Surveying and target tracking by a network of survey devices

• US 9,518,822 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Maynard, Kurtis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Shan
• Application Number:
  US14/035,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20150085105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 348/135, 348/132, 348/134, 348/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 1/04 combined with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A survey device includes a dual-axis position encoder, a video camera coupled, a laser rangefinder, a wireless transceiver, and a processor. The processor is configured to autonomously orient the video camera via the dual-axis position encoder, autonomously identify other survey devices and a target that are within a line-of-sight field-of-view of the video camera, operate the laser rangefinder to determine range to the autonomously identified target and the autonomously identified other survey devices, and determining coordinates of the autonomously identified target and the autonomously identified other survey devices based on the dual-axis position encoder.

Claims

1. A survey device comprising:

a dual-axis position encoder;

a video camera coupled with the dual-axis position encoder;

a laser rangefinder coupled with the dual-axis position encoder;

a processor in data communication with the dual-axis position encoder, the video camera, and the laser rangefinder;

a wireless transceiver in data communication with the processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium in data communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor operations including;

orienting, without input from a user or an external device, the video camera using the dual-axis position encoder to scan a plurality of locations within a line-of-sight and field of view of the video camera;

identifying, without input from the user or the external device, a first additional survey device present within a line-of-sight and field-of-view of the video camera, wherein identifying the first additional survey device includes detecting an optical signal from the first additional survey device;

determining a first location of the first additional survey device, wherein determining the first location includes identifying one or more angles of the dual-axis position encoder corresponding to identification of the first additional survey device;

operating the laser rangefinder to determine a first distance to the first additional survey device;

determining first coordinates of the first additional survey device, wherein determining the first coordinates includes using the first location and the first distance;

wirelessly transmitting, using the wireless transceiver, the first coordinates;

identifying, without input from the user or the external device, a target present with the line-of-sight and field of view of the video camera, wherein identifying the target includes detecting an optical signal from the target;

determining, a second location of the target, wherein determining the second location includes identifying one or more angles of the dual-axis position encoder corresponding to identification of the target;

operating the laser rangefinder to determine a second distance to the target;

determining second coordinates of the target, wherein determining the second coordinates includes using the second location and the second distance; and

wirelessly transmitting, using the wireless transceiver, the second coordinates.

2. The survey device of claim 1, further comprising:

a laser pointer coupled with the dual-axis position encoder, wherein the operations further include;

determining a particular coordinate within the line-of-sight and field of view of the camera; and

orienting the laser pointer using the dual-axis position encoder to mark the particular coordinate.

3. The survey device of claim 1, further comprising:

a global positioning system receiver in data communication with the processor, wherein the operations further include;

obtaining absolute coordinates of the survey device using the global positioning system receiver; and

wirelessly transmitting, using the wireless transceiver, the absolute coordinates in order to facilitate the first additional survey device identifying the survey device.

4. A system comprising:

a plurality of optical survey devices, wherein one or more optical survey devices of the plurality of optical survey devices comprises;

a dual-axis position encoder;

a video camera coupled with the dual-axis position encoder;

a laser rangefinder coupled with the dual-axis position encoder;

a processor in data communication with the dual-axis position encoder, the video camera, and the laser rangefinder;

a wireless transceiver in data communication with the processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium in data communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations including;

orienting, without input from a user or an external device, the video camera using the dual-axis position encoder to scan a plurality of locations within a line-of-sight and field of view of the video camera;

identifying, without input from the user or the external device, a first additional survey device of the plurality of survey devices present within a line-of-sight field-of-view of the video camera, wherein identifying the first additional survey device includes detecting an optical signal from the first additional survey device;

determining a first location of the first additional survey device, wherein determining the first location includes identifying one or more angles of the dual-axis position encoder corresponding to identification of the first additional survey device;

operating the laser rangefinder to determine a first distance to the first additional survey device;

determining first coordinates of the first additional survey device, wherein determining the first coordinates includes using the first location and the first distance;

wirelessly transmitting, using the wireless transceiver, the first coordinates;

identifying, without input from the user or the external device, a target present with the line-of-sight and field of view of the video camera, wherein identifying the target includes detecting an optical signal from the target;

determining a second location of the target, wherein determining the second location includes identifying one or more angles of the dual-axis position encoder corresponding to identification of the target;

operating the laser rangefinder to determine a second distance to the target;

determining second coordinates of the target, wherein determining the second coordinates includes using the second location and the second distance;

wirelessly transmitting, using the wireless transceiver, the second coordinates;

tracking changes to the second coordinates of the target using the dual-axis encoder, the video camera, and the laser rangefinder, wherein tracking includes identifying an unobstructed line-of-sight to the target;

wirelessly transmitting, using the wireless transceiver, the changes to the second coordinates.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said each of the plurality of optical survey devices further comprises:

a laser pointer coupled with the dual-axis position encoder; and

a global positioning system receiver in data communication with the processor.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a base station in wireless communication with one or more of the plurality of optical survey devices, wherein the base station includes;

a base-station processor; and

a base-station non-transitory computer readable storage medium in data communication with the base-station processor, wherein the base-station non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by the base-station processor, cause the base-station processor to perform operations including;

generating a point cloud of an environment in a field-of-view of said each of a plurality of optical survey devices.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a base station in wireless communication with one or more of the plurality of optical survey devices, wherein the base station includes;

a base-station processor; and

a base-station non-transitory computer readable storage medium in data communication with the base-station processor, wherein the base-station non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by the base-station processor, cause the base-station processor to perform operations including;

predicting when a line-of-sight between one of the plurality of optical survey devices and the target is obstructed.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a base station in wireless communication with one or more of the plurality of optical survey devices, wherein the base station includes;

a base-station processor; and

a base-station non-transitory computer readable storage medium in data communication with the base-station processor, wherein the base-station non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by the base-station processor, cause the base-station processor to perform operations including;

activating a first optical survey device of the plurality of optical survey devices, wherein the first optical survey device has an unobstructed line-of-sight to the target, wherein activating facilitates tracking the target by the first optical survey device; and

deactivating a second optical survey device of the plurality of optical survey devices, wherein the second optical survey device has an obstructed line-of-sight to the target.

9. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a base station in wireless communication with one or more of the plurality of optical survey devices, wherein the base station includes;

a base-station processor; and

a base-station non-transitory computer readable storage medium in data communication with the base-station processor, wherein the base-station non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by the base-station processor, cause the base-station processor to perform operations including;

associating a coordinate system of the plurality of optical survey devices with another coordinate system.

10. A computer-implemented method for surveying an environment and tracking a target, the method comprising:

orienting, without input from a user or an external device, a video camera of a survey device of a plurality of survey devices, using a dual-axis position encoder;

identifying, without input from the user or the external device, a first additional survey device of the plurality of survey devices present within a line-of-sight and field-of-view of the video camera, wherein identifying the first additional survey device includes detecting an optical signal from the first additional survey device;

determining a first location of the first additional survey device, wherein determining the first location includes identifying one or more angles of the dual-axis position encoder corresponding to identification of the first additional survey device;

operating a laser rangefinder of the survey device to determine a first distance to the first additional survey device;

determining first coordinates of the first additional survey device, wherein determining the first coordinates includes using the first location and the first distance;

identifying, without input from the user or the external device, a target present with the line-of-sight and field of view of the video camera, wherein identifying the target includes detecting an optical signal from the target; and

communicatively coupling with a wireless network and wirelessly transmitting the first coordinates to a remote device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein orienting the video camera comprises:

concurrently orienting, without input from the user or the external device, video cameras of each survey device of the plurality of survey devices.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a second location of the target, wherein determining the second location includes identifying one or more angles of the dual-axis position encoder corresponding to identification of the target; and

operating the laser rangefinder to determine a second distance to the target;

determining second coordinates of the target, wherein determining the second coordinates includes using the second location and the second distance; and

wherein wirelessly transmitting includes wireless transmitting the second coordinates to the remote device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

concurrently tracking, by the plurality of survey devices, the target based on unobstructed lines-of-sight between the target and the plurality of survey devices.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

predicting obstruction of a line-of-sight between one of the plurality of survey devices and the target.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that a particular survey device of the plurality of survey devices has an obstructed line-of-sight to the target; and

switching off tracking of the target by the particular survey device.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that a particular survey device of the plurality of survey devices has an unobstructed line-of-sight to the target; and

switching on tracking of the target by the particular survey device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a point cloud of said environment surveyed by said plurality of survey devices.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

automatically adjusting said point cloud in response to adding a survey device or removing a survey device from a system of said plurality of survey devices.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a particular coordinate within the environment; and

orienting a laser pointer of the survey device to mark the particular coordinate.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

associating a coordinate system of the plurality of survey devices with another coordinate system.