US 5,517,419 A · Advanced terrain mapping system

Abstract

A tractor and trailer together with a post-processing system that uses GPS satellites together with a dead reckoning system and associated cameras and sensors to determine the exact location of the system, translating this location information onto several photogrammetric mapping collectors for the purposes of developing an orthographic database image that can be correlated with other onboard sensors for determining the precise location of terrain features. The main sensor platform comprises a GPS receiver together with a plurality of visual sensors and a dead reckoning system mounted on a trailer. The GPS data and the dead reckoning data are brought together in a navigation system to provide precise location of the system. The camera system on board the trailer of the system comprises a series of cameras for recording images of the terrain as the trailer proceeds over the terrain of interest. During data collection, digital imagery is transmitted from each camera and received by an on-board computer. The collection of image data is triggered by the movement of the vehicle a certain distance along the ground. Simultaneously with the collection of the digital image data, the on-board GPS system and dead reckoning system are queried for geographical reference. A dataframe is then created and stored for each form of imagery from each camera. During post processing, an operator can extract highly accurate geographic coordinates from a combination of photogrammetric techniques using the stored images and geographic data. The system outputs hardcopy engineering plots and softcopy digital vector files.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A terrain mapping system, comprising:

A) a field system;
B) a global positioning system receiver mounted on the field system for receiving field system position information from a global positioning system satellite;
C) a dead reckoning system, mounted on the field system and comprising a wheel encoder, an attitude sensor, and a roll potentiometer connected to determine and provide geographic reference data relative to the field system;
and
D) a navigation system comprising computer logic for correlating the position information from the global positioning receiver and the geographic reference data from the dead reckoning system to determine and record a data collection position of the field system;
E) the global positioning receiver and the dead reckoning system operating concurrently to provide continuous field system position and velocity vector information.

3 more elements

A method for mapping terrain, comprising:

A) collecting global positioning information from a plurality of global positioning satellites at a particular location on the terrain;
B) collecting dead reckoning information at the same location on the terrain;
C) combining the global positioning information and the dead reckoning information to determine and record data collection position data of the particular location on the terrain;
D) capturing digital images of terrain proximate to the particular location;
E) capturing overlapping digital images of terrain proximate to the particular location to provide a stereo characterization of the terrain proximate to the particular location through a mensuration process;
F) correlating the digital images with the instantaneous position data;
G) collecting global positioning information at a new particular location on the terrain;
H) collecting dead reckoning information at the same new location on the terrain;
I) continuously combining the global positioning information and the dead reckoning information to determine instantaneous position data of the particular location on the terrain as the particular location on the terrain changes to a new location on the terrain;
J) processing the digital images and the instantaneous position data to provide terrain surveying information;
K) associating an identification number with each digital image to facilitate future retrieval of the digital images based on key terrain features on the digital images;
and
L) performing photogrammetric data reduction of a horizontal strip camera to determine the spatial location of each pixel for automated derivation of terrain elevation and feature recognition.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Advanced terrain mapping system

Life of this patent

Advanced terrain mapping system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16