Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Dimensional determination
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-22
2001-04-03
Assouad, Patrick (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Dimensional determination
C033S504000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212481
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an automatically shape calculating method and apparatus for a contour shape measuring machine which measures a contour shape of a workpiece to output shape data, and more particularly to an automatically shape calculating method and apparatus which has a data processing unit and automatically determines a geometric shape in accordance with the shape data to calculate a geometric shape value and a geometric shape boundary value.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With reference to
FIG. 11
, a contour shape measuring machine
10
consists of a horizontally feeding mechanism
13
which is provided on a column
12
standing on a base
11
, and a detector
14
which has a probe
15
and is provided on the horizontally feeding mechanism
13
in such a manner as to freely move in a horizontal direction (X). The detector
14
detects the displacement of the probe
15
in a vertical direction (Z). A scale is built in the horizontally feeding mechanism
13
, and the scale detects the horizontal movement amount of the detector
14
.
When the detector
14
moves in the direction X while the probe
15
is in contact with a measured area on the workpiece
16
, the detector
14
detects the vertical displacement of the probe
15
, and the scale of the horizontally feeding mechanism
13
detects the horizontal movement amount of the detector
14
. Thus, the contour shape of the workpiece
16
is measured.
Required as measured values are a geometric shape value (such as the diameter of a circle, the longer diameter and shorter diameter of an ellipse, and the central position of a circle, which are calculated by setting the shape data to a geometric shape such as a straight line, a circle and an ellipse), and a geometric shape boundary value (such as a position of a boundary where two geometric shapes intersect each other, an angle formed by two geometric shapes which intersect each other, and the distance between boundaries).
An example of the data processing unit is provided with either a system which describes a shape view (which plots values at each measurement point in X and Z directions) by outputting the shape data directly to an X-Y plotter, or a system which has a data processing unit and displays a shape view on a CRT, or both of these two systems. According to the system which outputs the shape data to the X-Y plotter, an operator must read the geometric shape value and the geometric shape boundary value on the shape view. According to the system which has the data processing unit, the data processing unit is capable of calculating the geometric shape value and the geometric shape boundary value as explained below with reference to a flow chart of
FIG. 9 and a
view of FIG.
10
.
First, when the operator measures the workpiece
16
by the contour shape measuring machine
10
(step
121
), the CRT displays a shape view which describes measured positions (step
122
).
FIG. 10
shows the outline of an example in which a screw-like triangular workpiece is measured. The reference numeral
141
is a measurement starting point, and
151
is a measurement ending point.
With reference to the shape view being displayed, the operator determines and designates applicable geometric shapes (all of which are straight lines in this example.) The operator also specifies an objective area of the geometric shape value calculation (step
124
). Large measurement errors normally in the vicinities of the measurement starting point
141
and the measurement ending point
150
, and in an area where the shape changes greatly. An area except for those areas (e.g. an area between a point
142
and a point
143
in
FIG. 10
) is designated as the objective area of the geometric shape value calculation. On designation of the objective area of the geometric shape value calculation, the shape data in the designated area is calculated automatically in accordance with the designated geometric shapes (step
125
), and the geometric value (a straight line Lh in the case of the area between the point
142
and the point
143
) is displayed (step
126
).
Then, the operator determines whether to calculate a geometric shape value in the next area of the shape view or a geometric shape boundary value (step
127
). To calculate the geometric shape value in the next area, the process returns to the step
123
, and the operator determines and designates the applicable geometric shape and designates areas such as “an area between a point
144
and a point
145
”, “an area between a point
146
and a point
147
”, and “an area between a point
148
and a point
149
.” Thereby, the geometric shape values of the straight lines Li, Lj, Lk, etc. are calculated.
To calculate the geometric shape boundary value, the operator designates two geometric shapes such as the straight lines Lh and Li (step
129
). A geometric shape boundary value (coordinate values at an intersection
151
and an angle of intersection &thgr;d) of the designate geometric shapes is automatically calculated (step
130
), and the calculating results are displayed (step
131
). Likewise, coordinate values at an intersection
152
and an angle of intersection &thgr;e are calculated on designation of the straight lines Li and Lj. Coordinate values at an intersection
153
and an angle of intersection &thgr;f are calculated on designation of the straight lines Lj and Lk.
Thereafter, the operator returns to the step
123
in order to calculate a geometric shape value in the next area, and returns to the step
128
in order to calculate a next geometric shape boundary value (step
132
).
In order to find the geometric shape value, the operator must determine and designate the type of the geometric shape corresponding to the displayed shape. The operator must also designate the objective area of the geometric shape value calculation. Likewise, in order to find the geometric shape boundary value, the operator must separately designate two geometric shapes. It takes a long time to complete such a complex operation.
The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object the provision of an automatic shape calculating method and apparatus for a contour shape measuring machine, the method and apparatus which automatically calculate a geometric shape value and a geometric shape boundary value in accordance with shape data without the operator's determining geometric shapes, designating objective areas of the geometric shape value calculation and designating the applicable geometric shapes of geometric shape boundaries.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to the shape calculating method for the contour shape measuring machine which comprises the steps of automatically setting the geometric shape calculation area in accordance with the shape data which is obtained by measuring the workpiece, and automatically calculating the geometric shape value and the geometric shape boundary value.
Specifically, the shape calculating method is automatically performed as follows:
(a) entering geometric shape recognition conditions;
(b) measuring a measured subject to obtain shape data;
(c) provisionally setting a geometric shape boundary of the shape data;
(d) setting a geometric shape calculation area of the shape data in areas except for vicinities of the provisionally set geometric shape boundary, a measurement starting point and a measurement ending point;
(e) calculating a geometric shape value of the shape data while determining a geometric shape of the shape data under the geometric shape recognition conditions for the set geometric shape calculation area;
(f) calculating a geometric shape boundary value from the calculated geometric shape value; and
(g) outputting the calculated geometric shape value and geometric shape boundary value.
The geometric shape boundary of the shape data is provisionally set in manners described below.
According to the first method, the data (in the specification, the shape d
Assouad Patrick
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Safran David S.
Tokyo Seimitsu Co. Ltd.
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