Automatic measurement of dimensional data with a laser tracker

A measuring system comprising:

• a first retroreflector target and a laser tracker;
• the laser tracker having a structure, a first angular transducer, a second angular transducer, a first motor, a second motor, a first light source, a second light source, a third light source, an absolute distance meter, a tracking system, a position detector, a first camera, a second camera, a first lens system, a second lens system, a first photosensitive array, a second photosensitive array, a processor, a memory, and computer readable media with instructions executable by the processor;
• the structure rotatable about a first axis by the first motor and a second axis by the second motor, the first light source producing a first light beam that cooperates with the absolute distance meter to measure a distance based at least in part on a speed of the first light beam, the first angular transducer measuring a first angle of rotation about the first axis, and the second angular transducer measuring a second angle of rotation about the second axis;
• the tracking system configured to move the first light beam to a center of the first retroreflector target in response to a portion of the first light beam reflected by the first retroreflector target and received by the position detector, the first camera including the first lens system and the first photosensitive array configured to have a first field of view, the second light source providing a second light beam that cooperates with the first camera, the second camera including the second lens system and the second photosensitive array configured to have a second field of view, the third light source providing a third light beam that cooperates with the second camera, the first field of view being greater than the second field of view, and the first camera and the second camera fixed with respect to the structure;
• the memory operably coupled to the processor, and the processor configured to operate the laser tracker, the instructions configured such that when executed by the processor causes the laser tracker to execute steps of;
• emitting the second light beam;
• capturing on the first photosensitive array a portion of the second light beam reflected by the first retroreflector target;
• obtaining a first spot position on the first photosensitive array from the portion of the second light beam reflected by the first retroreflector target;
• measuring the first angle of rotation and the second angle of rotation as a first pair of measured angles;
• determining by the processor a second pair of estimated angles based at least in part on the first pair of measured angles, the first spot position, and the first field of view;
• rotating the structure by the first motor and the second motor to cause the first angle of rotation and the second angle of rotation to correspond to the determined second pair of estimated angles;
• emitting the third light beam;
• capturing on the second photosensitive array a portion of the third light beam reflected by the first retroreflector target;
• obtaining a second spot position on the second photosensitive array from the portion of the third light beam reflected by the first retroreflector target;
• measuring the first angle of rotation and the second angle of rotation as a third pair of measured angles;
• determining by the processor a fourth pair of estimated angles based at least in part on the third pair of measured angles, the second spot position, and the second field of view;
• rotating the structure by the first motor and the second motor to cause the first angle of rotation and the second angle of rotation to correspond to the determined fourth pair of estimated angles;
• emitting the first light beam;
• receiving by the position detector a portion of the first light beam reflected by the first retroreflector target;
• tracking the first retroreflector target using the tracking system;
• measuring a first distance by the absolute distance meter;
• measuring the first angle of rotation and the second angle of rotation as a fifth pair of measured angles;
• determining by the processor a first set of three-dimensional coordinates of the center of the first retroreflector target based at least in part on the first distance and the fifth pair of measured angles;
• and
• storing the first set of three-dimensional coordinates in the memory.