Optical Sensing a Distance from a Range Sensing Apparatus and Method

• US 20150330054A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems Incorporated (Topcon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems Incorporated (Topcon Corporation)
• Inventors: Khatuntsev, Nikolay V.
• Application Number:
  US14/279,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330054A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/006 by laser or ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/01 Devices or auxiliary means for setting-out or checking the configuration of new surfacing, e.g. templates, screed or reference line supports form rails E01C19/50; Applications of apparatus for measuring, indicating, or recording the surface configuration of existing surfacing, e.g. profilographs E01C23/07 takes precedence; measuring roughness or irregularity in general G01B
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/847 using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/38 using photographic means
• 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 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4808 Evaluating distance, position or velocity data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/20 using multiple transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A method and a system for determining horizontal velocity of a construction vehicle and a distance from a range sensing apparatus to a surface is provided. In an embodiment, a plurality of video images of the surface generated by a video camera is received, an angular velocity is calculated by video processing, a distance from each of a plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface is measured, and linear horizontal velocity is calculated from angular velocity and distances.

Claims

1. A sensing unit to determine a horizontal velocity of a construction vehicle and a distance from the construction vehicle to a surface, the sensing unit comprising:

a plurality of laser rangefinders; and

a video camera.

2. The sensing unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory communicatively coupled with a processor and storing computer program instructions to determine the distance from the construction vehicle to the surface.

3. The sensing unit of claim 1, the sensing unit further comprising:

a housing in which the plurality of laser rangefinders and the at least one video camera are mounted.

4. The sensing unit of claim 1, wherein in operation each of the plurality of laser rangefinders and the at least one video camera are directed to the surface.

5. The sensing unit of claim 4, wherein in operation each of the plurality of laser rangefinders is directed in a direction perpendicular to a direction of travel of the construction vehicle.

6. The sensing unit of claim 4, wherein in operation each of the plurality of laser rangefinders is directed in a direction parallel to a direction of travel of the construction vehicle.

7. The sensing unit of claim 1, wherein in operation the at least one video camera is directed downward to acquire a plurality of images of the surface to determine a two-dimensional velocity of the construction vehicle.

8. The sensing unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one video camera is directed downward to acquire a plurality of images of the surface determine an offset of a directional trajectory of the construction vehicle.

9. The sensing unit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of laser rangefinders is a time of flight laser rangefinder.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of laser rangefinders is a phase difference laser rangefinder.

11. The sensing unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of laser rangefinders is the time of flight laser rangefinder and at least one other of the plurality of laser rangefinders is the phase difference laser rangefinder.

12. The sensing unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is coupled to the sensing unit.

13. The sensing unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is coupled to the construction vehicle and is remote from the construction vehicle.

14. A method for determining a distance from a sensing unit of a construction vehicle to a surface comprising:

receive a plurality of video images of the surface, the plurality of video images generated by a video camera;

measuring a distance from each of a plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface;

weighting the measured distance from each of the plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface using at least one weighting factor corresponding to each of the plurality of laser rangefinders; and

determining a weighted average distance from the plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface based on weighted measured distance from each of the plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting measured distance information to a processor; and

storing the measured distance information in a memory.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a two-dimensional velocity of the construction vehicle using the video camera.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining an offset of a directional trajectory of the construction vehicle using the video camera.

18. A storage device storing computer program instructions for controlling a sensing unit of a construction vehicle to measure a distance from the sensing unit to a surface, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of video images of the surface, the plurality of video images generated by a video camera;

measuring a distance from each of a plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface;

weighting measured distance from each of the plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface using at least one weighting factor corresponding to each of the plurality of laser rangefinders; and

determining a weighted average distance from the plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface based on weighted measured distance from each of the plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface.

21. The storage device of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

determining an offset of a directional trajectory of the construction vehicle using the at least one video camera.

19. The storage device of 18, the operations further comprising:

transmitting a measured distance information to a processor; and

storing the measured distance information in a memory.

20. The storage device of 18, the operations further comprising:

determining a two-dimensional velocity of the construction vehicle using the at least one video camera.

22. An apparatus for determining a distance from a sensing unit of a construction vehicle to a surface comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled with the processor and storing computer program instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a plurality of video images of the surface, the plurality of video images generated by a video camera;

measuring a distance from each of a plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface;

weighting measured distance from each of the plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface using at least one weighting factor corresponding to each of the plurality of laser rangefinders; and

determining a weighted average distance from the plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface based on weighted measured distance from each of the plurality of laser rangefinders to the surface.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, the operations further comprising:

transmitting a measured distance information to a processor; and

storing the measured distance information in a memory.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, the operations further comprising:

determining a two-dimensional velocity of the construction vehicle using the at least one video camera.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, the operations further comprising:

determining an offset of a directional trajectory of the construction vehicle using the at least one video camera.