Aerial photographing system

• US 9,409,656 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Ohtomo, Fumio, Otani, Hitoshi, Osaragi, Kazuki, Anai, Tetsuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Heather
• Application Number:
  US14/188,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

An aerial photographing system, comprising a flying vehicle being remotely controlled, a camera (7, 8) tiltably supported in any direction via a gimbal (25), a retro-reflector (9) tilting integrally with the camera, being set in a known relation with the camera and used as an object to be measured, and a total station (3) for tracking the retro-reflector and for measuring position of the retro-reflector.

Claims

1. An aerial photographing system, comprising a flying vehicle being remotely controlled, a camera tiltably supported in any direction via a gimbal, a retro-reflector tilting integrally with said camera, being set in a known relation with said camera and used as an object to be measured, and a total station installed at a known point for tracking the retro-reflector and for measuring three-dimensional coordinates of the retro-reflector.

2. An aerial photographing system according to claim 1, wherein said camera is mounted on a gimbal via a supporting member, and said camera is set up so that an optical axis is directed in vertical direction, and is installed on at least one of the upper end or the lower end of said supporting member.

3. An aerial photographing system according to one of claim 2, wherein there is provided a ground base station having an arithmetic device, a storage unit, and a base communication unit, measurement results are transmitted to said ground base station from said total station, wherein said flying vehicle has a flying vehicle communication unit, wireless communication is possible between said flying vehicle communication unit and said base communication unit, wherein said flying vehicle communication unit transmits image data photographed by said camera and shutter timing information to acquire said image data to said base communication unit, and wherein said arithmetic device acquires the measurement results of the time, being coincident with the shutter timing information received, and identifies the photographing position based on the measurement results.

4. An aerial photographing system according to one of claim 1, wherein there is provided a ground base station having an arithmetic device, a storage unit, and a base communication unit, measurement results are transmitted to said ground base station from said total station, wherein said flying vehicle has a flying vehicle communication unit, wireless communication is possible between said flying vehicle communication unit and said base communication unit, wherein said flying vehicle communication unit transmits image data photographed by said camera and shutter timing information to acquire said image data to said base communication unit, and wherein said arithmetic device acquires the measurement results of the time, being coincident with the shutter timing information received, and identifies the photographing position based on the measurement results.

5. An aerial photographing system according to claim 1, wherein said retro-reflector is disposed to face toward the downward direction, and has optical characteristics to retro-reflect light components entering from all ranges below the retro-reflector.

6. An aerial photographing system according to claim 1, wherein said flying vehicle has a magnetic compass, wherein said measurement results are corrected to the position of said camera based on a known relation between said retro-reflector and said camera and on the direction of said flying vehicle detected by said magnetic compass.