US 12,152,881 B2
Total station re-sectioning using two-dimensional targets
Matthew Fonken, Federal Heights, CO (US); Ashish Dhital, Westminster, CO (US); Scott Graybill, Arvada, CO (US); and Vinod Khare, Westminster, CO (US)
Assigned to Trimble Inc., Westminster, CO (US)
Filed by Trimble Inc., Westminster, CO (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/981,373.
Prior Publication US 2024/0151529 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. G01C 15/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); H04N 23/61 (2023.01); H04N 23/695 (2023.01)
CPC G01C 15/002 (2013.01) [G06T 7/70 (2017.01); H04N 23/61 (2023.01); H04N 23/695 (2023.01); G06T 2207/30244 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for positioning and orienting a total station within a construction environment, the system comprising:
a surveying instrument, the surveying instrument comprising a camera, an electronic theodolite, and an electronic distance measurement (EDM) unit;
a first target, wherein the first target is a two-dimensional target;
a second target, wherein:
the second target is a two-dimensional target; and
the second target is visually distinguishable from the first target; and
one or more memory devices comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform the following steps:
detecting the first target, using the camera of the surveying instrument, wherein a position and orientation of the first target with respect to the construction environment was previously measured;
calculating an orientation of the first target with respect to the surveying instrument, based on an image of the first target acquired by the camera of the surveying instrument;
measuring a distance from the surveying instrument to the first target, using the electronic theodolite and EDM unit of the surveying instrument;
estimating a position and an orientation of the surveying instrument with respect to the construction environment based on:
the orientation of the first target with respect to the surveying instrument;
the distance from the surveying instrument to the first target; and
the position and orientation of the first target with respect to the construction environment;
estimating a position of the second target with respect to the surveying instrument, based on estimating the position and the orientation of the surveying instrument with respect to the construction environment, wherein a position of the second target with respect to the construction environment was previously measured;
orienting the camera of the surveying instrument toward the second target, based on estimating the position of the second target with respect to the surveying instrument;
acquiring an image of the second target, using the camera of the surveying instrument;
identifying the second target, based on the image of the second target acquired by the camera of the surveying instrument;
measuring a distance from the surveying instrument to the second target, using the EDM unit of the surveying instrument;
measuring a change in orientation of the camera from the first target to the second target based on rotation of the surveying instrument; and
revising the position and/or the orientation of the surveying instrument with respect to the construction environment based on:
the distance from the surveying instrument to the second target;
the change in orientation measured for the camera from the first target to the second target; and
the position of the second target with respect to the construction environment.