Augmented reality technology as a controller for a total station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11360310-B2
Application number	US-202016924648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2020
Priority date	Jul 9, 2020
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

An augmented-reality system is combined with a surveying system to make measurement and/or layout at a construction site more efficient. A reflector can be mounted to a wearable device having an augmented-reality system. A total station can be used to track a reflector, and truth can be transferred to the wearable device while an obstruction is between the total station and the reflector. Further, a target can be used to orient a local map of a wearable device to an environment based on a distance between the target and the wearable device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for identifying points of interest during construction layout, the system comprising:
a base station configured to:
rotate;
measure an angle of rotation;
measure an angle of a reflector in relation to the base station, based on the angle of rotation; and
measure a distance from the base station to the reflector, wherein the distance from the base station to the reflector and the angle of the reflector in relation to the base station are used to generate position data of the reflector in relation to an environment;

a wearable device comprising:
a hardhat;
the reflector, wherein:
the reflector is fixedly coupled with the hardhat; and
the reflector is a retroreflector;

an optical display fixedly coupled with the hardhat, wherein:
there is an offset between the reflector and the optical display;
the offset between the reflector and the optical display is known; and
the offset between the reflector and the optical display is fixed;

a camera fixedly coupled with the hardhat; and
a graphics engine configured to provide a local map based on images acquired by the camera; and

one or more processors configured to:
receive the position data;
orient the local map of the wearable device to the base station using the position data and the offset between the reflector and the optical display; and
present to a user of the wearable device, using the optical display, a virtual object in relation to the environment, based on orienting the local map of the wearable device with the base station.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical display allows real-world light to pass through the optical display.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reflector is a prism.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reflector is a pattern of retroreflective stickers.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the base station comprises a theodolite to measure angles between the base station and the reflectors;
the reflector is a pattern of retroreflective stickers;
the base station comprises an electronic distance measurement (EDM) device for measuring the distance from the base station to the reflector; and
the base station is oriented with the environment.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position data includes location data and orientation data.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position data includes location data, and orientation data which is obtained by measurement of an edge obtained from the local map.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reflector is a first reflector and the hardhat comprises a second reflector in a known orientation to the first reflector.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the base station comprises an electronic distance measurement (EDM) device for measuring the distance from the base station to the reflector.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a tracking camera, separate from the base station and the wearable device, wherein the tracking camera provides imagery data used to determine position of the wearable device with the environment.

11. A method for using augmented reality in construction layout, the method comprising:
measuring a position of a reflector in relation to a base station to obtain position data, wherein:
the reflector is fixedly coupled with a hardhat;
the base station is configured to rotate and measure an angle of rotation;
the base station is configured to measure angles, based on measuring the angle of rotation of the base station, and distances from the base station to the reflector in relation to an environment;
there is an offset between the reflector and an optical display;
the offset between the reflector and the optical display is known; and
the offset between the reflector and the optical display is fixed;

generating a local map based on images acquired by a camera that is fixedly coupled with the hardhat;
orienting the local map to the base station using the position data and the offset between the reflector and the optical display; and
presenting to a user, using the optical display fixedly coupled with the hardhat, a virtual object in relation to the environment, based on orienting the local map with the base station.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising orienting a model to the environment, and wherein the virtual object is from a feature of the model.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising orienting the base station to the environment.

14. An apparatus comprising:
a wearable device comprising:
a frame;
a marker, wherein:
the marker is fixedly coupled with the frame;
there is an offset between the marker and an optical display;
the offset between the marker and the optical display is known; and
the offset between the marker and the optical display is fixed;

the optical display fixedly coupled with the frame;
a camera fixedly coupled with the frame; and
a graphics engine configured to provide a local map based on images acquired by the camera; and

one or more processors configured to:
receive position data relative to an environment, wherein the position data is received from a base station that is configured to rotate and measure an angle of rotation;
orient the local map of the wearable device to the environment using the position data and the offset between the marker and the optical display; and
present, using the optical display, a virtual object in relation to the environment.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the marker is a retroreflector.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the marker is a two-dimensional design.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the marker includes a machine readable code.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the marker includes a machine readable code, and the machine readable code is a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a camera on a back of the frame used to track a location and/or an orientation of the base station with respect to the frame.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a camera separate from the base station and the wearable device configured to acquire images of the marker used to determine relative position of the marker in relation to the base station.

Assignees

• Trimble Inc

Inventors

• Lawver Jordan
• Ostrowski Steven
• Burczyk David
• Williams Bryan
• Atkins Benedict J G
• Holmgren Martin

Classifications

• G01C15/002 Primary

  Active optical surveying means (optical plumbing G01C15/105) · CPC title

• G01C15/06

  Surveyors' staffs; Movable markers · CPC title

• G02B2027/0138

  comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera · CPC title

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title