# US 5,706,408 A · Target based determination of robot and sensor alignment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,706,408 A - Document ID: US5706408A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/467,409 - Filed: 1995-06-06 - Granted: 1998-01-06 - Earliest claimed: 1984-10-12 - Assignees: Sensor Adaptive Machines, Inc. - Inventors: Timothy R. Pryor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706408A ## CPC - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - B25J 9/1692: {Calibration of manipulator} - B25J 19/023: {including video camera means} - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract Target based machine vision useful for alignment of sensors and other objects affixed to structures, robots and the like. While addressed particularly to alignment of machine vision systems relative to structures, the techniques disclosed are useful with a multitude of different sensors and objects. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of aligning a member with an object, comprising the steps of: providing, in a computer, a data base of said object, said data base for providing a reference derived from the data base relating to a position of a surface portion of said object, positioning the member to be aligned in an approximate location with respect to the reference, providing an electro-optical means for determining a location of said member with respect to said reference, determining said location of said member with said electro-optical means, and using said location of said member and a location of said reference for generating instructions for a better alignment of the approximately aligned member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein said reference is a reference member located near said object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein said reference is physically positioned using said data base. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein said reference is contacted by said member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein said reference is sensed by said member or a sensor incorporated therewith. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein said reference is a physical object corresponding to said data base. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein said reference is generated optically. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 further including automatically performing said alignment using said instructions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein said determining step is performed automatically. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein said reference is an object positioned in space which contains one or more special datums visible to said electro-optical sensor. ### Claim 11 A method for aligning an electro-optical means relative to a data base of an object, a surface portion of which object is to be subsequently measured with said sensor, comprising the steps of: mounting said sensor in an approximate position to measure the surface portion of said object, placing a reference discernable by said sensor at a known position of the surface portion relative to said data base of the object, measuring a location of a datum of the reference with said sensor, and aligning said sensor to the location of the datum. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11 wherein said aligning step includes adjusting data which is provided by said sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11 wherein said aligning step includes adjusting a position or orientation of said sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11 wherein said sensor includes a TV camera. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method according to claim 14 wherein said camera forms an image of said datum. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11 further including measuring at least one location of an object with said sensor, after said aligning of said sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11 further including providing a display of data from said sensor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11 further including aligning one or more additional sensors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11 further including providing a framework to mount said sensor, and relating said data base of the object to said framework. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11 further including measuring said object. ### Claim 21 Apparatus for aligning an electro-optical sensor relative to a data base of an object, a surface portion of which object is to be measured with said sensor, comprising: mounting means for positioning said sensor in an approximate position to measure the surface portion of said object, a datum discernable by said sensor, datum holding means for holding said datum at a known position of the surface portion relative to said data base, means for determining from a sensor output of said sensor, a location of said datum with respect to said sensor, computer means for combining said datum location as measured by said means for determining with the datum location of said data base of the object to provide a computer output indicative of a difference thereof, and means for generating alignment instructions from said computer output. ### Claim 22 Apparatus for aligning a member with an object, comprising: an object data base in a computer, reference generating means for generating a reference derived from said data base indicative of a position of a surface portion of said object in said data base, positioning means for positioning a member to be aligned in an approximate location with respect to the reference, electro-optical means for determining a location of said member with respect to said reference, and computer means which uses said data base and the location of said member determined by said electro-optical means for generating instructions for a better aligning of the approximately aligned said member.