Thermal management of an optical scanning device
AssigneeHexagon Metrology, Inc.
InventorsTom Bauer, Gerald Gerent, David Demiter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Thermal variations on an optical scanning device can affect measurements made by that device. Various ways are presented here to control the temperature of a device and compensate for temperature variations of the device.
Claims42
A handheld optical scanning device for measuring coordinate data, the handheld optical scanning device comprising:
- a projector configured to illuminate a portion of an object to be measured with a pattern of light;
- one or more cameras configured to capture images of the portion of the object illuminated by the projector;
- a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the handheld optical scanning device at one or more positions;
- a fan;
- and
- at least one processor in communication with the temperature sensor and the fan, the processor configured to control the fan based at least on data from the temperature sensor.
A method of controlling the temperature of a handheld optical scanning device, the optical scanning device being configured to measure geometric coordinates on an object using a projector to illuminate a portion of the object to be measured with a pattern of light and one or more cameras to capture images of the portion of the object illuminated by the projector, the method comprising:
- measuring a temperature of the handheld optical scanning device at one or more positions;
- and
- operating a fan at least according to the measured temperature to maintain a substantially consistent temperature of the handheld optical scanning device.
A handheld optical scanning device for measuring coordinate data, the handheld optical scanning device comprising:
- a projector configured to illuminate a portion of an object to be measured with a pattern of light;
- one or more cameras configured to capture images of the portion of the object illuminated by the projector;
- one or more heat exchangers;
- and
- at least one heat pipe, the heat pipe thermally connecting at least one of the projector and the one or more cameras to the at least one heat exchanger, the at least one heat pipe comprising a fluid that evaporates to transfer heat from a heat source to the heat exchanger and condenses back to a fluid at the heat exchanger.
A method of controlling the measurement of coordinate data by an optical scanning device according to a thermal status of the optical scanning device, the method comprising:
- preventing the use of the optical scanning device to measure coordinate data when the optical scanning device is substantially outside of thermal equilibrium;
- and
- allowing the optical scanning device to measure coordinate data when the optical scanning device is substantially within thermal equilibrium.
A method of measuring coordinate data using a handheld optical scanning device and adjusting the measured coordinate data to compensate for temperature fluctuations, the method comprising:
- projecting a pattern of light onto an object to be measured with a projector on the handheld optical scanning device;
- imaging the object having the pattern of light with one or more cameras on the handheld optical scanning device;
- measuring a temperature of the handheld optical scanning device at one or more positions on the handheld optical scanning device;
- and
- measuring geometric coordinates on the object based at least on images from the one or more cameras and the measured temperature.
An optical scanning system comprising:
- a handheld optical scanning device comprising:
- a projector configured to illuminate a portion of an object to be measured with a pattern of light;
- one or more cameras configured to capture images of the portion of the object illuminated by the projector;
- and
- a mounting section;
- a warming cradle comprising a mounting section configured to form an electrical and physical connection with the mounting section of the handheld optical scanning device and to provide electrical power and data transfer capabilities to the handheld optical scanning device,
- wherein the optical scanning device is configured to raise its temperature to a temperature above ambient temperature while connected to the warming cradle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.