Topography measuring device

• US 6,201,883 B1
• Filed: 01/20/1999
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Mizui, Seiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAKHJAVAN, SHERVIN K
• Application Number:
  US09/233,548
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/104, 382/106, 382/109, 382/154, 382/108, 382/153, 702/1, 702/2, 702/5, 702/14, 702/127, 702/150, 702/152, 702/153, 702/179, 702/180, 702/181, 702/189, 702/198, 356/3, 356/4.01, 356/20, 356/376, 901/1, 901/47
• US Class Current: 382/109
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 7/04 involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

A topography measuring device which comprises a visual camera mounted on a vehicle for measuring a distance to subject topographical features to be measured; an absolute position detecting unit mounted on the vehicle for detecting a three-dimensional absolute position of the vehicle; a topographical coordinate measuring unit for determining three-dimensional position data on the subject topographical features of a vehicle coordinate system based on the image pickup data by the visual camera; a coordinate conversion unit for converting the three-dimensional position data on the subject topographical features of the vehicle coordinate system determined by the topographical coordinate measuring unit using detected data of the absolute position detecting unit into three-dimensional position data of an absolute coordinate system; an image pickup position instructing unit for instructing the vehicle on a plurality of different vehicle positions for taking the images of the subject topographical features by the image pickup unit; and a topographical data producing unit for producing topographical data on the subject topographical features by synthesizing the conversion data of the coordinate conversion unit based on the image pickup data of the visual camera at the plurality of different vehicle positions instructed by the image pickup position instructing unit, whereby topographical features of a mine, ground, working face and the like where the vehicle cannot move can be measured efficiently.

Claims

1. A topography measuring device, comprising:

visual camera means mounted on a vehicle for measuring a distance to subject topographical features to be measured;

absolute position detecting means mounted on the vehicle for detecting a three-dimensional absolute position of the vehicle;

topographical coordinate measuring means for determining three-dimensional position data on the subject topographical features of a vehicle coordinate system based on image pickup data of the visual camera means;

coordinate conversion means for converting the three-dimensional position data of the vehicle coordinate system of the subject topographical features determined by the topographical coordinate measuring means using detected data of the absolute position detecting means into three-dimensional position data of an absolute coordinate system;

image pickup position instructing means for instructing the vehicle on a plurality of different vehicle positions for taking images of the subject topographical features by the image pickup means; and

topographical data producing means for producing topographical data on the subject topographical features by synthesizing the conversion data of the coordinate conversion means based on the image pickup data of the visual camera means at the plurality of different vehicle positions instructed by the image pickup position instructing means.

2. The topography measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising posture angle detecting means for detecting a posture angle of the vehicle, wherein the coordinate conversion means converts the three-dimensional position data on the subject topographical features on the vehicle coordinate system determined by the topographical coordinate measuring means into three-dimensional position data of the absolute coordinate system by using the detection output of the posture angle detecting means and the detection data of the absolute position detecting means.

3. The topography measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup position instructing means calculates a next vehicle position for successively taking the images of the subject topographical features in a direction along a surface of the earth by using the conversion data of the coordinate conversion means based on the image pickup data at the vehicle position and successively instructs the vehicle on the calculated vehicle positions.

4. The topography measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising earth volume calculating means for calculating an earth volume excavated according to topographical data produced before and after the excavation by the topographical data producing means.