Optical ground tracking apparatus, systems, and methods

• US 9,372,117 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsson, Mark S., Chapman, Eric M., Merewhether, Ray, Aldridge, Sequoyah
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, MD M
• Application Number:
  US14/584,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20150204652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 356/72
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/467 Colour computing
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0202 Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/021 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0262 Constructional arrangements for removing stray light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/50 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/786 the desired condition being maintained automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/10 using induction coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

Optical ground tracking apparatus for use with buried object locators or other instruments or devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for tracking movement of a buried utility locator over a surface includes generating an output light, providing the output light to the surface, receiving a portion of the output light that is reflected from the surface, and generating information associated with a user-applied movement of the locator over the surface based at least in part on the received reflected portion of the output light.

Claims

1. A method of tracking movement of a buried utility locator over a surface, comprising:

determining in the buried utility locator, based on received magnetic field signals emitted from a buried utility below the surface, an estimated depth of the buried utility;

generating an output light;

providing the output light to the surface;

receiving a portion of the output light that is reflected from the surface at one or more color light sensors;

generating, in a processing element, information associated with a user-applied movement of the locator over the surface, including speed and/or direction information relative to a previous position of the buried utility locator, based at least in part on output signals from the one or more color light sensors and corresponding to the received reflected portion of the output light;

associating the information associated with a user-applied movement with the estimated depth of the buried utility; and

storing the information associated with a user-applied movement of the locator and the estimated depth of the buried utility in a memory of the locator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the light sensor comprises one or more color light sensors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement of the locator includes motion speed and/or direction information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement of the locator includes offset position information relative to a previous position of the locator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement is generated in the processing element based further in part on an output distance signal provided from a ground distance sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the buried utility information includes an estimated depth of the buried utility.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the buried utility information includes ground surface coordinates of the buried utility.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the buried utility information includes directional information associated with the buried utility.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement is generated in the processing element based further in part on an output of an accelerometer in the locator.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement is generated in the processing element based further in part on an output of a compass-sensor in the locator.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement is generated in the processing element based further in part on an output of a gyroscopic sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement is generated in the processing element based further in part on outputs of an accelerometer, a compass sensor, and a gyroscopic sensor in the locator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement is generated in a Kalman filter implemented in the processing element using the outputs of the accelerometer, the compass sensor, and the gyroscopic sensor as inputs to the Kalman filter.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement is used at least in part to generate a map of the area over which the locator is being moved on a display of the locator.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the buried utility information is overlaid on the map.

16. The method of claim 1, further including generating a line-scan image of the area of the ground over which the locator is moved, and storing the line-scan image in a memory of the locator.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the output light is generated from a laser light source, the light sensor is an imager, and the generating information associated with the user-applied movement includes processing laser light speckle patterns generated from the output light on the surface at different times so as to determine information corresponding with the user-applied movement.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement is generated in the processing element based further in part on an output of an accelerometer in the locator and/or on an output of a compass-sensor in the locator using a Kalman filter with one or more of the outputs of the accelerometer and the compass sensor provided as inputs to the Kalman filter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the user-applied movement is used at least in part to generate a map of the area over which the locator is being moved on a display of the locator.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the output light is generated from a laser light source, the light sensor is an imager, and the generating information associated with the user-applied movement includes processing laser light speckle patterns generated from the output light on the surface at different times so as to determine information corresponding with the user-applied movement.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface is one of pavement, grass, or dirt ground surfaces.