Position determination method for a geodetic measuring device

• US 8,483,512 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Moeller, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): ENTEZARI, MICHELLE M
• Application Number:
  US12/598,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20100119161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 382/291, 382/216, 382106-109, 332/28, 702/150
• US Class Current: 382/291
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105

Abstract

The invention relates to a position determination method for a geodetic device having a distance and angle measuring functionality, such as a total station (1), a determination being made of the relative location of the geodetic device and reference points (2) marked with reflectors (P₁-P_n) of a quantity of reference points, by measuring the distance (D₁-D_n) and at least one angle (φi-φ_n, θ₁-θ_n) from the geodetic device to the reference points as reference variables, the reference variables being determined in a device-based reference system. For the reference point quantity formed by the reference points (P₁-P_n) and a reference point quantity of measurable reference points (A-G), the positions of which are known in an external reference system, common elements are identified, the relative location of the reference points (P₁-P_n) being derived from the reference variables and the common elements being identified and associated based on the relative location of the reference points (P₁-P_n). The position (S) of the geodetic device in the external reference system is determined from the common elements and the positions thereof in an external reference system.

Claims

1. A position determination method for a theodolite or a total station having distance and angle measuring functionality comprising a datum point set of datum points which measurements are capable of being made and the positions of which are known and define a distribution of datum points in an external reference system, the method comprising:

determining the relative position of the theodolite or total station device and reference points of a reference point set by measurements of in each case distance and at least one angle from the theodolite or total station device to the reference points as reference quantities, the reference quantities being determined in a device-related reference system and representing a distribution of reference points in an internal reference system, and reference point set and datum point set having common elements;

determining the position of the theodolite or total station device in the external reference system from the reference points;

deriving the relative position of the reference points to one another from the reference quantities; and

identifying and assigning the common elements on the basis of identifying common points of the distribution of the datum points and the distribution of the reference points by comparing the relative position of the datum points of the datum point set with the relative position of the reference points of the reference point set.

2. A position determination method according to claim 1, wherein the identification and assignment of the common elements are performed before the determination of the position of the theodolite or total station device.

3. A position determination method according to claim 1, wherein the identification and assignment of the common elements and the determination of the position of the theodolite or total station device are performed together.

4. A position determination method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the relative distances of the reference points to one another.

5. A position determination method according to claim 4, further comprising performing a comparison of the relative distances of the reference points for distances of the datum points during the identification and assignment.

6. A position determination method according to claim 1, further comprising producing a pattern representing the relative arrangement of the reference points.

7. A position determination method according to claim 6, wherein the identification and assignment is carried out by means of image processing.

8. A position determination method according to claim 6, wherein the identification and assignment is carried out by means of image processing including pattern comparison.

9. A position determination method according to claim 6, wherein the identification and assignment is carried out by means of image processing including template matching.

10. A position determination method according to claim 6, wherein, during the identification and assignment, the pattern is rotated about datum points.

11. A position determination method according to claim 1, wherein the identification and assignment include graphical optimization.

12. A position determination method according to claim 11, wherein the relative position of the reference points is represented by a reference point graph with reference points as nodes and relative distances of the reference points as edges.

13. A position determination method according to claim 11, wherein the relative position of the reference points is represented by a reference point graph with reference points as nodes and relative distances of the reference points as edges as a complete reference point graph which contains all relative distances of the reference points to one another.

14. A position determination method according to claims 12, further comprising an identification of corresponding edges or trees of reference point and datum point graphs during the identification and assignment.

15. A position determination method according to claims 12, further comprising an identification of corresponding edges or trees of reference point and datum point graphs by search methods during the identification and assignment.

16. A position determination method according to claim 14, wherein, during the identification of corresponding edges or trees, edges are compared in the sequence of their length.

17. A position determination method according to any of claims 12, further comprising deriving a framework or minimum framework of the graph.

18. A position determination method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically determining and surveying the reference points.

19. A storage device with program code configured to cause a computer to carry out the method according to claim 1.