Queue of data collection tasks for surveying instrument

A controller for controlling a surveying instrument, the controller configured to perform steps comprising:

• controlling the surveying instrument to perform a laser scanning operation in accordance with a queue of survey measurements including the laser scanning operation;
• receiving, during the laser scanning operation, an instruction indicating an additional survey measurement to be performed by the surveying instrument in addition to the survey measurements already in the queue, wherein the additional survey measurement includes performing an individual point measurement to determine a distance and a direction to a previously identified reflecting element placed proximate to but spaced from a target;
• interrupting the laser scanning operation and controlling the surveying instrument to perform the additional survey measurement indicated by the received instruction;
• thereafter
• controlling the surveying instrument to continue the laser scanning operation by performing the remaining portion of the laser scanning operation;
• and
• controlling the surveying instrument to perform the survey measurements in an order determined based on the queue, wherein said laser scanning operation includes a plurality of measurements each corresponding to respective different sighting directions of the surveying instrument, and wherein the additional survey measurement indicated by the received instruction includes a measurement of higher precision than the measurements of said laser scanning operation.

A method of controlling a survey instrument configured to perform laser scanning operations and individual point measurements, wherein the individual point measurements are used to determine a position of the survey instrument, and the position of the survey instrument is used to determine geo referenced positions of measurement points from the scanning operations, the method comprising:

• controlling the surveying instrument to perform a laser scanning operation that includes obtaining a plurality of measurements each at different sighting directions of the surveying instrument to generate a three-dimensional (3D) cloud of measurement points, the laser scanning operation defining an area to be scanned and a density of the measurement points within the area;
• receiving, during the laser scanning operation, a first instruction indicating a first additional survey measurement to be performed by the surveying instrument, wherein the first additional survey measurement indicated by the received first instruction includes performing a first individual point measurement to determine first angles and a first distance between the surveying instrument and a previously identified reflecting element placed proximate to but spaced from a first position;
• controlling, during the laser scanning operation, the surveying instrument to interrupt the laser scanning operation;
• controlling, after interrupting the laser scanning operation, the surveying instrument to perform the first additional survey measurement indicated by the received first instruction;
• controlling, after performance of the first additional survey measurement, the surveying instrument to continue the interrupted laser scanning operation;
• thereafter
• receiving, during the continued laser scanning operation, a second instruction indicating a second additional survey measurement to be performed by the surveying instrument, wherein the second additional survey measurement indicated by the received second instruction includes performing a second individual point measurement to determine second angles and a second distance between the surveying instrument and the previously identified reflecting element placed proximate to but spaced from a second position different from the first position;
• controlling, during the continued laser scanning operation, the surveying instrument to interrupt the continued laser scanning operation;
• controlling, after interrupting the continued laser scanning operation, the surveying instrument to perform the second additional survey measurement indicated by the received second instruction;
• controlling, after performance of the second additional survey measurement, the surveying instrument to continue the interrupted laser scanning operation;
• computing a position of the surveying instrument based on at least the first individual point measurement obtained as a result of the received first instruction and the second individual point measurement obtained as a result of the received second instruction;
• and
• determining geo referenced positions of the measurement points of the 3D cloud based on the computed position of the surveying instrument.