# US 2017/0254884 A1 · Scanner display > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0254884 A1 - Document ID: US20170254884A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/595,983 - Filed: 2017-05-16 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-03 - Assignees: Faro Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Faro Technologies Incorporated - Inventors: Reinhard Becker; Bernd-Dietmar Becker; Martin Ossig - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170254884A1 ## CPC - G01S 7/51: Display arrangements - G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning} - G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) - G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging - 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 ## Abstract A laser scanner collects gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates of a scanned object in a spherical coordinate system, and displays reformatted gray-scale values that are reformatted from the spherical coordinate system into a planar view rectangular region. The reformatted gray-scale values have at least one straight line of the object appearing as a curved line on a display. The scanner enables selection of an angular range of measurement, measures gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates in the spherical coordinate system over the angular range of measurement, displays the reformatted gray-scale values, the reformatted gray-scale values being the gray-scale values reformatted from the spherical coordinate system into a rectangular shaped region, the rectangular shape of the region extending and covering the angular range, and saves the reformatted gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates on a storage medium, the associated 3D coordinates being 3D coordinates associated with the gray-scale values. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A laser scanner configured to measure three-dimensional (3D) coordinates of an object, comprising: a mirror configured to rotate about a first axis, the mirror having a flat reflective surface; a first portion including the mirror, the first portion configured to rotate about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the first portion further including a light emitter, and a light receiver, the light emitter is configured to send emitted light to the mirror for reflection onto the object, the light receiver is configured to receive from the mirror a reflected light, the reflected light being a part of the emitted light reflected by the object; one or more processors that are operably coupled to a tangible non-transitory storage medium, the light emitter and the light receiver; a display unit operably coupled to the processor, the display unit further being coupled to the laser scanner; the one or more processors being responsive to executable instructions which when executed by the processor is operable to: cause the scanner to collect gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates in a spherical coordinate system based at least in part on the light received by the light receiver; map the gray-scale values and the associated 3D coordinates onto a geometrical shape to obtain first mapped values; enable selection of a first viewing direction; display on the display unit a first panoramic view of a first portion of the first mapped values as seen from a fixed point in space in the first viewing direction; and save the first panoramic view on the storage medium. ### Claim 2 (depends on 3) The laser scanner of claim 3 wherein the geometrical shape is selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, a cube, and a sphere. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The laser scanner of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to enable selection of a first point on the display unit and in response determine a first 3D coordinate associated with the first point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The laser scanner of claim 3, wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to enable selection of a second point on the display unit and in response determine a second 3D coordinate associated with the second point. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The laser scanner of claim 4, wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to determine a first distance between the first 3D coordinate and the second 3D coordinate. ### Claim 6 A laser scanner configured to measure three-dimensional (3D) coordinates of an object, comprising: a mirror configured to rotate about a first axis, the mirror having a flat reflective surface; a first portion including the mirror, the first portion configured to rotate about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the first portion further including a light emitter, and a light receiver, the light emitter is configured to send emitted light to the mirror for reflection onto the object, the light receiver is configured to receive from the mirror a reflected light, the reflected light being a part of the emitted light reflected by the object; one or more processors that are operably coupled to a tangible non-transitory storage medium, the light emitter and the light receiver; a display unit operably coupled to the processor, the display unit further being coupled to the laser scanner; the one or more processors being responsive to executable instructions which when executed by the processor is operable to: cause the scanner to collect gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates in a spherical coordinate system based at least in part on the light received by the light receiver; enable selection of a first viewing position and a first viewing direction; map the gray-scale values and the associated 3D coordinates into an undistorted 3D representation of the object; display on the display unit a first 3D view of the object, the first 3D view being a portion of the undistorted 3D representation of the object as observed from the first viewing position and the first viewing direction; and save the first 3D view on the storage medium. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The laser scanner of claim 6 wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to: enable selection of a second viewing position and a second viewing direction; and display on the display unit a second 3D view of the object, the second 3D view being a portion of the undistorted 3D representation of the object as observed from the second viewing position and the second viewing direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The laser scanner of claim 6, wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to enable selection of a first point on the display unit and in response determine a first 3D coordinate associated with the first point. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The laser scanner of claim 8, wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to enable selection of a second point on the display unit and in response determine a second 3D coordinate associated with the second point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The laser scanner of claim 9, wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to determine a first distance between the first 3D coordinate and the second 3D coordinate.