Perceptron, Inc.

Danlaw, Inc.

Dale R Greer

Myles Markey, Jr

Robert Dewar

Munsang Kim

Hannes Loferer

Brett Hibbard

Gregory Dale

Jesper Christensen

Stephen James Tenniswood

A portable system for monitoring vehicle driving conditions is provided. The system may include a processor, an accelerometer unit, and a gyroscope unit. The processor may be configured to determine a primary axis of the vehicle based on acceleration data from the accelerometer unit and the angular rate of change data from the gyroscope unit.

Vehicle monitoring module

An improved target assembly is provided for use in calibrating a non-contact sensor in a sensor calibration system. The target assembly includes: a plate member; three pairs of truncated cones mounted adjacent to each other on a surface of the plate member, where one of the truncated cones in each pair is orientated inversely in relation to the other truncated cone; and at least three targets connected to the plate member for calibrating the target assembly in relation to a reference frame external to the target assembly.

Target for calibrating a non-contact sensor

A calibration system is provided for calibrating a sensor with respect to an external reference frame associated with manufacturing gauging station. A target calibration device is positioned at a vantage point to detect and calibrate its reference frame in relation to the external reference frame. A reference target having at least three non-coplanar reflective surfaces is illuminated by the structured light emanating from the sensor. In this way, the calibration system is able to determine the spatial location and orientation of the reference target in relation to the sensor. The calibration system further includes a coordinate transformation system for coordinating the measurement data from the target calibration device and from the feature sensor, whereby the feature sensor is calibrated with respect to the external reference frame.

Method and apparatus for calibrating a non-contact gauging sensor with respect to an external coordinate system

The photogrammetric measurement system is positioned at a vantage point to detect and calibrate its reference frame to the external reference frame demarcated by light-reflecting retroreflective target dot on a spherical target. A tetrahedron framework with the spherical target mounted on one of the vertices serves as a reference target that is placed in front of the non-contact sensor to be calibrated. The photogrammetric measurement system reads and calibrates the position of the retroreflective target dot (and thus the tetrahedron) while the structured light of the sensor is projected onto the framework of the reference target. The structured light intersects with and reflects from the reference target, providing the non-contact sensor with positional and orientation data. This data is correlated to map the coordinate system of the non-contact sensor to the coordinate system of the external reference frame.

A temperature compensation system (,) is provided for compensating measurements from a sensor (,). A temperature transducer (,) is placed in close proximity to a manufacturing workstation as a means of measuring the ambient temperature associated with the workstation (,). A reference workpiece (,) is placed within a sensing zone of the sensor (,). The system (,) includes a temperature compensating module (,) that is connected to the sensor (,) and to the temperature transducer (,) for determining a baseline measurement of the reference workpiece at a reference temperature. The temperature compensating module (,) is further adapted for collecting a plurality of measurements of the reference workpiece over a plurality of temperatures for establishing a relationship between these measurements and their corresponding temperature values. In addition, a workpiece measuring module (,) is also connected to the sensor (,) and to the temperature transducer (,) for measuring a first workpiece at a first temperature, whereby the sensor measurement is compensated for temperature using this relationship. In this way, the temperature compensation system (,) compensates the sensor measurement for physical changes in any of the components of the workstation that are caused by fluctuations in ambient temperature. Rather than compensate for ambient temperature changes, the temperature compensation system (,) may also be adapted to compensate sensor measurements based on process driven temperature changes (i.e., a &ldquo;hot&rdquo; workpiece).

Method and apparatus for temperature compensation of measurements from a non-contact sensor

The laser tracker is positioned at a vantage point to detect and calibrate its reference frame to the external reference frame demarcated by light-reflecting retro reflector. A tetrahedron framework with retro reflector mounted on one of the vertices serves as a reference target that is placed in front of the non-contact sensor to be calibrated. The laser tracker reads and calibrates the position of the retro reflector (and thus the tetrahedron) while the structured light of the non-contact sensor is projected onto the framework of the reference target. The structured light intersects with and reflects from the reference target, providing the non-contact sensor with positional and orientation data. These data are correlated to map the coordinate system of the non-contact sensor to the coordinate system of the external reference frame.

Method and apparatus for calibrating a non-contact gauging sensor with

The sensor array is positioned at a vantage point to detect and calibrate its reference frame to the external reference frame demarcated by light-emitting reference indicia. The sensor array encompasses a wide view calibration field and provides data indicating the spatial position of light sources placed within the calibration field. A tetrahedron framework with light-emitting diodes at the vertices serves as a portable reference target that is placed in front of the feature sensor to be calibrated. The sensor array reads and calibrates the position of the light-emitting diodes at the vertices while the structured light of the feature sensor is projected onto the framework of the reference target. The structured light intersects with and reflects from the reference target, providing the feature sensor with positional and orientation data. These data are correlated to map the coordinate system of the feature sensor to the coordinate system of the external reference frame. A computer-generated virtual image display compares desired and actual sensor positions through a real time feedback system allowing the user to properly position the feature sensor.

Method and apparatus for calibrating a noncontact gauging sensor with

The non-contact sensor employs a structured light source that emits light in a predefined planar configuration and an optical receiver for reading reflected light produced by the structured light source within a predefined field of view. A tetrahedron target structure includes a three-dimensional framework that defines at least three non-collinear, non-coplanar structural lines each simultaneously visible to the sensor. A calibration system is coupled to the gauging system and the non-contact sensor for calibrating the gauging system by evaluating the geometric relationship of the structured light reflected from the structural lines of the target structure to determine the position and orientation of the target structure and then correlating the structural lines to the gauging system.

Calibration and compensation of robot-based gauging system

The sensor array is positioned at a vantage point to detect and calibrate its reference frame to the external reference frame demarcated by light-emitting reference indicia. The sensor array encompasses a wide view calibration field and provides data indicating the spatial position of light sources placed within the calibration field. A tetrahedron framework with light-emitting diodes at the vertices serves as a portable reference target that is placed in front of the feature sensor to be calibrated. The sensor array reads and calibrates the position of the light-emitting diodes at the vertices while the structured light of the feature sensor is projected onto the framework of the reference target. The structured light intersects with and reflects from the reference target, providing the feature sensor with positional and orientation data. These data are correlated to map the coordinate system of the feature sensor to the coordinate system of the external reference frame. A computer-generated virtual image display compares desired and actual sensor positions through a real time feedback system allowing the user to properly position the feature sensor without trial and error.

One or more non-contacting gauging sensors are calibrated to a common external coordinate system by providing each sensor to be calibrated with a target which can be simultaneously viewed by the sensor and an external measuring system for determining coordinates of the target in terms of the external coordinate system and in terms of the sensor coordinate system. With the resulting spatial coordinates of the target expressed in both frames of reference, transform matrix coefficients can be calculated, for example with a programmable computer, to calibrate each sensor to the preselected common external coordinate system.

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Dale R Greer