Performing data collection based on external raw observables using a mobile data collection platform

A mobile data collection platform system, the mobile data collection platform system comprising:

• an external Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) raw observables provider that includes an antenna, wherein the antenna receives GNSS positioning signals that define a location of the antenna and wherein the external GNSS raw observables provider is external to and coupled with a mobile data collection platform;
• wherein the mobile data collection platform includes:
• a cellular device that includes a display for displaying images and an internal GNSS chipset;
• an image capturing device that captures an image through an entrance pupil, wherein the display emulates crosshairs indicative of an axial direction of the entrance pupil of the image capturing device when displaying the image;
• an orientation system that includes a tilt sensor and a compass and determines orientation information that includes tilt angle obtained from the tilt sensor and heading information obtained from the compass, wherein the tilt angle is between the mobile data collection platform and a local gravity vector, and the heading information is an azimuth angle between a pointing vector of the image capturing device and a reference direction;
• hardware memory that stores the image, a position fix, and the orientation information;
• and
• one or more hardware processors that executes instructions which:
• receive external raw observables from the external GNSS raw observables provider;
• capture the image with the image capturing device, wherein the image depicts a point of interest and wherein the image is captured while the antenna is at the location;
• determine the position fix associated with the mobile data collection platform based on the external raw observables, wherein the position fix provides the location of the antenna in a GNSS coordinate system;
• calculate a location of the entrance pupil as an offset from the location of the antenna;
• access the orientation information from the orientation system, wherein the orientation information and the heading information are associated with a three dimensional location of the mobile data collection platform when the image was captured;
• and
• store the image, the position fix, the orientation information, and the heading information in the hardware memory of the mobile data collection platform
• wherein the hardware memory and the one or more hardware processors are outside of the internal GNSS chipset.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for causing a computer system to perform a method of performing data collection using a mobile data collection platform, the method comprising:

• capturing an image that depicts a point of interest using a cellular device;
• obtaining external raw observables from an external Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) raw observables provider;
• determining a position fix based on the external raw observables;
• determining a three dimensional position of the cellular device based on a local gravity vector and the position fix;
• capturing scale information;
• displaying a bubble level overlay on a display of the cellular device;
• displaying a graphical bubble in relation to the bubble level overlay;
• positioning the graphical bubble with respect to the bubble level overlay based on a degree of tilt of the cellular device;
• and
• storing the image, the scale information, and the three dimensional position in hardware memory of the cellular device,
• wherein the local gravity vector is local with respect to the cellular device,
• wherein the cellular device is at the three dimensional position when the image is captured,
• wherein the obtaining of the raw observables and the determining of the position fix are performed by one or more hardware processors that is part of the mobile data collection platform, and the one or more hardware processors is outside of an internal GNSS chipset of the cellular device.