METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING GESTURES TO CONTROL A LASER TRACKER

• Main Authors: WILSON TODD P, STEFFENSEN NILS P, BRIDGES ROBERT E, HOFFER, JR. JOHN M, STEFFEY KENNETH
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.10.2011
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; COLORIMETRY; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT,POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRA-RED,VISIBLE OR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT; MEASURING; PHYSICS; RADIATION PYROMETRY; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TESTING

A method for optically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control operation of the laser tracker includes steps of providing a rule of correspondence between each of a plurality of commands and each of a plurality of spatial patterns, and selecting by the user a first command from among the plurality of commands. The method further includes the steps of moving by the user, between a first time and a second time, a retroreflector in a first spatial pattern from among the plurality of spatial patterns, wherein the first spatial pattern corresponds to the first command, and projecting a first light from the laser tracker to the retroreflector. The method also includes the steps of reflecting a second light from the retroreflector, the second light being a portion of the first light, and obtaining first sensed data by sensing a third light, the third light being a portion of the second light, wherein the first sensed data is obtained by the laser tracker between the first time and the second time. The method includes also the steps of determining the first command based at least in part on processing the first sensed data according to the rule of correspondence, and executing the first command with the laser tracker.