System and Method for Site Calibration of a Surveying Device

• US 20100315286A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Cerniar, Mario
• Granted Patent: US 8,035,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.25
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A system and method for site calibration of a controller is provided. In one embodiment, a method may include determining coordinates of a point in a first coordinate system based on at least one measurement by a surveying device, determining coordinates of the point in a second coordinate system based on data provided by a global positioning device, and calculating a transformation of the first coordinate system relative to the second coordinate system based on the coordinates determined for the point. The method may further include calibrating the controller based, at least in part, on the transformation.

Claims

1. A method for site calibration of a controller, the method comprising the acts of:

determining coordinates of a point in a first coordinate system based on at least one measurement by a surveying device;

determining coordinates of the point in a second coordinate system based on data provided by a global positioning device;

calculating a transformation of the first coordinate system relative to the second coordinate system based on the coordinates determined for the point; and

calibrating the controller based, at least in part, on the transformation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first coordinate system is a local coordinate system and the second coordinate system is a global coordinate system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transformation calculates an offset relative to the first and second coordinate systems when a single measurement point is employed in calculating the transformation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transformation calculates offset, scale and orientation values relative to the first and second coordinate systems when a second measurement point is employed in calculating the transformation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transformation calculates coordinate values in a first coordinate system corresponding to coordinates in a second coordinate system when at least three measurement points are employed in calculating the transformation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controller calibration relates to configuration of the controller to generate one or more of offset, scale and orientation values relative to the first and second coordinate systems for a foresight measurement.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining coordinates for additional points, wherein coordinates are determined in the first and second coordinate systems for each additional point; and

recalculating the transformation based on the coordinates of the additional points.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining coordinates for a second point by the global positioning receiver, wherein coordinates for the second point are in a second coordinate system, and outputting coordinates for the point in the first coordinate system based on the transformation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

naming the point by the controller; and

storing coordinates for the measurement point associated with the first and second coordinate systems with the named point.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing one or more control point measurements for setup of the surveying device and calculating the transformation based on data associated with the one or more control point measurements.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinates of the point in the first and second coordinate systems are determined simultaneously during setup of the surveying device.

12. A system comprising:

a surveying device configured to measure a point in a first coordinate system;

a global positioning device configured to determine coordinates of the point in second coordinate system; and

a controller configured to interoperate with the surveying device and the global positioning device, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine coordinates of the point in a first coordinate system based on at least one measurement by the surveying device;

determine coordinates of the point in a second coordinate system based on data provided by the global positioning device;

calculate a transformation of the first coordinate system relative to the second coordinate system based on the coordinates determined for the point; and

calibrate the controller based, at least in part, on the transformation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first coordinate system is a local coordinate system and the second coordinate system is a global coordinate system.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the transformation calculates an offset relative to the first and second coordinate systems when a single measurement point is employed in calculating the transformation.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the transformation calculates offset, scale and orientation values relative to the first and second coordinate systems when a second measurement point is employed in calculating the transformation.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the transformation calculates coordinate values in a first coordinate system corresponding to coordinates in a second coordinate system when at least three measurement points are employed in calculating the transformation.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein controller calibration relates to configuration of the controller to generate one or more of offset, scale and orientation values relative to the first and second coordinate systems for a foresight measurement.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine coordinates for additional points, wherein coordinates are determined in the first and second coordinate systems for each additional point; and

recalculate the transformation.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to determine coordinates for a second point, wherein coordinates for the second point are in a second coordinate system by the global positioning receiver, and output coordinates for the point in the first coordinate system based on the transformation.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to:

name the point; and

store coordinates for the measurement point associated with the first and second coordinate systems with the named point.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the surveying device is further configured to perform one or more control point measurements for setup of the surveying device and the controller is further configured to calculate the transformation based on data associated with the one or more control point measurements.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein coordinates of the point in the first and second coordinate systems are determined simultaneously during setup of the surveying device.