Object recognition and tracking using a real-time robotic total station and building information modeling

• US 10,620,006 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems Incorporated (Topcon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems Incorporated (Topcon Corporation)
• Inventors: Hallett, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayat, Ali
• Application Number:
  US15/922,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20190285413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 382153
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/00 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An object recognition and positioning system that employs real-time location, a robotic total station, and a building information model in a single, transparent system that delivers object positioning, recognition, tracking, and operation.

Claims

1. A method for operating a robotic total station (RTS) comprising:

monitoring a site;

discovering a plurality of building information modeling (BIM) objects associated with the site;

monitoring a subset of the plurality of BIM objects associated with the site and a relative position of each BIM object of the subset of the plurality of BIM objects with respect to a task required to be performed on the site;

receiving a BIM model associated with the site;

scanning the site;

defining a respective point cloud for a respective point of view from scanning the site, the respective point cloud comprising a plurality of point cloud data;

locking onto a particular one BIM object in the subset of the plurality of BIM objects that is necessary for performing the task; and

positioning, using the respective point cloud in combination with the BIM model, the particular one BIM object necessary for performing the task.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

releasing, upon completing the task, the particular one BIM object necessary for performing the task.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring a subset of the plurality of BIM objects associated with the site and a relative position of each BIM object of the subset is performed at least in part using a real-time location system (RTLS) in communication with the RTS.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, from the particular one BIM object, an industrial design model specific thereto; and

using the industrial design model in the positioning of the particular one BIM object.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

discovering a particular one user of a plurality of users associated with the site; and

monitoring the particular one user and a relative position of the particular one user with respect to the task required to be performed on the site.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

positioning, using the respective point cloud in combination with the BIM model, the particular one user for performing the task while using the particular one BIM object.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the BIM model comprises BIM data associated with at least the site and the task to be performed on the site.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

combining the BIM data with the point cloud data.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

displaying, on the particular one BIM object, a guide for positioning the particular one BIM object by the particular one user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the site comprises an indoor environment.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the site comprises both an indoor environment and an outdoor environment.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

transmitting positioning data to a wearable device on the particular one user for positioning the particular one BIM object in completing the task.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, prior to the locking onto, whether the particular one BIM object is within a specified proximity to a location on the site associated with the task.

14. A robotic total station (RTS) comprising:

a processor;

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

monitoring a site;

discovering a plurality of building information modeling (BIM) objects associated with the site;

monitoring a subset of the plurality of BIM objects associated with the site and a relative position of each BIM object of the subset of the plurality of BIM objects with respect to a task required to be performed on the site;

receiving a BIM model associated with the site;

scanning the site;

defining a respective point cloud for a respective point of view from scanning the site, the respective point cloud comprising a plurality of point cloud data;

locking onto a particular one BIM object in the subset of the plurality of BIM objects that is necessary for performing the task; and

positioning, using the respective point cloud in combination with the BIM model, the particular one BIM object necessary for performing the task.

15. The robotic total station of claim 14 wherein the operations further comprise:

releasing, upon completing the task, the particular one BIM object necessary for performing the task.

16. The robotic total station of claim 14 wherein the monitoring a subset of the plurality of BIM objects associated with the site and a relative position of each BIM object of the subset is performed at least in part using a real-time location system (RTLS) in communication with the RTS.

17. The robotic total station of claim 14 wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the particular one BIM object, an industrial design model specific thereto; and

using the industrial design model in the positioning of the particular one BIM object.

18. The robotic total station of claim 14 wherein the operations further comprise:

discovering a particular one user of a plurality of users associated with the site; and

monitoring the particular one user and a relative position of the particular one user with respect to the task required to be performed on the site.

19. The robotic total station of claim 18 wherein the operations further comprise:

positioning, using the respective point cloud in combination with the BIM model, the particular one user for performing the task while using the particular one BIM object.

20. The robotic total station of claim 14 wherein the BIM model comprises BIM data associated with at least the site and the task to be performed on the site.

21. The robotic total station of claim 20 wherein the operations further comprise:

combining the BIM data with the point cloud data.

22. The robotic total station of claim 19 further comprising:

a display for displaying a guide for positioning the particular one BIM object by the particular one user.

23. The robotic total station of claim 14 wherein the site comprises an indoor environment.

24. The robotic total station of claim 14 wherein the site comprises both an indoor environment and an outdoor environment.

25. The robotic total station of claim 19 wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting positioning data to a wearable device on the particular one user for positioning the particular one BIM object in completing the task.

26. The robotic total station of claim 14 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, prior to the locking onto, whether the particular one BIM object is within a specified proximity to a location on the site associated with the task.