestures performed by a user. The method includes providing a relationship between a command and a gestures. A gesture is performed by the user with the user's body that corresponds to the user gesture. The gesture performed by the user is detected. A command is determined based at least in part on the detected gesture. Then the command is executed with the laser tracker. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a measurement device, the method comprising: providing a relationship between a command and a gesture, the gesture corresponding to a skeletal model of a body position of a user; measuring a three-dimensional coordinate of a point on a surface based on a first light projected from a first light source of the measurement device; projecting a second light from a second light source on the user; acquiring, with a camera, the body position of the user performing the gesture; generating, at a processor, the skeletal model of the body position of the user; identifying, at the processor, the gesture performed by the user from the skeletal model of the body position; determining, at a processor, the command based on the gesture and the relationship between the command and the gesture; and executing, by the processor, the command at the measurement device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising projecting a light pattern onto the user and determining coordinates of the skeletal model from the light pattern. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing a gesture filter that includes information of the gesture performed by the user as interpreted through the skeletal model, wherein the identifying of the gesture is based at least in part on the gesture filter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the gesture filter includes a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of inputs includes at least one of joint data, RGB color data and a rate of change of an aspect of the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of outputs includes at least one of confidence level and a speed of motion of the gesture. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the command is to acquire a retroreflector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the command further comprises: identifying an area containing the retroreflector from the image; and orienting the measurement device to acquire the retroreflector based at least in part on the identifying of the area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the command is to acquire the retroreflector by performing a spiral search pattern with the measurement device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying based at least in part on the skeletal model an object in the image being pointed at by the user; and positioning the measurement device toward the object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the object is a retroreflector. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: identifying based at least in part on the skeletal model a point on the object; and determining three-dimensional coordinates of the point. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the skeletal model of the user identifies the location of the user's hand, fingers and connecting joints. ### Claim 14 A method for controlling a measurement device, the method comprising: providing a relationship between a command and a gesture, the gesture corresponding to a body position of the user; acquiring, with a camera, an image of a user performing the gesture; determining, at a processor, the command based on the gesture and the relationship between the command and the gesture; executing, by the processor, the command at the measurement device; determining that the user is in the image; acquiring with the camera a proceeding image; aligning the proceeding image with the image; and subtracting the image from the proceeding image to identify foreground shapes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the foreground shapes is the user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising tracking a movement of the user from the image to the proceeding image. ### Claim 17 A measurement device, including: a first camera configured to measure a three-dimensional coordinate of a point on a surface based on a first light projected from a first light source of the measurement device; a projector configured to project a second light from a second light source on the user a second camera configured to acquire an image of a user performing a gesture; and a processor configured to: provide a relationship between a command and a gesture, the gesture corresponding to a skeletal model of a body position of the user; generate the skeletal model of the user; identify the gesture performed by the user from the skeletal model of the body position; determine the command based on the gesture acquired by the camera and a relationship provided between the command and the gesture, and execute the command at the measurement device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The measurement device of claim 17, wherein the projector is further configured to project a light pattern, and the processor is further configured to determine coordinates of the skeletal model from the light pattern. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The measurement device of claim 17, further comprising a gesture filter that includes information of the gesture performed by the user as interpreted through the skeletal model, wherein the processor is further configured to identify of the gesture is based at least in part on the gesture filter.