Locating system comprising a hand-held locating device, and locating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444401-B2
Application number	US-201515320814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2014
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A hand-held locating apparatus comprises at least one hand-held locating device for acquiring locating data on objects that are hidden below a surveyed surface and are to be located, and comprises a position sensor for sensing position data of the locating device in relation to the surveyed surface. The locating system includes at least one evaluation device for determining directionally and/or spatially resolved location information from the locating data in a first mode of operation of the locating system without repositioning the locating device in relation to the surveyed surface and for determining at least three-dimensional locating information from the locating data and the position data by assigning locating data to position data in a second mode of operation. Also disclosed is a method for locating objects hidden below a surveyed surface, wherein the at least two modes of operation of the locating system can be selected.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A locating system having at least two selectable modes of operation including a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, the locating system comprising:
a hand-held locating apparatus configured to capture locating data in relation to objects concealed under an examination surface;
a position sensor configured to capture position data of the locating apparatus in relation to the examination surface;
a display; and
an evaluation apparatus configured to:
determine locating information items based on the locating data, the determined locating information items being:
while in the first mode of operation, at least one of direction-resolved and spatially-resolved with respect to the locating apparatus and determined based on the locating data without repositioning the locating apparatus in relation to the examination surface; and
while in the second mode of operation, at least three-dimensional, position-resolved with respect to the examination surface, and determined based on the locating data and the position data by assigning the locating data to the position data;

determine a two-dimensional map information item based on the locating information items; and
operate the display to depict the two-dimensional map information items, at least one of (i) a scaling of the two-dimensional map information item and (ii) a displayed portion of the two-dimensional map information item being varied depending on whether the locating system is operating in the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation.

2. The locating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hand-held locating apparatus is configured to capture locating data in an at least one of a direction-resolved and spatially resolved manner in relation to the objects concealed under the examination surface.

3. The locating system as claimed in claim 1 , the hand-held locating apparatus further comprising:
at least one locating sensor configured to be at least one of direction-resolving and spatially resolving in a detection zone.

4. The locating system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least one locating sensor of the hand-held locating apparatus is embodied as at least one of an electrically swivelable locating sensor, a mechanically swivelable locating sensor, an electrically alignable locating sensor, an array of locating sensors, and an imaging locating sensor.

5. The locating system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least one locating sensor of the hand-held locating apparatus has at least one of a predeterminable detection zone, a selectable detection zone, and an adjustable detection zone.

6. The locating system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured, in the first mode of operation of the locating system, to determine the at least one of direction-resolved and spatially resolved locating information item based on locating data captured by the at least one locating sensor.

7. The locating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured, in the second mode of operation of the locating system, to determine, in real time, an at least two-dimensional map information item from the at least three-dimensional locating information item.

8. The locating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured, in the first mode of operation and in the second mode of operation, to combine determined locating information items.

9. The locating system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to at least one of complement, update, refine, and overwrite already determined locating information items when passing over a region of the examination surface again.

10. The locating system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to at least one of complement, update, refine, and overwrite locating information items already determined in the first mode of operation when passing over a region of the examination surface again.

11. The locating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured, in at least one of the first mode of operation and in the second mode of operation, to at least one of interpolate and extrapolate at least one of the locating data and the locating information items.

12. The locating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second modes of operation of the locating system are manually selectable.

13. The locating system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a control apparatus configured to select a the first and second modes of operation automatically and automatically switch between the first and second modes of operation.

14. The locating system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to switch into the second mode of operation when a change in position of the locating apparatus in relation to the examination surface is identified,
wherein a sensitivity of the identification of a change in position is at least one of predeterminable, selectable, and adjustable.

15. The locating system as claimed in claim 1 , the hand-held locating apparatus further comprising:
a placement identification apparatus configured to detect at least one of a placement of the locating apparatus onto the examination surface and a removal of the locating apparatus from the examination surface.

16. The locating system as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
a control apparatus configured to activate the first mode of operation when a placement of the locating apparatus onto an examination surface is identified by the placement identification apparatus.

17. The locating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the display apparatus and the evaluation apparatus is configured to exclude at least some of the locating information item when at least one of generating and modifying the two-dimensional map information item.

18. A method for locating objects concealed under an examination surface with a locating system having at least two selectable modes of operation including a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, the method comprising:
determining, with an evaluation apparatus of the locating system, locating information items based on the locating data, the determined locating information items being:
while in the first mode of operation, at least one of direction-resolved and spatially-resolved with respect to a locating apparatus of the locating system and determined based on locating data of the locating apparatus without repositioning the locating apparatus in relation to the examination surface; and
while in the second mode of operation, at least three-dimensional, position-resolved with respect to the examination surface, and determined by assigning the locating data to position data of a position sensor of the locating system;

determining, with the evaluation apparatus, a two-dimensional map information item based on the locating information items; and
depicting, with a display of the locating system, the two-dimensional map information items, at least one of (i) a scaling of the two-dimensional map information item and (ii) a displayed portion of the two-dimensional map information item being varied depending on whether the locating system is operating in the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Krapf Reiner
• Sgarz Heiko
• Schmidt-Knorreck Carina

Classifications

• G01V9/00 Primary

  Prospecting or detecting by methods not provided for in groups G01V1/00 - G01V8/00 · CPC title

• G01C15/02 Primary

  Means for marking measuring points · CPC title

• G01V8/005 Primary

  operating with millimetre waves, e.g. measuring the black losey radiation · CPC title

• G01V3/15

  specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat · CPC title

• G01V3/175

  operating with electron or nuclear magnetic resonance · CPC title