Surveying system

• US 9,581,443 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benjamin Bell
• Original Assignee: Ronald D. Shaw
• Inventors: Gil, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Jos, Basil T
• Application Number:
  US14/660,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20150261217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/005 mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/04 Permanent marks; Boundary markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

A surveying system having a total station integrated into an unmanned aerial vehicle communicates with a plurality of mobile communication stations that are located on known site coordinates. By locating the mobile communication stations on known coordinates, the location of the aerial vehicle is precisely triangulated and controlled. Construction drawings are loaded into the system, thereby allowing the vehicle to locate itself at specific points designated in the drawings for the marking of on-site construction grid lines.

Claims

1. A surveying system, comprising:

an aerial vehicle maneuverable within a surveying site;

a plurality of ground-based mobile communication stations positioned in different locations in the surveying site, each of the plurality of ground-based mobile communication stations being associated with a set of predefined coordinates corresponding to the location at which it is positioned;

a first wireless transceiver onboard the aerial vehicle and in communication with each of the plurality of ground-based mobile communication stations, a location of the aerial vehicle within the surveying site being determined based upon a triangulation thereof by the plurality of ground-based mobile communication stations from the sets of predefined coordinates associated therewith;

a surveying total station onboard the aerial vehicle; and

a navigation unit onboard the aerial vehicle, the navigation unit being loaded with a representation of the surveying site and including one or more points of interest thereon, the navigation unit maneuvering the aerial vehicle to a selected one of the one or more points of interest.

2. The surveying system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controlling unit including a second wireless transceiver in communication with the first wireless transceiver onboard the aerial vehicle;

wherein the controlling unit is receptive to navigational control inputs to the aerial vehicle.

3. The surveying system of claim 2, further comprising:

an image capturing device on board the aerial vehicle;

wherein the controlling unit is receptive to image data generated by the image capturing device.

4. The surveying system of claim 3, wherein the controlling unit includes a display device on which the image data is displayed.

5. The surveying system of claim 1, further comprising:

a survey site capturing module onboard the aerial vehicle that is receptive of a set of coordinates of a particular location in the surveying site.

6. The surveying system of claim 1, further comprising:

a laser marker onboard the aerial vehicle activatable at the one or more points of interest of the surveying site upon the aerial vehicle being navigated thereto.

7. The surveying system of claim 1, wherein the aerial vehicle is a multi-rotor aircraft.

8. The surveying system of claim 7, wherein the aerial vehicle includes a power level monitor, the aerial vehicle being navigated to the power charging station without user intervention upon a power level of an onboard battery being depleted past a predetermined level.

9. The surveying system of claim 8, wherein the ground vehicle unit includes a second wireless transceiver in communication with at least one or more of the plurality of ground-based mobile communication stations.

10. The surveying system of claim 9, wherein the marker module is selected from a group consisting of:

a paint roller module, a stamp module, a spray paint module, a felt pen ink module, an ink stamp module, a punch module, and a label module.

11. The surveying system of claim 8, wherein the ground vehicle unit includes a level and plumb sensor.

12. The surveying system of claim 8, wherein the ground vehicle unit has continuous track-based vehicle propulsion.

13. The surveying system of claim 8, wherein the ground vehicle unit has wheel-based vehicle propulsion.

14. The surveying system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power charging station, the aerial vehicle being dockable thereto.

15. The surveying system of claim 1, further comprising:

a ground vehicle unit maneuverable within the surveying site.

16. The surveying system of claim 15, wherein the ground vehicle unit includes a marker module that outputs a marker when the ground vehicle is positioned at the selected one of the one or more points of interest.

17. The surveying system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the ground-based mobile communication stations includes a Global Positioning System receiver that generates the set of coordinates of the particular location in the surveying site on which the ground-based mobile communication station is positioned.