Scanner display

Abstract

A laser scanner collects gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates of a scanned object in a spherical coordinate system, and displays reformatted gray-scale values that are reformatted from the spherical coordinate system into a planar view rectangular region. The reformatted gray-scale values have at least one straight line of the object appearing as a curved line on a display. The scanner enables selection of an angular range of measurement, measures gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates in the spherical coordinate system over the angular range of measurement, displays the reformatted gray-scale values, the reformatted gray-scale values being the gray-scale values reformatted from the spherical coordinate system into a rectangular shaped region, the rectangular shape of the region extending and covering the angular range, and saves the reformatted gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates on a storage medium, the associated 3D coordinates being 3D coordinates associated with the gray-scale values.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laser scanner configured to measure three-dimensional (3D) coordinates of an object, comprising:
 a mirror configured to rotate about a first axis, the mirror having a flat reflective surface;   a first portion including the mirror, the first portion configured to rotate about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the first portion further including a light emitter, and a light receiver, the light emitter is configured to send emitted light to the mirror for reflection onto the object, the light receiver is configured to receive from the mirror a reflected light, the reflected light being a part of the emitted light reflected by the object;   one or more processors that are operably coupled to a tangible non-transitory storage medium, the light emitter and the light receiver;   a display unit operably coupled to the processor, the display unit further being coupled to the laser scanner;   the one or more processors being responsive to executable instructions which when executed by the processor is operable to:   cause the scanner to collect gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates in a spherical coordinate system based at least in part on the light received by the light receiver;   map the gray-scale values and the associated 3D coordinates onto a geometrical shape to obtain first mapped values;   enable selection of a first viewing direction;   display on the display unit a first panoramic view of a first portion of the first mapped values as seen from a fixed point in space in the first viewing direction; and   save the first panoramic view on the storage medium.   
     
     
         2 . The laser scanner of  claim 3  wherein the geometrical shape is selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, a cube, and a sphere. 
     
     
         3 . The laser scanner of  claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to enable selection of a first point on the display unit and in response determine a first 3D coordinate associated with the first point. 
     
     
         4 . The laser scanner of  claim 3 , wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to enable selection of a second point on the display unit and in response determine a second 3D coordinate associated with the second point. 
     
     
         5 . The laser scanner of  claim 4 , wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to determine a first distance between the first 3D coordinate and the second 3D coordinate. 
     
     
         6 . A laser scanner configured to measure three-dimensional (3D) coordinates of an object, comprising:
 a mirror configured to rotate about a first axis, the mirror having a flat reflective surface;   a first portion including the mirror, the first portion configured to rotate about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the first portion further including a light emitter, and a light receiver, the light emitter is configured to send emitted light to the mirror for reflection onto the object, the light receiver is configured to receive from the mirror a reflected light, the reflected light being a part of the emitted light reflected by the object;   one or more processors that are operably coupled to a tangible non-transitory storage medium, the light emitter and the light receiver;   a display unit operably coupled to the processor, the display unit further being coupled to the laser scanner;   the one or more processors being responsive to executable instructions which when executed by the processor is operable to:   cause the scanner to collect gray-scale values and associated 3D coordinates in a spherical coordinate system based at least in part on the light received by the light receiver;   enable selection of a first viewing position and a first viewing direction;   map the gray-scale values and the associated 3D coordinates into an undistorted 3D representation of the object;   display on the display unit a first 3D view of the object, the first 3D view being a portion of the undistorted 3D representation of the object as observed from the first viewing position and the first viewing direction; and   save the first 3D view on the storage medium.   
     
     
         7 . The laser scanner of  claim 6  wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to:
 enable selection of a second viewing position and a second viewing direction; and 
 display on the display unit a second 3D view of the object, the second 3D view being a portion of the undistorted 3D representation of the object as observed from the second viewing position and the second viewing direction. 
 
     
     
         8 . The laser scanner of  claim 6 , wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to enable selection of a first point on the display unit and in response determine a first 3D coordinate associated with the first point. 
     
     
         9 . The laser scanner of  claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to enable selection of a second point on the display unit and in response determine a second 3D coordinate associated with the second point. 
     
     
         10 . The laser scanner of  claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions when executed by the one or more processors is further operable to determine a first distance between the first 3D coordinate and the second 3D coordinate.