Measuring system and method for marking a known target point in a coordinate system

• US 9,903,715 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Kotzur, Norbert, Mayer, Jrgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Sosanya, Obafemi
• Application Number:
  US14/347,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 1/04 combined with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A measuring system for marking a known target point in a coordinate system includes a mobile marking unit and a geodetic measuring device. The measuring device has a sighting unit, angle measurement functionality, and a camera for capturing a camera image. The measuring system has a database storing a target point position, an output unit that presents the camera image, and a control and processing unit. The measuring system has presentation functionality that presents a spatial deviation between the marking unit and target point positions on the output unit in first and second directions using, respectively, using first and second deviation displays. The first deviation display indicates a distance of the target point position from a plane defined by the measuring device and the marking unit. The second deviation display indicates a distance of the target point position from a normal to the plane defined by the marking unit position.

Claims

1. A surveying system for marking a target that is known in a coordinate system, comprising:

a mobile marking unit configured to precisely determine a marking unit position using a customizable reflector and/or a GNSS antenna;

a geodetic surveying appliance for determining the position of the marking unit, the geodetic surveying appliance having access to data, stored in a database, representing a target position of the target, and the geodetic surveying appliance having;

a telescopic targeting unit that defines a targeting direction, the telescopic targeting unit being swivelable about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis relative to a base of the geodetic surveying appliance;

angle sensors configured for capturing the orientation of the telescopic targeting unit; and

a camera configured for capturing a camera image essentially in the targeting direction;

a display configured to display the camera image, together with the target position and/or the marking unit position;

a control and processing unit; and

presentation functionality that, when executed under the control of the control and processing unit, involves displaying on the display the camera image and a spatial discrepancy between the marking unit position and the target position, the spatial discrepancy being displayed;

in a first direction using a first discrepancy indicator that indicates an interval from the target position to a plane defined by the surveying appliance and the marking unit; and

in a second direction using a second discrepancy indicator that indicates an interval from the target position to a normal to the plane, which normal is stipulated by the marking unit position;

wherein the spatial discrepancy is presented independently in the first direction and in the second direction.

2. The surveying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a scaling for presentation of the first and/or the second discrepancy indicator can be changed over in each case between at least two scalings.

3. The surveying system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the scaling is manually or automatically adjustable on the basis of the spatial discrepancy.

4. The surveying system as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the scaling is manually or automatically adjustable on the basis of at least one of;

a distance between the target position and the marking unit position relative to a distance threshold value defined on the basis of the target position; and

a classification of the distance into defined range zones around the target position; and

the spatial discrepancy is taken as a basis for automatically providing a scaling recommendation.

5. The surveying system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the scaling is adjustable in at least three orders of magnitude; and

maximum spatial discrepancies in orders of magnitude from 10<sup>−

3</sup> meters to 10⁺³ meters are adjustable for the first and/or the second discrepancy indicator.

8. A geodetic marking method for marking a target that is known in a coordinate system, using the surveying system as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising:

determining a marking unit position for a mobile marking unit;

capturing a camera image using a camera of a surveying appliance, and

presenting the camera image on display, together with the marking unit position and/or the target position, wherein;

a spatial discrepancy between the marking unit position and the target position is graphically presented on the display;

in a first direction using a first discrepancy indicator that indicates an interval from the target position to a plane defined by the surveying appliance and the marking unit; and

in a second direction using a second discrepancy indicator that indicates an interval from the target position to a normal to the plane, which normal is stipulated by the marking unit position; and

wherein the discrepancy in the first direction is presented independently of the discrepancy in the second direction.

9. The geodetic marking method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

scaling for the presentation of the first and second discrepancy indicators is effected in each case in one of at least two scalings.

10. The geodetic marking method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the scaling is effected manually or automatically on the basis of at least one of;

a distance between the target position and the marking unit position relative to a distance threshold value that is defined on the basis of the target position; and

a classification of the distance into defined range zones around the target position; and

the spatial discrepancy is taken as a basis for automatically providing a scaling recommendation.

11. A computer program product having program code, which is stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium and that, when executed on an electronic data processing unit in the form of a control and processing unit for a surveying system as claimed in claim 1, performs a method for marking a target that is known in a coordinate system, the method including:

determining a marking unit position for a mobile marking unit;

capturing a camera image using a camera of a surveying appliance, and

presentation of the camera image on a display, together with the marking unit position and/or the target position, wherein;

a spatial discrepancy between the marking unit position and the target position is graphically presented on the output unit;

in a first direction using a first discrepancy indicator that indicates an interval from the target position to a plane defined by the surveying appliance and the marking unit; and

in a second direction using a second discrepancy indicator that indicates an interval from the target position to a normal to the plane, which normal is stipulated by the marking unit position; and

wherein the discrepancy in the first direction is presented independently of the discrepancy in the second direction.

6. A geodetic surveying appliance that has access to data, stored in a database, representing a target position of a target, the geodetic surveying appliance comprising:

a telescopic targeting unit that defines a targeting direction, the telescopic targeting unit being swivelable about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis relative to a base of the geodetic surveying appliance;

angle sensors configured for capturing the orientation of the telescopic targeting unit;

a camera configured for capturing a camera image essentially in the targeting direction;

a display configured to display the camera image;

a control and processing unit; and

presentation functionality that, when executed under the control of the control and processing unit, involves displaying on the display the camera image and a spatial discrepancy between a marking unit position and the target position, the spatial discrepancy being displayed;

in a first direction using a first discrepancy indicator that indicates an interval from the target position to a plane defined by the surveying appliance and the marking unit; and

in a second direction using a second discrepancy indicator that indicates an interval from the target position to a normal to the plane, which normal is stipulated by the marking unit position;

wherein the spatial discrepancy is presented independently in the first direction and in the second direction.

7. The geodetic surveying appliance as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

a scaling for the presentation of the first discrepancy indicator and the second discrepancy indicator can be changed over in each case between at least two scalings, independently of one another.