System and Method for Surveying With a Barcode Target

• US 20090289120A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanson, Nigel Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,348,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/02 Means for marking measuring points

Abstract

System and method for surveying. In one embodiment, a process is provided including detecting a barcode associated with a position of interest. The barcode may be decoded to extract data associated with the position of interest. Additionally, decoded data associated with the position of interest can be presented to an operator of a surveying tool.

Claims

1. A method of surveying, the method comprising the acts of:

detecting a barcode associated with a position of interest;

decoding the barcode to extract data associated with the position of interest; and

presenting the data associated with the position of interest to an operator of a surveying tool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the barcode is one of a two-dimensional barcode, a matrix code and any type of barcode in general.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data extracted from the barcode relates to one of an elevation, grade, global position and surveying measurement in general.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data extracted from the barcode relates to feature information for the position of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting decoded data includes displaying the decoded data on a surveying tool.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising labeling the position of interest with the barcode.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a surveying measurement for the position of interest.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising evaluating a characteristic of the position of interest based, at least in part, on the decoded data and surveying measurement, wherein evaluating includes comparing a result of the surveying measurement to data extracted from the two-dimensional barcode.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating data provided by the two-dimensional barcode, wherein updating comprises:

encoding data for the position of interest into an updated barcode; and

labeling the position of interest with the updated barcode.

10. A surveying tool comprising:

a display;

a barcode scanner configured to detect a barcode associated with a position of interest; and

a processor coupled to the display and the barcode scanner, the processor configured to;

decode the barcode to extract data associated with the position of interest; and

present decoded data to an operator of a surveying tool.

11. The surveying tool of claim 10, wherein the barcode is one of a two-dimensional barcode, a matrix code and any type of barcode in general.

12. The surveying tool of claim 10, wherein the data extracted from the barcode relates to one of an elevation, grade, global position and surveying measurement in general.

13. The surveying tool of claim 10, wherein the data extracted from the barcode relates to feature information for the position of interest.

14. The surveying tool of claim 10, wherein presenting the decoded data includes displaying the decoded data on the display.

15. The surveying tool of claim 10, further comprising an angle sensor and a distance sensor coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a surveying measurement for the position of interest based, at least in part, on one or more output signals from at least one of the angle sensor and distance sensor.

16. The surveying tool of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to evaluate a characteristic of the position of interest based, at least in part, on the decoded data and surveying measurement, wherein evaluating a characteristic of the position of interest includes comparing a result of the surveying measurement to data extracted from the barcode.

17. The surveying tool of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to update data provided by the barcode, wherein updating comprises generating an updated barcode to be labeled to the position of interest, the updated barcode having data encoded for the position of interest.