Position data interpolation method, position detecting sensor and position measuring device

• US 7,552,025 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Ohtomo, Fumio, Otani, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Feliciano; Eliseo Ramos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh; Phuong
• Application Number:
  US11/635,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 702188-191, 702150-153, 702155-159, 348/48, 348/143, 348/148, 348/150, 701/200, 382/103, 382/284
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

A position data interpolation method, comprising: continuously taking digital images of scenes in the surrounding in a process of moving from a first point, which is a known point, via a second point, which is a known point, to a third point, which is an unknown point; generating tracking points from an image acquired at the first point, and sequentially specifying the tracking points through the pursuit of points generated on continuously acquired images; obtaining 3-dimensional position data of the tracking points based on a result of orientation of the tracking points at the first point and at the second point and based on position data of the first point and the second point; and sequentially obtaining a position of the third point based on a result of orientation of the tracking points acquired at the third point and based on 3-dimensional position data of the tracking points.

Claims

1. A position data interpolation method, which interpolates a position data in a zone where position measurement cannot be performed by GPS, comprising:

a step of measuring a position of a mobile object by GPS;

a step of determining a first point and a second point as known points according to measurement results obtained before position measurement cannot be performed in the case that position measurement cannot be performed by GPS;

a step of continuously taking digital images of scenes in the surrounding in a process of moving from a first point, which is a known point, via a second point, which is a known point, to a third point, which is an unknown point;

a step of generating tracking points from an image acquired at the first point, and sequentially specifying the tracking points through the pursuit of points generated on continuously acquired images;

a step of obtaining 3-dimensional position data of the tracking points based on a result of orientation of the tracking points at the first point and at the second point and based on position data of the first point and the second point; and

a step of sequentially obtaining a position of the third point based on a result of orientation of the tracking points acquired at the third point and based on 3-dimensional position data of the tracking points.

3. A position data interpolation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein position information of the tracking points is obtained based on known information of the first point and of the second point by the method of intersection, and position information of the third point is obtained based on 3-dimensional position data of the tracking points in the image by the method of resection.

4. A position data interpolation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein images in two or more of directions are continuously acquired, and the tracking points are generated in images at least in one direction.

5. A position data interpolation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a retrieval range is set up with the tracking points in a preceding image as the center on a next image data which is acquired subsequently in order of time, and the tracking points in the next image are retrieved within the retrieval range.

6. A position data interpolation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein back-matching is performed on the tracking points of a preceding image data by using as retrieval target the tracking points specified in a next image which is acquired subsequently in order of time, and the tracking points are deleted in case the tracking points obtained by back-matching do not agree with the tracking points already obtained in the preceding image.

7. A position data interpolation method according to claim 6, wherein an interval of image acquisition is determined to match the moving speed so that the tracking points of the next image are included within the retrieval range.

2. A position data interpolation method, which interpolates a position data in a zone where position measurement cannot be performed by GPS, comprising:

a step of measuring a position of a mobile object by GPS;

a step of determining a first point and a second point as known points according to measurement results obtained before position measurement cannot be performed in the case that position measurement cannot be performed by GPS;

a step of continuously taking digital images of scenes in the surrounding in a process of moving from a first point, which is a known point, via a second point, which is a known point, to a third point, which is an unknown point;

a step of generating tracking points from an image acquired at the first point, and sequentially specifying the tracking points through the pursuit of points generated on continuously acquired images;

a step of obtaining 3-dimensional data of the tracking points on the image acquired at the first point and the image acquired at the second point according to position data of the first point and of the second point, performing relative orientation between the image acquired at the first point and the image acquired at the second point based on the tracking points, and turning to stereo images with 3-dimensional data respectively; and

a step of obtaining position data of the third point based on position data of the stereo image and turning the third point to a known point.

8. A position measuring device, comprising

a GPS position detecting device,

at least one image pickup device for continuously taking digital images,

an azimuth sensor for detecting an image pickup direction of said image pickup device, and

a measuring device main unit,

wherein said GPS position detecting device measures position data of a first point and of a second point, said image pickup device continuously takes digital images of scenes in the surrounding in a process of moving from a first point, which is a known point, via a second point, which is a known point, to a third point, which is an unknown point, and

wherein said measuring device main unit generates tracking points from the image obtained at the first point, sequentially specifies the tracking points through the pursuit of points generated on the continuously acquired images, calculates 3-dimensional data of the tracking points of the images acquired at the first point and the image acquired at the second point based on position data of the first point and the second point, and calculates position data of the third point based on the position data of the tracking points, and

wherein said measuring device main unit interpolates a position data of said third point by a position data of said third point obtained by arithmetic means in the case that a position measurement of said third point cannot be performed by said GPS position detecting device.

9. A position measuring device according to claim 8, further comprising a total circumferential mirror and an image correcting means, wherein said image pickup device can take images. in total circumferential direction in horizontal direction via said total circumferential mirror, and the images taken are corrected by said image correcting means.