Method and device for automatically identifying a point of interest in a depth measurement on a viewed object

A system for automatically identifying an offset measurement point on a viewed object, the system comprising:

• a video inspection device comprising
• a display;
• an input device;
• a data processor;
• and
• a memory storing non-transitory computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the data processor, cause the data processor to perform operations comprising
• displaying an image of the viewed object in the display;
• determining three-dimensional coordinates of a plurality of points on a surface of the viewed object;
• receiving a plurality of reference surface points manually selected on the displayed image via the input device;
• determining a reference surface using three-dimensional coordinates associated with the plurality of reference surface points;
• determining a region of interest based on the plurality of reference surface points;
• determining a target feature type using three-dimensional coordinates within the region of interest;
• selecting an offset measurement point based on the target feature type;
• determining a distance between the reference surface and the offset measurement point;
• displaying an offset cursor in the display at the offset measurement point;
• and
• providing the distance in the display.

A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions which, when executed by at least one data processor forming part of at least one computing system, results in operations comprising:

• displaying an image of the viewed object in a display of a video inspection device including a data processor;
• determining, by the data processor, three-dimensional coordinates of a plurality of points on a surface of the viewed object;
• receiving, by the data processor, a plurality of reference surface points manually selected on the displayed image via the input device;
• determining, by the data processor, a reference surface using three-dimensional coordinates associated with the plurality of reference surface points;
• determining, by the data processor, a region of interest based on the plurality of reference surface points;
• determining, by the data processor, a target feature type using three-dimensional coordinates within the region of interest;
• selecting, by the data processor, an offset measurement point based on the target feature type;
• determining, by the data processor, a distance between the reference surface and the offset measurement point;
• displaying, by the data processor, an offset cursor in the display at the offset measurement point;
• and
• providing, by the data processor, the distance in the display.