Combination laser detector and global navigation satellite receiver system

• US 7,764,365 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Cain, Gary L., Janky, James M., Nichols, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, ISAM A
• Application Number:
  US10/898,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20060279727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 356/3.1, 356/3.12, 356/5.01, 356/138, 356/139.1, 3561412-1415, 356/622, 356/623
• US Class Current: 356/139.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/44 Carrier phase ambiguity resolution; Floating ambiguity; LAMBDA [Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment] method
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/789 using rotating or oscillating beam systems, e.g. using mirrors, prisms

Abstract

A combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna has a laser detector positioned in a known and fixed relationship with the nominal phase center of an included global navigation satellite antenna. The offsets for these elements may be fixed, simplifying set up.

Claims

1. A man portable integrated system for determining the position of an object of interest in each of three coordinates in a three-dimensional coordinate system by detecting at least two fan-shaped beams oriented at differing angles and rotated about a common axis and by detecting signals from a global navigation satellite system, comprising:

a combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna having an antenna element with a nominal phase center orientated along a first axis, said antenna element being adapted to receive signals from a global navigation satellite system, and having at least one optical sensor also oriented along said first axis a predetermined distance from said antenna element, said optical sensor being adapted to respond to the fan-shaped lasers beams;

a support for supporting said combination laser detector and global satellite antenna; and

a processing unit adapted to use information provided by said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna to determine the three dimensional position of the object of interest, said processing unit using information provided from said laser detector to determine each of the three coordinates, and said processing unit using information from said global navigation satellite antenna to determine each of the three coordinates.

2. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1 wherein said processing unit is adapted to provide capabilities of a survey data collector.

3. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1 wherein said processing unit is adapted to interface with a survey data collector.

4. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, further comprising a low noise amplifier coupled to said antenna element for processing received signals.

5. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, further comprising a processor coupled to said at least one optical sensor for processing output signals from said optical sensor produced in response to illumination by the fan-shaped beams.

6. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt sensor associated with said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna.

7. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, further comprising a heading sensor associated with said combination laser detector and global navigation satellite antenna.

8. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one optical sensor is located below said antenna element.

9. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one optical sensor is mounted on said support below said antenna element.

10. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, comprising three optical sensors.

11. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor.

12. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, further comprising a filter to improve the sensitivity of said optical sensor to the energy of the fan-shaped beams.

13. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein said optical pick-up comprises a circularly symmetric hyperbolic mirrored surface.

14. A man portable integrated system according to claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber coupling a non-metallic fiber optic pick-up to said optical sensor, and wherein said optical pick-up comprises a total internal reflective prism.