Dispensable smart target/ re-usable smart target

• US 9,460,479 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Butler, Bruce Ormonde
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/225,363
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction

Abstract

A method for aiding construction of a building is proposed. The building includes a plurality of building components. The method comprises: (A) providing at least one building component marking attached to at least one building component, (B) providing at least one RFID tag, and C) of using at least one building component marking to identify at least one building component on the building site. An RFID tag is attached to at least one building component. The RFID tag is configured to store a predetermined location of at least one building component on a building site. A building component marking is selected from the group consisting of: an optical reflective target; and a physical marking.

Claims

1. A method for aiding construction of a building, the method comprising:

accessing a Building Information Modeling (BIM) database to obtain building data for a building component, the building data including three-dimensional coordinates and angular coordinates for installation of the building component on a building site, the building data also including a timing coordinate indicating when the building component is to be installed on the building site;

downloading the building data to an RFID tag coupled to the building component;

setting up a specific interrogation zone using a plurality of fixed RFID readers, the specific interrogation zone surrounding the three-dimensional coordinates where the building component is to be installed, and

controlling in real time installation of said building component having the RFID tag using the plurality of fixed RFID readers during construction of said building, such that an installed position of the building component and a time of the installation correspond to the three-dimensional coordinates, the angular coordinates, and the timing coordinate stored in the RFID tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

said BIM data includes a set of building data for said building during a building life cycle, wherein said set of building data includes a set of building components;

and wherein said set of building data includes a set of location coordinates on said building site and wherein said set of building data includes a set of relationship between each said building component and at least one said set of location coordinates on said building site.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a sequence of building phases by accessing said Building Information Modeling (BIM) database;

wherein a first building phase of said building is selected from the group consisting of;

a first floor of said building;

a first wall of said building; and

a first corner of said building;

and wherein a “

k”

-th building phase of said building is selected from the group consisting of;

a “

k”

-th floor of said building;

a “

k”

-th wall of said building; and

a “

k”

-th corner of said building;

k being an integer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

accessing said Building Information Modeling (BIM) database to derive data for a first set of building components, wherein said first set of building components includes a set of building components configured to build said first building phase of said building.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

accessing said Building Information Modeling (BIM) database to derive data for said “

k”

-th set of building components, wherein said “

k”

-th set of building components includes a set of building components configured to build said “

k”

-th building phase of said building.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

said Building Information Modeling (BIM) database comprises an associated cost to install said building component.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least one of said fixed RFID readers from the group consisting of;

a Power over Ethernet (PoE) RFID reader;

a High Power-Building Site distance RFID reader; and

a RFID reader having Wi-Fi network connectivity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating at least one of said fixed RFID readers with a communications module.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

using said communications module to transmit at least one interrogation signal within said specific interrogation zone.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

using said communications module to receive a set of RFID data collected by using said at least one interrogation signal.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

controlling in real time when said building component having the RFID tag enters said specific interrogation zone during construction of said building by using said at least one interrogation signal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating said RFID tag with a processor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said fixed RFID readers includes a position determination module;

and the method further comprises;

processing a set of position determination data of said building component obtained by said position determination module, wherein said set of position determination data obtained by said position determination module determines whether said building component entered said interrogation zone.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring three-dimensional coordinates and angular coordinates of the building component after the installation; and

verifying that the three-dimensional coordinates and the angular coordinates of the building component after the installation are within a pre-defined tolerance by comparing the three-dimensional coordinates and the angular coordinates of the building component after the installation with the three-dimensional coordinates and the angular coordinates stored in the RFID tag.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the building component has a plurality of markings attached thereon, and measuring the three-dimensional coordinates and the angular coordinates of the building component after the installation is performed using an optical total station and the plurality of markings.

16. A method for aiding construction of a building on a building site, the method comprising:

providing a building component having at least one RFID tag and a plurality of building component markings coupled thereto;

accessing a Building Information Modeling (BIM) database to obtain building data for the building component, the building data including three-dimensional coordinates and angular coordinates for installation of the building component on the building site, the three-dimensional coordinates and the angular coordinates indicating a location and orientation of the plurality of building component markings when the building component is installed, the building data also including a timing coordinate indicating when the building component is to be installed on the building site;

downloading the building data to the RFID tag;

using an RFID reader to obtain the building data from the RFID tag; and

installing the building component on the building site based on the building data obtained by the RFID reader such that an installed position of the building component and a time of the installation correspond to the three-dimensional coordinates, the angular coordinates, and the timing coordinate.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

measuring three-dimensional coordinates and angular coordinates of the building component after the installation; and

verifying that the three-dimensional coordinates and the angular coordinates of the building component after the installation are within a pre-defined tolerance by comparing the three-dimensional coordinates and the angular coordinates of the building component after the installation with the three-dimensional coordinates and the angular coordinates stored in the RFID tag.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein measuring the three-dimensional coordinates and the angular coordinates of the building component after the installation is performed using an optical total station and the plurality of building component markings.