Surface determination for objects by means of geodetically precise single point determination and scanning

• US 9,377,298 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Kotzur, Norbert, Zogg, Hans-Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/245,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20140298666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 33/1.CC, 332/90
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/27 for testing the alignment of axes means for centering or aligning a light guide within a ferrule G02B6/3834
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105

Abstract

A method for surveying an object for and/or using a geodetic surveying device that include a derivation of an item of surface information at least for one object region, at least one geodetically precise single point determination for the object region, wherein a position of at least one object point is determined geodetically precisely, and an update of the item of surface information based on the determined position of the at least one object point. In some embodiments a scan to derive the item of surface information may be performed using object-point-independent scanning of the object region by progressive alignment changes of the measuring radiation, with a determination of a respective distance and of a respective alignment of the measuring radiation emitted for the distance measurement for scanning points lying within the object region, and having a generation of a point cloud which represents the item of surface information.

Claims

1. A method for surveying an object using a geodetic surveying device, the method comprising:

deriving an item of surface information for at least one object region; and

determining a position of at least one object point within the object region, wherein the position of the at least one object point is determined geodetically precisely,

scanning to derive the item of surface information, wherein the scanning includes;

object-point-independent scanning of the object region by progressive alignment changes of the measuring radiation,

a determination of a respective distance and a respective alignment of the measuring radiation emitted for the distance measurement for scanning points within the object region, in a predetermined scanning point resolution, and

a generation of a point cloud, which represents the item of surface information and has the scanning points, and

updating the item of surface information based on the determined position of the at least one object point.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein measuring radiation is aligned precisely on the at least one object point and upon the alignment of the measuring radiation on the at least one object point, the position of the at least one object point is determined geodetically precisely by means of the measuring radiation, by alignment determination for the measuring radiation and distance measurement by means of the measuring radiation.

3. The method according to claim 2, the item of surface information specifies a location and/or at least partially a spatial extension of the object.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the at least one object point is derived using an acquisition of GNSS signals and generation of GNSS position information, wherein a GNSS receiving unit is positioned in a known relative position to the object point and the GNSS position information is generated by the GNSS receiving unit.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a surface and/or a volume for the object region, wherein the determined position of the at least one object point is processed together with the point cloud.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the point cloud is processed in such a manner that, based on the positions of the scanning points, a coherent area is approximated, wherein the area represents the item of surface information, wherein the scanning points lie in the area.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object surveying method is executed offset in time multiple times, wherein the respective present generated item of surface information for the object is compared to at least one previously generated item of surface information, wherein a surface and/or volume property determined during the surface and/or volume determination is respectively compared accordingly.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing at least one further derivation of a further item of surface information for a further object region of the object, wherein the further item of surface information is derived based on a generation of a further point cloud by scanning the further object region, wherein the one further item of surface information for the further object region is updated based on a further surveyed object point, wherein the one further surveyed object point is determined by at least one further geodetically precise single point determination for the at least one further object point of the further object region.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the scanning of the object regions and/or the single point determination for the object points are performed from different perspectives in relation to the object.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the point cloud and the one further point cloud jointly represent the item of surface information, wherein the update of the item of surface information for the object is performed based on the point clouds and on the at least one object point and the at least one further object point.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein referencing of the one further point cloud is performed in such a manner that the location thereof in an object coordinate system is determined by way of the referencing, the point cloud and the further point cloud and the at least one object point and the at least one further object point are provided jointly in the object coordinate system.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one reference point provides a reference of the object coordinate system to an external coordinate system for the referencing, wherein the referencing is performed by precise single point determination for the at least one reference point in which one of the point clouds for the object is acquired.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating an object model at least for the one object region as a function of the item of surface information and of the determined position of the at least one object point.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising filtering of the scanning points of the point cloud as a function of a fulfillment of a defined consideration criterion, wherein the scanning points are considered as a function of the filtering for the update of the item of surface information.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein

in the scope of the single point determination, an object point is surveyed as a support point for the object region and the position thereof is determined, wherein the support point is considered for the definition of the object region, and/or

in the scope of the object surveying method, an item of atmospheric state information is acquired and/or an item of geometric measuring information is defined, wherein

during the determination of the distance for the respective scanning points and/or during the determination of the distance to the at least one object point, the item of atmospheric state information and/or geometric measuring information is processed and, based thereon, a distance correction for the determination of the respective distance is performed and/or

the scanning points determined in the scope of the scanning are adapted with respect to the position thereof based on the item of atmospheric state information and/or geometric measuring information.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is executed by the geodetic surveying device, wherein the surveying device comprises:

a scanning functionality for the scanning acquisition of the scanning points and generation of the point cloud; and

a single point determination functionality for the high-precision position determination for the at least one object point;

a derivation of an item of surface information at least for one object region.

17. A non-transitory computer program product having program code, which is stored on a machine-readable carrier, such that when executed on an electronic data processing unit the computer program product is configured to:

control scanning and the single point determination; and

carry out the update of the item of surface information, of the method of claim 1.

18. Geodetic surveying device comprising

a base which defines a pivot axis,

a structure, which is arranged on the base and is pivotable about the pivot axis in relation to the base, wherein the structure defines a tilt axis standing substantially orthogonally to the pivot axis,

a targeting unit arranged so it is pivotable about the tilt axis in relation to the structure and has an emission unit having a radiation source for generating and emitting measuring radiation,

a distance measuring functionality for measuring distances to points,

an angle measuring functionality for measuring an alignment of the measuring radiation,

a control and processing unit for data processing and for controlling the surveying device, and

a single point determination functionality, upon the execution of which, controlled by the control and processing unit, a position of at least one object point within at least one object region is determined geodetically precisely, wherein:

a scanning functionality for deriving an item of surface information at least for the object region, wherein, upon execution of the scanning functionality, controlled by the control and processing unit object-point-independent scanning of the object region by progressive alignment changes of the measuring radiation,

a determination of a respective distance and a respective alignment of the measuring radiation emitted for the distance measurement for scanning points within the object region, and

a generation of a point cloud, which represents the item of surface information and has the scanning points, are performed, and

an object determination functionality, upon the execution of which, controlled by the control and processing unit, the item of surface information is updated at least for the one object region based on a position of the at least one object point determined by the single point determination functionality.

19. The geodetic surveying device according to claim 18, wherein upon execution of the single point determination functionality

a high-precision alignment of the measuring radiation on the at least one object point within the object region is performed, and

upon the alignment of the measuring radiation on the at least one object point by means of the measuring radiation, the position of the at least one object point is determined geodetically precisely.

20. A system comprising a geodetic surveying device according to claim 18 and a GNSS receiving unit, wherein the GNSS receiving unit:

is implemented to receive GNSS signals and generate GNSS position information from the GNSS signals,

is movably positionable in relation to the geodetic surveying device, and

is implemented in such a manner that the GNSS position information is transmittable to the geodetic surveying device, wherein

upon execution of the single point determination functionality, the determination of the position of the at least one object point is performed based on GNSS position information generated by means of the GNSS receiving unit, wherein the GNSS receiving unit is provided in a known relative position with respect to the object point.