System and method of land marking

• US 6,437,708 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Top Link Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Top Link Ltd.
• Inventors: Brouwer, Frans P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/694,689
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/815.4, 342/357.06, 244/137.1, 244/137.4, 102/402, 144/335, 144/336, 144/4.1, 441/6, 441/7, 441/11, 334/40, 33/1.CC, 700/240, 221/1, 221/2, 221/4
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/02 Means for marking measuring points

Abstract

A system for an aerial land marking and surveying is disclosed. The system comprises an aircraft carrying a GPS receiver and a land marking device capable of physically marking a point on the ground identified by a computer program. A new method of an aerial land marking and surveying and a land-marking device for carrying out the method are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An aerial land marking system, the system comprising:

a) an aircraft capable of hovering above a selected area on the ground;

b) a land-marking device capable of being suspended from the aircraft, the land-marking device capable of marking a survey point on the ground;

c) a GPS (global positioning system) receiver capable of being suspended from the aircraft and situated above the land-marking device when thus suspended, the GPS receiver being capable of receiving position data; and

d) a computer communicatively connected to the GPS receiver and the land-marking device for calculating and storing coordinates of the marked survey point.

2. The aerial land marking system of claim 1, further comprising a load meter for determining whether the aircraft, the GPS receiver and the land-marking device remain on a straight line.

3. The aerial land marking system of claim 1, further comprising an inclinometer for determining the horizontal pitch of the land-marking device and being operatively connected to the computer to enable the latter to calculate the coordinates of the marked survey point.

4. The aerial land marking system of claim 1, further comprising means for determining the relative position between the GPS receiver and the device and being operatively connected to the computer to enable calculation of the coordinates of the marked survey point.

5. The aerial land marking system of claim 1, further comprising a reference station for transmitting reference position data to the GPS receiver, the reference position data being used to calculate the coordinates of the marked survey point.

6. The aerial land marking system of claim 1, wherein said aircraft is a helicopter.

7. A method of aerial land marking, said method comprising the steps of:

flying an aircraft carrying a land-marking device to a position above a location on the ground,

lowering the land-marking device to a point proximate to the location on the ground,

securing a marker from the land-marking device at a point on the ground,

calculating and recording coordinates for the point on the ground.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the coordinates are calculated utilizing data provided by a GPS receiver.

9. A method of aerial land marking, the method comprising steps of:

a) positioning a land-marking device and a GPS receiver over a survey area by means of an aircraft;

b) lowering the land-marking device and the GPS receiver such that the GPS receiver is situated above the land-marking device;

c) activating the GPS receiver whereby the latter receives position data;

d) securing a marker at or near a survey point of the survey area by using the land-marking device; and

e) calculating and recording coordinates of the marked survey point.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step of determining the location of said GPS receiver relative to said land-marking device to calculate coordinates of the marked survey point.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step of providing reference position data to the GPS receiver to more accurately calculate coordinates of the marked survey point.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said aircraft is a helicopter.