JP7641191B2 - Probe for three-dimensional coordinate measuring device and three-dimensional coordinate measuring device equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device that is used in a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device that calculates the coordinates of a measurement point on a measurement object and that contacts the measurement object to indicate the measurement point, and a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device equipped with the probe.

A contact-type three-dimensional coordinate measuring device uses a probe with a contact part. The contact part of the probe is brought into contact with the object to be measured, and the contact position between the object to be measured and the contact part is calculated. By calculating multiple positions on the object to be measured, the dimensions of the desired part of the object to be measured are measured.

The three-dimensional coordinate measuring device described in Patent Document 1 includes a mounting table, a probe, and an imaging unit. The contact portion of the probe is brought into contact with the measurement object placed on the mounting table. Image data is generated by capturing an image of multiple markers provided on the probe by the imaging unit. The coordinates of the contact position between the measurement object and the contact portion are calculated based on the image data.

JP 2015-194452 A

In the above three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, the mounting table and the imaging unit are held together by the holding unit so that the area above the mounting table is imaged by the imaging unit. Furthermore, the imaging unit is disposed diagonally above the mounting table and is fixed so that the imaging area faces diagonally downward toward the mounting table. With this configuration, the positional relationship between the measurement object placed on the mounting table and the imaging unit is stable.

When the measurement object is placed on the mounting table, the parts of the measurement object whose coordinates can be measured are limited to the range in which the contact part can come into contact when the imaging unit images the multiple markers of the probe. Therefore, depending on the shape and size of the measurement object, the range of measurable parts of the measurement object may vary greatly depending on the user's level of proficiency.

The object of the present invention is to provide a probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device that enables measurement of physical quantities over a wide range of objects to be measured without requiring the user to have specialized skills, and a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device equipped with the probe.

(1) A probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to a first aspect of the present invention is used in a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device that calculates the coordinates of a measurement point that is in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a plurality of measurement markers based on a plurality of measurement markers imaged by an imaging unit and a relative positional relationship between a plurality of measurement markers that has been stored in advance, and is configured to be carried by a user in order to indicate a measurement point. The probe comprises a main body having a plurality of measurement markers arranged so that they can be imaged from a predetermined direction, a stylus having a contact unit for indicating the measurement point and attached to the main body in a predetermined positional relationship with the plurality of measurement markers, a gripping portion configured to be held by a user and in which a gripping posture by the user is specified, and a connecting portion that connects the gripping portion to the main body so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis, and when the gripping portion is held by the user in accordance with the specified gripping posture by rotating the gripping portion around the rotation axis via the connecting portion, the plurality of measurement markers are arranged in different orientations.

In the above three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, a measurement point is indicated by the indicator of the probe. At this time, multiple measurement markers on the main body are imaged. The coordinates of the indicated measurement point are calculated based on the image data obtained by imaging and the positional relationship between the multiple measurement markers and the indicator. Therefore, in order to obtain the coordinates of a desired measurement point on a measurement object, when the measurement point is indicated, the multiple measurement markers must be located within the field of view of the imaging unit and facing the imaging unit.

In the above probe, the grip portion rotates around a rotation axis at the connection. As a result, when the grip portion is held by the user in a specified gripping position, the multiple measurement markers are positioned in different orientations as the grip portion rotates. This makes it possible to measure physical quantities over a wide range of the measurement object without requiring the user to be highly skilled.

(2) The main body may have a marker surface on which multiple measurement markers are arranged, and the connection portion may be provided on the side opposite the marker surface of the main body. In this case, the gripping portion is prevented from entering the field of view of the imaging portion when imaging the multiple measurement markers. Therefore, reduction in the measurement range is suppressed.

(3) The rotation axis of the connection part may be provided along the marker surface, and the grip part may be configured to rotate around the rotation axis via the connection part, so that when the grip part is gripped by a user according to a specified gripping posture, the grip part can transition between a first state in which the marker surface faces a first direction and a second state in which the marker surface faces a second direction different from the first direction.

In this case, the direction in which the marker surface faces can be selectively switched between a first direction and a second direction depending on the rotation of the grip. Therefore, by switching between the first state and the second state depending on the usage state of the user, it is possible to facilitate the task of indicating the measurement point.

(4) The gripping unit may have an operation unit that accepts operational inputs related to measurements from the user, and the gripping posture may be determined by the arrangement of the operation unit. In this case, the operation unit can be easily operated by rotating the gripping unit in an appropriate direction. This makes it possible to appropriately indicate the measurement point. As a result, it becomes possible to measure physical quantities over a wide range of the measurement target without requiring the user to be highly skilled.

(5) The gripping portion may be rotated to a first angular position for directing the multiple measurement markers toward the imaging unit directly facing the user, and a second angular position for directing the multiple measurement markers toward the imaging unit to the side of the user. In this case, the convenience of the user using the probe is improved.

(6) The main body may include a holding portion that fixes a plurality of measurement markers and a stylus in a predetermined positional relationship, a cushioning member, and a casing that houses the holding portion and movably supports the holding portion via the cushioning member.

(7) The operation unit may be configured with a plurality of buttons arranged in a predetermined arrangement, and the gripping unit may be configured to be able to transition between a first arrangement state in which the arrangement of the plurality of buttons relative to the main body unit is in a first arrangement relationship and a second arrangement state in which the arrangement of the plurality of buttons relative to the main body unit is in a second arrangement relationship different from the first arrangement relationship by rotating around a rotation axis.

In general, in a probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, the operability of the multiple buttons provided on the probe may be significantly reduced depending on the relationship between the position and orientation of the main body unit and the arrangement of the multiple buttons. With the above configuration, the relationship of the arrangement of the multiple buttons to the main body unit can be switched between the first relationship and the second relationship by transitioning the grip unit between the first arrangement state and the second arrangement state. Therefore, even if the operability of the multiple buttons is reduced when the main body unit is in a measurement-enabled state, the user can easily change the positional relationship of the arrangement of the multiple buttons to the main body unit by switching the state of the grip unit. This can improve the operability of the multiple buttons.

(8) The gripping portion may have a built-in battery that supplies power to the multiple measurement markers. The battery has a relatively large weight among the multiple components that make up the probe. As a result, when the battery is housed in the gripping portion, the center of gravity of the entire probe is located at or near the gripping portion. This allows the user to stably operate the probe by gripping the gripping portion.

(9) The probe further includes a notification display unit provided on the main body unit to notify the user whether or not the multiple measurement markers are present within the imaging field of view of the imaging unit, and the notification display unit may be located closer to the stylus than a connection portion of the main body unit to which the gripping portion is connected.

In this case, the notification display unit is located closer to the stylus than the grip unit. In other words, the notification display unit is located closer to the contact unit. This allows the user to indicate the measurement point by touching the contact unit to a desired part of the measurement object while visually checking the notification display unit.

(10) The notification display unit may include a first display unit and a second display unit, and the first display unit and the second display unit may be provided in different parts of the main body unit and facing different directions.

In this case, even if it is difficult for the user to see the first display unit when operating the probe, the user can easily determine whether or not multiple measurement markers are present within the imaging field of view of the imaging unit if the user can see the second display unit. Also, even if it is difficult for the user to see the second display unit when operating the probe, the user can easily determine whether or not multiple measurement markers are present within the imaging field of view of the imaging unit if the user can see the first display unit. Therefore, the operability of the probe when indicating measurement points is improved.

(11) A three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to a third aspect of the present invention is a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device comprising a probe for the above-mentioned three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, an imaging unit that images a plurality of measurement markers of the probe, and a calculation unit that calculates the coordinates of a measurement point indicated by a contact unit based on measurement image data showing an image of the plurality of measurement markers imaged by the imaging unit.

The three-dimensional coordinate measuring device includes the above-mentioned probe. This makes it possible to measure physical quantities over a wide range of the object to be measured without requiring the user to be highly skilled.

The present invention makes it possible to measure physical quantities over a wide range of objects without requiring the user to be highly skilled.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of use of a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 11 is a schematic diagram showing another example of use of the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an imaging head and a processing device. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the imaging head. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the imaging head with the casing removed. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the imaging head taken along line AA in FIG. 4. 10A is a schematic vertical sectional view of the reference member of FIG. 9, and FIG. 10B is a bottom view of the reference member. 1A and 1B are bottom and side views of the head bottom portion. 2A and 2B are a plan view and a side view of the head base of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a probe. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the probe as viewed in one direction. FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of the probe as seen in another direction. 1 is a perspective view of the external appearance of a probe with a gripping portion in a second state, as viewed in one direction; FIG. 13 is an external perspective view of the probe with the gripping portion in the second state, as viewed from another direction. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a user measures a measurement object using a probe whose grip portion is in a first state; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a user measures a measurement object using a probe whose grip portion is in a second state; FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view of the probe showing the internal structure of the main body. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the probe for illustrating an outline of the internal structure of the main body. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of a measurement process by the main body control circuit of FIG. 3. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a measurement point coordinate calculation process. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of a tracking process performed by the main body control circuit of FIG. 3. FIG. 13 is an external perspective view of a probe according to another embodiment. 26 is a perspective view of the external appearance of the probe when the gripping portion is rotated 90° from the state of the probe in FIG. 25 .

[1] Basic configuration and usage example of a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of usage of a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 according to this embodiment is mainly composed of an imaging head 100, a probe 200, a processing device 300, and a holding unit 800.

The holding unit 800 includes a mounting unit 810, a mounting base 820, and a head base 830. The mounting unit 810 has a flat plate shape formed to extend in one direction, and is installed on a mounting surface such as the top surface of a table. The mounting unit 810 is made of aluminum, iron, or an alloy thereof, and has high rigidity. A mounting base 820 is provided at one end of the mounting unit 810. The mounting base 820 in this example is an optical table having a substantially rectangular shape, and is connected to the upper surface of the mounting unit 810 so that the short side is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mounting unit 810 (the direction in which the mounting unit 810 extends). The length L1 of the long side of the mounting base 820 is, for example, about 450 mm, and the length L2 of the short side of the mounting base 820 is, for example, about 300 mm. The mounting base 820 may have a square shape, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape. The measurement object S is placed on the mounting base 820.

A head base 830 is provided at the other end of the installation section 810. The head base 830 in this example is configured so that the bottom part 101 of the imaging head 100 (hereinafter referred to as the head bottom part) can be attached and detached. With the head bottom part 101 attached to the head base 830, the imaging head 100 is fixed to the installation section 810 and the mounting base 820. On the other hand, with the head bottom part 101 detached from the head base 830, the imaging head 100 is separated from the installation section 810 and the mounting base 820 as shown by the dotted white arrow in FIG. 1.

The probe 200 is configured to be portable by the user. The probe 200 is provided with a contact portion 211a. To indicate a measurement point, the user contacts the contact portion 211a of the probe 200 with a desired portion of the measurement object S. As a result, the contact portion 211a indicates the measurement point, and the portion of the measurement object S that is in contact with the contact portion 211a is indicated as the measurement point.

A movable camera 120 is provided inside the imaging head 100. The movable camera 120 captures images of a number of markers eq (FIG. 14, etc.) provided on the probe 200, which will be described later. The imaging head 100 is also connected to a processing device 300 via a cable CA. The processing device 300 is, for example, a personal computer, to which a main body display unit 310 and a main body operation unit 320 are connected. In the processing device 300, the coordinates of a measurement point on the measurement object S are calculated based on image data (hereinafter referred to as measurement image data) obtained by the movable camera 120 capturing an image of the probe 200 and reference image data, which will be described later. By calculating the coordinates of one or more measurement points on the measurement object S, the physical quantity of the measurement object S is measured based on the calculation results.

When the user moves the probe 200, the orientation of the imaging field of the movable camera 120 follows the movement of the probe 200, as shown by the thick solid arrows a1 and a2 in FIG. 1. That is, the orientation of the movable camera 120 changes so that the probe 200 is positioned within the imaging field of the movable camera 120 as the probe 200 moves. The movable camera 120 according to this embodiment has a depth of field that covers at least the space above the mounting table 820 when the imaging field of view is directed toward the mounting table 820. Therefore, the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 has a wide measurable area that includes the space above the mounting table 820. Therefore, the range of positions and orientations of the probe 200 required to measure the physical quantity of the measurement target S is expanded.

As described above, according to the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 of this embodiment, the physical quantities of the measurement object S placed on the mounting table 820 can be measured with the imaging head 100 attached to the head base 830. On the other hand, if the physical quantities of the measurement object S that is not placed on the mounting table 820 can also be measured, the convenience of the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 will be improved. Therefore, in addition to the above configuration, the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 of this embodiment further includes a reference stand for fixing the imaging head 100 to an installation surface such as a floor surface. An example of using the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 using the reference stand will be described.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing another example of use of the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 further includes a reference stand 900. The reference stand 900 is a tripod, and is composed of a head base 911 and legs 912. The head base 911 is provided at the upper end of the legs 912, and is configured to allow the head bottom 101 of the imaging head 100 to be attached and detached, similar to the head base 830 of the holding unit 800 in Figure 1. In this example, the imaging head 100 removed from the holding unit 800 in Figure 1 is attached on the head base 911 of the reference stand 900.

According to the above-mentioned reference stand 900, the user U can fix the imaging head 100, for example, on the floor surface so that the measurement target S set on the processing machine 9 is located within the range of the depth of field of the movable camera 120. The processing machine 9 is a processing device such as a lathe, a milling machine, or an electric discharge machine. Alternatively, the user U can fix the imaging head 100, for example, on the floor surface so that the measurement target S placed on the floor surface is located within the range of the depth of field of the movable camera 120. Therefore, the user U can measure the physical quantity of the measurement target S that is not placed on the placement table 820 of FIG. 1 by contacting the contact portion 211a of the probe 200 that the user U carries with him/her to a desired portion of the measurement target S. In this example, when the user U moves while carrying the probe 200, the direction of the imaging field of the movable camera 120 follows the movement of the probe 200, as in the example of FIG. 1. The configuration of each part of the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 will be described in detail below.

[2] Configuration of imaging head 100 and processing device 300 Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of imaging head 100 and processing device 300. Fig. 4 is a front view of imaging head 100, and Fig. 5 is a rear view of imaging head 100. Fig. 6 is a side view of imaging head 100, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of imaging head 100. As shown in Figs. 4 to 7, imaging head 100 has a configuration in which a plurality of components are housed in a casing 90. Fig. 8 is an external perspective view of imaging head 100 with casing 90 removed, and Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of imaging head 100 taken along line A-A in Fig. 4.

(1) Imaging head 100
First, the configuration of the imaging head 100 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the imaging head 100 includes, as electrical components, a reference camera 110, a movable camera 120, a marker drive circuit 130, a rotation drive circuit 140, a head control circuit 150, a wireless communication circuit 160, a communication circuit 170, an overhead camera 180, and a reference member 190. These components are housed in a casing 90 shown in Figs. 4 to 7 in a state supported by any one of a fixed connecting portion 20, a support member 30, and a movable member 40, which are indicated by two-dot chain lines in Fig. 3.

Each of the reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, and the overhead camera 180 includes a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) image sensor capable of detecting infrared rays as an imaging element. The reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, and the overhead camera 180 are provided with substrates 111, 121, and 181 on which the CMOS image sensor is mounted, respectively. In FIG. 3, the multiple circuits (140, 150, 160, and 170) surrounded by thick dotted lines have a higher heat value when in operation than the various elements mounted on the substrates 111, 121, and 181 of the reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, and the overhead camera 180. In the following description, one or more substrates on which the rotation drive circuit 140, the head control circuit 150, the wireless communication circuit 160, and the communication circuit 170 are mounted are collectively referred to as the heat-generating substrate GS as appropriate.

As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the casing 90 is composed of a lower casing 91, an upper casing 92, and a base casing 93. The lower casing 91 has a generally cylindrical shape, is fixed to the head bottom 101 of the imaging head 100, and extends a certain distance upward from the head bottom 101. The upper casing 92 is provided above the lower casing 91. The upper casing 92 has a generally bell shape, and is provided rotatably in a horizontal plane together with a support member 30 (Figure 8) described below.

As shown in the front view of FIG. 4, a rectangular opening 92S is formed in a portion of the upper casing 92, extending vertically from near the top end to the center of the upper casing 92. The rectangular opening 92S guides the imaging field of the movable camera 120 to the outside of the casing 90. In addition, the upper casing 92 has two intake sections HA1 formed on both sides of the rectangular opening 92S and near the bottom end of the upper casing 92.

A window 91W for the overhead camera is formed on part of the outer circumferential surface of the lower casing 91. The window 91W for the overhead camera leads the imaging field of view of the overhead camera 180 to the outside of the casing 90. In the following description, the one direction in which the window 91W for the overhead camera faces is referred to as the front of the imaging head 100. The direction opposite to the one direction using the imaging head 100 as a reference is referred to as the rear of the imaging head 100. In addition to the window 91W for the overhead camera, two air intake sections LA1 are formed near the front and bottom end of the lower casing 91.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the board casing 93 is connected to a rearward facing portion (rear half) of the outer peripheral surface of the lower casing 91. The board casing 93 includes a first storage section 93a and a second storage section 93b. The first storage section 93a has a box shape that extends from the rear half of the lower casing 91 to the rear of the imaging head 100. The second storage section 93b is formed so as to protrude upward from a portion of the upper surface of the first storage section 93a.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the base casing 93, the internal space of the first storage section 93a and the internal space of the second storage section 93b are in communication with each other. The internal space of the first storage section 93a and the internal space of the lower casing 91 are also in communication with each other. On the other hand, the internal space of the lower casing 91 and the internal space of the upper casing 92 are partitioned by the upper fixing plate 22 described later, and therefore do not communicate with each other.

As shown by thick dotted or solid lines in Figures 5, 6, and 9, inside the substrate casing 93, a heat-generating substrate GS is housed from the bottom of the first housing section 93a to the top of the second housing section 93b. On the other hand, multiple substrates (substrates 111, 121, 181, etc.) that have lower heat generation compared to the heat-generating substrate GS are housed in the lower casing 91 or the upper casing 92.

5, an exhaust section LA2 is formed at the lower rear end of the first housing section 93a of the substrate casing 93. An exhaust fan LF is provided inside the first housing section 93a so as to be adjacent to the exhaust section LA2. The exhaust fan LF exhausts the atmosphere inside the lower casing 91 and the substrate casing 93 to the outside of the imaging head 100 through the exhaust section LA2. At this time, air outside the imaging head 100 flows into the inside of the lower casing 91 from the two intake sections LA1 in FIG. 4. As a result, as shown by multiple white arrows f1 in FIG. 6, a smooth air flow is generated from the front of the imaging head 100 through the internal space of the lower casing 91 and the substrate casing 93 to the rear of the imaging head 100. In this case, the heat-generating substrate GS housed in the substrate casing 93 is located downstream of the lower casing 91 in the air flow inside the lower casing 91 and the substrate casing 93. This reduces the amount of heat generated by the heat-generating substrate GS entering the internal space of the lower casing 91. Furthermore, because the heat generated by the heat-generating substrate GS does not remain in the internal space of the lower casing 91, the heat generated by the heat-generating substrate GS is prevented from being transmitted to the internal space of the upper casing 92 through the internal space of the lower casing 91.

7, an exhaust section HA2 is formed on the upper part of the upper casing 92 on the opposite side of the rectangular opening 92S with respect to the center of the upper casing 92 in a plan view. An exhaust fan HF is provided inside the upper casing 92 so as to be adjacent to the exhaust section HA2. The exhaust fan HF exhausts the atmosphere inside the lower casing 91 to the outside of the imaging head 100 through the exhaust section HA2. At this time, air outside the imaging head 100 flows into the inside of the upper casing 92 from the two intake sections HA1 in FIG. 4. As a result, as shown by multiple white arrows f2 in FIG. 6, a smooth air flow is generated from the two intake sections HA1 of the lower casing 91 through the internal space of the upper casing 92 and diagonally upward from the lower part of the upper casing 92. In this case, as described below, heat generated in the board 43 on which the movable camera 120 or marker drive circuit 130 housed in the upper casing 92 is mounted flows smoothly from bottom to top within the lower casing 91 and is discharged to the outside of the lower casing 91.

8 and 9, the fixed connection part 20 includes a lower fixed plate 21, an upper fixed plate 22, a plurality of (e.g., four) support columns 23, and a hollow support shaft 24. The lower fixed plate 21 has a disk shape and is fixed to the upper surface of the head bottom part 101 using screws. The upper fixed plate 22 is provided above the lower fixed plate 21 via a plurality of support columns 23. The upper fixed plate 22 has a disk shape similar to the lower fixed plate 21. A circular opening is formed in the center of the upper fixed plate 22. The hollow support shaft 24 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper fixed plate 22 using screws so as to surround the opening in the center of the upper fixed plate 22. The lower casing 91 is attached to any of the members constituting the fixed connection part 20.

In the fixed connection part 20, an overhead camera 180 is provided in the space between the lower fixed plate 21 and the upper fixed plate 22, along with various substrates (substrates with lower heat generation than the heat generating substrate GS) excluding the heat generating substrate GS. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, a reference camera 110 is provided on the lower fixed plate 21 so as to extend from approximately the center of the lower casing 91 through the opening of the upper fixed plate 22 to the inside of the hollow support shaft 24. In this state, the imaging field of the reference camera 110 faces upward. In this embodiment, the optical axis 110c of the optical system of the reference camera 110 coincides with the central axis of the hollow support shaft 24.

In addition to the various substrates and reference camera 110 described above, a horizontal rotation mechanism 141 is provided on the lower fixed plate 21 and the upper fixed plate 22 to rotate the support member 30 (described later) around the central axis of the hollow support shaft 24 (to rotate in a plane parallel to the top surface of the head bottom 101). The horizontal rotation mechanism 141 includes, for example, a motor and various power transmission members.

As shown in FIG. 8, a support member 30 is provided on the hollow support shaft 24 of the fixed connection part 20. The support member 30 includes a rotating base 31 and a pair of support frames 32, 33. The rotating base 31 has an opening in the center and is attached to the upper end of the hollow support shaft 24 via a cross roller bearing CB (FIG. 9) so that the support member 30 can rotate around the central axis of the hollow support shaft 24. The upper casing 92 is attached to one of the members constituting the support member 30. When the support member 30 rotates with respect to the hollow support shaft 24, the upper casing 92 rotates together with the support member 30 relative to the lower casing 91 (see the thick dashed arrow in FIG. 7).

The pair of support frames 32, 33 are formed to extend upward while facing each other from one side and the other side of the rotating base 31. A movable member 40 is provided between the pair of support frames 32, 33 at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the rotating base 31.

The movable member 40 is supported by the support frames 32, 33 so that it can rotate (tilt with respect to the horizontal plane) around a rotation axis 30c that passes through the opposing parts of the pair of support frames 32, 33. In this embodiment, the rotation axis 30c is perpendicular to the optical axis 110c of the reference camera 110 (Figure 9) and the central axis of the hollow support shaft 24.

A tilt rotation mechanism 143 is attached near the upper end of the support frame 33, on the side opposite the movable member 40 and located on the rotation axis 30c. The tilt rotation mechanism 143 includes, for example, a motor and various power transmission members. The tilt rotation mechanism 143 rotates the movable member 40 around the rotation axis 30c.

The movable member 40 is formed into a flat, generally square cylinder, and has an upper surface 41 and a lower surface 42. The movable camera 120 and various boards associated with the movable camera 120 are fixed onto the movable member 40. In this state, the optical axis 120c (FIG. 9) of the optical system of the movable camera 120 is parallel to the upper surface 41 of the movable member 40. A board 43 on which the marker drive circuit 130 of FIG. 3 is mounted is provided at the upper end of the movable member 40 so as to cover the central opening.

As shown in FIG. 9, a reference member 190 having a plurality of markers ep (FIG. 3) is provided inside the movable member 40. FIG. 10(a) is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the reference member 190 in FIG. 9, and FIG. 10(b) is a bottom view of the reference member 190.

As shown in Figs. 10(a) and (b), the reference member 190 includes a light-emitting substrate 191, a diffusion plate 192, a glass plate 193, and a diffuse reflection sheet 195. The light-emitting substrate 191, the diffusion plate 192, and the glass plate 193 are layered in this order from top to bottom. The diffuse reflection sheet 195 is provided to surround the outer periphery of the layered structure.

Multiple light-emitting elements L are mounted all over the underside of the light-emitting substrate 191. Each light-emitting element L is, for example, an infrared LED (light-emitting diode). The marker driving circuit 130 drives the multiple light-emitting elements L on the light-emitting substrate 191. This causes the multiple light-emitting elements L to emit light.

The diffusion plate 192 is a plate member made of, for example, resin, and transmits the light generated by the multiple light-emitting elements L downward while diffusing it. The diffusion reflection sheet 195 is a strip-shaped sheet member made of, for example, resin, and reflects the light from the multiple light-emitting elements L toward the side (outside) of the reference member 190 inward while diffusing it.

The glass plate 193 is a plate member formed of, for example, quartz glass or soda glass. A mask 194 having a plurality of circular openings is provided on the lower surface of the glass plate 193. The mask 194 is, for example, a chrome mask formed on the lower surface of the glass plate 193 by a sputtering method or a vapor deposition method.

With the above configuration, the light generated from the multiple light-emitting elements L and diffused by the diffusion plate 192 and the diffuse reflection sheet 195 is emitted below the reference member 190 through the multiple circular openings in the glass plate 193 and the mask 194. In this way, multiple self-luminous markers ep corresponding to the multiple circular openings are formed.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the multiple markers ep are arranged at equal intervals in a matrix on the lower surface (flat surface) of the reference member 190. Of the multiple markers ep, the marker ep located in the center and another marker ep spaced a predetermined distance from the central marker ep are provided with identification marks (dots in this example) to distinguish them from the other markers ep. These identification marks are formed by part of the mask 194. In the following description, when distinguishing between two markers ep with identification marks from the multiple markers ep, the central marker ep including the identification mark is referred to as the first marker ep1. The other marker ep including the identification mark is referred to as the second marker ep2.

In the above configuration, the reference member 190 is attached to the movable member 40 so that the multiple downward-facing markers ep are located within the imaging field of view of the base camera 110. Furthermore, the reference member 190 is attached to the movable member 40 so that the first marker ep1 is located on the optical axis 110c when the upper surface 41 and the lower surface 42 of the movable member 40 are perpendicular to the direction of the optical axis 110c of the base camera 110.

When the support member 30 rotates on the fixed connection part 20, and when the movable member 40 rotates around the rotation axis 30c, the image of the multiple markers ep obtained by the base camera 110 capturing an image of the reference member 190 changes. Therefore, for example, assume that the image obtained when the support member 30 and the movable member 40 are in a predetermined reference posture changes. In this case, it is possible to determine how much the support member 30 has rotated from the reference posture based on the positional relationship between the first marker ep1 and the second marker ep2 in the image. In addition, it is possible to determine how much the movable member 40 has rotated from the reference posture based on the distortion that occurs in the arrangement of the multiple markers ep in the image.

As described above, the movable camera 120 and the reference member 190 are fixed integrally to the movable member 40. This makes it possible to calculate the position and orientation of the movable camera 120 relative to the reference camera 110 based on image data (hereinafter referred to as reference image data) obtained by the reference camera 110 capturing an image of the multiple markers ep of the reference member 190.

Between the movable member 40 and the rotating base 31, a bellows 50 is provided that optically and spatially isolates the imaging space rs (FIG. 9) including the imaging field of view of the base camera 110 from the base camera 110 to the reference member 190 from the outside of the imaging space rs.

In this example, the upper end of the bellows 50 is joined to the lower surface 42 of the movable member 40, and the lower end of the bellows 50 is joined to the upper surface of the rotating base 31. As a result, when the support member 30 rotates in a horizontal plane, the bellows 50 also rotates together with the support member 30.

The bellows 50 in this example has a generally square cylindrical shape and is configured to maintain an optically and spatially blocked state of the imaging space rs by deforming in accordance with the rotation of the movable member 40 when the movable member 40 is rotated by the tilt rotation mechanism 143. Furthermore, the bellows 50 is arranged so that when it deforms in accordance with the rotation of the movable member 40, the bellows 50 does not interfere with the imaging field of view of the reference camera 110.

This configuration prevents light from entering the imaging space rs from outside the imaging space rs. Even if a motor or the like generates heat around the imaging space rs, the generated heat is prevented from entering the imaging space rs. This prevents the atmosphere in the imaging space rs from fluctuating. Therefore, since multiple markers ep are captured with high accuracy, the position and orientation of the movable camera 120 relative to the reference camera 110 can be calculated with high accuracy. Furthermore, with the above configuration, the internal space of the bellows 50 is spatially isolated from the external space, thereby stabilizing the atmosphere in the internal space of the bellows 50.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the imaging head 100, it is desirable that the center of gravity of the portion (mainly including the movable member 40 and the movable camera 120) provided between the pair of support frames 32, 33 is located on the rotation axis 30c. This stabilizes the rotation of the movable member 40 around the rotation axis 30c. In addition, in the imaging head 100, it is desirable that the center of gravity of the portion (mainly including the support member 30, the movable member 40, and the movable camera 120) that rotates with respect to the fixed connecting part 20 is located on the optical axis 110c of the reference camera 110. This stabilizes the rotation of the support member 30 around the optical axis 110c. In addition, the driving force required to rotate the support member 30 and the movable member 40 can be reduced. This reduces the burden on the driving part such as the motor. In this example, weights Wa, Wb are attached to the pair of support frames 32, 33 of the support member 30 to adjust the center of gravity of the portion that rotates with respect to the fixed connecting part 20.

The overhead camera 180 is mounted on the fixed connection part 20 so that its imaging field of view faces forward of the imaging head 100. The angle of view of the overhead camera 180 is larger than the angles of view of the reference camera 110 and the movable camera 120. Therefore, the imaging field of view of the overhead camera 180 is larger than the imaging field of view of the reference camera 110 and the movable camera 120.

In the tracking process described below, the overhead camera 180 is used to capture images of the probe 200 over a wide range. In this case, even if the probe 200 moves and moves out of the imaging field of the movable camera 120, the probe 200 is captured by the overhead camera 180, and the rough position of the probe 200 can be identified based on the image data obtained by imaging (hereinafter referred to as overhead image data). Based on the identified position, the position and attitude of the movable camera 120 are adjusted so that the probe 200 is located within the imaging field of the movable camera 120.

In addition, in this example, the board casing 93 is connected to the lower casing 91 so as to be outside the imaging field of view of the overhead camera 180. This prevents the board casing 93 from limiting the range that can be imaged by the overhead camera 180.

Figure 11 is a bottom view and a side view of the head bottom 101, and Figure 12 is a plan view and a side view of the head base 830 of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 11, the head bottom 101 has an annular bottom surface 102 having a circular ring shape and an annular inclined surface 103. The annular inclined surface 103 is inclined upward for a certain distance from the inner edge of the annular bottom surface 102 toward its inside. An opening 104 is formed on the inside of the annular inclined surface 103. A vertical hole 105 that opens downward is formed in a specified portion of the annular bottom surface 102.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, the head base 830 has an annular support surface 831 and an annular inclined surface 832, each having a circular ring shape. The annular support surface 831 has the same shape as the annular bottom surface 102 of the head bottom 101, and is configured to be able to slide relative to the annular bottom surface 102. The annular inclined surface 832 corresponds to the annular inclined surface 103 of the head bottom 101, and is inclined upward a certain distance from the inner edge of the annular inclined surface 832 toward its inside. Furthermore, the annular inclined surface 832 is configured to be able to slide relative to the annular inclined surface 103.

With this configuration, when the head bottom 101 is attached to the head base 830, the head bottom 101 is placed on the head base 830. In this state, the annular bottom surface 102 and annular inclined surface 103 of the head bottom 101 come into contact with the annular support surface 831 and annular inclined surface 832 of the head base 830. Next, the user rotates the orientation of the head bottom 101 by sliding the head bottom 101 circumferentially on the head base 830.

Here, a vertical hole 833 that opens upward is formed in the annular support surface 831 of the head base 830. The vertical hole 833 corresponds to the vertical hole 105 of the head bottom 101, and overlaps when the head bottom 101 and the head base 830 are in a predetermined positional relationship. For this reason, for example, an expandable pin member (not shown) is inserted into one of the two vertical holes 105, 833. In this case, by rotating the head bottom 101 on the head base 830, the pin member is inserted into both of the two vertical holes 105, 833 when the head bottom 101 and the head base 830 are in a predetermined positional relationship. As a result, the head bottom 101 and the head base 830 are fixed in a predetermined positional relationship. This completes the attachment of the head bottom 101 to the head base 830.

The head base 911 of the reference stand 900 in FIG. 2 has an annular support surface 831 and an annular inclined surface 832, similar to the head base 830 described above. This allows the head bottom 101 of the imaging head 100 to be mounted on the head base 911, similar to the example of the head base 830.

It is desirable that the center of gravity of the entire imaging head 100 be located within an area inside the outer edge of the head bottom 101 in a planar view. In FIG. 7, the outer edge of the head bottom 101 when the imaging head 100 is viewed in a planar view is indicated by a thick two-dot chain line. When the center of gravity of the entire imaging head 100 is located inside the outer edge of the head bottom 101 in a planar view, the imaging head 100 is stably supported when the imaging head 100 is attached to the head bases 830, 911.

As shown in FIG. 3, the reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, the marker drive circuit 130, the rotation drive circuit 140, the wireless communication circuit 160, and the communication circuit 170 are connected to the head control circuit 150. The head control circuit 150 includes a CPU (central processing unit) and memory, or a microcomputer, and controls the reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, the marker drive circuit 130, the rotation drive circuit 140, and the overhead camera 180.

As described above, each of the reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, and the overhead camera 180 includes a CMOS image sensor capable of detecting infrared rays. In addition, each of the reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, and the overhead camera 180 includes multiple lenses (optical systems) not shown. An analog electrical signal (hereinafter referred to as a light receiving signal) corresponding to the amount of detection is output from each pixel of the reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, and the overhead camera 180 to the head control circuit 150.

The head control circuit 150 is equipped with an A/D converter (analog/digital converter) and a FIFO (first in first out) memory (not shown). The light receiving signals output from the reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, and the overhead camera 180 are sampled at a fixed sampling period by the A/D converter of the head control circuit 150 and converted into digital signals. The digital signals output from the A/D converter are sequentially stored in the FIFO memory. The digital signals stored in the FIFO memory are sequentially transferred to the processing device 300 as pixel data.

The marker driving circuit 130 drives the light emitting substrate 191 in FIG. 10(a) based on the control of the head control circuit 150. This causes the multiple light emitting elements L on the light emitting substrate 191 to emit light, and light is emitted from the multiple markers ep of the reference member 190. The timing of this light emission is synchronized with the imaging timing of the reference camera 110.

The rotation drive circuit 140 drives the horizontal rotation mechanism 141 in FIG. 8 based on the control of the head control circuit 150. This causes the support member 30 in FIG. 8 to rotate on the fixed connection part 20, and the movable member 40 and the upper casing 92 (FIG. 4) to rotate. At this time, the rotation of the support member 30 causes the imaging field of the movable camera 120, which is guided from the inside to the outside of the upper casing 92 through the rectangular opening 92S (FIG. 4), to rotate horizontally on the head base 830 in FIG. 1 or the head base 911 in FIG. 2.

The rotation drive circuit 140 also drives the tilt rotation mechanism 143 in FIG. 8 based on the control of the head control circuit 150. This causes the movable member 40 in FIG. 8 to rotate around the rotation axis 30c between the pair of support frames 32, 33. At this time, the imaging field of the movable camera 120 passing through the rectangular opening 92S (FIG. 4) rotates vertically along the rectangular opening 92S on the head base 830 in FIG. 1 or the head base 911 in FIG. 2. The rotation of the imaging field of the movable camera 120 by the rotation drive circuit 140 is performed based on the tracking process in the processing device 300, which will be described later.

The head control circuit 150 performs wireless communication with the probe 200 via the wireless communication circuit 160. The head control circuit 150 also performs wired communication with the processing device 300 via the communication circuit 170 and cable CA (Figures 1 and 2).

(2) Processing Device 300
3, the processing device 300 includes a communication circuit 301, a main body control circuit 302, and a main body memory 303. The communication circuit 301 and the main body memory 303 are connected to the main body control circuit 302. In addition, a main body operation unit 320 and a main body display unit 310 are connected to the main body control circuit 302.

The main memory 303 includes a ROM (read only memory), a RAM (random access memory), and a hard disk. The main memory 303 stores a measurement processing program and a tracking processing program, which will be described later, along with a system program. The main memory 303 is also used for processing various data and for storing various data, such as pixel data provided by the imaging head 100.

The main body control circuit 302 includes a CPU. In this embodiment, the main body control circuit 302 and the main body memory 303 are realized by a personal computer. The main body control circuit 302 generates image data based on pixel data provided from the imaging head 100 via the cable CA (FIGS. 1 and 2) and the communication circuit 301. The image data is a collection of multiple pixel data.

In this embodiment, reference image data, measurement image data, and overhead image data are generated, which correspond to the reference camera 110, the movable camera 120, and the overhead camera 180, respectively, provided on the imaging head 100. In addition, image data is generated that corresponds to the probe camera 208, described below, provided on the probe 200. The main body control circuit 302 calculates the position of the contact portion 211a (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the probe 200 based on the reference image data and measurement image data.

The main body display unit 310 is configured, for example, with a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (electroluminescence) panel. Based on the control of the main body control circuit 302, the main body display unit 310 displays the coordinates of the measurement point on the measurement object S and the measurement results of each part of the measurement object S. The main body display unit 310 also displays a setting screen for making various settings related to the measurement.

The main body operation unit 320 includes a keyboard and a pointing device. The pointing device includes a mouse or a joystick. The main body operation unit 320 is operated by the user U.

[3] Configuration of the probe 200 (1) Basic configuration of the probe 200 Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of the probe 200. As shown in Fig. 13, the probe 200 includes, as electrical components, a probe control unit 201, an indicator lamp 202, a battery 203, a marker driving circuit 204, a probe memory 205, a wireless communication circuit 206, a motion sensor 207, a probe camera 208, a probe operation unit 221, and a plurality of target members 290 (three in this example).

13, the probe 200 has a holding section 210, a probe casing 220, and a gripping section 230 as a configuration for accommodating, supporting, or holding each of the above-mentioned components. The holding section 210 holds a plurality of target members 290. A stylus 211 as an indication section is connected to the holding section 210. The stylus 211 is attached to the holding section 210 in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the plurality of target members 290. The stylus 211 is a rod-shaped member having the above-mentioned contact section 211a at its tip. In this embodiment, the stylus 211 having the contact section 211a that contacts the measurement point is provided as an indication section for indicating the measurement point, but the configuration may be such that the measurement point is indicated without contact. For example, the configuration may be such that the distance between the probe 200 and the measurement object S is calculated by interference measurement of laser light emitted to the measurement point. The probe casing 220 houses most of the holding section 210, as well as the probe control section 201, the indicator light 202, the marker driving circuit 204, the probe memory 205, the wireless communication circuit 206, and the motion sensor 207. The gripping section 230 has a built-in battery 203. The gripping section 230 is further provided with a probe operation section 221. The probe operation section 221 accepts operation input related to measurement by the user U. The probe operation section 221 includes a trigger switch and multiple push buttons. The probe operation section 221 will be described in detail later.

The battery 203 is a rechargeable storage battery, and supplies power to other components provided in the probe 200. More specifically, the battery 203 supplies power to at least the target member 290. The probe control unit 201 includes a CPU and memory, or a microcomputer, and controls the indicator light 202, the marker driving circuit 204, and the probe camera 208. The probe control unit 201 also performs various processes in response to the operation of the probe operation unit 221 by the user U.

The indicator light 202 includes, for example, one or more LEDs, and is provided so that its light-emitting portion is exposed to the outside of the probe casing 220. The indicator light 202 performs a light-emitting operation according to the state of the probe 200 under the control of the probe control unit 201.

Each of the three target members 290 basically has the same configuration as the reference member 190 in Figures 10(a) and (b). The marker driving circuit 204 is connected to the multiple target members 290 and drives the multiple light-emitting elements included in each target member 290 based on the control of the probe control unit 201.

The probe memory 205 includes a recording medium such as a non-volatile memory or a hard disk. The probe memory 205 is used to process or store various data. The motion sensor 207 includes a three-axis acceleration sensor and a three-axis gyro sensor, and detects the movement of the probe 200, for example, when the user U moves while carrying the probe 200. Specifically, the motion sensor 207 detects the movement direction, acceleration, attitude, etc. of the probe 200 when the probe 200 moves. The probe camera 208 is, for example, a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera.

In addition to the above-mentioned CPU and memory or microcomputer, the probe control unit 201 is also equipped with an A/D converter and FIFO memory (not shown). As a result, in the probe control unit 201, a signal indicating the movement of the probe 200 detected by the motion sensor 207 is converted into data in a digital signal format (hereinafter referred to as movement data). The probe control unit 201 transmits the digital movement data by wireless communication through the wireless communication circuit 206 to the imaging head 100 in FIG. 3. In this case, the movement data is further transferred from the imaging head 100 to the processing device 300.

In addition, in the probe control unit 201, the light receiving signals output from each pixel of the probe camera 208 are converted into a plurality of pixel data in a digital signal format. The probe control unit 201 transmits the motion data and the plurality of pixel data in a digital format to the imaging head 100 in FIG. 3 by wireless communication through the wireless communication circuit 206. In this case, the pixel data is further transferred from the imaging head 100 to the processing device 300.

(2) External structure of the probe 200 Fig. 14 is an external perspective view of the probe 200 seen in one direction, and Fig. 15 is an external perspective view of the probe 200 seen in another direction. In the following description, a structure consisting of a plurality of components housed in the probe casing 220 in Fig. 13 and the holding part 210 is referred to as a main body part 250 of the probe 200. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the main body part 250 is formed so as to extend in one direction, and has a front end part 251, a rear end part 252, a top surface part 253, a bottom surface part 254, a first side surface part 255, and an other side surface part 256. In the following description, in the probe 200, a direction parallel to the direction in which the front end part 251 and the rear end part 252 of the main body part 250 are arranged is referred to as a first direction dr1.

The front end 251 is provided with a number of attachment parts to which the stylus 211 can be attached. The attachment parts are configured to face in different directions. The user U can attach the stylus 211 to a desired one of the attachment parts. As a result, the stylus 211 is attached to the front end 251 in one of a number of positions corresponding to the respective attachment parts. In the example of Figures 14 and 15, the stylus 211 is attached to the front end 251 so as to extend in the first direction dr1. The front end 251 is further provided with a probe camera 208.

As shown in FIG. 14, three target members 290 and a wireless communication circuit 206 are provided in this order on the top surface 253 of the main body 250, aligned from the front end 251 to the rear end 252. Of the three target members 290 in this example, the target member 290 closest to the front end 251 has three markers eq. Each of the remaining two target members 290 has two markers eq. All of the marker surfaces of the target members 290 on which the markers eq are provided are provided on the top surface 253 of the main body 250 and face the same direction. Each marker eq is a self-luminous marker that emits infrared light. The light emission timing of these multiple markers eq is synchronized with the imaging timing of the movable camera 120 of the imaging head 100.

15, a connection portion 254j for connecting the grip portion 230 is formed on the bottom surface 254 of the main body 250, at a portion slightly closer to the front end 251 than the rear end 252. In the main body 250, the top surface 253 on which the marker eq is provided and the bottom surface 254 on which the connection portion 254j is provided are located on opposite sides. Therefore, the connection portion 254j is provided on the opposite side to the marker surface on which the marker eq is provided. The grip portion 230 has a rod shape that can be held by the user U with one hand. When the user U carries the probe 200, the user U holds the grip portion 230. The gripping posture of the grip portion 230 is specified, for example, in the user's manual, based on the ease of handling when the user U carries the probe 200. As shown in FIG. 14, the grip portion 230 of this embodiment has a recessed shape on the stylus 211 side, and it is assumed that the user U will grip the grip portion 230 with his/her fingers aligned with the recess. Therefore, it can be said that the grip posture when the user U grips the grip portion 230 is determined by the shape of the grip portion 230. One end of the grip portion 230 is connected to the connection portion 254j via a hinge 254h (FIG. 20) described later. In this state, the grip portion 230 is rotatable around a rotation axis RA that passes through the connection portion 254j and is parallel to the first direction dr1. Since the rotation axis RA is along the marker surface on which the marker eq is provided, the position of the user U who grips the grip portion 230 according to the grip posture is changed with respect to the marker surface by the grip portion 230 rotating around the rotation axis RA. The gripping portion 230 is connected to the connecting portion 254j, which defines a rotation axis RA for rotation with respect to the main body portion 250, and is therefore capable of rotating around the rotation axis RA as a predetermined rotation axis.

14 and 15, the grip portion 230 extends from the connection portion 254j in a second direction dr2 intersecting with the first direction dr1. An operation surface 221a is provided on one end of the grip portion 230 facing the rear end 252 as a part of the probe operation portion 221 of FIG. 13. The operation surface 221a includes a plurality of push buttons 221b (four in this example), and is configured so that a user holding the grip portion 230 can operate the plurality of push buttons 221b with, for example, his/her thumb. In addition, a trigger switch 221c is provided on one end of the grip portion 230 facing the front end 251 as a part of the probe operation portion 221 of FIG. 13. A user holding the grip portion 230 can operate the trigger switch 221c with, for example, his/her index finger. In this way, the gripping unit 230 is provided with the push button 221b and the trigger switch 221c on the operation surface 221a based on the expected gripping posture of the user U. In other words, the gripping posture when the user U grips the gripping unit 230 is also determined by the arrangement of the probe operation unit 221.

The other end of the gripping part 230 is provided with a connector for charging the battery 203. When charging the battery 203, a power cable EC is connected from outside the probe 200 to the connector of the gripping part 230. When charging of the battery 203 is completed, the power cable EC is pulled out from the connector of the gripping part 230. The power cable EC may be a cable that enables communication between the probe 200 and the processing device 300. Also, a connector may be provided separately from the connector to which the power cable EC is connected, and a cable that enables communication between the probe 200 and the processing device 300 may be connected to the connector. For example, a USB connector may be provided separately from the connector to which the power cable EC is connected. In this way, even when a connector is provided separately from the connector to which the power cable EC is connected, it is preferable that the connector is provided on the gripping part 230. When the user U carries the probe 200, the cable is located at the user U's hand, so that the cable is less likely to interfere with imaging of the marker eq.

Here, the hinge 254h (FIG. 20) used to connect the connection part 254j and the grip part 230 has a so-called click mechanism. As a result, when the rotation angle of the grip part 230 around the rotation axis RA is at any of a plurality of predetermined rotation angles, the hinge 254h generates a holding force for holding the grip part 230 at that rotation angle. Therefore, when the rotation angle of the grip part 230 around the rotation axis RA is at any of a plurality of predetermined rotation angles, the user U can perform stable measurement of the measurement target S while holding the grip part 230. In this embodiment, the hinge 254h has a click mechanism, but does not prevent the grip part 230 from being held at a rotation angle other than the plurality of predetermined rotation angles. As a result, the user U can carry the probe 200 in a state in which the grip part 230 is rotated so that the grip part 230 is held at a suitable position within the rotation angle range of the grip part 230.

In this embodiment, a first rotation angle and a second rotation angle are set as part of a plurality of predetermined rotation angles. In this case, the gripper 230 can transition between a first state in which the rotation angle of the gripper 230 is at the first rotation angle and a second state in which the rotation angle of the gripper 230 is at the second rotation angle. The state of the gripper 230 shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 is the first state. In this embodiment, the rotation angle indicates the rotation position of the gripper 230 relative to an arbitrary reference rotation position around the rotation axis RA. In other words, the state in which the rotation angle of the gripper 230 is at the first rotation angle indicates a state in which the gripper 230 has rotated by the first angle relative to an arbitrary reference rotation position.

16 is an external perspective view of the probe 200 with the gripping portion 230 in the second state seen in one direction, and FIG. 17 is an external perspective view of the probe 200 with the gripping portion 230 in the second state seen in the other direction. The rotation angle (second rotation angle) of the gripping portion 230 shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 is about 90° different from the rotation angle (first rotation angle) of the gripping portion 230 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the gripping portion 230 in the second state extends from the connection portion 254j (FIGS. 14 and 15) in a third direction dr3 different from the second direction dr2.

In this embodiment, in addition to the first and second rotation angles, a third rotation angle that is different from the first rotation angle by approximately -90° is also set as part of the multiple predetermined rotation angles. In this case, by setting the rotation angle of the gripper 230 to the third rotation angle, the state of the gripper 230 can be set to a third state that is different from the first and second states.

15, the multiple push buttons 221b are arranged such that the substantially rectangular push button 221b is located closer to the main body 250 in the second direction dr2, and the substantially triangular push button 221b having a side substantially parallel to the long side of the substantially rectangular push button 221b is located farther from the main body 250 in the second direction dr2. In contrast, in the state shown in FIG. 17, the multiple push buttons 221b are arranged such that the substantially rectangular push button 221b is located closer to the main body 250 in the second direction dr2, and the substantially triangular push button 221b having a side substantially parallel to the short side of the substantially rectangular push button 221b is located. Therefore, the arrangement of the multiple push buttons 221b with respect to the main body 250 changes before and after the grip 230 rotates from the first rotation angle shown in FIG. 15 to the second rotation angle shown in FIG. 17.

In the above embodiment, the operation surface 221a of the probe operation unit 221 is provided with multiple push buttons 221b, but the present invention is not limited to this. The operation surface 221a may be provided with a display screen capable of displaying multiple graphical interfaces and receiving user operations on the graphical user interfaces. In this case, the multiple graphical user interfaces displayed on the display screen correspond to multiple push buttons. Even in this configuration, if the arrangement relationship of the multiple graphical user interfaces with respect to the operation surface 221a is the same before and after the rotation of the grip unit 230, the arrangement relationship of the multiple graphical user interfaces with respect to the main body unit 250 changes before and after the rotation of the grip unit 230.

The user U holds the gripping part 230 so that the top surface 253 of the main body 250 faces the imaging head 100. The user U then operates the probe operation part 221 while contacting the contact part 211a with a desired part of the measurement target S.

Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a user U measures a measurement target S using a probe 200 with a gripping portion 230 in a first state, and Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a user U measures a measurement target S using a probe 200 with a gripping portion 230 in a second state. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the second direction dr2 along which the gripping portion 230 is aligned in the first state is a direction intersecting with the upper surface portion 253 of the main body portion 250 on which the marker surface is provided. Therefore, as shown in Figure 18, when the user U grips the gripping portion 230 at the first rotation angle according to a specified gripping posture, the user U can point multiple marker surfaces at the movable camera 120 located in a direction directly facing the user. 16 and 17, the third direction dr3 along which the gripping part 230 is aligned at a second rotation angle different from the first rotation angle is a direction along the upper surface 253 of the main body 250 on which the marker surface is provided, and is a direction intersecting the first direction dr1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 19, when the user U grasps the gripping part 230 at the second rotation angle according to a specified gripping posture, the user U can direct the multiple marker surfaces toward the movable camera 120 located to the side of the user U. Therefore, when the user U grasps the gripping part 230 according to the specified gripping posture, the direction in which the marker surface faces in the first state is different from the direction in which the marker surface faces in the second state as viewed from the user U. From the above, even when the user U grips the grip portion 230 according to the specified gripping posture, the multiple markers eq are arranged in different orientations when the grip portion 230 is in the first state and when the grip portion 230 is in the second state. Therefore, by switching the grip portion 230 between the first state and the second state, the user U can change the relative position and posture with respect to the measurement object S and the imaging head 100 having the movable camera 120 while pointing the upper surface portion 253 of the main body portion 250 toward the imaging head 100 having the movable camera 120.

As shown in Figures 14 to 17, a first display unit 202a constituting the indicator light 202 of Figure 13 is provided on one side surface 255 of the main body 250 between the front end 251 in the first direction dr1 and the connection unit 254j. Also, a second display unit 202b constituting the indicator light 202 of Figure 13 is provided on the other side surface 256 of the main body 250 between the front end 251 in the first direction dr1 and the connection unit 254j.

The first display unit 202a and the second display unit 202b each include a plurality of green LEDs and a plurality of red LEDs. When the plurality of markers eq provided on the upper surface portion 253 of the probe 200 are present within the imaging field of the movable camera 120 (FIG. 3), the first display unit 202a and the second display unit 202b emit green light. On the other hand, when the plurality of markers eq are not present within the imaging field of the movable camera 120, the first display unit 202a and the second display unit 202b emit red light.

In the main body 250, the first display unit 202a and the second display unit 202b are located between the grip unit 230 and the stylus 211. This allows the user U to indicate the measurement point by touching the contact unit 211a to a desired portion of the measurement target S while visually checking the first display unit 202a and the second display unit 202b.

The one side surface portion 255 on which the first display unit 202a is provided and the other side surface portion 256 on which the second display unit 202b is provided are surfaces of the main body portion 250 facing in opposite directions. Since the direction in which the first display unit 202a faces is different from the direction in which the second display unit 202b faces, the angle range at which the user U can view these display units is different. Therefore, even if it is difficult for the user U to view the first display unit 202a when operating the probe 200, the user U can easily grasp whether or not the multiple markers eq are present within the imaging field of the movable camera 120 if he or she can view the second display unit 202b. Even if it is difficult for the user U to view the second display unit 202b when operating the probe 200, the user U can easily grasp whether or not the multiple markers eq are present within the imaging field of the holding unit 210 if he or she can view the first display unit 202a. Therefore, the operability of the probe 200 when specifying a measurement point is improved.

(3) Internal Structure of Main Body 250 of Probe 200 Fig. 20 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view of probe 200 showing the internal structure of main body 250. Fig. 21 is an exploded perspective view of probe 200 for illustrating the outline of the internal structure of main body 250.

As shown in FIG. 20, the holding section 210 is mainly composed of a stylus attachment section 210a and a target member holding section 210b. A plurality of attachment sections to which the above-mentioned stylus 211 can be attached are provided on the stylus attachment section 210a. The target member holding section 210b holds a plurality of target members 290. The stylus attachment section 210a and the target member holding section 210b are connected so that their relative positions do not change. As a result, when the stylus 211 is attached to the stylus attachment section 210a, the positional relationship between the contact section 211a of the stylus 211 and the plurality of target members 290 is fixed to a predetermined positional relationship.

On the other hand, the probe casing 220 is mainly composed of an upper casing 220a and a lower casing 220b. As shown in FIG. 21, when the probe 200 is assembled, the upper casing 220a and the lower casing 220b are arranged to sandwich the holding portion 210 and the multiple rubber bushings rb.

Here, as shown in FIG. 20, an opening 299 is formed in the upper casing 220a at a position corresponding to the target member 290. A light-transmitting member that does not prevent the movable camera 120 from capturing an image of the target member 290 may be disposed in the opening 299. With this configuration, the target member 290 is not exposed to the outside of the upper casing 220a, reducing the possibility of the target member 290 becoming contaminated. In addition, although the present embodiment is configured such that the opening 299 is formed at a position corresponding to the target member 290, the upper casing 220a itself may be configured with a light-transmitting member that does not prevent the movable camera 120 from capturing an image of the target member 290. Note that the opening 299 is not shown in FIG. 21.

Here, the upper casing 220a is formed with three through holes h1 into which the shafts of the three screws sc can be inserted. The target member holding portion 210b of the holding portion 210 is formed with three through holes h2 corresponding to the three through holes h1 of the upper casing 220a. Furthermore, the lower casing 220b has a support portion that supports the target member holding portion 210b. The support portion is formed with three through holes h3 (Figure 20) corresponding to the three through holes h1 of the upper casing 220a and the three through holes h2 of the target member holding portion 210b.

The upper casing 220a and the lower casing 220b are connected using three screws sc. The state of one of the three connections connected using the three screws sc is shown in the speech bubble in Figure 20.

As shown in more detail in the speech bubble of FIG. 20, at each connection, a collar ca, for example made of metal, is inserted into the through hole h2 of the target member holding part 210b. A screw sc is inserted through the through hole h1 of the upper casing 220a, the collar ca, and the through hole h3 of the lower casing 220b, and a nut nt is attached to the tip of the screw sc. A washer wa is placed between the top surface of the upper casing 220a and the head of the screw sc, and a washer wa is placed between the support part of the lower casing 220b and the nut nt.

Furthermore, a flexible rubber bushing rb is arranged between the upper casing 220a and the target member holding part 210b.Furthermore, a flexible rubber bushing rb is arranged between the target member holding part 210b and the lower casing 220b.

With this configuration, the holding portion 210 is held movably within the probe casing 220 by multiple rubber bushings rb. That is, the holding portion 210 is held in a floating state inside the probe casing 220. Specifically, the holding portion 210 is held movably by approximately 3 mm relative to the probe casing 220 in the up-down direction of the main body portion 250 (the direction in which the top surface portion 253 and the bottom surface portion 254 are aligned). The holding portion 210 is also held movably by approximately 3 mm relative to the probe casing 220 in the left-right direction of the main body portion 250 (the direction in which the one side surface portion 255 and the other side surface portion 256 are aligned).

In this case, for example, when the contact portion 211a of the stylus 211 is in contact with the measurement object S, even if a load is applied to the gripping portion 230 toward the measurement object S, the multiple rubber bushes rb function as a buffer member. This suppresses deformation of the holding portion 210 and suppresses a decrease in measurement accuracy caused by a misalignment of the positional relationship between the stylus 211 and the multiple target members 290.

In addition, with the above configuration, even if the probe casing 220 is subjected to an impact due to a fall or collision of the probe 200, the impact transmitted from the probe casing 220 to the holding part 210 is mitigated by the multiple rubber bushes rb. This prevents damage to the holding part 210.

In this embodiment, the first direction dr1 in the probe 200 is defined as a direction parallel to the direction in which the front end 251 and the rear end 252 of the main body 250 are aligned. On the other hand, as described above, the holding part 210 is held in the probe casing 220 via a plurality of rubber bushes rb. Therefore, when a relative load is applied between the holding part 210 and the probe casing 220, such as when the stylus 211 is brought into contact with the measurement target S, the positional relationship between the front end 251 and the rear end 252 of the main body 250 changes. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first direction dr1 is defined in a state in which no relative load is applied between the holding part 210 and the probe casing 220 and the probe 200 is in a predetermined position.

20 shows a cross section of the connection between the main body 250 and the grip 230, in addition to the cross section of the main body 250. As shown in FIG. 20, the main body 250 and the connection 254j are rotatably connected by a hinge 254h. In this example, the hinge 254h includes a hollow member hi1 that guides cables between the internal space of the grip 230 and the internal space of the main body 250, and an axis member hi2 that supports the grip 230 relative to the connection 254j.

[4] Method for calculating coordinates of measurement points In the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 according to this embodiment, a three-dimensional coordinate system (hereinafter referred to as the device coordinate system) having a predetermined relationship with respect to the reference camera 110 is defined in advance. In addition, the main memory 303 of the processing device 300 stores in advance the relative positional relationship of the multiple markers ep on the reference member 190.

As described above, the reference camera 110 captures images of the multiple markers ep on the reference member 190. In this case, the main body control circuit 302 in FIG. 3 calculates the coordinates of each marker ep in the device coordinate system based on the reference image data obtained by capturing the image and the positional relationship of the multiple markers ep stored in the main body memory 303. At this time, each of the multiple markers ep on the reference member 190 is identified based on the first and second markers ep1 and ep2.

Then, the main body control circuit 302 generates information indicating the position and orientation of the movable camera 120 fixed on the reference member 190 in the device coordinate system based on the calculated coordinates of the multiple markers ep as first position and orientation information.

In the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 according to this embodiment, in addition to the device coordinate system described above, a three-dimensional coordinate system (hereinafter referred to as the movable coordinate system) having a predetermined relationship with the movable camera 120 is predefined. In addition, the main memory 303 of the processing device 300 stores in advance the relative positional relationship of the multiple markers eq on the probe 200.

As described above, the movable camera 120 captures images of the multiple markers eq of the probe 200. In this case, the main body control circuit 302 in FIG. 3 calculates the coordinates of each marker eq in the movable coordinate system based on the measurement image data obtained by imaging and the positional relationship of the multiple markers eq stored in the main body memory 303.

Then, the main body control circuit 302 generates information indicating the position and orientation of the probe 200 in a movable coordinate system as second position and orientation information based on the calculated coordinates of the multiple markers eq.

The reference camera 110 is fixed on the head bottom 101. Therefore, the device coordinate system does not change when measuring the measurement object S. On the other hand, the movable camera 120 is rotatably mounted so that the imaging field of view follows the movement of the probe 200. Therefore, the relationship between the device coordinate system and the movable coordinate system changes with the rotation of the movable camera 120.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the main body control circuit 302 generates third position and orientation information that expresses the position and orientation of the probe 200 in the device coordinate system based on the first and second position and orientation information. That is, the main body control circuit 302 calculates the relative relationship of the movable coordinate system to the device coordinate system based on the first position and orientation information, and converts the second position and orientation information into information that conforms to the device coordinate system based on the calculated relationship. This generates the third position and orientation information.

Then, the main body control circuit 302 calculates the coordinates of the measurement point indicated by the probe 200 based on the generated third position and orientation information and the positional relationship between the multiple markers eq and the contact portion 211a on the probe 200.

[5] Measurement Example The probe operation unit 221 in Fig. 13 is pressed by the user U to calculate the coordinates of the measurement point. For example, the user U operates any of the multiple push buttons 221b and the trigger switch 221c of the probe operation unit 221 with the contact unit 211a in contact with a desired portion of the measurement target S. In this case, the coordinates of the contact portion of the measurement target S with the contact unit 211a are calculated as the coordinates of the measurement point. The calculated coordinates of the measurement point are stored in the main body memory 303 as a measurement result and are also displayed on the main body display unit 310.

In the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1, the user U can set the desired measurement conditions for the measurement target S by operating the main body operation unit 320 in FIG. 3 or the probe operation unit 221 in FIG. 13.

Specifically, the user U selects the geometric elements and measurement items for the measurement object S. The geometric elements are types of geometric shapes that indicate the shape of the part to be measured on the measurement object S. Types of geometric shapes include points, lines, planes, circles, cylinders, spheres, etc. Furthermore, the measurement items indicate what should be measured on the measurement object S, and include various physical quantities such as distance, angle, and flatness.

After selecting the geometric element and the measurement item, the user U indicates one or more measurement points for the selected geometric element using the probe 200. This generates information (hereinafter referred to as element-specific information) that indicates the selected geometric element, which is identified by one or more measurement points on the measurement target S, in the device coordinate system. The value of the selected measurement item is then calculated with respect to the generated element-specific information.

For example, if the user U wants to measure the distance between a first surface and a second surface of a measurement object S having first and second surfaces that are parallel and opposite to each other, the user U selects the geometric elements "Plane 1" and "Plane 2." In addition, the user U selects the measurement item "distance."

In this case, the user U uses the probe 200 to specify multiple (three or more points in this example) portions of the first surface of the measurement object S as measurement points in order to identify the plane (first surface) on the measurement object S that corresponds to the geometric element "plane 1". This generates element identification information that corresponds to the geometric element "plane 1".

Furthermore, in order to identify the plane (second surface) on the measurement object S that corresponds to the geometric element "plane 2", the user U uses the probe 200 to specify multiple (three or more points in this example) portions of the second surface of the measurement object S as measurement points. This generates element identification information that corresponds to the geometric element "plane 2".

Then, based on the two pieces of element identification information corresponding to the geometric elements "Plane 1" and "Plane 2", respectively, the distance between the first and second surfaces of the measurement object S corresponding to the measurement item "distance" is calculated. The calculated measurement result is stored in the main body memory 303 and is displayed on the main body display unit 310.

[6] Measurement process Figure 22 is a flow chart showing the flow of measurement process by the main body control circuit 302 of Figure 3. The measurement process of Figure 22 is repeated at a predetermined cycle by the CPU of the main body control circuit 302 of Figure 3 executing a measurement process program stored in the main body memory 303. In addition, at the start of the measurement process, a timer built into the main body control circuit 302 is reset and started.

First, the main body control circuit 302 determines whether or not a geometric element and a measurement item have been selected based on whether or not the user U has operated the main body operation unit 320 in FIG. 3 (step S11).

When the geometric elements and measurement items have been selected, the main body control circuit 302 sets the geometric elements and measurement items as measurement conditions by storing the selected geometric elements and measurement items in the main body memory 303 of FIG. 3 (step S12). After that, the main body control circuit 302 returns to the processing of step S11.

If no geometric element and measurement item are selected in step S11, the main body control circuit 302 determines whether or not a geometric element and measurement item are set (step S13). If a geometric element and measurement item are set, the main body control circuit 302 determines whether or not a command to start measuring the measurement target S has been received (step S14). This determination is made, for example, based on whether or not the user U has operated the main body operation unit 320.

When a command to start measuring the measurement target S is received, the main body control circuit 302 performs a measurement point coordinate calculation process (step S15). The measurement point coordinate calculation process will be described in detail later. Through this process, the main body control circuit 302 calculates the coordinates of the measurement point for identifying the selected geometric element based on the operation of the probe 200 by the user.

The main body control circuit 302 also stores the coordinates of one or more measurement points calculated by the measurement point coordinate calculation process in step S15 in the main body memory 303 (step S16).

Next, the main body control circuit 302 determines whether or not a command to end the measurement of the measurement target S has been received (step S17). This determination is made based on, for example, whether or not the user U has operated the main body operation unit 320.

If the measurement end command is not received, the main body control circuit 302 returns to the processing of step S15 described above. On the other hand, if the measurement end command is received, the main body control circuit 302 generates element identification information for the geometric element set from the coordinates of one or more measurement points stored in the main body memory 303 in the processing of the previous step S16 (step S18).

Then, the main control circuit 302 calculates the values of the measurement items set based on the element identification information generated in the processing of step S18 (step S19), and ends the measurement processing. Note that if multiple geometric elements (e.g., two planes) are set at the time of judgment in step S13, the processing of steps S14 to S18 described above is performed for each of the set geometric elements.

If no geometric elements and measurement items are set in step S13, and if no command to start measuring the measurement object S is received in step S14, the main body control circuit 302 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the measurement process was started, based on the time measured by the built-in timer (step S20).

If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the main body control circuit 302 returns to the process of step S11. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed, the main body control circuit 302 performs the measurement point coordinate calculation process (step S21), which will be described later, in the same manner as the process of step S15. Thereafter, the main body control circuit 302 ends the measurement process.

The process of step S21 is performed, for example, to determine whether the probe 200 is within the imaging field of the movable camera 120 or the overhead camera 180 in the tracking process described below.

Figure 23 is a flowchart showing the flow of the measurement point coordinate calculation process. First, the main body control circuit 302 commands the probe control unit 201 of the probe 200 to emit light from multiple markers eq (Figure 14), and commands the head control circuit 150 of the imaging head 100 to emit light from multiple markers ep (Figure 10(b)) of the reference member 190 (step S101).

Next, the main body control circuit 302 generates reference image data by causing the head control circuit 150 to capture images of the multiple markers ep of the reference member 190 using the reference camera 110 (step S102). In addition, the main body control circuit 302 generates first position and orientation information that indicates the position and orientation of the movable camera 120 in the device coordinate system based on the generated reference image data (step S103).

Next, the main body control circuit 302 generates measurement image data by capturing an image of the multiple markers eq of the probe 200 using the movable camera 120 (step S104). The main body control circuit 302 also generates second position and orientation information indicating the position and orientation of the probe 200 using a movable coordinate system based on the generated measurement image data (step S105).

Then, the main body control circuit 302 generates third position and orientation information that represents the position and orientation of the probe 200 in the device coordinate system based on the first and second position and orientation information (step S106). The main body control circuit 302 also calculates the coordinates of the measurement point indicated by the probe 200 based on the generated third position and orientation information.

The above steps S102 and S103 and steps S104 and S105 may be performed in the reverse order.

According to the above measurement process, the user U can easily measure a desired physical quantity in the measurement object S by selecting a desired geometric element and measurement item from a predetermined number of geometric elements and a predetermined number of measurement items.

[7] Tracking process Fig. 24 is a flow chart showing the flow of tracking process by the main body control circuit 302 of Fig. 3. The tracking process of Fig. 24 is repeatedly performed at a predetermined cycle by the CPU of the main body control circuit 302 of Fig. 3 executing a tracking process program stored in the main body memory 303.

First, the main body control circuit 302 determines whether the probe 200 is within the imaging field of the movable camera 120 (step S31). This determination is made by determining whether the measurement image data generated during steps S15 and S21 in the measurement process includes image data corresponding to multiple markers eq.

If the probe 200 is within the imaging field of the movable camera 120, the main body control circuit 302 proceeds to the processing of step S36 described below. On the other hand, if the probe 200 is not within the imaging field of the movable camera 120, the main body control circuit 302 determines whether or not the probe 200 is within the imaging field of the overhead camera 180 (step S32). This determination is made by determining whether or not the overhead image data generated during the processing of steps S15 and S21 in the above measurement process includes image data corresponding to multiple markers eq.

If the probe 200 is within the imaging field of the overhead camera 180, the main body control circuit 302 proceeds to the processing of step S35 described below. On the other hand, if the probe 200 is not within the imaging field of the movable camera 120, the main body control circuit 302 determines whether it is possible to estimate the coordinates of the probe 200 based on the motion data transferred from the probe 200 (step S33). This determination is made based on, for example, whether the motion data indicates an abnormal value or whether the value indicated by the motion data is 0. If the motion data indicates an abnormal value or if the motion data is 0, it is not possible to estimate the coordinates of the probe 200.

If it is not possible to estimate the coordinates of the probe 200, the main body control circuit 302 returns to the process of step S31. On the other hand, if it is possible to estimate the coordinates of the probe 200, the main body control circuit 302 estimates the position of the probe 200 based on the movement data. The main body control circuit 302 also instructs the movable camera 120 to adjust the position and attitude so that the probe 200 is located within the imaging field of the movable camera 120 (step S34). Thereafter, the main body control circuit 302 returns to the process of step S31.

In step S32, if the probe 200 is within the imaging field of the overhead camera 180, the main body control circuit 302 calculates the position of the probe 200 based on the overhead image data. The main body control circuit 302 also instructs the head control circuit 150 to adjust the position and attitude of the movable camera 120 so that the probe 200 is located within the imaging field of the movable camera 120 (step S35).

Next, when the probe 200 is positioned within the imaging field of the movable camera 120, the main body control circuit 302 instructs the head control circuit 150 to adjust the position and attitude of the movable camera 120 so that the center of gravity of the multiple markers eq of the probe 200 is positioned at the center of the imaging field of the movable camera 120 (step S36). Thereafter, the main body control circuit 302 ends the tracking process.

According to the above tracking process, even when the probe 200 moves, the imaging field of view of the movable camera 120 tracks the multiple markers eq of the probe 200. This eliminates the need for the user U to manually adjust the imaging field of view of the movable camera 120. Therefore, it becomes possible to measure the coordinates of the desired measurement point of the measurement object S over a wide range without the need for complicated adjustment work.

[8] Effects (1) In order to obtain the coordinates of a desired measurement point on the measurement target S, when the measurement point is specified, the multiple markers eq of the probe 200 need to be located within the field of view of the movable camera 120 and facing the movable camera 120. Here, the state of the position and attitude of the main body 250 of the probe 200 when the multiple markers eq are located within the field of view of the movable camera 120 and facing the movable camera 120 is called a measurable state.

According to the above-mentioned probe 200, even if it is difficult to put the main body 250 into a measurable state using the probe 200 with the gripping portion 230 in one state (e.g., the first state), the user U can transition the gripping portion 230 to another state (e.g., the second or third state). This allows the user U to easily put the main body 250 into a measurable state. This makes it easier to operate the operation unit provided on the gripping portion, and makes it possible to appropriately indicate the measurement point. As a result, it becomes possible to measure physical quantities over a wide range of the measurement object S without requiring the user U to be skilled.

(2) In the above-described probe 200, the battery 203 is built into the grip portion 230. The battery 203 has a relatively large weight among the multiple components constituting the probe 200. As a result, when the battery 203 is housed in the grip portion 230, the center of gravity of the entire probe 200 is located at or near the grip portion 230. As a result, the user can stably operate the probe 200 by gripping the grip portion 230.

[9] Example of Use of Probe Camera 208 By capturing an image of the measurement target S with the probe camera 208 in Fig. 13, the image of the measurement target S can be displayed on the main body display unit 310 in Fig. 3. Hereinafter, the image obtained by the probe camera 208 will be referred to as a captured image.

The positional relationship between the multiple markers eq of the probe 200 and the probe camera 208, and the characteristics of the probe camera 208 (angle of view, distortion, etc.) are stored in advance as imaging information in, for example, the main body memory 303 in FIG. 3. Therefore, when the multiple markers eq are within the imaging field of view of the movable camera 120, the area imaged by the probe camera 208 is recognized by the main body control circuit 302 in FIG. 3. In other words, the three-dimensional space corresponding to the captured image is recognized by the main body control circuit 302. In this case, the captured image can be displayed on the main body display unit 310 while the geometric elements and measurement items set when measuring the measurement target S are superimposed.

[10] Other embodiments (1) In the imaging head 100 according to the above embodiment, a plurality of heat-generating substrates GS are housed in the substrate casing 93, but some of the plurality of heat-generating substrates GS may be housed in the lower casing 91. Furthermore, in addition to the plurality of heat-generating substrates GS, the substrate casing 93 may house another substrate having a lower heat generation property than the heat-generating substrate GS.

(2) In the imaging head 100 according to the above embodiment, the overhead camera 180 is provided in the lower casing 91, but the present invention is not limited to this. The overhead camera 180 may be housed in the upper casing 92. In this case, for example, the overhead camera 180 is attached to the support member 30.

(3) In the probe 200 according to the above embodiment, the gripping portion 230 is arranged to extend from the connection portion 254j in a direction intersecting the first direction dr1 and to be rotatable around the rotation axis RA, but the present invention is not limited to this.

Figure 25 is an external perspective view of a probe 200 according to another embodiment. The differences between the probe 200 in Figure 25 and the probe 200 according to the above embodiment will be described. In this probe 200, a connection portion 254j is formed so as to extend a certain length from the bottom surface portion 254 in a direction perpendicular to the first direction dr1. A rod-shaped grip portion 230x is attached to the tip of the connection portion 254j so as to extend parallel to the first direction dr1 toward the rear end portion 252 of the main body portion 250.

One end of the gripping portion 230x is connected to the connection portion 254j so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis RA that is parallel or approximately parallel to the first direction dr1, as shown by the thick dashed double-dashed arrow in FIG. 25. The other end of the gripping portion 230x is provided with an operation surface 221a of the probe operation portion 221 so as to be perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis RA. A plurality of push buttons 221b are provided in a predetermined arrangement on the operation surface 221a.

A trigger switch 221c is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the gripping portion 230x near the other end. This allows the user U to indicate the measurement point using the probe 200 by gripping the gripping portion 230x with the thumb and index finger near the probe operation portion 221 and the little finger near the connection portion 254j.

As described above, the grip portion 230x is rotatable around the rotation axis RA. In this case, even if the grip portion 230x rotates around the rotation axis RA, the position of the grip portion 230x on the probe 200 does not change. However, the relationship of the arrangement of the multiple push buttons 221b and the trigger switch 221c to the main body portion 250 changes before and after the rotation of the grip portion 230x.

Figure 26 is an external perspective view of the probe 200 when the gripping portion 230x is rotated 90° from the state of the probe 200 in Figure 25. In the example of Figure 26, the arrangement of the multiple push buttons 221b on the main body 250 and the arrangement of the multiple push buttons 221b and the trigger switch 221c are different from the example of Figure 25. This allows the user U to easily indicate the measurement point of the measurement object S while ensuring the operability of the probe operation portion 221 by rotating the gripping portion 230x as necessary.

[11] Correspondence between each component of the claims and each part of the embodiment Below, examples of correspondence between each component of the claims and each part of the embodiment will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

In the above embodiment, the three-dimensional coordinate measuring device 1 is an example of a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, the probe 200 is an example of a probe, the multiple markers eq of the probe 200 are an example of multiple measurement markers, the main body 250 is an example of a main body, the contact portion 211a is an example of a contact portion, the stylus 211 is an example of an indication portion and a stylus, the grip portion 230 is an example of a grip portion, and the probe operation portion 221 is an example of an operation portion.

In addition, the rotation axis RA is an example of a rotation axis, the connection unit 254j is an example of a connection unit, the battery 203 is an example of a battery, the indicator light 202 is an example of a notification display unit, the first display unit 202a is an example of a first display unit, the second display unit 202b is an example of a second display unit, the multiple push buttons 221b are an example of multiple buttons, the state of the grip unit 230 shown in FIG. 25 is an example of a first arrangement state, the state of the grip unit 230 shown in FIG. 26 is an example of a second arrangement state, the movable camera 120 is an example of an imaging unit, and the main body control circuit 302 is an example of a calculation unit and a measurement unit.

As each component of a claim, various other elements having the configuration or function described in the claim may be used.
[12] Reference form
(1) A probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device in a first reference form is used in a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device that calculates the coordinates of a measurement point on a measurement object based on a plurality of measurement markers imaged by an imaging unit, and is configured to be carried by a user to indicate the measurement point. The probe includes a main body having a plurality of measurement markers arranged so that they can be imaged from a predetermined direction, an indication unit attached to a predetermined position on the main body with respect to the plurality of measurement markers and for indicating the measurement point, a gripping portion configured to be held by a user and in which a gripping posture by the user is specified, and a connection portion that connects the gripping portion to the main body so that it can be rotated around a predetermined rotation axis, and when the gripping portion is held by the user in accordance with the specified gripping posture by rotating the gripping portion about the rotation axis via the connection portion, the plurality of measurement markers are arranged in different orientations.
In the above three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, a measurement point is designated by the designating unit of the probe. At this time, a plurality of measurement markers of the main body are imaged. The coordinates of the designated measurement point are calculated based on image data obtained by imaging and the positional relationship between the plurality of measurement markers and the designating unit. Therefore, in order to obtain the coordinates of a desired measurement point on a measurement object, when the measurement point is designated, the plurality of measurement markers must be located within the field of view of the imaging unit and must be facing the imaging unit.
In the above-mentioned probe, the grip portion rotates around a rotation axis at the connection portion. As a result, when the grip portion is gripped by a user according to a specified gripping posture, the multiple measurement markers are arranged in different directions when the grip portion rotates. Therefore, it is possible to measure physical quantities over a wide range of the measurement object without requiring the user to be skilled.
(2) A probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device in a second reference form is used in a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device that calculates the coordinates of a measurement point on a measurement object based on a plurality of measurement markers imaged by an imaging unit, and is configured to be carried by a user to indicate a measurement point. The probe has a main body having a plurality of measurement markers, a contact unit that indicates a measurement point by contacting the measurement object, a stylus attached to a predetermined position on the main body with respect to the plurality of measurement markers, a holding unit configured to be held by a user, and an operation unit provided on the holding unit and configured to be operable by the user holding the holding unit, and the holding unit is connected to the main body so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis.
In the above three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, a measurement point is specified by contacting a contact portion of the probe with an arbitrary portion of the measurement object. At this time, a plurality of measurement markers on the main body are imaged. The coordinates of the specified measurement point are calculated based on image data obtained by imaging and the positional relationship between the plurality of measurement markers and the contact portion. Therefore, in order to obtain the coordinates of a desired measurement point on the measurement object, it is necessary that the plurality of measurement markers are located within the field of view of the imaging unit and are facing the imaging unit when the measurement point is specified.
Here, the state of the position and attitude of the main body when the multiple measurement markers are located within the field of view of the imaging unit and facing the imaging unit is called a measurable state. In the above probe, even if it is difficult for the user to set the main body to a measurable state when the gripping unit is at one rotation angle, the main body can be easily set to a measurable state by changing the rotation angle of the gripping unit from one rotation angle. Alternatively, even if it is difficult for the user to operate the operation unit by setting the main body to a measurable state when the gripping unit is at one rotation angle, the operation unit can be easily operated by changing the rotation angle of the gripping unit from one rotation angle. This makes it possible to appropriately specify the measurement point. As a result, it becomes possible to measure physical quantities over a wide range of the measurement object without requiring the user to be skilled.
(3) A three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to a third reference embodiment includes a probe for the above-mentioned three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, an imaging unit that images a plurality of measurement markers on the probe, and a calculation unit that calculates the coordinates of a measurement point indicated by a contact unit based on measurement image data indicating images of the plurality of measurement markers imaged by the imaging unit.
The three-dimensional coordinate measuring device includes the above-mentioned probe, which makes it possible to measure physical quantities of a wide range of an object to be measured without requiring the user to have special skills.

1...three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, 9...machine, 900...reference stand, 20...fixed connecting part, 21...lower fixed plate, 22...upper fixed plate, 23...support, 24...hollow support shaft, 30...support member, 30c, RA...rotating shaft, 31...rotating base, 32, 33...support frame, 40...movable member, 41...upper surface, 42...lower surface, 43, 111, 121, 181...substrate, 50...bellows, 90...casing, 91, 220b...lower casing, 91W...window for overhead camera, 92, 220a...upper casing, 92S...rectangular opening, 93...substrate casing, 93a, 93b...accommodation section, 100...imaging head, 101...head bottom, 102...annular bottom surface, 103, 8 32... annular inclined surface, 104... opening, 105, 833... vertical hole, 110... reference camera, 110c, 120c... optical axis, 120... movable camera, 130, 204... marker drive circuit, 140... rotation drive circuit, 141... horizontal rotation mechanism, 143... tilt rotation mechanism, 150... head control circuit, 160, 206... wireless communication circuit, 170, 301... communication circuit, 180... bird's-eye view camera, 190... reference member, 191... light-emitting substrate, 192... diffusion plate, 193... glass plate, 194... mask, 195... diffusion reflection sheet, 200... probe, 201... probe control unit, 202... indicator light, 202a... first display unit, 202b... second display unit, 203... Battery, 205... probe memory, 207... motion sensor, 208... probe camera, 210, 800... holding portion, 210a... stylus attachment portion, 210b... target member holding portion, 211... stylus, 211a... contact portion, 220... probe casing, 221... probe operation portion, 221a... operation surface, 221b... push button, 221c... trigger switch, 230, 230x... grip portion, 250... main body portion, 251... front end portion, 252... rear end portion, 253... upper surface portion, 254... bottom surface portion, 254h... hinge, 254j... connection portion, 255... one side portion, 256... other side portion, 290... target member, 299... opening portion, 300... processing processing device, 302...main body control circuit, 303...main body memory, 310...main body display unit, 320...main body operation unit, 810...installation unit, 820...mounting stand, 830, 911...head base, 831...annular support surface, 912...legs, ca...collar, CA...cable, CB...cross roller bearing, EC...power cable, ep, ep1, ep2, eq...marker, GS...heat generating substrate, h1, h2, h3...through hole, HA1, LA1...intake unit, HA2, LA2...exhaust unit, HF, LF...exhaust fan, hi1...hollow member, hi2...shaft member, rb...rubber bush, rs...imaging space, S...measurement object, sc...screw, U...user, Wa, Wb...weight

Claims (11)

A probe used in a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device that calculates coordinates of a measurement point that is in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a plurality of measurement markers based on a relative positional relationship between the plurality of measurement markers captured by an imaging unit and a plurality of measurement markers that is stored in advance, the probe being configured to be portable by a user in order to indicate the measurement point,
A main body having a plurality of measurement markers arranged so as to be imaged from a predetermined direction;
a stylus having a contact portion for indicating the measurement point and attached to the main body in a predetermined positional relationship with the plurality of measurement markers;
A gripping portion configured to be gripped by a user and in which a gripping posture by the user is defined;
a connection portion that connects the grip portion to the main body portion so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis;
A probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device, in which the multiple measurement markers are positioned in different orientations when the gripping portion is gripped by the user according to the specified gripping posture by rotating the gripping portion around the rotation axis via the connection portion. The main body has a marker surface on which the plurality of measurement markers are arranged,
2. The probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion is provided on a side of the main body opposite to the marker surface. The rotation axis of the connection portion is provided along the marker surface,
3. A probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device as described in claim 2, configured so that the gripping portion can be transitioned between a first state in which the marker surface faces a first direction when the gripping portion is gripped by the user according to the specified gripping posture by rotating around the rotation axis via the connection portion, and a second state in which the marker surface faces a second direction different from the first direction. the gripping unit has an operation unit that accepts operation input related to measurement by a user,
4. The probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gripping posture is determined by the arrangement of the operation portion. A probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gripping portion rotates to a first angular position for directing the multiple measurement markers to the imaging unit in a position directly facing the user, and a second angular position for directing the multiple measurement markers to the imaging unit to the side of the user. The main body portion is
a holder that fixes the plurality of measurement markers and the stylus in a predetermined positional relationship;
A cushioning member;
6. The probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a casing that houses the holding portion and movably supports the holding portion via the buffer member . the operation unit is configured with a plurality of buttons arranged in a predetermined arrangement,
5. The probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to claim 4, wherein the grip portion is configured to be capable of transitioning between a first arrangement state in which an arrangement of the plurality of buttons relative to the main body portion is in a first arrangement relationship and a second arrangement state in which the arrangement of the plurality of buttons relative to the main body portion is in a second arrangement relationship different from the first arrangement relationship by rotating around the rotation axis. A probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the gripping portion has a built-in battery that supplies power to the multiple measurement markers. a notification display unit provided on the main body unit to notify a user whether or not the plurality of measurement markers are present within an imaging field of view of the imaging unit;
The probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the notification display portion is located closer to the stylus than a connection portion of the main body to which the grip portion is connected. the notification display unit includes a first display unit and a second display unit,
10. The probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first display section and the second display section are provided at different parts of the main body and facing in different directions. A probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10;
an imaging unit that images a plurality of measurement markers of the probe;
a calculation unit that calculates coordinates of the measurement point indicated by the contact unit based on measurement image data indicating images of the plurality of measurement markers captured by the imaging unit;
a measurement unit that measures a physical quantity of the object to be measured based on a calculation result of the calculation unit.

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