DUAL COAXIAL NSS RECEIVER SYSTEM

• US 20130033395A1
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Inventors: Fortune, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 9,689,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.25
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/06 Surveyors' staffs; Movable markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude

Abstract

A dual coaxial NSS receiver system is disclosed. One embodiment receives first location information about a first navigation satellite system (NSS) antenna mounted on an object at a first location. In addition, second location information is received from a second NSS antenna mounted on the object in a second location different from the first location. A spatial relationship is determined between the first NSS antenna, the second NSS antenna and a portion of the object. The first location information, the second location information and the spatial relationship are then utilized to determine the spatial location of the portion of the object.

Claims

1. A method for determining position, the method comprising:

receiving a first location information about a first navigation satellite system (NSS) antenna mounted on an object at a first location;

receiving a second location information from a second NSS antenna mounted on the object in a second location different from the first location;

determining a spatial relationship between the first NSS antenna, the second NSS antenna and a portion of the object;

utilizing the first location information, the second location information and the spatial relationship to determine the spatial location of the portion of the object.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a pole.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the object is a distal end of the object.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

utilizing a pressure-type switch at the distal end of the object to trigger the generation of the first location information and the second location information.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

fixedly coupling the first NSS antenna and the second NSS antenna to the object during manufacture, such that the spatial relationship is non-adjustable.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removably coupling the first NSS antenna and the second NSS antenna to the object, such that the spatial relationship is adjustable.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing a single NSS receiver coupled with both the first NSS antenna and the second NSS antenna to determine the location of the first NSS antenna and the second NSS antenna.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing a first NSS receiver coupled with the first NSS antenna to determine the location of the first NSS antenna; and

utilizing a second NSS receiver coupled with the second NSS antenna to determine the location of the second NSS antenna.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a tilt of the object; and

providing an alert if the object is tilted further than a pre-defined tilt angle.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

stopping a measurement from being performed if the tilt is outside of the pre-defined tilt angle;

providing a user override such that a measurement will be performed if the tilt is outside of the pre-defined tilt angle; and

marking the data to show that the measurement was taken during the user override while the object was outside of the pre-defined tilt angle.

11. A position determination system, comprising:

an object having a point of interest located thereon;

a first navigation satellite system (NSS) antenna mounted in a first location on said object;

a second NSS antenna mounted in a second location on said object, wherein the point of interest, the first antenna, and the second antenna have a known coaxial spatial relationship;

a NSS receiver coupled to said first antenna and to said second antenna, and configured to generate location information for each antenna; and

a spatial relationship determiner to receive the location of each antenna, and determine the spatial location of the point on said object based on the known spatial relationship between the first antenna, the second antenna, and the point of interest.

12. The position determination system of claim 11 further comprising:

a database for storing the spatial locations for said first antenna and said second antenna.

13. The position determination system of claim 12 further comprising:

a data collector for storing said database, the data collector coupled to the NSS receiver via a wireless communications link.

14. The position determination system of claim 12 further comprising:

a storage system for said database in the NSS receiver.

15. The position determination system of claim 11 further comprising:

a NSS time recorder for recording a time the location information of each antenna was generated.

16. The position determination system of claim 11 wherein the spatial relationship determiner calculates the spatial location of the selected point from said spatial relationship among the locations of the first and second antenna and the selected point on the object.

17. The position determination system of claim 16 wherein the spatial relationship determiner stores said spatial location in a database, with a NSS time stamp associated with the time of the antenna spatial location data from the NSS receiver.

18. The position determination system of claim 11 wherein the spatial relationship determiner selects a pair of spatial locations for each first and second antenna associated with a time interval when the selected point on the object is located in a fixed position.

19. The position determination system of claim 18 wherein the spatial relationship determiner selects the time interval by comparing a series of spatial locations for the selected point on the object and choosing a set of spatial locations and their time stamp data where the difference in spatial location is less than a specified distance.

20. The position determination system of claim 11 further comprising:

a switch to automatically active the spatial relationship determiner, the switch activated by a contact between the point on the object and a different object.

21. A method for determining the location of a selected point on an object, comprising:

providing a first NSS receiver having a first antenna at a first position on said object for determining the spatial location of said first antenna;

providing a second NSS receiver having a second antenna at a second position on said object for determining the spatial location of said second antenna;

providing a support structure for said first and second antennas wherein the first and second antennas are coaxially aligned with the selected point on said object;

determining the spatial relationship among the selected point on an object, the first position of the first antenna, and the second position of the second antenna; and

determining the location of the selected point on the object using the spatial locations of said first and second antennas as determined by the first and second NSS receivers and the known spatial relationships.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

providing a database for storing the spatial locations for said first antenna and said second antenna.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

providing a data collector for storing said database, wherein the data collector is coupled to each of the NSS receivers via a wireless communications link.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

providing a storage system for said database in the first NSS receiver and in the second NSS receiver.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

storing the NSS time for which the spatial locations were determined.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

calculating said spatial location of the selected point via an algorithm derived from said spatial relationship among the locations of the first and second antenna and the selected point on the object.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

storing said spatial location in a database, with a NSS time stamp associated with the time of the antenna spatial location data from the NSS receivers.

28. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

choosing a pair of spatial locations for each first and second antenna associated with a time interval when the selected point on the object is located in a fixed position.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the time interval is selected by comparing a series of spatial locations for the selected point on the object and choosing a set of spatial locations and their time stamp data where the difference in spatial location is less than a specified distance.