Laser projection system and method
AssigneeVirtek Vision International Inc.
InventorKurt D. Rueb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser projection system for projecting an image on a workpiece includes a photogrammetry assembly and a laser projector, each communicating with a computer. The photogrammetry assembly includes a first camera for scanning the workpiece, and the laser projector projects a laser image to arbitrary locations. Light is conveyed from the direction of the workpiece to the photogrammetry assembly. The photogrammetry assembly signals the coordinates light conveyed toward the photogrammetry assembly to the computer with the computer being programmable for determining a geometric location of the laser image. The computer establishes a geometric correlation between the photogrammetry assembly, the laser projector, and the workpiece for realigning the laser image to a corrected geometric location relative to the workpiece.
Claims25
A laser projection system for projecting an image on a workpiece, comprising:
- a photogrammetry assembly and a laser projector, each communicating with a computer;
- said photogrammetry assembly including a first camera for scanning the workpiece, and said laser projector projecting a laser image to arbitrary locations with said laser image being readable by said camera, with a location of said photogrammetry assembly relative to a location of said laser projector being correlated from the laser image projected to arbitrary locations;
- said photogrammetry assembly signaling the coordinates of the work piece to the computer by scanning light conveyed from the direction of the workpiece with said computer being programmable for determining a geometric location of the workpiece from the light conveyed from the direction of the workpiece;
- and
- said computer establishing geometric correlation between said photogrammetry assembly, said laser projector, and the workpiece and signaling said laser projector to project a template onto a geometric desirable location of the workpiece.
A method of projecting patterns on a workpiece, comprising the steps of:
- providing a photogrammetry assembly and a laser projector;
- conveying light from the direction of the workpiece to said photogrammetry assembly;
- determining a location in a three dimensional coordinate system of the laser projector relative to the photogrammetry assembly by scanning arbitrary laser images projected by the laser projector;
- determining a location of the workpiece in the three dimensional coordinate system relative to said photogrammetry assembly and to said laser projector from light conveyed from the direction of the workpiece to said photogrammetry assembly;
- and
- transmitting a template onto a geometric desirable location of the workpiece from said laser projector upon determining a location of the workpiece in the three dimensional coordinate system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.