Combination laser detector and global navigation satellite receiver system

• US 20060279727A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Janky, James M., Nichols, Mark E., Cain, Gary L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,764,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/139.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/44 Carrier phase ambiguity resolution; Floating ambiguity; LAMBDA [Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment] method
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/789 using rotating or oscillating beam systems, e.g. using mirrors, prisms

Abstract

A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna has a laser detector positioned in a known and fixed relationship with the nominal phase center of an included global navigation satellite antenna. The offsets for these elements may be fixed, simplifying set up.

Claims

1. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna useful for determining an improved position estimated of an object of interest by detecting at least two fan-shaped beams oriented at differing angles and rotated about a common axis and by detecting signals from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna comprising:

an antenna element having a nominal phase center and adapted to receive and provide the signals from the GNSS for deriving a global coordinate position estimate of said antenna phase center; and

at least one optical sensor having a predetermined and fixed spatial separation from said antenna phase center, said at least one optical sensor being adapted to produce a signal based on reception the fan shaped beams, wherein said signal is processed with said global coordinate position estimate to derive the improved position estimate.

2. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a low noise amplifier coupled to said antenna element.

3. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a GNSS receiver for receiving the signals from the antenna element.

4. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt sensor.

5. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a heading sensor.

6. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a housing supporting said antenna element and said at least one optical sensor.

7. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a support supporting said antenna element, and said at least one optical sensor is mounted on said support below said antenna element.

8. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, comprising three optical sensors.

9. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to the optical sensor.

10. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a filter to improve the sensitivity of the optical sensor to the energy of the fan-shaped beams.

11. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein said optical pick-up comprises a circularly symmetric hyperbolic mirrored surface.

12. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna according to claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein the optical pick-up comprises a total internal reflective prism.

13. A position tracking and control system for determining and providing an improved position estimate using signals from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), comprising:

a rotary laser system adapted to emit two or more fan shaped laser beams which rotate about a generally vertical axis, said beams being oriented in planes other than a horizontal plane, and the angles of inclination of the two beams differing from each other;

a combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna having an antenna element with a nominal phase center orientated along a first axis, said antenna element being adapted to receive the signals from the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and provide a first position estimate, and having at least one optical sensor provided at a predetermined and fixed spatial separation from said nominal phase center, said at least one optical sensor is configured to provide data correlating to detection of the fan-shaped lasers beams; and

a processing unit configured to process said first position estimate and said data to provide the improved position estimate.

14. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna further comprises a low noise amplifier coupled to said antenna element for processing received signals.

15. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna further comprises a processor coupled to said at least one optical sensor for processing output signals from said optical sensor produced in response to illumination by said fan-shaped beams.

16. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna further comprises a tilt sensor.

17. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna further comprises a heading sensor.

18. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said at least one optical sensor is located below said antenna element.

19. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna further comprises a support supporting said antenna element, and said at least one optical sensor is mounted on said support below said antenna element.

20. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna comprises three optical sensors.

21. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna further comprises an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor.

22. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna further comprises a filter to improve the sensitivity of said optical sensor to energy of said fan-shaped beams.

23. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna further comprises an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein said optical pick-up comprises a circularly symmetric hyperbolic mirrored surface.

24. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna further comprises an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein said optical pick-up comprises a total internal reflective prism.

25. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna and said processing unit provides guidance and control to a machine.

26. A position tracking and control system according to claim 13 further comprising a mast mountable on a machine, wherein said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna is supported by said mast and said processing unit provides guidance and control to said machine.

27. A man portable integrated system for determining a three dimensional position of an object of interest by detecting at least two fan-shaped beams oriented at differing angles and rotated about a common axis and by detecting signals from a global navigation satellite system, comprising:

a combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna having an antenna element with a nominal phase center orientated along a first axis, said antenna element being adapted to receive signals from a global navigation satellite system, and having at least one optical sensor also oriented along said first axis a predetermined distance from said antenna element, said optical sensor being adapted to respond to the fan-shaped lasers beams;

a support for supporting said combination laser detector and global satellite antenna; and

a processing unit adapted to use information provided by said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna to determine the three dimensional position of the object of interest.

28. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27 wherein said processing unit is adapted to provide capabilities of a survey data collector.

29. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27 wherein said processing unit is adapted to interface with a survey data collector.

30. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, further comprising a low noise amplifier coupled to said antenna element for processing received signals.

31. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, further comprising a processor coupled to said at least one optical sensor for processing output signals from said optical sensor produced in response to illumination by the fan-shaped beams.

32. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, further comprising a tilt sensor associated with said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna.

33. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, further comprising a heading sensor associated with said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna.

34. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, wherein said at least one optical sensor is located below said antenna element.

35. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, wherein said at least one optical sensor is mounted on said support below said antenna element.

36. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, comprising three optical sensors.

37. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor.

38. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, further comprising a filter to improve the sensitivity of said optical sensor to the energy of the fan-shaped beams.

39. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein said optical pick-up comprises a circularly symmetric hyperbolic mirrored surface.

40. A man portable integrated system according to claim 27, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein said optical pick-up comprises a total internal reflective prism.

41. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver configured to provide an improved position estimate based on fan shaped beams from a laser beam system and signals from global navigation satellites, said combination laser detector and GNSS receiver comprising:

an antenna element having a nominal phase center and adapted to receive and provide the signals to the GNSS receiver for deriving a global coordinate position estimate of said antenna phase center; and

at least one optical sensor having a predetermined and fixed spatial separation from said antenna phase center, said at least one optical sensor being adapted to produce a signal based on reception the fan shaped beams, wherein said signal is processed with said global coordinate position estimate to derive the improved position estimate.

42. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, wherein said at least one optical sensor is located below said antenna phase center.

43. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, wherein said at least one optical sensor is located above said antenna phase center.

44. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, wherein said at least one optical sensor is located in proximity along an axis common with said antenna phase center.

45. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a housing, and wherein said at least one optical sensor is located on a periphery of housing.

46. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a housing accommodating said antenna element, and wherein said at least one optical sensor is located on a periphery of housing.

47. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a processing unit adapted to process said signal with said global coordinate position estimate to derive the improved position estimate.

48. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a processing unit adapted to process said signal with said global coordinate position estimate to derive the improved position estimate, and a housing accommodating said processing unit, and wherein said at least one optical sensor is located on a periphery of housing.

49. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a processing unit adapted to process said signal with said global coordinate position estimate to derive the improved position estimate, and a housing accommodating said processing unit and said antenna element, and wherein said at least one optical sensor is located on a periphery of housing.

50. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a low noise amplifier coupled to said antenna element for processing the signals.

51. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a tilt sensor.

52. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a heading sensor.

53. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a support supporting said antenna element, and said at least one optical sensor is mounted on said support below said antenna element.

54. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, comprising three optical sensors.

55. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to the optical sensor.

56. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising a filter to improve the sensitivity of the optical sensor to the energy of the fan-shaped beams.

57. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein said optical pick-up comprises a circularly symmetric hyperbolic mirrored surface.

58. A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver according to claim 41, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein the optical pick-up comprises a total internal reflective prism.

59. An improved position estimating system comprising:

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver having an antenna having a phase center, configured to provide a first data element relating to a first position estimate;

at least one optical sensor provided at a known position fixed relative to said antenna phase center, and an associated processing system configured to provide a second data element associated with the first position estimate; and

a processor configured to process said first data element and said second data element to provide a second position estimate.

60. An improved position estimating system according to claim 59, wherein said at least one optical sensor is located below said antenna phase center.

61. An improved position estimating system according to claim 59, wherein said at least one optical sensor is located above said antenna phase center.

62. An improved position estimating system according to claim 59, wherein said at least one optical sensor is located in proximity along an axis common with said antenna phase center.

63. An improved position estimating system according to claim 59, further comprising a housing, and wherein said at least one optical sensor is located on a periphery of housing.

64. An improved position estimating system according to claim 59, further comprising a housing accommodating said antenna element, and wherein said at least one optical sensor is located on a periphery of housing.

65. An improved position estimating system according to claim 59, further comprising a low noise amplifier coupled to said antenna element for processing the signals.

66. An improved position estimating system according to claim 59, further comprising a tilt and/or heading sensor providing a third signal to the processor for inclusion in the computing said second position estimate.