Method and apparatus for projection of BIM information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9936181-B2
Application number	US-201514807135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A system for projecting an image, including layout information, on a surface in a building under construction has a projector mounted on a moveable support for supporting a worker at a work position in the building. The projector projects an image on a surface above the moveable support in response to an image signal defining the image to be projected. The image indicates the location of connectors, anchors, and holes to be affixed to, or cut through, the surface. A system determines the two dimensional position of the projector in the building, and a distance measuring system for determines the distance from the projector to said surface. A processor, responsive to a memory having stored building plan images, provides an image signal to the projector adjusted for the two dimensional location of the projector and for the distance from the projector to the surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction, comprising:
a moveable support for supporting a worker at a work position in the building under construction;
a projector, mounted on said moveable support for projecting said image on said surface in response to an image signal defining the image to be projected, said image to be projected indicating a location of connectors, anchors, and holes to be affixed to, or cut through, said surface, wherein said surface is positioned above said moveable support;
a positioning system for determining a two dimensional position and an orientation of said projector in said building;
a distance measuring system for determining a distance from said projector to said surface;
a memory in which is stored building plan images for said building; and
a processor, responsive to said memory, to said distance measuring system, and to said positioning system for determining said two dimensional position of said projector, for providing said image signal to said projector that is adjusted for said two dimensional position of said projector and for said distance from said projector to said surface.

2. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 1 , in which said distance measuring system comprises:
an electronic distance measuring system.

3. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 1 , in which said positioning system for determining said two dimensional position and said orientation of said projector in said building comprises:
a plurality of target reflectors positioned at known locations about said building and a laser projector on said moveable support for directing a laser beam at said target reflectors.

4. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 1 , in which said positioning system for determining said two dimensional position and said orientation of said projector in said building comprises:
a video camera on said moveable support for observing an interior of said building and providing an indication of a location of said projector to said processor.

5. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 1 , in which said building has a plurality of recognizable features at known locations, and in which said positioning system for determining said two dimensional position and said orientation of said projector in said building comprises:
a rotating video camera on said moveable support for taking video images of said building from said moveable support and determining a position of said projector based on noted directions of features in said video images.

6. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 5 , in which said rotating video camera on said moveable support takes a plurality of still video images of an interior of said building from said moveable support with said rotating video camera facing in known directions for each such still video image.

7. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 6 , in which said rotating video camera on said moveable support takes a continuous moving video image of said interior of said building from said moveable support with said rotating video camera facing in known directions during a taking of said continuous moving video image.

8. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 1 , in which said positioning system for determining said two dimensional position of said projector in said building comprises:
a laser distance measuring device and transmitter for directing a laser beam at a pair of targets positioned on pillars in said building at known locations.

9. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 1 , in which said positioning system for determining said two dimensional position and said orientation of said projector in said building comprises:
a tracking camera mounted on said moveable support, and a rotation system for rotating said tracking camera and for keeping track of a direction in which said tracking camera faces as said tracking camera keeps a predetermined building feature in view.

10. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 1 , in which said positioning system for determining said two dimensional position and said orientation of said projector in said building comprises:
a tracking camera mounted on said moveable support, and a rotation system for rotating said tracking camera and for keeping track of a direction in which said tracking camera faces as said tracking camera keeps a predetermined building feature in view;
and
a laser distance measuring device and transmitter for directing a laser beam at a pair of targets positioned on pillars in said building at known locations.

11. A system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction, comprising:
a moveable support for supporting a worker at a work position in said building under construction;
a projector, mounted on said moveable support, for projecting said image on said surface in response to an image signal defining the image to be projected, said image indicating a location of connectors, anchors, and holes to be affixed to or cut through said surface, wherein said surface is positioned above said moveable support;
a distance measuring system for determining a distance from said projector to said surface;
a memory having stored therein building plan images for said building; and
a processor, responsive to said memory and to said distance measuring system, for determining a two dimensional position and an orientation of said projector, and for providing an image signal to said projector that is adjusted for said two dimensional position of said projector and for said distance from said projector to said surface.

12. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 11 , comprising:
a manual input for inputting said two dimensional position and said orientation of said moveable support.

13. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 11 , in which said projector, mounted on said moveable support, comprises:
a pico projector for projecting said image on a ceiling above said moveable support, said image indicating said location of connectors, anchors, and holes to be affixed to or cut through said surface.

14. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 11 , in which said distance measuring system for determining said distance from said projector to said surface comprises:
a laser distance measuring system.

15. The system for projecting an image including layout information on a surface in a building under construction according to claim 14 , in which said distance measuring system determines a distance to a plurality

Assignees

• Trimble Inc

Inventors

• Kahle Kent Wayne
• Jiang Jinwei
• Graesser Christian
• Winter Andreas
• Vollath Ulrich

Classifications

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• H04N9/3185 Primary

  Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence (optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14) · CPC title

• G01S5/163

  Determination of attitude (using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49) · CPC title

• H04N9/3141

  Constructional details thereof (details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14) · CPC title

• G01S17/875

  for determining attitude · CPC title