A laser ranging method and system based on boundary positioning

Abstract

The application provides a laser ranging method and system based on boundary positioning, the method comprising: providing a first emitted laser beam, the first emitted laser beam being directed to a position close to a target boundary; calculating a detection distance of the first emitted laser beam at the target boundary position by adjusting horizontal movement of the first emitted laser beam at the target boundary position; generating boundary positioning information when the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam at the target boundary position changes suddenly; after the boundary positioning information is generated, further providing a second emitted laser beam on the same laser range finder and directing the second emitted laser beam to a target detection position; and calculating a straight-line distance between a current emission point and the target detection position according to the second emitted laser beam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser ranging technology, and in particular to a laser ranging method and system based on boundary positioning. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, existing laser rangefinders face significant challenges in detecting distances to different sides of irregular objects or to targets with obstacles. For instance, measuring the distance from one boundary point to another on an irregular object requires multiple measurements with a single laser beam and the assistance of multiple auxiliary plates and other devices. This method is complex and ineffective. Traditional laser rangefinders typically require contact positioning or the human eye to roughly determine the rangefinder's position. Contact positioning requires the rangefinder itself to make contact with the corresponding location, while the human eye's rough judgment of the laser rangefinder's position is prone to significant errors. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a laser ranging method and system based on boundary positioning. The method and system utilize a dual-aperture laser rangefinder with a vertical relationship. The laser emitted from one laser aperture can be used for boundary positioning, and the other laser aperture can be used for ranging. Therefore, it can effectively solve the technical problem of locating and measuring irregularly shaped boundaries.

[0004] Another objective of this invention is to provide a laser ranging method and system based on boundary positioning. The method and system are equipped with a level instrument, which can display whether the laser rangefinder is level at the current position. When the rangefinder is level, the boundary positioning effect and ranging effect of the laser rangefinder can be effectively improved.

[0005] Another objective of this invention is to provide a laser ranging method and system based on boundary positioning. The method and system utilize the laser rangefinder to locate the boundary of irregular objects without contact, eliminating the need for human eyes or other equipment for boundary positioning, thereby improving the accuracy and convenience of boundary positioning.

[0006] To achieve at least one of the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention further provides a laser ranging method based on boundary positioning, the method comprising:

[0007] A first emitted laser beam is provided, which is directed toward a location close to the target boundary;

[0008] The detection distance of the first emitted beam at the target boundary position is calculated by adjusting the horizontal movement of the first emitted beam at the target boundary position;

[0009] When the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam at the target boundary changes abruptly, boundary positioning information is generated;

[0010] After generating the boundary positioning information, a second emitted beam is further provided on the same laser rangefinder to point to the target detection position;

[0011] The straight-line distance between the current emission point and the target detection position is calculated based on the second emitted laser beam and the corresponding reflected beam.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first emitted laser beam and the second emitted laser beam are perpendicular to each other, and the first emitted laser beam and the second emitted laser beam are located in the same plane.

[0013] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the first emitted laser beam is emitted near the target boundary, the first straight-line distance between the first emission port of the first emitted laser beam and the position near the target boundary is calculated in real time. After the first emitted laser beam is controlled to move horizontally near the target boundary, the distance from the second emitted laser beam to the target detection position is recorded in real time. If the distance detection of the reflection interface of the first emitted laser beam near the target boundary changes abruptly, the distance from the second emitted laser beam to the target detection position is taken at the time of the change as the target detection position distance for boundary positioning.

[0014] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method for determining a sudden change in the distance detection of the first emitted laser beam at the reflection interface near the target boundary includes: configuring a first distance difference threshold, calculating the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam near the target boundary at the current moment, calculating the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam at the next moment after it moves horizontally along the target boundary, calculating the difference between the detection distance at the next moment and the detection distance at the current moment, and determining that a sudden change in the current target boundary distance detection has occurred if the difference is greater than the first distance difference threshold.

[0015] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the detection distance changes abruptly after the first emitted laser beam moves horizontally along the vicinity of the target boundary, a boundary positioning signal is automatically generated, and a prompt message is issued based on the boundary positioning signal, and the detection distance of the current second emitted laser beam is intercepted in real time.

[0016] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method includes configuring a level on the laser ranging device, controlling the first emitted laser beam to be emitted perpendicularly downwards according to the level, and moving the first emitted laser beam perpendicularly downwards along the vicinity of the target boundary to cause a sudden change in the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam.

[0017] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method for calculating the distance between the second emitted laser beam and the target detection position includes: obtaining the emission time of the current second laser beam, obtaining the time when the second laser beam is reflected from the target detection position and received by the laser sensor at the emission point, and calculating the distance between the emission point and the target detection position based on the emission time and the reception time.

[0018] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method for calculating the distance of the second emitted laser beam to the target detection position includes: calculating the phase of the second laser beam at the time of emission, calculating the phase of the second laser beam after it is reflected from the target detection position and received by the laser sensor at the emission point, calculating the phase difference between the emission phase and the reception phase, and calculating the distance from the emission point of the second emitted laser beam to the target detection position based on the phase difference, the emission and reception time difference, and the speed of light.

[0019] To achieve at least one of the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention further provides a laser ranging system based on boundary positioning, wherein the system performs the laser ranging method based on boundary positioning described above.

[0020] The present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that is executed by a processor to implement the above-described laser ranging method based on boundary positioning. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic flowchart of a laser ranging method based on boundary positioning according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 The image shown is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a boundary-based rangefinder according to the present invention in one direction.

[0023] Figure 3 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional structural schematic of a boundary-based rangefinder according to the present invention, viewed from another direction.

[0024] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional spatial operation schematic of the ranging method in this invention.

[0025] Among them, laser rangefinder-10, first emitted laser beam-11, second emitted laser beam-12, detection position near the boundary-13, target detection position-14, and boundary-20 are all included. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following description is intended to disclose the present invention and enable those skilled in the art to implement it. The preferred embodiments described below are merely examples, and other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art. The basic principles of the invention defined in the following description can be applied to other embodiments, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and other technical solutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0027] It is understood that the term "a" should be understood as "at least one" or "one or more", that is, in one embodiment, the number of an element can be one, while in another embodiment, the number of the element can be multiple, and the term "a" should not be understood as a limitation on the number.

[0028] Please combine Figures 1-4 This invention provides a laser ranging method and system based on boundary positioning. The system includes a laser rangefinder with an internal processor. The laser rangefinder is a dual-beam laser rangefinder, where one laser beam has a boundary positioning function. The two laser beams of the laser rangefinder are perpendicular to each other and located on the same surface. After performing boundary positioning using the boundary positioning laser beam, the laser rangefinder further performs distance value locking of the ranging laser beam. This allows the ranging laser beam to automatically measure the distance between the corresponding boundary and the target detection position. The ranging method of this invention effectively avoids the obstruction of target boundary detection by protruding polygonal structures or obstacles. The ranging method of this invention requires only one measurement, eliminating the need for multiple measurements, reducing the cost of distance measurement, and improving the adaptability and flexibility of distance measurement in complex scenarios.

[0029] For details, please refer to Figures 2-3The laser rangefinder has a first transmitting port and a second transmitting port. The first transmitting port emits a first laser beam for boundary positioning, and this first laser beam is generally emitted horizontally downwards. The second transmitting port emits a second laser beam directed towards a target detection position to detect the distance between the current transmitting position and the target detection position. The second laser beam and the first laser beam are perpendicular to each other on the same plane. Due to the physical structure of the laser rangefinder in this invention, the first and second transmitting ports have a certain length relationship on the horizontal plane. Therefore, to reduce measurement errors, this invention adds the distance from the second transmitting port to the water surface of the first transmitting port to the distance value detected by the second laser beam. In other words, the actual detection distance from the corresponding emission port of the second emitted laser beam to the target detection position is defined as d0. This invention can know in advance the horizontal distance L from the corresponding emission port of the second emitted laser beam to the corresponding emission port of the first emitted laser beam. When calculating the target detection position distance, this invention uses the following formula to correct the actual detection distance of the second emitted laser beam: d = d0 + L, where d is the corrected value for the actual detection distance of the second emitted laser beam. At this point, the detection distance of the second emitted laser beam is the distance from the target detection position to the port position of the first emitted laser beam. This is used to improve the actual detection accuracy.

[0030] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the laser rangefinder is equipped with buttons and a display. The buttons include a power button and a mode selection button. The display is connected to the processor of the laser rangefinder and is used to display the results of laser ranging and positioning. The mode selection button is communicatively connected to the processor and is used to control the processor to provide different measurement modes, such as the boundary positioning measurement mode described in the present invention. The processor is also communicatively connected to the laser emitting and receiving devices of the first transmitting port and the laser emitting and receiving devices of the second transmitting port. It is used to receive and process signals from the corresponding sensors. The first transmitting port and the display are located on opposite sides of the laser rangefinder. When the first transmitting port faces downwards, the corresponding display faces upwards. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the laser rangefinder is equipped with a level measuring instrument. The level measuring instrument is used to measure the current position of the laser rangefinder. The level measuring instrument is installed inside the laser rangefinder and can measure whether the plane of the laser rangefinder where the first transmitting port is located is horizontal, thereby determining whether the first emitted laser from the first transmitting port is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. It should be noted that in the present invention... Figure 2 and Figure 3The mounting structure of each component is only for illustrative purposes. In some other preferred embodiments of the present invention, the level measuring instrument and the processor are connected, and the corresponding level information is directly sent to the display for visualization through the processor.

[0031] It is worth mentioning that when the laser rangefinder is selected in boundary positioning mode, the first and second transmitting ports of the laser rangefinder simultaneously emit a first and a second laser beam. The movement of the laser rangefinder can be manually controlled; please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 3 The laser rangefinder controls the first emitted laser beam to move near the target boundary, and simultaneously controls the second emitted laser beam to emit towards the target detection position. At this time, the processor inside the laser rangefinder acquires the reflected light of the first and second emitted laser beams in real time, and calculates the distance between the first and second emitted laser beams on the corresponding reflective surfaces based on the corresponding reflected light reception time and emitted light emission time.

[0032] Furthermore, the distance detected by the first emitted laser towards the target boundary position is defined as the boundary positioning distance *s*, and the distance detected by the second emitted laser towards the target detection position is defined as the target position detection distance *d*. At this time, the processor inside the laser rangefinder monitors the boundary positioning distance *s* in real time. The processor is configured with a first distance difference threshold *p* and a unit detection time, for example, every 0.2 seconds, to detect and statistically analyze the detection distance *s* of the first emitted laser at the current detection position near the target boundary position. The detection distance *s* of the first emitted laser near the target boundary position in the nth iteration is defined as... n The detection distance s of the first emitted laser at the target boundary position during the (n+1)th emission is... n+1 Calculate the detection distance s of the first emitted laser at the target boundary position during the (n+1)th emission. n+1 The detection distance s near the target boundary position of the first emitted laser during the nth time. n The difference s n+1 -s n Wherein the difference is taken as the absolute value, if the difference s n+1 -s n If the distance difference is greater than or equal to the first distance difference threshold p, then it is determined that there is a sudden change in the detection distance of the first emitted laser at the (n+1)th detection time point. Please refer to... Figure 4It is possible that in the nth detection, the first emitted laser moves downward from the higher-order surface. During this movement, it encounters a boundary, and in the (n+1)th detection, the first emitted laser illuminates the lower-order surface. Since the lower-order surface is farther from the first emission port than the higher-order surface, there is a difference between the distance between the lower-order surface and the emission point in the (n+1)th detection and the distance between the higher-order surface and the emission point in the nth detection. If the difference is small, it may be due to interference from a small slope or hand tremors. When the difference is greater than the aforementioned first distance difference threshold p, it can be effectively determined that the first emitted laser has bypassed the corresponding boundary during its movement. In some other preferred embodiments of the present invention, the size of the first distance difference threshold p can be changed in the processor according to requirements; the present invention does not limit the range of the first distance difference threshold p.

[0033] When the processor receives the detection distance s near the target boundary position of the (n+1)th first emitted laser beam, n+1 The detection distance s near the target boundary position of the first emitted laser during the nth time. n The difference s n+1 -s n If the distance difference is greater than or equal to the first distance difference threshold p, boundary positioning information is further generated. The processor, based on the timestamp generated by the boundary positioning information, extracts the real-time detection distance value of the second emitted laser at the target detection position at the corresponding timestamp. Therefore, this invention can provide relatively accurate distance measurement based on boundary positioning. Since the distance difference calculation for the first emitted laser is based on different height surfaces, the first emitted laser, as a boundary positioning laser, can perform distance detection on different height surfaces from a higher position without affecting the actual boundary positioning result. Therefore, this invention, through the above-mentioned boundary calibration ranging method, can effectively avoid obstruction caused by obstacle height or irregular object protrusions, and obtain accurate data with only one measurement.

[0034] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, since the laser rangefinder is equipped with a level measuring instrument, the level measuring instrument can display whether the first emitted laser is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Since the first emitted laser and the second emitted laser are perpendicular to each other, when the first emitted laser is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the second emitted laser is parallel to the horizontal plane. At this time, after adjusting the posture of the hand or tool according to the value of the level measuring instrument, the first emitted laser can irradiate the step surface near the target boundary relatively perpendicular to the horizontal plane. At this time, the detection distance of the second emitted laser at the target detection position after the boundary is located is the straight-line distance in the horizontal direction.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present invention, the distance testing method for the first and second emitted lasers includes, but is not limited to, obtaining the emission time of the current second laser beam, obtaining the time when the second laser beam is received by the laser sensor at the emission point after being reflected from the target detection position, and calculating the distance between the emission point and the target detection position based on the emission time and the reception time. The method also includes calculating the phase of the second laser beam at the time of emission, calculating the phase of the second laser beam when it is received by the laser sensor at the emission point after being reflected from the target detection position, calculating the phase difference between the emission phase and the reception phase, and calculating the distance from the emission point of the second emitted laser beam to the target detection position based on the phase difference, the difference between the emission and reception time, and the speed of light. The above distance calculation method is a conventional existing technique and will not be described in detail in this invention.

[0036] The processes described above with reference to the flowcharts in the embodiments disclosed in this invention can be implemented as computer software programs. The embodiments disclosed in this invention include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, the computer program containing program code for performing the methods shown in the flowcharts. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via a communication component, and / or installed from a removable medium. When the computer program is executed by a central processing unit (CPU), it performs the functions defined in the methods of this application. It should be noted that the computer-readable medium described above in this application can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. The computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having one or more wire segments, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. In this application, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In this application, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals can take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium can also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to: wireless segments, wire segments, optical fibers, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0037] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0038] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present invention described above and shown in the accompanying drawings are merely examples and do not limit the present invention. The purpose of the present invention has been fully and effectively achieved. The functions and structural principles of the present invention have been shown and explained in the embodiments. Without departing from the stated principles, the implementation of the present invention may have any variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A laser ranging method based on boundary positioning, characterized in that, The method includes: A first emitted laser beam is provided, which is directed toward a location close to the target boundary; The detection distance of the first emitted laser beam at the target boundary position is calculated by adjusting the horizontal movement of the first emitted laser beam at the target boundary position. When the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam at the target boundary changes abruptly, boundary positioning information is generated; After generating the boundary positioning information, a second emitted laser beam is further provided on the same laser rangefinder to point to the target detection position; The straight-line distance between the current emission point and the target detection position is calculated based on the second emitted laser beam and the corresponding reflected beam. The first emitted laser beam and the second emitted laser beam are perpendicular to each other, and the first emitted laser beam and the second emitted laser beam are located in the same plane; When the first emitted laser beam is emitted near the target boundary, the first straight-line distance between the first emission port of the first emitted laser beam and the position near the target boundary is calculated in real time. After the first emitted laser beam is controlled to move horizontally near the target boundary, the distance from the second emitted laser beam to the target detection position is recorded in real time. If the distance detection of the reflection interface of the first emitted laser beam near the target boundary changes abruptly, the distance from the second emitted laser beam to the target detection position is taken at the time of the change as the target detection position distance for boundary positioning.

2. The laser ranging method based on boundary positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for determining a sudden change in the distance detection of the first emitted laser beam at the reflection interface near the target boundary includes: configuring a first distance difference threshold, calculating the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam near the target boundary at the current moment, calculating the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam at the next moment after it moves horizontally along the target boundary, calculating the difference between the detection distance at the next moment and the detection distance at the current moment, and determining that a sudden change in the distance detection of the current target boundary has occurred if the absolute value of the difference is greater than the first distance difference threshold.

3. The laser ranging method based on boundary positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam changes abruptly after moving horizontally along the boundary of the target, a boundary positioning signal is automatically generated. Based on the boundary positioning signal, a prompt message is issued and the detection distance of the current second emitted laser beam is captured in real time.

4. The laser ranging method based on boundary positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method includes equipping a laser rangefinder with a level, controlling the first emitted laser beam to be emitted perpendicularly downwards according to the level, and moving the first emitted laser beam perpendicularly downwards along the vicinity of the target boundary to cause a sudden change in the detection distance of the first emitted laser beam.

5. The laser ranging method based on boundary positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for calculating the distance between the target detection position and the second emitted laser beam includes: obtaining the emission time of the second emitted laser beam, obtaining the time when the second emitted laser beam is reflected from the target detection position and received by the laser sensor at the emission point, and calculating the distance between the emission point and the target detection position based on the emission time, the reception time, and the beam.

6. The laser ranging method based on boundary positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for calculating the distance to the target detection position of the second emitted laser beam includes: calculating the phase of the second emitted laser beam at the time of emission, calculating the phase of the second emitted laser beam after being reflected from the target detection position and received by the laser sensor at the emission point, calculating the phase difference between the emission phase and the reception phase, and calculating the distance from the emission point of the second emitted laser beam to the target detection position based on the phase difference, the time difference between emission and reception, and the speed of light.

7. A laser ranging system based on boundary positioning, characterized in that, The system executes a laser ranging method based on boundary positioning as described in any one of claims 1-6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that is executed by a processor to implement a laser ranging method based on boundary positioning as described in any one of claims 1-6.

Images