Real-time surveying/earth moving system

• US 6,191,732 B1
• Filed: 05/25/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carlson Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Carlson Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Carlson, David S., Entov, Leonid, Carlson, R. Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US09/318,079
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 342/357.17, 342/357.01, 342/451, 342/457, 701/203, 701/207
• US Class Current: 342/357.3
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/842 using electromagnetic, optical or photoelectric beams, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

The present invention includes a method and apparatus which determines the tree-dimensional (x, y, z coordinate) position of the receiving position of a GPS antenna on an earth-moving machine or a vehicle, determines the tilt of the machine or vehicle in real time (tilt may vary from point to point), and utilizes this data to calculate the three-dimesional (x, y, z coordinate) position of a point of the earth'"'"'s surface disposed beneath the machine or vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention derives and displays the distance between the actual elevation of this point and the desired surface elevation.

Claims

1. A method for determining in real time the three-dimensional position of a point on an earth surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a vehicle adapted for ground engaging movement along the earth surface, said vehicle having;

a GPS receiver system with a GPS signal-receiving antenna portion disposed thereon at a spaced location relative to a ground engaging point of the vehicle;

one or more tilt sensors adapted to measure tilt of the vehicle relative to a horizontal plane along at least one axis; and

a computer;

(b) receiving a GPS signal at said GPS signal-receiving antenna portion;

(c) utilizing the GPS signal to calculate the three-dimensional location of the signal-receiving antenna portion;

(d) determining the direction of movement of the vehicle;

(e) utilizing said one or more tilt sensors to provide an angle of tilt of the vehicle along at least one axis;

(f) utilizing the three-dimensional location, the spaced location, the angle of tilt, and the direction of movement of the vehicle to calculate in real time the three-dimensional position of a point on the earth surface disposed at a predetermined location relative to the ground engaging point of the vehicle, as the vehicle traverses the surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said utilizing step (c) further comprises the step of utilizing the computer to convert said GPS signal to local coordinates to calculate the three-dimensional location of the signal-receiving antenna portion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said local coordinates are Cartesian coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the GPS signal provides position information in three dimensions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing step (a) further comprises providing one or more tilt sensors adapted to measure tilt of the vehicle relative to a horizontal plane along at least two mutually orthogonal axes, and said utilizing step (e) further comprises utilizing said one or more tilt sensors to provide first and second angles of tilt of the vehicle along the at least two mutually orthogonal axes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first angle of tilt is disposed in a plane including the direction of said movement of the vehicle, and said second angle of tilt is disposed in a plane orthogonal to the direction of said movement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step (d) further comprises utilizing direction-finding means selected from the group consisting of:

calculation based on the three-dimensional positions of two or more of said three-dimensional locations of said signal-receiving antenna portion, said three-dimensional positions being determined by iterating said receiving step (b) and said utilizing step (c);

gyroscopic measurements; and

magnetic compass measurements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer has stored therein a three-dimensional reference line.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

(g) calculating the difference between the three-dimensional position of the point in said utilizing step (f), and said reference line.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

(h) displaying the difference between the three-dimensional position of the point in said utilizing step (f) and said reference line, to an operator of said vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said calculating step (g) further comprises calculating the difference in horizontal coordinates between the three-dimensional position of the point in said utilizing step (f), and the position in horizontal coordinates of said reference line.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(h) displaying the difference in horizontal coordinates between the three-dimensional position of the point in said utilizing step (f), and the position in horizontal coordinates of said reference line, to an operator of said vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer further comprises a computer usable medium having embodied therein a desired topography of said earth surface.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

(g) calculating the difference in the vertical direction between the three-dimensional position of said point in step (f) and the three-dimensional position of a point in said desired topography having horizontal coordinates closest to those of the point in step (f).

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of displaying said difference in the vertical direction to an operator of said vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the display of the difference in the vertical direction is selected from the group consisting of:

a top plan view having cut and fill areas and the current position of said vehicle and optionally, site features of said desired topography;

an elevational view of the actual position of said vehicle and of the desired elevation taken in the direction of movement;

a transverse elevational view of the actual position of said vehicle and of the desired elevation taken along a plane orthogonal to said direction of movement; and

numerical indicia representing said difference in the vertical direction.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the display of the difference in the vertical direction is a simultaneous display of two or more displays selected from the group consisting of:

a top plan view having cut and fill areas, the current position of said vehicle, and optionally, site features of said desired topography;

an elevational view of the actual position of said vehicle and of the desired elevation in a plane which includes the direction of movement;

a transverse elevational view of the actual position of said vehicle and of the desired elevation in a plane orthogonal to said direction of movement; and

numerical indicia representing said difference in the vertical direction.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(g) utilizing said computer to store the three-dimensional position of said point on the earth surface.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein step (g) occurs in real time relative to said utilizing step (f).

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises geography altering machinery.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein an initial topography of said earth surface representing the actual topography prior to a desired amount of earth-moving work by said vehicle is stored in said computing means.

22. An article of manufacture for determining in real time the three-dimensional position of a point on an earth surface, comprising:

a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer usable medium having;

computer readable program code for reading a three-dimensional location of a GPS signal-receiving antenna portion disposed on a vehicle adapted for ground engaging movement along the earth surface, the GPS signal-receiving antenna portion disposed on the vehicle at a spaced location relative to a ground engaging point of the vehicle;

computer readable program code for determining the direction of movement of the vehicle;

computer readable program code for utilizing the three-dimensional location, the spaced location, an angle of tilt generated by one or more tilt sensors adapted to measure tilt of the vehicle relative to a horizontal orientation along at least one axis, and the direction of movement of the vehicle to calculate the three-dimensional position of a point on the earth surface disposed at a predetermined location relative to the ground engaging point of the vehicle, as the vehicle traverses the earth surface.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein said computer usable medium further comprises computer readable program code for utilizing a GPS signal to calculate the three-dimensional location of a signal-receiving antenna portion in Cartesian coordinates.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 22, further comprising:

one or more tilt sensors disposed to provide first and second angles of tilt of the vehicle along at least two mutually orthogonal axes.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein said first angle of tilt is disposed in a plane including the direction of said movement of the vehicle, and said second angle of tilt is disposed in a plane orthogonal to the direction of said movement.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein said computer usable medium further comprises computer readable program code for utilizing direction-finding means selected from the group consisting of:

calculation based on the three-dimensional position of two or more of said three-dimensional locations of said signal-receiving antenna portion, said three-dimensional positions being determined by successive readings of said three-dimensional locations;

gyroscopic measurements; and

magnetic compass measurements.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein said computer readable medium has stored therein a reference line.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, further comprising computer readable program code for calculating the difference between the three-dimensional position of the point at the earth surface and said reference line.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising computer readable program code for calculating the difference in horizontal coordinates between the three-dimensional position of the point of the earth surface and the position in horizontal coordinates of said reference line.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising computer readable program code for displaying the difference between the three-dimensional position of the point of the earth surface and said reference line, to an operator of said vehicle.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein said computer usable medium further comprises a desired topography of said earth surface stored therein.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein said computer usable medium further comprises an initial topography of said earth surface representing the actual topography prior to a desired amount of earth-moving work by said vehicle, stored therein.

33. An apparatus adapted for determining in real-time the three-dimensional position of a point on an earth surface, the apparatus comprising:

a GPS receiver system with a GPS signal-receiving antenna portion disposable on a vehicle at a spaced location relative to a ground engaging point of the vehicle;

one or more tilt sensors to measure tilt of the vehicle relative to a horizontal plane along at least one axis; and

a computer adapted to;

utilize the GPS signal received at said GPS signal-receiving antenna portion;

to calculate the three-dimensional location of the signal-receiving antenna portion;

determine the direction of movement of the vehicle;

utilize said one or more tilt sensors to provide an angle of tilt of the vehicle along at least one axis; and

utilize the three-dimensional location, the spaced location, the angle of tilt, and the direction of movement of the vehicle to calculate in real time the three-dimensional position of a point on the earth surface disposed at a predetermined location relative to the ground engaging point of the vehicle, as the vehicle traverses the surface.