System for determining position in a work space

• US 9,585,598 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Inventors: Kahle, Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US13/657,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20130147667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 342/453, 342/458, 342463-465
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/06 Surveyors' staffs; Movable markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/874 Combination of several systems for attitude determination in general G01C, control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/875 for determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/466 by Trilateration, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the antennas or sensors, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0231 Emergency, distress or locator beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

A system for determining the dimensional coordinates of a point of interest in a work space, includes a plurality of fixed-position ranging radios, located at known positions in the work space, and a wand having a first end configured for indicating a point of interest. A pair of ranging radios are mounted on the wand. A measurement circuit, responsive to the pair of ranging radios, determines the position of each of the pair of ranging radios with respect to the plurality of fixed-position ranging radios, and determines the position of the first end of the wand with respect to the plurality of fixed position ranging radios. A robotic total station may be used in lieu of the fixed-position ranging radios to monitor the positions of retroreflective elements on the wand.

Claims

1. A system for determining the dimensional coordinates of a point of interest in a work space, the system comprising:

four or more fixed position ranging radios located at known positions in the work space, said four or more fixed position ranging radios defining four or more spheres in a workplace, wherein said four or more fixed position ranging radios are not in a same plane, and wherein each of the four or more fixed position ranging radios is configured to transmit a locating signal;

a wand, comprising;

a first end configured to indicate the point of interest, wherein the point of interest is external to the wand,

first and second ranging radios, wherein the first ranging radio is spaced from said first end by a first distance, wherein the second ranging radio spaced from said first ranging radio by a second distance, and wherein each of the first and second ranging radios is configured to receive the locating signals from the fixed position ranging radios, and

a measurement circuit electrically connected with the first and second ranging radios, said measurement circuit configured to determine the position of each of the first and second ranging radios with respect to said plurality of fixed position ranging radios using signals generated by the first and second ranging radios, wherein said measurement circuit is configured to receive a signal indicating that the first end of the wand is positioned at the point of interest, wherein said measurement circuit is configured to, in response to the received signal, determine the three dimensional position of said first end of said wand with respect to said plurality of fixed position ranging radios, and wherein the three dimensional position of said first end of said wand is determined as an indication of the three dimensional position of the point of interest; and

a display, wherein the display is configured to provide information based on the position of each of the first and second ranging radios.

2. The system of claim 1, in which said wand further includes a handle portion to facilitate the use of said wand by a user.

3. The system of claim 1, in which said wand further includes a marking element at said first end to mark a surface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to indicate to a user the location of said first end of said wand.

5. The system of claim 1, in which said measurement circuit is responsive to a user input to permit said user to specify a desired position for said first end of said wand, and wherein the display is configured to indicate the movement of said wand needed to move said first end of said wand to said desired position.

6. A method to determine the dimensional coordinates of a point of interest in a work space, the method comprising:

receiving at a first ranging radio, four or more first ranging distance signals corresponding to first distances between said first ranging radio and four or more fixed position ranging radios, said four or more fixed position ranging radios being located at known positions in the work space, said four or more fixed position ranging radios defining four or more spheres in a workspace, wherein said four or more fixed position ranging radios are not in a same plane;

receiving at a second ranging radio, a plurality of second ranging distance signals corresponding to second distances between said second ranging radio and said four or more fixed position ranging radios;

receiving a signal indicating that a first end of a wand is positioned at the point of interest, wherein the point of interest is external to the wand;

determining with a measurement circuit local to said first ranging radio and said second ranging radio, a first position of said first ranging radio in a workspace from the plurality of first ranging distances and a second position of said second ranging radio in said workspace from the plurality of second ranging distances using said signals indicating said first and second distances received by said first and second ranging radios;

in response to the received signal, determining coordinates of the point of interest in the work space, said wand comprising;

said first ranging radio and said second ranging radio mounted on said wand, said first ranging radio and said second ranging radio both spaced from said first end, said first ranging radio spaced from said first end by a first distance, and said second ranging radio spaced from said first ranging radio by a second distance, and

said measurement circuit, configured to determine the three dimensional position of said first end of said wand with respect to said first position of said first ranging radio and said second position of said second ranging radio, wherein said measurement circuit is configured to receive the signal indicating that the first end of the wand is positioned at the point of interest, wherein said measurement circuit is configured to, in response to the received signal, determine the coordinates of the first end of said wand, and wherein the coordinates of said first end of the wand is determined as an indication of the coordinates of the point of interest; and

displaying on a display, information based on the position of each of the first and second ranging radios.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving an input specifying a desired position for said first end of said wand, wherein the display is configured to indicate a movement of said wand needed to move said first end of said wand to said desired position.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising indicating on the display said point of interest and marking said point of interest using a marking element at said first end.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the display is configured to indicate to a user the location of said first end of said wand.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said wand further includes a handle portion to facilitate the use of said wand by a user.

11. A method of determining the dimensional coordinates of a point of interest in a work space, the method comprising:

communicating with four or more fixed position ranging radios located at known positions in the work space with a measurement circuit, said four or more fixed position ranging radios defining four or more spheres in a workplace, wherein said four or more fixed position ranging radios are not in a same plane;

receiving a signal indicating that a first end of a wand is positioned at the point of interest, wherein the point of interest is external to the wand;

in response to the received signal, calculating with said measurement circuit, the three-dimensional coordinates of the point of interest with respect to said four or more fixed position ranging radios using trilateration analysis, said wand comprising;

a pair of ranging radios spaced from said first end, a first ranging radio spaced from said first end by a first distance, and a second ranging radio spaced from said first ranging radio by a second distance, the first and second ranging radios each configured to receive location signals from the four or more fixed position ranging radios; and

said measurement circuit, responsive to said pair of ranging radios, and configured to determine the three dimensional position of each of said pair of ranging radios with respect to said four or more fixed position ranging radios, and, in response to receiving the signal indicating that a first end of the wand is positioned at the point of interest, to determine the position of said first end with respect to said four or more fixed position ranging radios using signals generated by said pair of ranging radios, and wherein the three-dimensional coordinates of said first end of the wand is determined as the three-dimensional coordinates of the point of interest;

displaying on a display, information based on the position of each of the ranging radios of the pair of ranging radios; and

storing said three-dimensional coordinates of said point of interest.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying the location of said point of interest on the display.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising indicating said point of interest to mark with a marking element at said first end.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

locating a desired location, wherein said desired location is input into said measurement circuit; and

displaying a movement said wand is needed to move said pointer element to indicate said desired location on the display.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said wand further includes a handle portion to facilitate the use of said wand by a user.