Surveying device and automatic tracking method

• US 8,294,769 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Otani, Hitoshi, Kumagai, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Senfi, Behrooz
• Application Number:
  US12/456,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 348/159, 348/240.99, 348/143, 348/135, 348/169, 348/137, 348/138, 348/139, 348/140, 348/141, 348/142, 348/211, 348/212, 348/213, 382/313, 382/103, 382/232
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/847 using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105

Abstract

A surveying device, comprising a first image pickup unit for projecting a laser beam and for receiving a reflection light from a target, a second image pickup unit for acquiring an image including the target, drive units for shifting collimating directions of the image pickup units, an image processing unit for processing images taken by the image pickup units, and a control arithmetic unit for controlling the drive units so that the image pickup units are directed toward the target is disclosed. The image processing of the image by the first image pickup unit is a light spot detection processing. The image processing of the image by the second image pickup unit is an image matching with a template image. The control arithmetic unit controls the drive units so that the target is tracked based on the result of the light spot detection processing or the image matching.

Claims

1. A surveying device, comprising a first image pickup unit for projecting a laser beam and for receiving a reflection light from a target supported by a support member, a second image pickup unit for acquiring an image including the target and with a field angle wider than a field angle of the first image pickup unit, drive units for shifting collimating directions of the first image pickup unit and the second image pickup unit in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction respectively, an image processing unit for processing images taken by the first image pickup unit and by the second image pickup unit, and a control arithmetic unit for controlling said drive units so that said first image pickup unit and said second image pickup unit are directed toward the target based on the image processing of the image taken by said first image pickup unit and on the image processing of the image taken by said second image pickup unit, wherein the image processing of the image by the first image pickup unit is a light spot detection processing to obtain a light spot from the target, wherein the image processing of the image by the second image pickup unit is an image matching with a template image as set up according to the image of said support member, and wherein the control arithmetic unit controls said drive units so that a tracking of the target is performed based on either the result of said light spot detection processing or the result of said image matching.

3. A surveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said control arithmetic unit controls a tracking based on a result of the light spot detection processing in case where the result of said light spot detection processing is obtained of the results of said light spot detection processing and said image matching.

4. A surveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said control arithmetic unit controls a tracking based on a result of the image matching in case where the result of said light spot detection processing is not obtained and the result of said image matching is obtained of the results of said light spot detection processing and said image matching.

5. A surveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said template image is a part of an object image as set up so that at least two or more characteristic points are included, wherein said object image of said support member is extracted from the image acquired by said second image pickup unit and further, said characteristic points are extracted from said object image.

6. A surveying device according to claim 5, wherein said template image is updated in response to the change of the measured distance.

7. A surveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in case where both results are not obtained from said light spot detection processing and from said image matching, said control arithmetic unit controls so that said drive units are stopped, a still image is acquired by the second image pickup unit, and an image matching is performed between said still image and said template image on the total range of said still image, and said control arithmetic unit obtains a position of the target from said still image based on the result of said image matching.

8. A surveying device according to claim 7, wherein said control arithmetic unit judges whether a light spot from the target can be obtained from candidate points in case where a plurality of candidates points are detected by said image matching, and judges whether a position where the light spot is obtained as the position of the target.

9. A surveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said second image pickup unit can pickup an image of low magnification and an image of high magnification, and low magnification image pickup and high magnification image pickup can be selected, depending on the measured distance.

10. A surveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said control arithmetic unit performs a tracking based on said image matching, detects said light spot of the target based on said image matching, and restores to the tracking operation based on the detection of a light spot.

15. A surveying device according to claim 5, wherein said second image pickup unit can pickup an image of low magnification and an image of high magnification, and low magnification image pickup and high magnification image pickup can be selected, depending on the measured distance.

2. A surveying device, comprising a first image pickup unit for receiving a light from a light source, which is a target mounted on a support member, a second image pickup unit for acquiring an image including the target and with a field angle wider than a field angle of the first image pickup unit, drive units for shifting collimating directions of said first image pickup unit and said second image pickup unit in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction respectively, an image processing unit for performing image processing of images picked up by the first image pickup unit and by said second image pickup unit, and a control arithmetic unit for controlling said drive units so that said first image pickup unit and said second image pickup unit are directed toward the target based on the image processing of the image taken by said first image pickup unit and on the image processing of the image taken by said second image pickup unit, wherein the image processing of the image by said first image pickup unit is a light spot detection processing to obtain a light spot from the target, wherein the image processing of the image by said second image pickup unit is an image matching with a template image as set up according to the image of said support member, and wherein said control arithmetic unit controls said drive unit so that a tracking of the target is performed based on either the result of one of said light spot detection processing or the result of said image matching.

11. An automatic tracking method, comprising a light spot detecting step for projecting a laser beam and for detecting a light spot from a target, a step for taking an image of a target and an image of a support member to support the target, and an image matching step for detecting said support member by image matching based on a template image as set up according to an image of said support member and the picked-up image, wherein said template image is a part of an object image as set up so that at least two or more characteristic points are included, wherein said object image of said support member is extracted from the image acquired by said second image pickup unit and further, said characteristic points are extracted from said object image and wherein said light spot detecting step, said step for taking said image of said target and said image of said support member to support the target, and said image matching step are carried out in parallel, and while a tracking is performed based on the result of detection of said light spot detecting step, a tracking operation is performed based on said image matching step in case where sufficient result is not obtained by detection in said light spot detecting step.

12. An automatic tracking method according to claim 11, wherein while a tracking is performed based on said image matching step, the target is detected according to said image matching, and it is restored the tracking operation based on light spot detection.

13. An automatic tracking method according to claim 11, wherein said light spot detecting step projects a laser beam and detects a reflection light from the target.

14. An automatic tracking method according to claim 11, wherein, in said light spot detecting step, said target is a light source, and a light emitted from said light source is detected.