Enhanced remote surveying systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018180416-A1
Application number	US-201615389877-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Jun 28, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and apparatus utilizing a high-precision GNSS receiver, an EDM, and an optical camera in combination for making accurate measurements of multiple remote points. The accurate measurement of a plurality of remote points is facilitated by integrating a high-precision GNSS receiver, an EDM and an optical camera such that their combined physical location and orientation can be measured and known, and allowing for a single calibration thereof. The integration of the high-precision GNSS receiver, an EDM, and an optical camera may take various forms such as a single, integrated device, or individual devices assembled together on a surveying pole, for example. The integrated device may also include one or more sensors such as an inclination sensor and an inertial measurement unit.

First claim

1 . A method for determining coordinates of a plurality of remote target points associated with a selected target in relation to a surveying apparatus, the method comprising:
designating at least one tie point; using at least two measurement locations of a plurality of measurements locations associated with the surveying apparatus, the surveying apparatus comprising at least a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, an electronic distance meter (EDM), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and an optical camera, and:
at a first one of the measurement locations, from which the surveying apparatus has a view of at least the selected target, and
simultaneously (i) recording a first plurality of position and orientation measurements from the GNSS receiver, the IMU, and the EDM including a distance between the tie point and the first measurement location, and (ii) capturing at least a first one image of the selected target;

at a second one of the measurement locations associated with the surveying apparatus, from which the surveying apparatus has a view of at least the selected target, and
simultaneously (i) recording a second plurality of position and orientation measurements from the GNSS receiver, the IMU, and the EDM including a distance between the tie point and the second measurement location, and (ii) capturing at least a second one image of the selected target;

computing a set of three dimensional (3D) coordinates in a reference coordinate system for the tie point using the first plurality of position and orientation measurements, and the second plurality of position and orientation measurements; computing a first orientation of the surveying apparatus using the 3D coordinates for the tie point at the first measurement location; computing a second orientation of the surveying apparatus using the 3D coordinates for the tie point at the second measurement location; computing a first position and orientation of the optical camera using the first orientation of the surveying apparatus and the first plurality of position and orientation measurements at the first measurement location; computing a second position and orientation of the optical camera using the second orientation of the surveying apparatus and the second plurality of position and orientation measurements at the second measurement location; and computing a set of coordinates for at least one of the remote target points using at least the first image, the second image, the first position and orientation of the optical camera, and the second position and orientation of the optical camera.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the tie point is a visually identifiable feature of the selected target and aimable by the EDM from each measurement location of the plurality of measurement locations.

3 . The method of claim 2 further comprising:
correcting a distortion in the first one image or the second one image.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the computing the set of coordinates for the particular ones of the remote target points further comprises:
locating the at least one remote target point on the first one image and the second one image.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the correcting the distortion uses a plurality of calibration parameters associated with the optical camera.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the optical camera is a sensor camera.

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein the GNSS receiver is a high-precision GNSS receiver.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the GNSS receiver, the EDM, the IMU, and the optical camera are each separate units operably connected on a survey pole of the surveying apparatus.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the GNSS receiver, the EDM, the IMU, and the optical camera are integrated into one or more single units operably connected on a survey pole of the surveying apparatus.

10 . A surveying apparatus for determining coordinates of a plurality of remote target points associated with a selected target in relation to the surveying apparatus, the surveying apparatus comprising:
a survey pole having a GNSS receiver, an EDM, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and an optical camera operably connected thereto; a processor; a memory coupled with the processor, the memory storing computer program instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform operations for: acquiring a designation of at least one tie point; using at least two measurement locations of a plurality of measurements locations associated with the surveying apparatus, the surveying apparatus comprising at least a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, an electronic distance meter (EDM), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and an optical camera, and: acquiring, with respect to a first one of the measurement locations, a first plurality of position and orientation measurements and a first one image of the selected target, the first plurality of measurements and the first one image having been simultaneously (i) recorded, with respect to the first plurality of position and orientation measurements, from the GNSS receiver, the IMU, and the EDM including a distance between the tie point and the first measurement location, and (ii) captured, with respect to the first one image of the selected target, from the optical camera; acquiring, with respect to a second one of the measurement locations, a second plurality of position and orientation measurements and a second one image of the selected target, the second plurality of measurements and the second one image having been simultaneously (i) recorded, in terms of the second plurality of position and orientation measurements, from the GNSS receiver, the IMU, and the EDM including a distance between the tie point and the second measurement location, and (ii) captured, in terms of the second one image of the selected target, from the optical camera; computing a set of three dimensional (3D) coordinates in a reference coordinate system for the tie point using the first plurality of position and orientation measurements, and the second plurality of position and orientation measurements; computing a first orientation of the surveying apparatus using the 3D coordinates for the tie point at the first measurement location; computing a second orientation of the surveying apparatus using the 3D coordinates for the tie point at the second measurement location; computing a first position and orientation of the optical camera using the first orientation of the surveying apparatus and the first plurality of position and orientation measurements at the first measurement location; computing a second position and orientation of the optical camera using the second orientation of the surveying apparatus and the second plurality of position and orientation measurements at the second measurement location; and computing a set of coordinates for at least one of the remote target points using at least the first one image, the second one image, the first position and orientation of the optical camera, and the second position and orientation of the optical camera.

11 . The surveying apparatus of claim 10 wherein the survey pole is positioned such that the selected area is visible to the optical camera.

12 . The surveying apparatus of claim 10 wherein the tie point is a visually identifiable feature of the selected target and is aimable by the EDM from each of the measurement locations of the plurality of measurement locations.

13 . The surveying apparatus of claim 10 wherein any distortion in the first one image and the second one image is corrected.

14 . The surveying apparatus of cla

Assignees

• Topcon Positioning Systems Inc

Inventors

• Edelman Leonid
• Hallett Jason
• Srivastava Alok

Classifications

• G01S19/53

  Determining attitude · CPC title

• G01C15/008

  combined with inclination sensor · CPC title

• G01C15/002 Primary

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

• G01S19/47

  the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial · CPC title

• G01S19/49

  whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled · CPC title