Land survey system
AssigneeTrimble Navigation Limited
InventorBruno Scherzinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system obtains precise survey-grade position data of target points in zones where precise GPS data cannot be obtained, due to natural or man-made objects such as foliage and buildings. The system comprises position measurement components such as a GPS receiver, together with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and an electronic distance meter (EDM) or an image capture device all mounted on a survey pole. The system and method obtains GPS data when outside the zone and uses the other position measurement systems, such as the IMU, inside the zone to traverse to a target point. The EDM or the image capture device may be used within or without the zone to obtain data to reduce accumulated position errors.
Claims22
A land-based position determination system, comprising:
- a vision positioning system configured to capture image data representing a sequence of images, said sequence of images including a plurality of non-common images of at least a fixed object;
- a processor configured to use said image data to obtain from said sequence of images position information pertaining to said vision positioning system;
- a position measurement system associated with said vision positioning system and configured to obtain position information pertaining to said position measurement system subject to position errors, said processor configured to use said position information pertaining to said position measurement system and said image data to calculate the position of the land based position determination system with reduced position errors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.