Collecting external accessory data at a mobile data collection platform that obtains raw observables from an internal chipset

• US 9,462,446 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2014
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Rudow, Richard, Kasirajan, Venkateswaran, Wold, Robert, Talbot, Nicholas C., Loomis, Peter Van Wyck, Weisenburger, Shawn D., Janky, James M., McCusker, Michael V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US14/516,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20150050907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

External accessory data is collected at a mobile data collection platform (MDCP) provided by an external accessory of the MDCP. An image that includes a point of interest is captured using an image capturing device integral to the MDCP. Raw observables are obtained from a GNSS chipset internal to the MDCP. An position fix of the MDCP defines the location of an antenna and is determined based on the raw observables. An entrance pupil location is calculated as an offset off the antenna location. Orientation information comprising a tilt angle and an azimuth angle is determined. The position fix and orientation information are associated with a three dimensional location that the MDCP is at when the image was captured. External accessory data is received from an accessory external to the MDCP. The image, position fix, orientation information and external accessory data are stored in hardware memory of the MDCP.

Claims

1. A method of collecting external accessory data at a mobile data collection platform provided by an external accessory of the mobile data collection platform, the method comprising:

capturing an image that includes a point of interest, wherein the capturing is performed by an image capturing device that is an integral part of the mobile data collection platform;

obtaining raw observables from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipset that is internal to the mobile data collection platform;

determining a position fix based on the raw observables, wherein the position fix defines a location of an antenna;

calculating a location of an entrance pupil as an offset from the location of the antenna;

determining orientation information comprising a tilt angle and an azimuth angle, wherein the position fix and the orientation information are associated with a three dimensional location of the mobile data collection platform when the image was captured;

receiving external accessory data from an accessory that is external to the mobile data collection platform, wherein the accessory and the mobile data collection platform are externally coupled together; and

storing the image, the position fix, the orientation information and the external accessory data in hardware memory of the mobile data collection platform, wherein the capturing, obtaining, determining of the position fix, determining of the orientation information, and the storing are performed by one or more hardware processors that are part of the mobile data collection platform and outside of the GNSS chipset;

wherein the receiving of the external accessory data from the accessory further comprises;

receiving the external accessory data from an external electronic distance measurement accessory.

2. The method as recited by claim 1, wherein the receiving of the external accessory data from the accessory that is external to the mobile data collection platform further comprises:

receiving of the external accessory data from the accessory that is external to the mobile data collection platform, wherein there is a known fixed relationship between the mobile data collection platform and the external accessory.

3. The method as recited by claim 1, wherein the receiving of the external accessory data from the accessory further comprises:

receiving the external accessory data from an external image capturing device accessory that is selected from a group consisting of an external infrared (IR) image capturing device and an external non-infrared image capturing device.

4. The method as recited by claim 1, wherein the receiving of the external accessory data further comprises:

receiving a distance measurement from an external electronic distance measurement accessory.

5. The method as recited by claim 4, wherein the receiving of the distance measurement further comprises:

receiving the distance measurement that provides a scale factor used in photogrammetric data processing.

6. The method as recited by claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

illuminating the point of interest with a beam of light from a laser pointer accessory.

7. The method as recited by claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring when a user of the mobile data collection platform presses a button capturing the image;

activating the external accessory in response to detecting that the button was pressed; and

requesting the external accessory data from the external accessory in response to the detecting that the button was pressed.

8. A mobile data collection system for collecting data, the mobile data collection system comprising:

an external accessory for providing external accessory data to a mobile data collection platform;

the mobile data collection platform comprising a cellular device that includes an antenna, an internal GNSS chipset, an image capturing device, an orientation system, hardware memory, and one or more hardware processors, wherein the cellular device has a display, wherein the image capturing device includes an entrance pupil, and wherein the one or more hardware processors are located outside of the internal GNSS chipset;

the image capturing device that captures an image, wherein the image capturing device is disposed in a known fixed relationship with a known geometric offset from the antenna;

the orientation system includes a tilt sensor and a compass and determines orientation information that includes tilt angle obtained from the tilt sensor and tilt direction obtained from the compass;

the hardware memory that stores the image, a position fix, the external accessory data, and the orientation information; and

the one or more hardware processors;

receives internal raw observables from the internal GNSS chipset;

captures an image with the image capturing device, wherein the image depicts a point of interest;

determines the position fix based on the raw observables, wherein the position fix provides a location of the antenna in a GNSS coordinate system;

accesses the orientation information from the orientation system, wherein the orientation information is associated with a three dimensional location of the mobile data collection platform when the image was captured; and

stores the image, the position fix, the orientation information, and the external accessory data in the hardware memory of the mobile data collection platform;

wherein the external accessory is an external electronic distance measurement accessory.

9. The mobile data collection system of claim 8, wherein the raw observables include raw pseudoranges and one of carrier phase information and Doppler Shift Information.

10. The mobile data collection system of claim 8, wherein there are one or more known geometric offsets between the external accessory and the mobile data collection platform that are physical coupled together.

11. The mobile data collection system of claim 8, wherein the external accessory is an external image capturing device accessory.

12. The mobile data collection system of claim 8, wherein the mobile data collection platform further comprises:

detect image capture button pressed logic that monitors when a user of the mobile data collection platform presses a button that initiates capture of the image; and

request information from accessory logic that activates the external accessory and requests the external accessory data from the external accessory in response to detecting that the button was pressed, wherein the one or more hardware processors executes the detect image capture button pressed logic and the request information from accessory logic.

13. The mobile data collection system of claim 12, wherein the one or more hardware processors further performs:

receiving the external accessory data from the external accessory;

receiving collected internal data from the mobile data collection platform, wherein the position fix of the mobile data collection platform is the position of the mobile data collection platform at a time of the receiving of the external accessory data and the receiving of the collected internal data; and

storing the external accessory data with the collected internal data in the hardware memory.

14. The mobile data collection system of claim 8, wherein a mounting system couples the external accessory and the mobile data collection platform together.

15. The mobile data collection system of claim 14, wherein the mounting system is selected from a group consisting of a snap-on mounting system and a screw mount.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for causing a computer system to perform a method of performing data collection using a cellular device, the method comprising:

capturing an image that depicts a point of interest using a cellular device;

obtaining raw observables from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipset that is an integral part of the cellular device;

determining a position fix based on the raw observables, wherein the position fix defines a location of antenna of the GNSS chipset of the cellular device;

calculating a location of an entrance pupil as an offset from the location of the antenna;

determining a three dimensional position of the cellular device based on a local gravity vector and the position fix;

receiving external accessory data from an accessory that is external to the cellular device; and

storing the image, the three dimensional position, and the external accessory data in hardware memory of the cellular device,

wherein the local gravity vector is local with respect to the cellular device,

wherein the antenna is located at the position fix when the image is captured;

wherein the receiving of the external accessory data from the accessory further comprises;

receiving the external accessory data from an external electronic distance measurement accessory.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited by claim 16, wherein the receiving of the external accessory data from the accessory further comprises:

receiving the external accessory data from an external image capturing device accessory.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited by claim 16, wherein the receiving of the external accessory data further comprises:

receiving an external image from an external image capturing device accessory.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited by claim 16, wherein the receiving of the external accessory data from the accessory further comprises:

receiving the external accessory data from a combination accessory that includes an external electronic distance measurement accessory, and at least one of an external infrared image capturing device accessory, and an external GNSS raw observable provider accessory.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited by claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting when a user of the cellular device presses a button to capture the image;

activating the external accessory in response to the detecting that the button was pressed; and

requesting the external accessory data from the external accessory in response to the detecting that the button was pressed.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the external accessory data from the external accessory;

receiving collected internal data from the cellular device, wherein the position fix of the cellular device is the position of the cellular device at a time of the receiving of the external accessory data and the receiving of the collected internal data; and

associating the external accessory data with the collected internal data.