Method and hand-operated sensor with adaptive detection threshold for the detection of foreign objects embedded in building structure subgrades

• US 8,387,472 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft (Hilti Martin Family Trust)
• Original Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft (Hilti Martin Family Trust)
• Inventors: Cipriano, Patrik, Gogolla, Torsten, John, Andreas, Wuersch, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US12/622,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20100186504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 734/93, 73510-511, 738/665, 324/67, 702/193, 702/189, 702/92, 702/94, 702/95, 702/97, 702/150, 702/153, 702/141, 340/686.6, 340/686.1
• US Class Current: 73/866.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

A method for the detection of objects embedded in building structure subgrades such as cable, concrete reinforcing bars, conduit pipe and the like as well as a hand-operated sensor with an adaptive detection threshold operating according to the method, is disclosed. To reduce an over-detection with the adaptation of the detection threshold, a change in the direction of movement of the sensor being guided over the surface area is recorded with respect to an embedded object. The determination of a change in the direction of movement preferably takes place by measuring the sensor acceleration in two directions with respect to the embedded object. Corresponding speeds are computed at least as estimates from the acceleration values in order to generate a conclusion about a reversal of the direction of movement.

Claims

1. A method for detection of objects embedded in building structure subgrades, comprising the steps of:

sweeping a hand-operated sensor with an adaptive detection threshold over a surface area of a building structure subgrade being analyzed; and

recording a change in a direction of movement of the hand-operated sensor being swept over the surface area with respect to an embedded object;

wherein an acceleration of the hand-operated sensor is recorded in at least two directions with respect to the embedded object, wherein corresponding speed values are computed at least as estimates from acceleration values and a conclusion about a reversal of the direction of movement of the hand-operated sensor with respect to the embedded object is generated from the speed values.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a signal is generated as a function of a path of the hand-operated sensor from the estimated speed values and a conclusion is obtained therefrom about a dimension and a depth of the embedded object.

3. A hand-operated sensor with an adaptive detection threshold for detection of objects embedded in building structure subgrades, comprising:

a motion sensor device, wherein the motion sensor device determines a change in a direction of movement of the hand-operated sensor when guided over a surface area with respect to an embedded object;

wherein the motion sensor device includes at least one biaxial acceleration sensor and a device fed by signals of the at least one biaxial acceleration sensor for measuring a momentary sweeping speed and for recording directional change points of the hand-operated sensor sweeping over the surface area with respect to the embedded object.

4. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 3, wherein the device for measuring the momentary sweeping speed has at least one integrator for each acceleration sensor for measuring the momentary sweeping speed of the hand-operated sensor and for detecting a directional change with respect to the embedded object.

5. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 4, further comprising a device for recording a path covered by the hand-operated sensor when scanning the surface area by sweeping.

6. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 3, wherein there are a triplet of acceleration sensors and wherein a pair of the acceleration sensors are at right angles to one another and a third acceleration sensor is arranged at a fixed distance from the acceleration sensor pair, whose measuring axis is aligned with a one of a respective measuring axis of the acceleration sensor pair.

7. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 3, further comprising a gyroscope, wherein the gyroscope records a rotational angle of the hand-operated sensor around a fixed point.

8. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 7, wherein the at least one biaxial acceleration sensor is a micromechanical acceleration indicator and the gyroscope is a micromechanical vibration rotational rate sensor according to a Coriolis principle.

9. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 5, wherein the device for recording the path has an optical, two-dimensional correlator.

10. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 9, further comprising an optical visualization device on which a representation of a trajectory of the hand-operated sensor sweeping over the surface area is displayed based on signals supplied by the correlator.

11. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 10, further comprising a distance gauge with two laser correlators at a predetermined distance from each other.

12. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 9, wherein the correlator has at least two laser distance sensors at a predetermined angle from each other.

13. The hand-operated sensor according to claim 10, wherein the correlator is a laser-stream sensor integrated into the hand-operated sensor and functioning in a manner of a computer mouse.

14. A method for detection of objects embedded in building structure subgrades, comprising the steps of:

sweeping a hand-operated sensor with an adaptive detection threshold over a surface area of a building structure subgrade being analyzed;

recording a change in a direction of movement of the hand-operated sensor being swept over the surface area with respect to an embedded object;

recording an acceleration of the hand-operated sensor in at least two directions with respect to the embedded object;

computing corresponding speed values at least as estimates from acceleration values; and

generating a conclusion about a reversal of the direction of movement of the hand-operated sensor with respect to the embedded object from the speed values.

15. A hand-operated sensor with an adaptive detection threshold for detection of objects embedded in building structure subgrades, comprising:

a motion sensor device, wherein a change in a direction of movement of the hand-operated sensor is determinable by the motion sensor device when the hand-operated sensor is guided over a surface area with respect to an embedded object;

wherein the motion sensor device includes at least one biaxial acceleration sensor and a device fed by signals of the at least one biaxial acceleration sensor;

and wherein a momentary sweeping speed of the hand-operated sensor is measurable by the device and wherein directional change points of the hand-operated sensor are recordable by the device.