# US 8,571,800 B2 · User interactive actual time networked survey system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,571,800 B2 - Document ID: US8571800B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/640,789 - Filed: 2009-12-17 - Published: 2013-09-26 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2008-08-07 - Assignees: Trimble Navigation Limited - Applicants: Kenneth Fortune; Christian Pagels - Inventors: Kenneth Fortune; Christian Pagels - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571800B2 ## CPC - G01S 5/0263: {by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems} - G01C 15/00: Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00 - G01S 5/0027: {of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile} - G01S 19/43: using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) ## Abstract A method for providing user interactive actual time networked surveying is disclosed. In one embodiment, a network connection is established between a survey instrument and a central computing device. In addition, a user session is established with the central computing device. Survey measurement data obtained with the survey instrument is transmitted to the central computing device. In addition, correction data from a virtual reference station (VRS) is received at the central computing device. The user session is allowed to direct the processing of the received survey measurement data including one or more real time kinematic calculations at the central computing device. The output of the processing of the received survey measurement data is provided to one or more authorized devices having a connection to the central computing device, the output provided in a concrete and tangible format. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for providing user interactive actual time networked surveying, said method comprising: establishing a network connection between a survey instrument and a central computing device; establishing a user session with the central computing device, the user session associated with the survey instrument; transmitting, to the central computing device, survey measurement data obtained with the survey instrument; receiving, at the central computing device, correction data from a virtual reference station (VRS); allowing said user session to direct the processing of the received survey measurement data including one or more real time kinematic calculations at the central computing device; and providing the output of the processing of the received survey measurement data to one or more authorized devices having a connection to said central computing device, said output provided in a concrete and tangible format. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: establishing a network connection between the survey instrument and a virtual reference station; and establishing a network connection between the virtual reference station and the central computing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising: receiving the survey measurement data at the virtual reference station (VRS); enhancing the received survey measurement data with corrections data from the VRS to enhanced survey measurement data; and transmitting the enhanced survey measurement data to the central computing device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: establishing a network connection between a virtual reference station and the central computing device; and transmitting correction data from the virtual reference station to the central computing device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a network connection between a plurality of computing devices and the central computing device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 further comprising providing access to two or more computing devices to the same set of survey measurement data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein one of the computing devices comprises a portable computing device and one of the computing devices comprises a desktop computing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein two of the computing devices comprise portable computing devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising computing one or more positions in one or more co-ordinate reference frames. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a network connection between a portable computing device and the central computing device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein establishing the user session is performed on the portable computing device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising: generating status and/or quality information at the central computing device on the received survey measurement data; and transmitting the generated status and/or quality information to the portable computing device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising establishing a network connection between the survey instrument and the portable computing device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving the survey measurement data at the central computing device at a first epoch rate; and transmitting data to the portable computing device at a second epoch rate, where the first epoch rate is different to the second epoch rate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the survey instrument is in a first location and the second portable computing device is in a second location. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the first location is a hazardous location. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the first location is unsuitable for a human operator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the survey instrument is positioned on an unmanned vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising executing a data collector application on the central computing device to facilitate receiving data at the central computing device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising executing several sets of real time kinematic calculations simultaneously. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20 further comprising calculating a user position from several base station base streams. ### Claim 22 A user interactive actual time networked survey system comprising: at least one user selectable survey device from a pool of selectable survey devices; a measurement data receiver module configured to receive raw measurement data from said at least one user selectable survey device and correction data from at least one virtual reference station (VRS) in actual time; a measurement data processing module for processing said raw measurement data in conjunction with said correction data in actual time to generate actual time corrected measurement data; and a graphical user interface (GUI) for presenting said actual time corrected measurement data in a user understandable format. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22 further comprising: a network accessible data repository to store said raw measurement data and said corrected measurement data, said data repository having real-time multiple user accessibility. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23 wherein said network accessible data repository stores said correction data from said at least one VRS. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22 further comprising: a current status information module to provide current status information for said at least one user selectable survey device on said GUI, said current status information selected from the group consisting of: position, satellites in view and battery level. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22 wherein said correction data is automatically selected and automatically applied to said raw measurement data to generate said corrected measurement data and said corrected measurement data is automatically provided to said GUI. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22 wherein said correction data is user selected and applied to said raw measurement data via user input to generate said corrected measurement data.