Measuring device having a function for calibrating a display image position of an electronic reticle

• US 9,891,050 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Kotzur, Norbert, Zogg, Hans-Martin, Gchter Toya, Stefan Martin Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duley, Janese
• Application Number:
  US14/782,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20160025491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention relate to a measuring device, in particular a video theodolite or video tachymeter. The measuring device may include a base, a support, a telescope optics having a lens, a physical target marking, an eyepiece, and a camera. The measuring device may also include an evaluation and control unit containing stored calibration parameters with respect to an image position indicating the target direction as target image position in the captured image, and a display for displaying a captured image having marking for the target image position. In some embodiments, a function may be included to respect and/or restore. In some embodiments, the function may be in form of an application on the user-device interface that can be called up.

Claims

1. A surveying device, comprising:

a base;

a support, which is pivotable in relation to the base about a first axis;

a targeting unit, which is pivotable in relation to the support about a second axis, having telescope optics defining an optical beam path having

an objective,

a physical targeting marking defining a targeting direction,

an ocular, and

a camera for recording an image through the objective;

goniometers for measuring pivot positions of the support and the targeting unit;

an analysis and control unit, which contains stored calibration parameters with respect to an image position indicating the targeting direction in the recorded image as the targeting image position; and

a display screen for displaying a recorded image with marking for the targeting image position,

wherein a partially automatic function for checking and/or recalibrating the targeting image position,

wherein a sequence is defined for the function and corresponding items of sequence information are stored for this purpose in the analysis and control unit, during which sequence targeting actions of an identical target are successively performed at least once using the physical targeting marking and at least once using the marking for the targeting image position as a targeting aid, and

wherein in the scope of the function, in a manner automatically controlled or carried out by the analysis and control unit;

in response to a first trigger, which can be given in the event of completed targeting of the target using the physical targeting marking, first measurement data comprising a first pivot position of the support and the targeting unit, which is measured via the goniometers, and/or a first image recorded by the camera, are captured and added to a measurement data set,

in response to a second trigger, which can be given in the event of completed targeting of the target using the marking for the targeting image position as a targeting aid, second measurement data, which conform in type to the first measurement data, comprising a second pivot position of the support and the targeting unit, which is measured by the goniometers, and/or a second image recorded by the camera, are captured and added to the measurement data set,

the targeting image position is automatically checked, on the basis of a correlated analysis of the measurement data set, with respect to correspondence with the targeting direction defined by the physical targeting marking, and/or recalibrated by updating the stored calibration parameters.

2. The surveying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surveying device comprises a video theodolite or a video tachymeter.

3. The surveying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physical targeting marking comprises a crosshair.

4. The surveying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display screen is for displaying the image with superimposed electronic crosshair, the crosshair center point of which falls on the targeting image position.

5. The surveying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the sequence is defined so that multiple passes of the targeting actions are carried out, and in each case in the scope of the function, in a manner automatically controlled by the analysis and control unit in response to a further trigger, which can be given in the event of targeting of the target, which is performed by a user, using the physical targeting marking or using the marking for the targeting image position as a targeting aid, further measurement data comprising a further pivot position of the support and the targeting unit, which is measured by the goniometers, and/or a further image recorded by the camera are automatically captured and added to the measurement data set.

6. The surveying device according to claim 1, wherein

the sequence is defined so that the targeting actions are repeated in a changed state of the targeting unit, and

in the scope of the function, in a manner automatically controlled by the analysis and control unit

in response to a third trigger, which can be given by a user in the case of targeting of the target, which is performed in the changed state of the targeting unit, using the physical targeting marking, third measurement data comprising a third pivot position, which is measured by the goniometers, of the support and the targeting unit and/or a third image recorded by the camera are automatically captured and added to the measurement data set,

in response to a fourth trigger, which can be given by a user in the case of targeting of the target, which is performed in the changed state of the targeting unit, using the marking for the targeting image position as a targeting aid, fourth measurement data, which conform in type to the third measurement data, comprising a fourth pivot position of the support and the targeting unit, which is measured by the goniometers, and/or a fourth image recorded by the camera are automatically captured and added to the measurement data set.

7. The surveying device according to claim 1, wherein,

the first and second measurement data comprise at least one first and one second pivot position,

in the scope of the function, in the case of the correlated analysis of the measurement data set, a difference between the first and the second pivot positions is translated into an image position offset—

with application of stored parameters with respect to the camera geometry and the optical projection properties thereof—

by which the targeting image position deviates from a new setpoint targeting image position, and this image position offset is optionally applied to the targeting image position, so that the stored calibration parameters are updated such that they reflect the new setpoint targeting image position as the targeting image position.

8. The surveying device according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second measurement data comprise at least one first and one second image,

in the scope of the function, in the case of the correlated analysis of the measurement data set on the basis of image recognition and using the second image, an identification of the target in the first image is performed and an image position of the identified target in the first image is determined as the target image position and on the basis of a comparison of this target image position to the targeting image position, the targeting image position is checked and/or recalibrated by updating the stored calibration parameters, wherein the stored calibration parameters are updated such that they newly reflect the ascertained target image position as the targeting image position.

9. The surveying device according to claim 1,

wherein the measurement data set contains redundant measurement data,

wherein a redundancy with respect to the checking and/or recalibration in the scope of the function is automatically used by the analysis and control unit for:

averaging, so that the accuracy can be increased for the checking and/or recalibration,

ascertaining a degree of determination or degree of quality of the checking and/or recalibration, and/or

concurrent checking and/or recalibration of at least one of the following further calibration parameters;

a parameter with respect to a direction error as a deviation of the targeting direction defined by the physical targeting marking from an actual measurement axis,

a parameter with respect to an error of the goniometers,

a parameter with respect to a camera geometry of the camera,

a parameter with respect to a projection property of the camera, or

a parameter with respect to an error of the optical axis of the camera.

10. The surveying device according to claim 1,

wherein the sequence is defined so that multiple passes of the targeting actions are carried out,

wherein in the scope of the function, the correlated analysis of the measurement data set, which is carried out automatically by the analysis and control unit, is carried out as an intermediate analysis after carrying out one defined pass of the multiple passes of the targeting actions and a degree of determination and/or a degree of quality with respect to a redetermination of the targeting image position is ascertained for the measurement data collected up to the respective intermediate analysis, and wherein the analysis and control unit derives an item of information on the basis of this degree of determination as to whether further passes of targeting actions are to be carried out or whether the function is to be ended, wherein this item of information is output as an action recommendation to the user by means of provided output means.

11. The surveying device according to claim 1,

wherein output means for outputting indicators are provided, wherein the display screen displays the output means for the visual output, these output means being automatically activated by the analysis and control unit in the scope of the function such that a user is guided on the basis of the output indicators through the sequence of targeting actions, wherein

an indicator is displayed to prompt the user to respectively carry out one of the targeting actions either using the physical targeting marking or using the marking for the targeting image position as a targeting aid, wherein it is additionally indicated in each case whether the respective targeting action is to be carried out in the changed state of the targeting unit or not,

an indicator is displayed as a statement that a respective automatic capture of measurement data in response to a respective trigger has been successfully completed,

after completion of a respective automatic capture of measurement data in response to a respective trigger, an indicator is displayed as a statement, that and which next targeting action is to be carried out in the scope of the defined sequence, and/or

after completion of a respective automatic capture of measurement data in response to a respective trigger, an indicator is displayed as a statement that all targeting actions of the sequence are completed.

12. The surveying device according to claim 11, wherein the statement includes a supplementary statement as to whether the measurement data set collected on the basis of the performed targeting actions makes the image position able to be sufficiently profoundly checked or makes the image position able to be updated with sufficient accuracy and determination.

13. The surveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor;

wherein the stored calibration parameters contain a temperature-dependent function for the targeting image position, so that the marking which can be displayed on the display screen for the targeting image position can be set in accordance with a current temperature, and

in the scope of the function, in a manner automatically controlled by the analysis and control unit, a temperature is captured by the temperature sensor and this temperature is taken into consideration for the checking or recalibration.

14. The surveying device according to claim 1, wherein:

a camera pixel resolution is defined by the camera and the image which can be recorded has a defined image pixel resolution; and

in the scope of the function, in a manner automatically controlled by the analysis and control unit, the targeting image position is checked with sub-pixel resolution and/or recalibrated by updating the stored calibration parameters.

15. The surveying device according to claim 1, wherein:

a display pixel resolution is defined by the display screen; and

the marking for the targeting image position is displayed in a grayscale and/or color level representation such that the image position is indicated with sub-display pixel resolution as seen by the user.

16. The surveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a coaxial laser distance meter is integrated in the targeting unit.

17. The surveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a base station, which comprises at least the base, the support, the targeting unit, and the goniometers,

wherein the surveying device also comprises, in addition to the base station, a physically independent peripheral remote control unit, which has a data connection to the base station, wherein the display screen and the analysis and control unit are provided either in the peripheral remote control unit or in the base station or—

usable as needed—

in the peripheral remote control unit and the base station.

18. The surveying device according to claim 1, wherein the base station comprises the analysis and control unit and the display screen.

19. A method to be carried out using a surveying device for checking and/or recalibrating a targeting image position, which is given by calibration parameters and for which a marking can be displayed as a targeting aid on a display screen of the surveying device together with an image which can be displayed by a camera of the surveying device, wherein the targeting image position makes reference to a targeting direction defined by a physical targeting marking of the surveying device, and

wherein the surveying device comprises:

a base,

a support, which is pivotable in relation to the base about a first axis,

a targeting unit, which is pivotable in relation to the support about a second axis, having telescope optics defining an optical beam path having

an objective,

a physical targeting marking defining a targeting direction,

an ocular, and

a camera for recording an image through the objective,

goniometers for measuring pivot positions of the support and the targeting unit, and

a display screen for displaying a recorded image together with the marking,

wherein the method comprises;

targeting a target using the physical targeting marking;

capturing first measurement data comprising a first pivot position of the support and the targeting unit, which is measured by the goniometers, and/or a first image recorded by the camera and adding these first measurement data to a measurement data set;

targeting the identical target using the marking for the targeting image position as a targeting aid;

capturing second measurement data, which conform in type to the first measurement data, comprising a second pivot position of the support and the targeting unit, which is measured by the goniometers, and/or a second image recorded by the camera and adding the second measurement data to the measurement data set,

performing a correlated analysis of the measurement data set, which is performed automatically on the part of the surveying device, wherein the targeting image position is checked with respect to correspondence to the targeting direction defined by the physical targeting marking and/or recalibrated by updating the calibration parameters.

20. A computer program product having program code, which is stored on a non-transitory machine-readable carrier and contains stored items of information about

a targeting image position, which is given by calibration parameters and for which a marking can be displayed as a targeting aid on a display screen of a surveying device together with an image which can be displayed by a camera of the surveying device, wherein the targeting image position makes reference to a targeting direction of the surveying device defined by a physical targeting marking, and

a sequence of targeting actions of an identical target successively at least once using the physical targeting marking and at least once using the marking for the targeting image position as a targeting aid,

for when the program is executed on the control and analysis unit of the surveying device the surveying device controls or carries out the following steps:

in response to a first trigger, which can be given in the event of completed targeting of the target using the physical targeting marking, capturing first measurement data comprising a first pivot position of the support and the targeting unit, which is measured via the goniometers, and/or a first image recorded by the camera and adding of these first measurement data to a measurement data set

in response to a second trigger, which can be given in the event of completed targeting of the target using the marking for the targeting image position as a targeting aid, capturing second measurement data, which conform in type to the first measurement data, comprising a second pivot position of the support and the targeting unit, which is measured by the goniometers, and/or a second image recorded by the camera and adding the second measurement data to the measurement data set, and

checking and/or recalibrating, which is performed by updating the stored calibration parameters, of the targeting image position with respect to correspondence with the targeting direction defined by the physical targeting marking on the basis of a correlated analysis of the measurement data set.