Surveying and target tracking by a network of survey devices
AssigneeTrimble Navigation Limited
InventorKurtis L. Maynard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A survey device includes a dual-axis position encoder, a video camera coupled, a laser rangefinder, a wireless transceiver, and a processor. The processor is configured to autonomously orient the video camera via the dual-axis position encoder, autonomously identify other survey devices and a target that are within a line-of-sight field-of-view of the video camera, operate the laser rangefinder to determine range to the autonomously identified target and the autonomously identified other survey devices, and determining coordinates of the autonomously identified target and the autonomously identified other survey devices based on the dual-axis position encoder.
Claims20
A survey device comprising:
- a dual-axis position encoder;
- a video camera coupled with said dual-axis position encoder;
- a laser rangefinder coupled with said dual-axis position encoder;
- a wireless transceiver;
- and a processor, said processor configured to:
- autonomously orient said video camera via said dual-axis position encoder;
- autonomously identify other survey devices and a target that are within a line-of-sight field-of-view of said video camera;
- operate said laser rangefinder to determine range to said autonomously identified target and said autonomously identified other survey devices;
- and
- determining coordinates of said autonomously identified target and said autonomously identified other survey devices based on said dual-axis encoder.
A system comprising:
- a plurality of optical survey devices, wherein an optical survey device of said plurality of optical survey devices comprises:
- a dual-axis position encoder;
- a video camera coupled with said dual-axis position encoder;
- a laser rangefinder coupled with said dual-axis position encoder;
- a wireless transceiver;
- and a processor, said processor configured to:
- autonomously orient said video camera via said dual-axis position encoder;
- autonomously identify other survey devices and a target that are within a line-of-sight field-of-view of said video camera;
- operate said laser rangefinder to determine range to said autonomously identified target and said autonomously identified other survey devices;
- and
- determining coordinates of said autonomously identified target and said autonomously identified other survey devices, wherein each of said plurality of optical survey devices is configured to:
- concurrently track said autonomously identified target based on an unobstructed line-of-sight to said autonomously identified target;
- and
- communicatively couple with a wireless network to share information regarding said autonomously identified target.
A computer-implemented method for surveying an environment and tracking a target, said computer-implemented method comprising:
- autonomously orienting a video camera of a survey device of a plurality of survey devices, via a dual-axis position encoder;
- autonomously identifying other survey devices and a target that are within a line-of-sight field-of-view of said video camera;
- and
- communicatively coupling with a wireless network to share information regarding said autonomously identified other survey devices and said target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.