Laser level selection
First Claim
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1. A system for guiding a grading machine in a job site comprising:
- a satellite positioning system (SATPS) receiver configured to obtain the rough position coordinates Xrough—
machine, Yrough—
machine, Zrough—
machine) of said grading machine;
a laser tracker connected to said SATPS receiver, said laser tracker configured to latch on a single laser beam at each location of said grading machine, each said laser beam being generated by a laser system, each said laser system being part of a plurality of laser systems covering said job site, each said laser beam providing a reference plane having a high accuracy vertical coordinate (Zlaser) at each said location (Xrough—
machine, Yrough—
machine, Zrough—
machine) of said grading machine;
a signal system connected to said laser tracker and connected to said SATPS receiver;
said signal system further including;
an electronic design file configured to store a plurality of road design surfaces; and
an on-board computer;
wherein said on-board computer is configured to select a road design surface; and
wherein said on-board computer is configured to determine the rough position coordinates (Xrough—
machine, Yrough—
machine, Zrough—
machine) for each location of said grading machine using said SATPS receiver; and
a software package TRIMDESIGN used for said selected road design to calculate an optimum K number of laser systems to place on said job site, K being an integer, and to calculate the optimum positions (Xoptk-laser, Yoptk-laser, Zoptk-laser) for each said “
j”
-th laser system, j being an integer less than or equal to K;
wherein said plurality of K laser systems provides a plurality of K reference planes optimally covering said selected road design;
and wherein said on-board computer for said selected road design surface is configured to identify actual position coordinates (Xi-laser, Yi-laser, Zi-laser) for each said “
i”
-th laser system, i being an integer less than or equal to N, N being an integer;
and wherein said on-board computer for each location of said grading machine is configured to select a single optimum laser system that is used by said laser tracker to obtain the precise vertical coordinate (Zlaser) of said grading machine;
and wherein said signal system is configured to precisely guide said grading machine according to a given road design by generating a signal proportional to the difference between a design vertical coordinate (Zdesign) and a real time vertical coordinate (Zlaser) at each said location (Xrough—
machine, Yrough—
machine, Zrough—
machine) of said grading machine;
and wherein said on-board computer at each said ground position (Xgrade—
machine, Ygrade—
machine) of said grading machine is configured to determine the cut or fill (Zdesign-Zlaser) by comparing the road design vertical coordinate (Zdesign) with said vertical coordinate Zlaser).
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Accused Products
Abstract
The apparatus and the system for precise vertical navigation of a grading machine in profile of a curved job site terrain is disclosed. The system includes an integrated satellite navigational receiver and a laser detector system. A plurality of laser systems generates a plurality of laser beams covering the curved job site terrain. The laser detector system mounted in the grading machine latches on a single laser beam at each location of the grading machine to obtain the precise vertical coordinate of the grading machine.
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Citations
1 Claim
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1. A system for guiding a grading machine in a job site comprising:
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a satellite positioning system (SATPS) receiver configured to obtain the rough position coordinates Xrough — machine, Yrough— machine, Zrough— machine) of said grading machine;
a laser tracker connected to said SATPS receiver, said laser tracker configured to latch on a single laser beam at each location of said grading machine, each said laser beam being generated by a laser system, each said laser system being part of a plurality of laser systems covering said job site, each said laser beam providing a reference plane having a high accuracy vertical coordinate (Zlaser) at each said location (Xrough — machine, Yrough— machine, Zrough— machine) of said grading machine;
a signal system connected to said laser tracker and connected to said SATPS receiver;
said signal system further including;
an electronic design file configured to store a plurality of road design surfaces; and
an on-board computer;
wherein said on-board computer is configured to select a road design surface; and
wherein said on-board computer is configured to determine the rough position coordinates (Xrough— machine, Yrough— machine, Zrough— machine) for each location of said grading machine using said SATPS receiver; and
a software package TRIMDESIGN used for said selected road design to calculate an optimum K number of laser systems to place on said job site, K being an integer, and to calculate the optimum positions (Xoptk-laser, Yoptk-laser, Zoptk-laser) for each said “
j”
-th laser system, j being an integer less than or equal to K;
wherein said plurality of K laser systems provides a plurality of K reference planes optimally covering said selected road design;
and wherein said on-board computer for said selected road design surface is configured to identify actual position coordinates (Xi-laser, Yi-laser, Zi-laser) for each said “
i”
-th laser system, i being an integer less than or equal to N, N being an integer;
and wherein said on-board computer for each location of said grading machine is configured to select a single optimum laser system that is used by said laser tracker to obtain the precise vertical coordinate (Zlaser) of said grading machine;
and wherein said signal system is configured to precisely guide said grading machine according to a given road design by generating a signal proportional to the difference between a design vertical coordinate (Zdesign) and a real time vertical coordinate (Zlaser) at each said location (Xrough — machine, Yrough— machine, Zrough— machine) of said grading machine;
and wherein said on-board computer at each said ground position (Xgrade — machine, Ygrade— machine) of said grading machine is configured to determine the cut or fill (Zdesign-Zlaser) by comparing the road design vertical coordinate (Zdesign) with said vertical coordinate Zlaser).
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Specification