Position determination method and geodetic measuring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9316496-B2
Application number	US-200913131842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2009
Priority date	Dec 3, 2008
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

Position determination method for a target point, using a geodetic measuring device, such as a total station or a theodolite, having a distance and angle measurement functionality, a sighting device, and a first radio module, and using a hand-held data processing device, such as a data logger for the measuring device, having a second radio module. The data processing device is positioned within a specified radius of the target point. As part of the method, a radio connection is established between the first and the second radio modules, and the position of the target point is determined. A rough distance between the first and the second radio modules is determined based on a propagation time of interrogation and/or response signals of the radio connection and is used to locate the target—as displaying, detecting, identifying, and/or sighting the target point—or to exclude further possible target point candidates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A position determination method using a geodetic measuring device and a handheld data processing:
wherein the geodetic measuring device has a distance and angle measurement function configured to determine spatial position of a target point as well as a sighting device having a first radio module, and
wherein the handheld data processing device has a second radio module, the handheld data processing device being positioned within a circle centered on a target point and having a radius of at most 2 meters,
wherein the method comprises the steps of:
establishing, by one or both of the first and second radio modules, a radio link between the first and the second radio modules;
determining a radio approximate distance between the first and the second radio modules based on a propagation time of interrogation and/or response signals of the radio link,
determining target point candidate distances between the sighting device and target point candidates that collectively form a candidate set of target point candidates, wherein the target point candidate distances are determined based on reflected optical signals from the target point candidates,
identifying the target point from the candidate set of target point candidates by filtering the target point candidate distances as a function of the radio approximate distance;
localizing the target point by displaying, detecting, identifying and/or sighting the target point, by the geodetic measuring device or the handheld data processing device, based on the radio approximate distance, so that a user can easier identify the target point; and
determining, by the geodetic measuring device or the handheld data processing device, the position of the target point.

2. The position determination method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the geodetic measuring device is a total station or a theodolite and the handheld data processing device is a data logger for the geodetic measuring device.

3. The position determination method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising selecting a subset of the target point candidates whose target point candidate distance values lie within a defined, maximum permissible deviation range around a value of the radio approximate distance, wherein:
the identified target point is included in the selected subset of the target point candidates; and
the maximum permissible deviation range is defined:
as a function of a measuring accuracy for the determination of the radio approximate distance; and/or
as a function of a position of the handheld data processing device relative to the target point, in particular additionally as a function of the circle.

4. The position determination method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein identifying the target point includes identifying the target point candidate from the selected subset of the target point candidates whose target point candidate distance value lies closest to the value of the radio approximate distance.

5. The position determination method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising determining a probability for the identification as the target point for each target point candidate in the selected subset of the target point candidates.

6. The position determination method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein determining the target point candidate distances comprises measuring respective distances of the target point candidates in the course of a search, carried out automatically by the geodetic measuring device, of a field of view region for reflecting objects representing the target point candidates.

7. The position determination method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising measuring respective angles of the target point candidates in the course of a search, carried out automatically by the geodetic measuring device, of a field of view region for reflecting objects representing the target point candidates.

8. The position determination method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising assigning to the target point a measured position of the target point candidate identified as the target point.

9. The position determination method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising automatically setting a focal position of an optics of the sighting device such that the sighting device is focused on the radio approximate distance, the sighting device being designed as:
a target telescope;
a camera; or
a target telescope with a camera aligned coaxially therewith or parallel thereto.

10. The position determination method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising automatically setting a focal position of an optics of the sighting device by servomotors such that the sighting device is focused on the radio approximate distance, the sighting device being designed as a target telescope with a camera aligned coaxially therewith or parallel thereto and an acquired camera image being displayed on a display of the handheld data processing device.

11. The position determination method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising automatically focusing the sighting device as a function of the radio approximate distance.

12. A geodetic measuring system, comprising:
a geodetic measuring device, including:
a first radio module;
a distance and angle measurement function configured to determine spatial positions of reflecting objects that represent target point candidates of a candidate set; and
a sighting device; and

a handheld data processing device spatially linkable to the target point including a second radio module configured to communicate with the first radio module;
wherein:
the geodetic measuring device or the handheld data processing device is configured to determine a radio approximate distance from the first to the second radio module with the aid of a propagation time of interrogation and/or response signals of a radio link between the first and the second radio modules;
the geodetic measuring device or the handheld data processing device is configured to determine target point candidate distances between the sighting device and the target point candidates of the candidate set, wherein the target point candidate distances are determined based on reflected optical signals from the target point candidates;
the geodetic measuring device or the handheld data processing device is configured to localize the target point by identifying the target point from the candidate set based on the radio approximate distance so that a user can easier identify the target point;
the geodetic measuring system further comprises a focus control for the sighting device for automatic focusing as a function of the radio approximate distance; and
the geodetic measuring system further comprises a unit for identifying the target point from the candidate set based on the radio approximate distance, wherein the unit for identifying is designed as an arithmetic logic unit for identifying the target point from the candidate set by filtering the target point candidate distances as a function of the radio approximate distance.

13. The geodetic measuring system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the geodetic measuring device is a total station or a theodolite and is configured to perform a search function for target point candidates located in a field of view region.

14. The geodetic measuring system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the handheld data processing device is a data logger and is configured to perform a window control function for the geodetic measuring device.

15. The geodetic measuring system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the arithmetic logic unit is integrated in the geodetic measuring device.

Assignees

• Green Alastair
• Nindl Daniel
• Leica Geosystems Ag

Inventors

• Green Alastair
• Nindl Daniel

Classifications

• G01C15/002 Primary

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

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G01S13/75

  using transponders powered from received waves, e.g. using passive transponders {, or using passive reflectors} · CPC title

• G01S13/865

  Combination of radar systems with lidar systems · CPC title

• G01C3/32 Primary

  by focusing the object, e.g. on a ground glass screen · CPC title