Real-time surveying/earth moving system
AssigneeCarlson Software, Inc.
InventorsR. Bruce Carlson, David S. Carlson, Leonid Entov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention includes a method and apparatus which determines the tree-dimensional (x, y, z coordinate) position of the receiving position of a GPS antenna on an earth-moving machine or a vehicle, determines the tilt of the machine or vehicle in real time (tilt may vary from point to point), and utilizes this data to calculate the three-dimesional (x, y, z coordinate) position of a point of the earth's surface disposed beneath the machine or vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention derives and displays the distance between the actual elevation of this point and the desired surface elevation.
Claims33
A method for determining in real time the three-dimensional position of a point on an earth surface, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a vehicle adapted for ground engaging movement along the earth surface, said vehicle having:
- a GPS receiver system with a GPS signal-receiving antenna portion disposed thereon at a spaced location relative to a ground engaging point of the vehicle;
- one or more tilt sensors adapted to measure tilt of the vehicle relative to a horizontal plane along at least one axis;
- and
- a computer;
- (b) receiving a GPS signal at said GPS signal-receiving antenna portion;
- (c) utilizing the GPS signal to calculate the three-dimensional location of the signal-receiving antenna portion;
- (d) determining the direction of movement of the vehicle;
- (e) utilizing said one or more tilt sensors to provide an angle of tilt of the vehicle along at least one axis;
- (f) utilizing the three-dimensional location, the spaced location, the angle of tilt, and the direction of movement of the vehicle to calculate in real time the three-dimensional position of a point on the earth surface disposed at a predetermined location relative to the ground engaging point of the vehicle, as the vehicle traverses the surface.
An article of manufacture for determining in real time the three-dimensional position of a point on an earth surface, comprising:
- a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer usable medium having:
- computer readable program code for reading a three-dimensional location of a GPS signal-receiving antenna portion disposed on a vehicle adapted for ground engaging movement along the earth surface, the GPS signal-receiving antenna portion disposed on the vehicle at a spaced location relative to a ground engaging point of the vehicle;
- computer readable program code for determining the direction of movement of the vehicle;
- computer readable program code for utilizing the three-dimensional location, the spaced location, an angle of tilt generated by one or more tilt sensors adapted to measure tilt of the vehicle relative to a horizontal orientation along at least one axis, and the direction of movement of the vehicle to calculate the three-dimensional position of a point on the earth surface disposed at a predetermined location relative to the ground engaging point of the vehicle, as the vehicle traverses the earth surface.
An apparatus adapted for determining in real-time the three-dimensional position of a point on an earth surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a GPS receiver system with a GPS signal-receiving antenna portion disposable on a vehicle at a spaced location relative to a ground engaging point of the vehicle;
- one or more tilt sensors to measure tilt of the vehicle relative to a horizontal plane along at least one axis;
- and
- a computer adapted to:
- utilize the GPS signal received at said GPS signal-receiving antenna portion;
- to calculate the three-dimensional location of the signal-receiving antenna portion;
- determine the direction of movement of the vehicle;
- utilize said one or more tilt sensors to provide an angle of tilt of the vehicle along at least one axis;
- and
- utilize the three-dimensional location, the spaced location, the angle of tilt, and the direction of movement of the vehicle to calculate in real time the three-dimensional position of a point on the earth surface disposed at a predetermined location relative to the ground engaging point of the vehicle, as the vehicle traverses the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.