Recording data with an integrated field-portable device

• US 8,638,375 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Gang, Idle, Julian, Amor Molares, Jose Miguel
• Primary Examiner(s): SELBY, GEVELL V
• Application Number:
  US13/109,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/231.3, 348/333.02
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

An integrated field-portable device comprising an image capture device configured to capture an image of a survey target area and a position determination system for determining a position of the integrated field-portable device, and an annotation system configured to access the image and associate the image with the position of at least one target in the survey target area and to associate with the image an instance of additional data comprising an identifier of the survey target area. The integrated field-portable device further comprises a storage system configured to generate a digital representation when the image is captured comprising the image, the position of the at least one target and the instance of additional data.

Claims

1. An integrated field-portable device comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture an image of a survey target area;

a position determination system configured to determine a position of said integrated field-portable device;

an annotation system configured to access said image of said survey target area and to associate said image with a position of at least one target in said survey target area, said annotation system further configured to associate an instance of additional data with said image, said instance of additional data comprising;

an identifier of said survey target area;

a storage system configured to generate a digital representation comprising said image of said survey target area, said position of said at least one target in said survey target area and said instance of additional data, and wherein said generating said digital representation is performed when said image is captured; and

a satellite position calculator configured to determine an expected position of at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite within said image and wherein said annotation system is further configured to associate a symbol with said image which indicates said expected position of said at least one GNSS satellite.

2. The integrated field-portable device recited in claim 1 wherein said annotation system creates at least one border adjacent to said image wherein said position of at least one target in said survey target area and said instance of additional data is associated.

3. The integrated field-portable device recited in claim 2 wherein said annotation system uses a configurable template which designates said instance of additional data for associating with said image and which designates a selected region of said image to which said at least one border is located and to which said instance of additional data is to be associated.

4. The integrated field-portable device as recited in claim 1 wherein said instance of additional data about said survey target area further comprises:

an identification of said at least one GNSS satellite which is in view of said integrated field-portable device when said image is captured; and

a classification of a signal from said at least one GNSS satellite.

5. The integrated field-portable device as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

an azimuth determination component configured to determine a direction in which said integrated field-portable device is facing when said image is captured and wherein said additional data additionally comprises said direction in which said integrated field-portable device is facing when said image is captured.

6. An integrated field-portable device comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture an image of a survey target area;

a position determination system configured to determine a position of said integrated field-portable device;

a satellite position calculator configured to determine an expected position of at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite;

an annotation system configured to access said image of said survey target area and to associate said image with a position of at least one target in said survey target area, said annotation system further configured to associate an additional datum with said image, said additional datum comprises;

a symbol associated with said image which indicates said expected position of said at least one GNSS satellite; and

a storage system configured to generate a digital representation comprising said image of said survey target area, said position of said at least one target in said survey target area and said additional datum, and wherein said generating said digital representation is performed when said image is captured.

7. The integrated field-portable device recited in claim 6 wherein said annotation system creates at least one border adjacent to said image wherein said position of said at least one target is associated.

8. The integrated field-portable device recited in claim 7 wherein said annotation system uses a configurable template which designates said additional datum for associating with said image and which designates a selected region of said image to which said additional datum is to be associated.

9. The integrated field-portable device as recited in claim 6 further comprising an azimuth determination component and wherein said annotation system is further configured to associate with said image:

an identifier of said survey target;

a classification of said survey target area; and

a direction in which said integrated field-portable device is facing when said image is captured.

10. The integrated field-portable device as recited in claim 6 wherein said annotation system is further configured to associate with said image:

an identification of said at least one GNSS satellite which is in view of said integrated field-portable device when said image is captured; and

a classification of a signal from said at least one GNSS satellite.

11. An integrated field-portable device comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture an image of a survey target area;

a position determination system configured to determine a position of said integrated field-portable device;

an azimuth determination component configured to determine an azimuth from said integrated field-portable device to at least one target in said survey target area;

a distance determination component configured to determine a distance from said integrated field-portable device to said at least one target;

an annotation system configured to access said image of said survey target area and to associate said image with a position of said at least one target, said annotation system further configured to associate an instance of additional data with said image, said instance of additional data comprising;

said azimuth from said integrated field-portable device to said at least one target;

said distance from said integrated field-portable device to said at least one target; and

a storage system configured to generate a digital representation comprising said image of said survey target area, said position of said at least one target and said instance of additional data, and wherein said generating said digital representation is performed when said image is captured.

12. The integrated field-portable device recited in claim 11 wherein said annotation system creates at least one border adjacent to said image wherein said position of said integrated field-portable device and said instance of additional data is associated.

13. The integrated field-portable device recited in claim 12 wherein said annotation system uses a configurable template which designates said instance of additional data for associating with said image and which designates a selected region of said image to which said instance of additional data is to be associated.

14. The integrated field-portable device as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

a satellite position calculator configured to determine an expected position of at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite and wherein said annotation system is further configured to associate a symbol with said image which indicates said expected position of said at least one GNSS satellite.

15. The integrated field-portable device as recited in claim 14 wherein said instance of additional data about said survey target area further comprises:

an identification of said at least one GNSS satellite which is in view of said integrated field-portable device when said image is captured; and

a classification of a signal from said at least one GNSS satellite.

16. An integrated field-portable device comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture an image of a survey target area;

a position determination system configured to determine a position of said integrated field-portable device;

an azimuth determination component configured to determine an azimuth from said integrated field-portable device to at least one target captured by said image capture device in said survey target area;

a distance determination component configured to determine a distance from said integrated field-portable device to said at least one target;

an annotation system configured to access said image of said survey target area and to associate said image with a position of said at least one target, said annotation system further configured to associate an instance of additional data with said image, said instance of additional data comprising;

an azimuth from said integrated field-portable device to at least one previously recorded position;

a distance from said integrated field-portable device to said at least one previously recorded position; and

a storage system configured to generate a digital representation comprising said image of said survey target area, said position of said integrated field-portable device and said additional data, and wherein said generating said digital representation is performed when said image is captured.

17. The integrated field-portable device recited in claim 16 wherein said annotation system creates at least one border adjacent to said image wherein said position of said survey target area and said instance of additional data is associated.

18. The integrated field-portable device recited in claim 17 wherein said annotation system uses a configurable template which designates said instance of additional data for associating with said image and which designates a selected region of said image to which said instance of additional data is to be associated.

19. The integrated field-portable device as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

a satellite position calculator configured to determine an expected position of at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite within said image and wherein said annotation system is further configured to associate a symbol with said image which indicates said expected position of said at least one GNSS satellite.

20. The integrated field-portable device as recited in claim 19 wherein said instance of additional data about said survey target area further comprises:

an identification of said at least one GNSS satellite which is in view of said integrated field-portable device when said image is captured; and

a classification of a signal from said at least one GNSS satellite.

21. An integrated field-portable device comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture an image of a survey target area;

an azimuth determination component configured to determine a direction in which said integrated field-portable device is facing when said image is captured;

a satellite position calculator configured to determine an expected position of at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite;

a position determination system configured to determine a position of said integrated field-portable device;

a distance determination component configured to determine a distance from said integrated field-portable device to at least one target in said survey target area;

an annotation system configured to;

access said image of said survey target area and to associate said image with a position of said at least one target;

utilize a configurable template which designates a selected region of said image to which said position of said at least one target is to be associated within at least one border generated by said annotation system and wherein said configurable template further designates an instance of an additional instance of data for associating to said image and which designates a selected region of said image to which said instance of additional data is to be associated within said at least one border, said instance of additional data comprising;

an identifier of said survey target area;

a classification of said survey target area;

said azimuth from said integrated field-portable device to said at least one target;

said distance from said integrated field-portable device to said at least one target;

an azimuth from said integrated field-portable device to at least one previously recorded position;

a distance from said integrated field-portable device to said at least one previously recorded position;

an identification of said at least one GNSS satellite which is in view of said integrated field-portable device when said image is captured; and

a classification of a signal from said at least one GNSS satellite;

a symbol associated with said image which indicates said expected position of said at least one GNSS satellite;

a symbol associated with said image which indicates said expected position of at least one GNSS satellite which is not within view of said integrated field-portable device; and

said direction in which said integrated field-portable device is facing when said image is captured; and

a storage system configured to generate a digital representation comprising said image of said survey target area, said position of said at least one target and said instance of additional data, and wherein said generating said digital representation is performed when said image is captured.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer executable code for directing a processor to execute a method of recording data with an integrated field-portable device, said method comprising:

receiving an image of a survey target area from an image capture device of said integrated field-portable device;

receiving a position of at least one target in said survey target area from a position determination system disposed within said integrated field-portable device;

accessing said image of said survey target area and associating said image with said position of said at least one target using an annotation system of said integrated field-portable device;

determining an expected position of at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite within said image using a satellite position calculator of said integrated field-portable device;

associating a symbol with said image which indicates said expected position of said at least one GNSS satellite;

associating an instance of additional data to said image using said annotation system, said instance of additional data comprising;

an identifier of said at least one target; and

generating, when said image is captured, a digital representation comprising said image of said survey target area, said position of said at least one target in said survey target area, and said instance of additional data using a storage system of said integrated field-portable device.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein said method further comprises:

creating at least one border adjacent to said image using said annotation system and wherein said position of said at least one target and said instance of additional data is associated.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein said creating at least one border further comprises:

receiving template data which designates said instance of additional data for associating with said image and which designates a selected region of said image to which position of said at least one target and said instance of additional data is to be associated.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein said method further comprises:

associating an identification of said at least one GNSS satellite which is in view of said integrated field-portable device when said image is captured; and

associating a classification of a signal from said at least one GNSS satellite.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a direction in which said integrated field-portable device is facing when said image is captured from an azimuth determination component of said integrated field-portable device; and

associating said instance of additional data to said image using said annotation system, said instance of additional data comprising said direction in which said integrated field-portable device is facing when said image is captured.