Geographic data collecting system

• US 8,319,952 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Otani, Hitoshi, Tanahashi, Atsushi, Inaba, Hiroshi, Ishida, Takeshi, Kaneko, Junki
• Primary Examiner(s): Brainard, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US12/984,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20110096319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 356 5- 515
• US Class Current: 356/5.04
• 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 handheld 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 said display unit, a tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of the measuring direction at a time said distance measuring unit performs said measurement, a GPS unit for measuring a coordinate position at said time said distance measuring unit performs said measurement, an azimuth sensor for detecting the absolute direction of an optical axis of said camera at said time said distance measuring unit performs said measurement, an arithmetic unit for calculating a distance to the object to be measured by giving consideration on the tilting in the measuring direction based on a result of distance measurement of said distance measuring unit and on a result of detection of said tilt sensor at said time of measurement 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 said touch panel based on said result of distance measurement and on field angle between two points on the image, and a handheld housing for accommodating said distance measuring unit, said camera, said display unit, said touch panel, said tilt sensor, said GPS unit, said azimuth sensor and said arithmetic unit, wherein said display unit comprises an azimuth display unit for displaying an azimuth detected by said azimuth sensor at said time said distance measuring unit performs said measurement and a tilt display unit for displaying the tilting of the measuring direction at said time said distance measuring unit performs said measurement.

2. A handheld geographic data collecting system according to claim 1, wherein said arithmetic unit calculates the coordinate position of the object to be measured based on the measured coordinate position, a detected azimuth at a time of measurement, and a measured distance to the object to be measured.

3. A handheld geographic data collecting system according to claim 2, further comprising a receiving unit for receiving a correction information for correcting the measured value of said GPS unit, wherein said arithmetic unit calculates the coordinate position of the object to be measured based on the measured value corrected by the correction information.

4. A handheld geographic data collecting system according to claim 3, wherein the correction information is received by a handy phone and is transmitted by the transmitting function of the handy phone.

5. A handheld geographic data collecting system according to claim 4, wherein the distance measuring light projected for the measurement is a visible light.

6. A handheld geographic data collecting system according to claim 1, wherein a cursor is displayed on a predetermined position in a display screen, the cursor indicates a center of a measurement, a direction of the handheld geographic data collecting system is adjusted so that the cursor on the image is aligned with the object to be measured, and a measurement of the distance is performed by projecting the distance measuring light from said distance measuring unit.

7. A handheld geographic data collecting system according to claim 1, wherein the distance measuring light projected for the measurement is a visible light.

8. A handheld 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.

9. A handheld 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 a displayed image for indicating measuring direction and/or a displayed image for indicating horizontal state.