Surveying systems and methods

• US 7,423,742 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble AB (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble AB (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Jeffery Allen, Hoglund, Roger, Gatsios, Georgios
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ratcliffe; Luke D
• Application Number:
  US11/177,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20070019212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 356 301- 315, 356 401- 41, 356 501- 515, 356 6- 22, 356/28, 356/28.5, 35613901-1391
• US Class Current: 356/139.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/74 Systems using reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station

Abstract

The invention relates to a surveying system, comprising at least one total station unit (210,220), and at least one target (201,203), said targets having wireless communication means, each unit provided with a unique wireless communication address for wireless communication, the wireless communication to be used to activate a selected total station (210,220) to identify and measure the location of a chosen target (201,203) in relation to a relative reference system, each target having identification means to be used by the total station for identification of the chosen target, each total station having identifying means used for identification of the chosen target to be measured. The invention also relates to a target and a method for surveying using the total stations and the targets according to the system.

Claims

1. A surveying system, comprising:

a. at least one target having

i. a unique address for wireless communication,

ii. a wireless communication unit operable to activate a selected total station to identify and measure location of a chosen target, and

iii. an identification unit enabling identification of the chosen target by the selected total station, and

b. at least one total station activated by wireless communication to identify and measure location of a chosen target, said at least one total station having a wireless communication unit, and

wherein the wireless communication units of said at least one target and of said at least one total station are capable of communication with one another in at least one of

i. a point-to-multipoint network mode in which one of the wireless communication units serve as a base station with which other of the wireless communication units are registered and synchronized, and

ii. a wireless local area network infrastructure node in which at least one of the wireless communication units serves as an access point which provides an interface to a distribution system, and

iii. a wireless local area network ad hoc mode in which the wireless communication units are capable of transferring data with each other in a peer-to-peer manner.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the total station is operable to measure location in relation to a relative reference system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification unit comprises a light source.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the system comprises a plurality of targets, the light source of each target having a modulation scheme enabling unique identification of the target.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the system comprises a plurality of targets, the light source of each target having a modulation scheme enabling identification of the target, and wherein the modulation scheme may be set from measurement to measurement such as to give the light sources of targets close to each other different modulation schemes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification unit comprises a satellite-positioning system receiver to determine an approximate location of the target, and wherein the target is operative to communicate the approximate location to enable identification of the chosen target by the total station.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory to store measurement data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit comprises at least one of:

a bridge, a router, and a network interface card operating in ad hoc mode.

20. The surveying system of claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network ad hoc mock comprises a client meshing mode in which peer-to-peer networks are formed between and among the wireless communication units.

9. A surveying target, comprising:

i. a unique address for wireless communication,

ii. a wireless communication unit operable to activate a selected total station to identify and measure location of a chosen target, and

iii. an identification unit enabling identification of the chosen target by the selected total stations,

wherein the wireless communication unit of said at least one target is capable of communication with other wireless communication units in at least one of

(1) a point-to-multipoint network mode in which one of the wireless communication units serves as a base station with which other of the wireless communication units are registered and synchronized, and

(2) a wireless local area network infrastructure node in which at least one of the wireless communication units serves as an access point which provides interface to a distribution system, and

(3) a wireless local area network ad hoc mode in which the wireless communication units are capable of transferring data with each other in a peer-to-peer manner.

10. The target of claim 9, wherein the identification unit comprises a light source.

11. The target of claim 10, wherein the light source has a modulation scheme enabling unique identification of the target.

12. The target of claim 10, wherein the light source has a modulation scheme enabling identification of the target, and wherein the modulation scheme may be set from measurement to measurement such as to give the light source of the target a modulation scheme different from a modulation scheme of a nearby target.

13. The target of claim 9, wherein the identification unit comprises a satellite-positioning system receiver to determine an approximate location of the target, and wherein the target is operative to communicate the approximate location to enable identification of the chosen target by the total station.

21. The surveying target of claim 9, wherein the wireless local area network ad hoc mode comprises a client meshing mode in which peer-to-peer networks are formed between and among the wireless communication units.

14. A method of surveying with at least one total station positioned and aligned in a coordinate system, comprising:

a. Placing a target at a location to be measured, the target having;

a unique address for wireless communication, a wireless communication unit operable to activate a selected total station to search for the target, identify the target and measure location of the target, and an identification unit enabling identification of the chosen target by the selected total station,

b. Operating the wireless communication unit to activate a selected total station to search for the target, identify the target and measure location of the target, and

c. Establishing communication of the wireless communication unit of the target with further wireless communication units in at least one of,

i. a point-to-multipoint network mode in which one of the wireless communication units serves as a base station with which other of the wireless communication units are registered and synchronized, and

ii. a wireless local area network infrastructure node in which at least one of the wireless communication units serves as an access point which provides an interface to a distribution system, and

iii. a wireless local area network ad hoc mode in which the wireless communication units are capable of transferring data with each other in a peer-to-peer manner.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting data representing a measured location of the target from the selected total station by wireless communication for storage in a memory remote from the selected total station.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the identification unit comprises a light source, the method further comprising:

transmitting light from the identification unit to enable identification of the target by the selected total station.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the identification unit comprises a light source, the method further comprising:

transmitting modulated light from the identification unit employing a modulation scheme for the modulated light which is unique to the target to enable identification of the target by the selected total station.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising modifying the modulation scheme prior to operating the wireless communication unit to activate a selected total station to search for the target, identify the target and measure location of the target.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the identification unit comprises a satellite-positioning system receiver to determine an approximate location of the target, and wherein operating the wireless communication unit to activate a selected total station to search for the target identify the target and measure location of the target comprises communicating the approximate location to enable identification of the chosen target by the total station.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless local area network ad hoc mode comprises a client meshing mode in which peer-to-peer networks are formed between and among the wireless communication units.