Geographic data collecting system

• US 7,933,001 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topcon KK
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Ishida, Takeshi, Tanahashi, Atsushi, Kaneko, Junki, Otani, Hitoshi, Inaba, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brainard; Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US11/474,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 356 3- 515
• US Class Current: 356/3.14
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/14 with optical projection G01C11/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/00 Measuring distances in line of sight; Optical rangefinders tapes, chains or wheels for measuring length G01B3/00; active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, G01S17/48

Abstract

A geographic data collecting system, comprising a distance measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light and for measuring a distance to an object to be measured, a camera for taking an image in measuring direction, a display unit for displaying the pickup image, a touch panel provided to correspond to a screen position of the display unit, a tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of the measuring direction, and an arithmetic unit for calculating a distance to the object to be measured by giving consideration on the tilting in the measuring direction and a point-to-point distance as specified on the image by specifying two or more points of the object to be measured on a displayed image via the touch panel.

Claims

1. A portable geographic data collecting system, comprising a GPS unit for measuring a coordinate position, a distance measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light and for measuring a distance to an object to be measured, a camera for taking an image in measuring direction, a display unit for displaying the pickup image, an azimuth sensor for measuring the azimuth of said measuring direction an arithmetic unit for calculating a coordinate position of the measuring point based on:

(a) a first image including said measuring point acquired at a first geographic point by said camera, and

(b) a second image including said measuring point acquired at a second geographic point by said camera,

and a portable housing for accommodating said GPS unit, said distance measuring unit, said camera, said display unit, said azimuth sensor and said arithmetic unit, wherein said arithmetic unit calculates said coordinate position of said measuring point by image matching said first image and said second image by using said measuring point, and from the coordinate position of the first geographic point and the second geographic point measured by said GPS unit, and based on a distance and azimuth from the first geographic point to the measuring point measured by said distance measuring unit and on a distance and azimuth from the second geographic point to the measuring point.

2. A portable geographic data collecting system according to claim 1, wherein a display on a display screen of said display unit is divided into two or more displays and wherein an enlarged view including a measuring point is displayed on at least one display.

3. A portable geographic data collecting system according to claim 1, wherein a display on a display screen of said display unit is divided into two or more displays and wherein at least one display includes an image for indicating measuring direction and/or an image for indicating horizontal state.

4. A portable geographic data collecting system according to claim 1, wherein said azimuth sensor detects change of the angle during moving from the first point to the second point, and said arithmetic unit calculates a moving angle based on the results of detection by said azimuth sensor.