Mobile platform for conveying an NSS device

• US 9,671,503 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Inventors: Fortune, Kenneth, Janky, James M., McCusker, Michael V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US13/566,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2, 701 50, 701408, 701470, 701472, 340988, 33290, 3336612, 34235727, 180164, 187222, 382224
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/54 using carrier phase measurements; using long or short baseline interferometry

Abstract

A survey instrument conveyance is disclosed. One embodiment includes a mobile platform having a set of wheels attached thereto. In addition, a mechanical coupling assembly is used to couple a survey instrument to the mobile platform. An adjustable position mechanism is coupled to the mechanical coupling assembly to raise and lower the survey instrument relative to the mobile platform.

Claims

1. A survey instrument conveyance comprising:

a mobile platform comprising;

a set of wheels attached to the platform;

a handle attached to the mobile platform, the handle for a user to propel and guide the mobile platform along a path;

a mechanical coupling assembly to couple a survey instrument to the mobile platform; and

an adjustable position mechanism coupled to the mechanical coupling assembly to raise and lower the survey instrument relative to the mobile platform.

2. The survey instrument conveyance of claim 1 wherein the survey instrument comprises:

an object having a point of interest located thereon;

a first navigation satellite system (NSS) antenna mounted in a first location on the object;

a second NSS antenna mounted in a second location on the object, wherein the point of interest, the first NSS antenna, and the second NSS antenna have a known coaxial spatial relationship;

a NSS receiver coupled to the first antenna and to the second antenna, and configured to generate location information for each antenna; and

a spatial relationship determiner to receive the location of each antenna, and determine the spatial location of the point of interest on the object based on the known spatial relationship between the first NSS antenna, the second NSS antenna, and the point of interest.

3. The survey instrument conveyance of claim 1 further comprising:

a remote control device for controlling motion of the mobile platform and remotely raising and lowering the survey instrument.

4. The survey instrument conveyance of claim 3 wherein the remote control device is a handheld mobile device selected from the group consisting of:

a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and a handheld remote control.

5. The survey instrument conveyance of claim 1 further comprising:

a drive motor mounted on the mobile platform and configured to provide power to drive the wheels of the mobile platform.

6. The survey instrument conveyance of claim 5 wherein the drive motor is a combustion motor.

7. The survey instrument conveyance of claim 5 further comprising:

a battery mounted to the mobile platform, the battery providing power to an electric drive motor to drive the wheels of the survey instrument conveyance.

8. A mobile position determination system, comprising:

a mobile platform comprising;

a set of wheels attached thereto; and

a handle attached to the mobile platform, the handle for a user to propel and guide the mobile platform along a path;

a survey instrument comprising;

an object having a point of interest located thereon;

a first navigation satellite system (NSS) antenna mounted in a first location on the object;

a second NSS antenna mounted in a second location on the object, wherein the point of interest, the first antenna, and the second antenna have a known coaxial spatial relationship;

a NSS receiver coupled to the first NSS antenna and to the second NSS antenna, and configured to generate location information for each antenna; and

a spatial relationship determiner to receive the location of each antenna, and determine the spatial location of the point of interest on the object based on the known spatial relationship between the first NSS antenna, the second NSS antenna, and the point of interest;

a mechanical coupling assembly to couple the survey instrument to the mobile platform; and

an adjustable position mechanism coupled to the mechanical coupling assembly to raise and lower the survey instrument relative to the mobile platform.

9. The mobile position determination system of claim 8 further comprising:

a remote control device for controlling motion of the mobile platform and remotely raising and lowering the survey instrument.

10. The mobile position determination system of claim 8 further comprising:

a drive motor mounted on the mobile platform and configured to provide power to drive the wheels of the mobile platform.

11. The mobile position determination system of claim 10 further comprising:

a battery mounted to the mobile platform, the battery providing power to an electric drive motor to drive the wheels of the mobile platform.

12. The mobile position determination system of claim 8 further comprising:

a pressure plate at a distal end of the object to trigger generation of the location information.

13. The mobile position determination system of claim 8 further comprising:

fixedly coupling the first NSS antenna and the second NSS antenna to the object during manufacture, such that the spatial relationship is non-adjustable.

14. The mobile position determination system of claim 8 further comprising:

a single NSS receiver coupled with both the first NSS antenna and the second NSS antenna to determine the location of the first NSS antenna and the second NSS antenna.

15. The mobile position determination system of claim 8 further comprising:

an object tilt determiner;

an alerting device for providing an alert if the object is tilted further than a pre-defined tilt angle;

a user override to force a measurement to be performed if the tilt is outside of the pre-defined tilt angle; and

a data flag to indicate the measurement was taken during the user override while the object was outside of the pre-defined tilt angle.

16. A method for performing a survey with a dual coaxial NSS receiver mobile survey system, the method comprising:

providing a mobile platform comprising;

a set of wheels attached thereto; and

a handle attached to the mobile platform, the handle providing a location for a user to propel and guide the mobile platform along a path;

providing a dual coaxial NSS receiver system on the mobile platform, the dual coaxial NSS receiver system comprising;

a first NSS device and a second NSS device mounted on a pole; and

a known point on the pole indicating the location of a measurement;

providing an adjustable position mechanism coupling the mobile platform to the dual coaxial NSS receiver system, the adjustable position mechanism raising and lowering the survey instrument relative to the mobile platform;

utilizing a NSS receiver coupled to the first NSS device and to the second NSS device, the NSS receiver configured to generate location information for each NSS device;

determining a spatial relationship between each NSS device and the known point, and determining the spatial location of the known point based on the known spatial relationship between the first NSS device, the second NSS device, and the known point;

outputting the spatial location in a user accessible format.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

utilizing a remote control device to control motion of the mobile platform and raise and lower the survey instrument.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

utilizing a pressure plate at a distal end of the object to trigger generation of the location information.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining a tilt of the object; and

providing an alert if the object is tilted further than a pre-defined tilt angle.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

stopping a measurement from being performed if the tilt is outside of the pre-defined tilt angle;

providing a user override such that a measurement will be performed if the tilt is outside of the pre-defined tilt angle; and

marking the data to show that the measurement was taken during the user override while the object was outside of the pre-defined tilt angle.