DETERMINING TILT ANGLE AND TILT DIRECTION USING IMAGE PROCESSING
Granted: December 27, 2012
Application Number:
20120330601
A survey instrument includes a surveying device configured to perform survey measurements and an imaging device coupled to the surveying device and having a known spatial relationship with the surveying device. The imaging device may be configured to obtain image information. The survey instrument also includes a processor in electrical communication with the imaging device. The processor may be configured to receive the image information from the imaging device, process the image…
GNSS Signal Processing with Regional Augmentation Message
Granted: December 6, 2012
Application Number:
20120306694
Methods and apparatus for processing of GNSS data derived from multi-frequency code and carrier observations are presented which make available correction data for use by a rover located within the region, the correction data comprising: the ionospheric delay over the region, the tropospheric delay over the region, the phase-leveled geometric correction per satellite, and the at least one code bias per satellite. In some embodiments the correction data includes an ionospheric phase bias…
GNSS Signal Processing with Regional Augmentation Network
Granted: November 22, 2012
Application Number:
20120293367
Methods and apparatus for processing of GNSS data derived from multi-frequency code and carrier observations are presented which make available correction data for use by a rover located within the region, the correction data comprising: the ionospheric delay over the region, the tropospheric delay over the region, the phase-leveled geometric correction per satellite, and the at least one code bias per satellite. In some embodiments the correction data includes an ionospheric phase bias…
Agricultural Autopilot Path Adjustment
Granted: November 22, 2012
Application Number:
20120296529
Predictive tractor path adjustments improve implement tracking performance by enabling agricultural autopilots to anticipate the effect of curves, slopes, changing soil conditions and other influences.
GNSS Signal Processing with Regional Augmentation Positioning
Granted: November 15, 2012
Application Number:
20120286991
Methods and apparatus for processing of GNSS data derived from multi-frequency code and carrier observations are presented which make available correction data for use by a rover located within the region, the correction data comprising: the ionospheric delay over the region, the tropospher?c delay over the region, the phase-leveled geometric correction per satellite, and the at least one code bias per satellite. In some embodiments the correction data includes an ionospheric phase bias…
Railway Track Monitoring
Granted: November 1, 2012
Application Number:
20120274772
Novel tools and techniques for monitoring railway track geometry. In one aspect, some such tools and techniques can determine a location of a platform along a railway, capture one or more images of the railway, and/or analyze the rail configuration at that point. In another aspect, some solutions might employ photogrammetric techniques to analyze the rail configuration and thereafter store data about the rail configuration, perhaps correlated with the location of the images, in a data…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SURVEYING USING RFID DEVICES
Granted: September 13, 2012
Application Number:
20120229262
A method of surveying includes detecting an RFID tag associated with a position of interest and decoding information stored in the RFID tag to extract data associated with the position of interest. The method also includes presenting the data associated with the position of interest to an operator of a surveying tool.
Indicating Quality of GNSS Position Fixes
Granted: September 13, 2012
Application Number:
20120229332
Methods and apparatus are provided for reporting quality of GNSS position fixes. A desired quality mode selection is obtained. Position fixes with respective precision estimates and satellite tracking information are obtained. For each of a plurality of position fixes a current positioning quality is determined, based on the precision estimates and satellite tracking information and quality mode selection. Current positioning quality is reported. The quality selection can be a preference…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING OBJECTS
Granted: August 9, 2012
Application Number:
20120199648
A system, device and methods are provided for tracking objects, such as shipping containers and other movable items. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting an object based on detection of an object identification tag and detecting a marker during transport of the object, wherein detection of the marker includes determining location data of the marker. The method may further include storing position data for the object based on the location data of the marker, and outputting the…
Dry Agricultural Materials Management
Granted: August 9, 2012
Application Number:
20120200697
Systems and methods that improve farmers' ability to measure quantities of dry agricultural materials and rates of change of those quantities are disclosed. Also disclosed are systems and methods to rapidly and effectively communicate materials quantities and rates between farm equipment operators.
LASER TRANSMITTER AND METHOD
Granted: August 2, 2012
Application Number:
20120194889
A laser transmitter projects a beam of laser light outward while raising and lowering the beam. The beam may define a conical surface of varying inclination. The transmitter includes a laser source that directs a beam generally vertically, and a beam diverting element. The beam diverting element is positioned in the path of the beam, intercepting the beam and redirecting it. The beam emerges from the transmitter as a non-vertical beam that is raised and lowered. The diverting element may…
IMAGE-BASED SURFACE TRACKING
Granted: August 2, 2012
Application Number:
20120195466
A method of image-tracking by using an image capturing device (12). The method comprises: performing an image-capture of a scene (54) by using an image capturing device; and tracking movement (62) of the image capturing device (12) by analyzing a set of images by using an image processing algorithm (64).
INTEGRATED SURVEYING AND LEVELING
Granted: July 26, 2012
Application Number:
20120186088
A method of determining a position of a point in a local coordinate system using a survey instrument comprising an integrated optical total station and digital level includes measuring an angle associated with the point. The angle may be measured about a vertical axis of the survey instrument, and the vertical axis may be substantially aligned with a local gravity vector. The method also includes determining a distance between the survey instrument and the point using an electronic…
REMOTE POSITIONING
Granted: July 26, 2012
Application Number:
20120188529
A method for determining a distance to a target point located approximately at ground level includes aiming a measurement device at the target point, determining a tilt of the measurement device using tilt sensors, and determining a height of the measurement device above the ground. A position of the target point may be determined using the tilt and height of the measurement device, a position of the measurement device, and a bearing to the target point.
LANDFILL GAS SURFACE MONITOR AND METHODS
Granted: July 26, 2012
Application Number:
20120191349
Embodiments of the invention provide systems, devices, and method for monitoring gas emissions within a geographic area. A method for monitoring gas emissions may include providing a gas-monitoring device configured to be moved within the geographic area. The method may also include determining geographic locations of the device as the device is moved within the geographic area, determining a quantity of one or more gases in the air as the device is moved within the geographic area, and…
GNSS Signal Processing to Estimate Phase-Leveled Clocks
Granted: June 28, 2012
Application Number:
20120162007
Methods and apparatus are described for processing a set of GNSS signal data derived from code observations and carrier-phase observations at multiple receivers of GNSS signals of multiple satellites over multiple epochs, the GNSS signals having at least two carrier frequencies and a navigation message containing orbit information, comprising: obtaining precise orbit information for each satellite, determining at least one set of ambiguities per receiver, each ambiguity corresponding to…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGE-BASED POSITIONING
Granted: June 28, 2012
Application Number:
20120163656
Method and apparatus are provided for image based positioning comprising capturing a first image with an image capturing device. Wherein said first image includes at least one object. Moving the platform and capturing a second image with the image capturing device. The second image including the at least one object. Capturing in the first image an image of a surface; capturing in the second image a second image of the surface. Processing the plurality of images of the object and the…
Enhanced Position Measurement Systems and Methods
Granted: June 28, 2012
Application Number:
20120166137
Novel solutions for position measurement, including without limitation tools and techniques that can be used for land surveying and in similar applications. One such tool is a greatly enhanced position measurement system that takes the form of a surveying rod with substantial independent functionality, which can be used with or without a total station or similar device.
GNSS Signal Processing to Estimate Orbits
Granted: June 21, 2012
Application Number:
20120154210
Methods and apparatus are described for processing a set of GNSS signal data derived from signals of GNSS satellites observed at reference station receivers, the data representing code observations and carrier observations on each of at least two carriers over multiple epochs, comprising: obtaining an orbit start vector comprising: a time sequence of predicted positions and predicted velocities for each satellite over a first interval, and the partial derivatives of the predicted…
GNSS Signal Processing with Rover Ambiguity Fixing
Granted: June 21, 2012
Application Number:
20120154214
Methods and apparatus are described for processing a set of GNSS signal data derived from signals of a set of satellites having carriers observed at a rover antenna, wherein the data includes a carrier observation and a code observation of each carrier of each satellite, comprising: obtaining for each satellite clock corrections comprising at least two of: (i) a code-leveled satellite clock, (ii) a phase-leveled satellite clock, and (iii) a satellite clock bias representing a difference…
