Portable case for land mapping applications and method therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable case for transporting surveying instruments and a method for controlling the charging of a plurality of batteries arranged in such a portable case. The portable case includes a main compartment for storing surveying instruments within the portable case. The portable case includes a plurality of secondary compartments for receiving a plurality of rechargeable batteries. The portable case also includes a charging unit disposed in the case and electrically connected to the plurality of main compartments for transferring electrical energy to and / or from the plurality of rechargeable batteries. Further, a control unit of the portable case is configured to obtain information on a state of charge of each of a plurality of batteries arranged in the plurality of main compartments, and control a mutual charging function of the charging unit based on the obtained information to charge the batteries in the plurality of batteries with the state of charge lower than a first threshold value, and to charge the batteries in the plurality of batteries with the state of charge lower than the first threshold value. A battery with less discharge receives electric energy from at least one battery with more discharge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a portable case for land surveying applications, in particular for transporting a surveying instrument or machine configured to perform land surveying measurements, and a method for controlling the charging of a plurality of batteries in such a portable case. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, land surveying involves determining the terrestrial (e.g., two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D)) locations of points, and determining the distances and angles between those points. Land surveying may include 3D scanning by measuring scenes such as buildings, construction sites, and surroundings to obtain a 3D cloud of measured points within vertical and azimuthal constraints (e.g., based on the surveying instrument's measured distances and angles to those points).

[0003] To this end, the surveyor may use a surveying instrument, such as a robotic total station that integrates an electronic distance measurement unit (EDM unit) with a movable center unit (or telescope) for rotating around at least two axes (usually the trunnion, or the horizontal axis and the azimuth axis, or the vertical axis). The center unit may be mounted on an alidade for rotating around a first axis (e.g., the trunnion), and the alidade may be mounted on a base for rotating around a second axis (e.g., the azimuth axis) that intersects (e.g., is orthogonal) the first axis, so that the instrument optical axis can rotate around the rotation point. The surveying instrument may also be a geodetic scanner, which typically includes a rotating mirror to scan the optical axis of the instrument at high speed in the vertical direction. The rotating mirror may be mounted on a scanning head that performs an azimuth rotation around another axis at low speed.

[0004] In order to operate these surveying instruments, for example, to drive motors to move their rotatable parts (such as the center unit, the alidade, the rotating mirror, or the scanning head of these instruments), electric power is required. However, in many cases, land surveying is carried out in places without mains electricity, and it is necessary to use a battery housed in a part of the surveying instrument to power the surveying instrument.

[0005] Furthermore, land surveying may involve long periods of time (e.g. scanning a large worksite or tracking a target), or long sequences of (e.g. programmed) measurements, during which the surveying instrument should preferably not run out of power. For such large-scale and / or long-term surveying, measuring or tracking work, surveyors need to carry extra batteries to the site to replace exhausted batteries and ensure that the instrument does not run out of power. Furthermore, surveyors typically want to have fully charged batteries in each setting to minimize the risk of running out of power during the survey, which is why half-full batteries are often replaced with fully charged batteries and half-full batteries are brought to the office for charging.

[0006] Given the current situation, battery management for land surveying and mapping applications is not optimized and there is still a need for new solutions to facilitate battery handling and / or improve management of battery resources for land surveying and mapping applications. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention seeks to provide at least some embodiments that overcome at least some of the above-mentioned disadvantages. More specifically, the present invention aims to provide at least some embodiments that provide improved battery resource management for land surveying applications. To achieve this, a portable case for transporting a surveying instrument and a method having the features defined in the independent claims are provided. Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0008] According to a first aspect, a portable case for a surveying instrument is provided, wherein the portable case includes a main compartment for storing the surveying instrument and a plurality of sub-compartments for accommodating a plurality of rechargeable batteries. The portable case also includes a charging unit arranged in the case and electrically connected to the plurality of compartments for transmitting electrical energy to and / or from the plurality of rechargeable batteries. The control unit of the portable case is configured to obtain information about the charge state of each of the plurality of rechargeable batteries arranged in the plurality of sub-compartments, and to control the mutual charging function of the charging unit based on the obtained information, so that among the batteries whose charge state is lower than a first threshold value among the plurality of rechargeable batteries, the battery with less discharge receives electrical energy from at least one battery with more discharge.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, a solution for battery management integrated in a box for transporting surveying instruments is provided. The portable box disclosed herein includes a mutual charging function for improving battery management, instead of only providing compartments or parts in the box, in which the batteries can be arranged so as to be transported to the construction site with the surveying instrument. Through this mutual charging function, a battery with a higher state of charge (i.e., a battery with less discharge) receives electrical energy from a battery with a lower state of charge (i.e., a battery with more discharge). Therefore, the present embodiment provides a portable box with a "supplementary" charging function, so that the battery with less discharge is charged more. In other words, one or more batteries with more discharge are discharged more to benefit one or more batteries with less discharge. This is beneficial for land surveying applications, especially for long-term measurements or long sequence measurements where it is preferred to install more charged batteries in the surveying instrument. Therefore, the surveying instrument can be powered for a longer period of time without the need to replace the battery.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable case comprising a charging unit having a mutual charging function, wherein the power from a battery having a lower (e.g., too low) state of charge is used to charge other batteries having a higher state of charge to a higher capacity. As described above, by means of an embodiment according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the operator is provided with at least one battery that is more charged, preferably a battery that is charged as much as possible, the need to frequently replace batteries and to bring an excessive number of batteries to the site is eliminated or at least reduced.

[0011] The first threshold value may be, for example, 100%, in which case the mutual charging function may in principle involve all batteries located in the plurality of sub-compartments. However, in other examples, the first threshold value may be 80% or 90%, in which case only batteries with a state of charge lower than 80% or 90% may be involved. In these examples, batteries with a state of charge higher than a certain first threshold value (e.g. 80% or 90%) may be considered to be sufficiently charged for a long measurement (or a long sequence of measurements), and / or charging these batteries to a higher state of charge may damage the health of the battery.

[0012] According to this embodiment, if three batteries with power load states of 30%, 70% and 90% are arranged in the box, and the first threshold is 80%, the charging unit is configured to transfer electrical energy from the battery with a power load state of 30% to the battery with a power load state of 70%.

[0013] If there are four batteries, two of which have a state of charge of 70%, the charging unit can arbitrarily select one of the two batteries to transfer power from the battery with the lower state of charge (30% in the above example) to the selected battery.

[0014] In some implementations, batteries with a state of charge above a second threshold may belong to the first group, and batteries with a state of charge below the second threshold may belong to the second group. Then, the control unit may be configured to cause the batteries of the second group to provide electrical energy to the batteries of the first group. As a result, the batteries of the first group will become more charged, while the batteries of the second group will become less charged. Therefore, instead of having a plurality of batteries at different intermediate charge levels, none of which may be fully charged to electrically support the full operation of the surveying instrument for a long sequence of measurements, the first group of batteries will reach a higher capacity level, thereby being usable for such applications.

[0015] In some implementations, the control unit may be configured to cause the least discharged battery to receive power from other batteries of the plurality of batteries arranged in the portable case. Thus, the control unit may be configured to determine the least discharged battery and provide power to the battery from the other batteries.

[0016] In some implementations, the control unit can be configured to cause the battery with the most discharge to provide electrical energy to the battery with the least discharge. Still based on the purpose of obtaining a battery with a higher (or highest) state of charge in the portable case and sacrificing batteries with more discharge (these batteries will not be selected for long-term measurement or long sequence measurement), in this implementation, the control unit can select the battery with the most discharge and transfer the electrical energy of the battery with the most discharge to the battery with the least discharge. In the example where only two batteries are arranged in the portable case, the battery with the most discharge will provide electrical energy to the battery with the least discharge. In general, considering an example with more than two batteries in different states of charge, the control unit can cause the battery with the most discharge to provide its electrical energy to the battery with the least discharge.

[0017] In some implementations, the control unit can be configured to cause the less discharged battery to receive electrical energy from the more discharged battery until a discharge threshold of the state of charge of the more discharged battery is reached, or until a charge threshold of the state of charge of the less discharged battery is reached.

[0018] For example, the control unit may be configured so that the more discharged battery does not discharge below a 10% state of charge. Using discharge thresholds for batteries that provide power to another battery ensures that they do not discharge below a level that could damage them, or below a level that may make it impossible to recharge them (either at all, or properly, i.e., within a reasonable time frame).

[0019] In addition, the control unit can be configured so that the battery with less discharge, such as the battery with the least discharge, is not charged above a charging threshold (e.g. 80% or 90%), because charging the battery above a certain level may also be harmful to its service life. It should be understood that the charging threshold may be the same as the first threshold described above.

[0020] In some implementations, the control unit may be configured to cause the battery with the second most discharge to provide power to the battery with the least discharge, under the condition that the state of charge of the battery with the most discharge has reached the discharge threshold and the state of charge of the battery with the least discharge has not yet reached the charge threshold. In other words, once the battery with the most discharge is exhausted, the control unit is configured to select the battery with the second most discharge to provide power to the battery with the least discharge (if the battery with the least discharge still needs power, i.e., if the state of charge of the battery with the least discharge is still below the charge threshold).

[0021] In some implementations, the portable case may further include a connector for electrically connecting the charging unit to the power drive unit of the surveying instrument. Under the condition that the charging unit is connected to the power drive unit, the control unit may then be configured to control the charging unit to first supply electrical energy to the power drive unit from the battery with the lowest charge state, and then supply electrical energy to it from the battery with less discharge. In other words, although the present embodiment provides the surveyor with the possibility of installing a battery (e.g., the least discharged battery) arranged in the portable case in a surveying instrument for performing measurements, the portable case may also be equipped with a connector or connection device for connecting the portable case directly to the surveying instrument, thereby providing power to the surveying instrument.

[0022] In this case, still for the purpose of keeping as many batteries as possible charged in the carrying case, in some implementations, the control unit can be configured to first use power from the battery with the lowest state of charge, and then only use the more charged (or less discharged) batteries, and in particular the least discharged battery, as the last source of power.

[0023] The connector or connection means may include a physical connector, and / or one of a wireless / inductive charging connector. The physical connector and the wireless / inductive charging connector may be arranged in a side cover of the carrying case, for example.

[0024] The control unit may be configured to first enable the battery with the most discharge to provide power to the electric drive unit of the surveying and mapping instrument until the discharge threshold of the charge state of the battery with the most discharge is reached (which may be the same as the discharge threshold already mentioned above). It should be understood that the control unit may then be configured to enable the battery with the second most discharge to provide power to the electric drive unit of the surveying and mapping instrument, and so on.

[0025] The portable case may further include a terminal for electrically connecting the charging unit to a power socket of an external power source (e.g., a power grid (or mains) or a vehicle battery), and / or a photovoltaic system arranged on at least one side of the portable case. Thus, the control unit may be configured to cause the charging unit to transfer the electrical energy received at the charging unit from the external power source and / or the photovoltaic system to the plurality of batteries for charging. As an example, the portable case may be equipped with a power socket for connection to a vehicle so that the batteries can be charged when driving to, for example, a construction site. The portable case may then be used as a charger for the batteries.

[0026] The control unit of the portable case can be configured to prioritize charging multiple batteries from an external power source and / or a photovoltaic system based on the respective charge states of the batteries. For example, the control unit can be configured to charge a battery with less discharge before a battery with more discharge.

[0027] A variety of functions may be implemented in the portable case. For example, the portable case may include a display unit configured to display at least one of: an indication of the respective charge states of the plurality of batteries arranged in the compartment, the charge state of the battery installed in the surveying instrument (e.g., when the portable case is electrically connected to the surveying instrument), an indication of which of the plurality of batteries has the highest charge state, a selection mechanism for activating / deactivating the mutual charging function as described above, and / or an indication that the charge state of the battery is below a predetermined threshold (e.g., 25%).

[0028] According to a second aspect, a method for controlling the charging of a plurality of batteries arranged in a portable case for transporting a surveying instrument is provided. The method comprises: obtaining information about the state of charge of each of the plurality of batteries, and controlling the mutual charging function of the portable case based on the obtained information, so that among the batteries whose state of charge of the plurality of batteries is lower than a first threshold, a battery with less discharge receives electric energy from at least one battery with more discharge.

[0029] The technical effects and advantages discussed above in conjunction with the first aspect of the present invention and its various implementations are also applicable to the second aspect of the present invention. The different implementations and implementations described above with reference to the first aspect of the present invention are also applicable to the second aspect.

[0030] For example, batteries with a charge state higher than a second threshold may belong to the first group, and batteries with a charge state lower than the second threshold may belong to the second group. Then, the control may include causing the batteries of the second group to provide power to the batteries of the first group.

[0031] Furthermore, the controlling may include causing the least discharged battery to receive power from other batteries among the plurality of batteries arranged in the box.

[0032] The control may further include causing the more discharged battery to provide electrical energy to the less discharged battery until a discharge threshold of the state of charge of the more discharged battery is reached, or until a charge threshold of the state of charge of the less discharged battery is reached.

[0033] The controlling may include causing the second most discharged battery to provide power to the least discharged battery under the condition that the state of charge of the most discharged battery has reached the charging threshold and the state of charge of the least discharged battery has not reached the discharging threshold.

[0034] Furthermore, under the condition that the portable case is electrically connected to power the electric drive unit of the surveying instrument, the electric drive unit may be supplied with power first from the battery with the lowest charge state and then from the battery with less discharge.

[0035] Furthermore, the method may include causing the most discharged battery to provide electrical energy to an electric drive unit of the surveying instrument until a discharge threshold of the state of charge of the most discharged battery is reached.

[0036] The method may also include charging the plurality of batteries by transferring electrical energy received from an external power source and / or a photovoltaic system of the portable case to the plurality of batteries. In this regard, charging may include preferentially charging the plurality of batteries from the external power source and / or the photovoltaic system based on the respective charge states of the batteries.

[0037] For the first aspect of the present invention, the method may include displaying at least one of: an indication of the respective charge states of a plurality of batteries arranged in a portable case, the charge state of a battery installed in a surveying instrument (for example, when the portable case is electrically connected to the surveying instrument), an indication of which of a plurality of batteries has a highest charge state, and / or an indication that the charge state of a battery is below a predetermined threshold.

[0038] The invention relates to all possible combinations of features described in the claims and in the preceding embodiments. Further objects and advantages of various embodiments of the invention will be described below by means of exemplary embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] One or more embodiments will be described by way of example only and with reference to the following drawings (which should not be considered to be drawn to scale), in which:

[0040] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an example scenario of a long-term measurement performed by a surveying instrument,

[0041] Figure 2a and Figure 2b (hereinafter collectively referred to as “ FIG. 2 ”) schematically illustrates a side view and a top view of a portable case according to some embodiments,

[0042] Figure 3 is a general overview of a method according to some embodiments, and also shows an overall process flow of a control unit of a portable case according to some embodiments,

[0043] Figure 4 schematically illustrates the interconnection between elements of a carrying case according to some embodiments, and

[0044] Figure 5 A connection of a carrying case to a surveying instrument is shown according to some embodiments.

[0045] Although the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings, as described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and drawings herein are not intended to limit the present invention to the specific forms disclosed. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives within the scope of the appended claims.

[0046] Any reference to prior art documents or comparative examples in this specification should not be regarded as an admission that such prior art is well known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.

[0047] The words "include", "comprising" and similar words used in this specification should not be interpreted as exclusive or exhaustive. In other words, they mean "including but not limited to". DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The present invention is described below by a plurality of illustrative examples. It should be understood that these examples are provided only for illustration and explanation and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. On the contrary, the scope of the present invention will be limited by the appended claims. In addition, although the examples can be presented in the form of separate embodiments, it should be appreciated that the present invention also encompasses the combination of the embodiments described herein.

[0049] Figure 1 An example scenario 1000 of the operation of a surveying instrument 105 is schematically shown. In this example, the surveying instrument 105 is a 3D laser scanner 105 mounted on a tripod 110 for measuring a scene such as a building 115 and surroundings 120 to obtain a 3D cloud of measurement points on the vertical and azimuth limits indicated by dashed lines 125, 130, 135, 140. The scanner 105 typically has a rotating mirror to scan the optical axis of the instrument (i.e., the EDM axis) at high speed in a vertical direction 145. The rotating mirror is mounted on a scanning head that rotates in azimuth about an axis 150 at low speed. The EDM of the scanner 105 is free running at a high repetition rate and is not aimed at a specific target position. The elevation and azimuth of the telescope are recorded for each distance measurement.

[0050] Such 3D scanning and other tasks (or task sequences) that a surveying instrument is to perform require that the surveying instrument be powered for relatively long periods of time. However, these tasks are often performed in places where there is no mains electricity. Therefore, the surveying instrument is equipped with a box in which the batteries are stored for powering the surveying instrument. When the instrument is set up for a new measurement or a series of measurements, the surveyor usually introduces a new fully charged battery into the surveying instrument. Batteries that are not completely exhausted but have a relatively low state of charge are not used by the surveyor. These batteries are taken back to the office for recharging.

[0051] 2 , a carrying case according to some embodiments of the present invention is described.

[0052] FIG. 2 schematically shows a side view and a top view of a portable case 200 for transporting a surveying instrument, for example, to / from a place of use of the surveying instrument. The portable case 200 may also be referred to as a portable storage box for transporting a surveying instrument, or a portable protective case for safely transporting and storing a surveying instrument, for example. The portable case 200 may be provided with one or more handles (not shown) for carrying the portable case. Therefore, the main purpose of the portable case 200 is to facilitate transportation and to provide protection for the surveying instrument and possible accompanying accessories during transportation.

[0053] As shown in Figure 2, the portable case 200 includes a main compartment or main compartment (or part) 220, in which a surveying instrument 205, such as a geodetic scanner or a total station, can be stored (or placed). The portable case 200 can have different shapes. As an example, Figure 2 shows a portable case with the overall form of a case. The portable case 200 includes a case, in which different compartments including the main compartment 220 are formed. Although not shown in Figure 2, the portable case 200 can include a case cover for covering the case. In some embodiments, the portable case can also be described as including a lower case and an upper case (corresponding to the case cover), which can be connected by a hinge so that the lower case and the upper case form a case together. The upper case can include a recess, or can have a shape corresponding to the shape of the surveying instrument 205.

[0054] In addition to the main compartment 220, the portable case 200 may also include a plurality of sub-compartments 230 for accommodating a plurality of rechargeable batteries 235. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the portable case 200 includes four sub-compartments 230. As shown in FIG. 2 , two batteries 235 are inserted into two of the sub-compartments, and the two sub-compartments are empty. Rechargeable batteries may also be referred to as spare (or replacement) batteries. Each battery 235 is adapted to be installed in the surveying and mapping instrument 205 for providing power to the surveying and mapping instrument 205.

[0055] The carrying case 200 also includes a charging unit 240 electrically connected to the plurality of sub-compartments 230. The compartment or insert in which the batteries 235 are placed can be equipped with electrical connectors, for example, at its bottom, so that the batteries are electrically connected to the charging unit 240 via these electrical connectors. These electrical connectors can be used to read the respective charge states of the batteries placed in the sub-compartments 230. In addition, these electrical connectors can be used to transfer electrical energy to and / or from the plurality of rechargeable batteries. For example, electrical energy can be transferred from one battery to another, or from the mains to one or more rechargeable batteries.

[0056] The control unit 250 of the portable case 200 is configured to obtain information about the charge state of each of the multiple rechargeable batteries 235 arranged in the multiple sub-compartments 230, and control the mutual charging function of the charging unit 240 based on the obtained information so that among the batteries with a charge state lower than a first threshold among the multiple rechargeable batteries, a battery with less discharge receives electric energy from at least one battery with more discharge.

[0057] As an example, the present invention considers the case where four rechargeable batteries are placed in the portable case 200. The first battery has a state of charge (SoC) of 90%, while the second, third and fourth batteries have a charge level (or SoC) of 70%, 40% and 25%, respectively. If the first threshold is set to, for example, 80%, the first battery will not be involved in the control provided by the control unit 250. In other words, the first battery will neither be charged nor discharged. If the first threshold is set to, for example, 95% or 100%, all four batteries will be involved.

[0058] Assuming that the first threshold is set to 95%, the control unit 250 can be configured to transfer power from a battery with a lower state of charge (SoC) (e.g., the third battery and the fourth battery with SoC of 40% and 25%, respectively) to a battery with a higher state of charge (i.e., the first battery and the second battery with SoC of 90% and 70%, respectively). In some implementations, the control unit 250 can be configured to group batteries with SoC higher than a second threshold (e.g., 50%) in a first group, and group batteries with SoC lower than the second threshold in a second group, so that the batteries of the second group (e.g., the third battery or the fourth battery in this example) provide power to the batteries of the first group (e.g., the first battery or the second battery).

[0059] In some implementations, the control unit 250 may be configured to allow the least discharged battery, i.e., the first battery with a SoC of 90%, to receive power from other batteries arranged in the portable case 200. Preferably, the control unit 250 may be configured to allow the most discharged battery, i.e., the fourth battery with a SoC of 25% in this example, to provide power to the least discharged battery, i.e., the first battery.

[0060] In addition, it should be understood that the control unit 250 can be configured to prevent the first battery from charging beyond a certain charging threshold, which can be the same as the first threshold, i.e., 95% in this example, because this may reduce battery performance. Therefore, the control unit can be configured to stop charging the first battery if the SoC of the first battery reaches 95%, and instead, for example, enable the fourth battery to transfer power to the second battery.

[0061] In addition, it should be understood that the control unit 250 can be configured to prevent the fourth battery from reaching an SoC below a certain discharge threshold (e.g., 10%), because otherwise the battery performance may be degraded. Therefore, the control unit 250 can be configured to stop the discharge of the fourth battery if the SoC of the fourth battery reaches 10%. If the SoC of the first battery is still below the charging threshold of 95%, the control unit 250 can then enable the second most discharged battery, that is, the third battery with an SoC of 40% in this example, to transfer power to the first battery.

[0062] Therefore, the control unit 250 and the charging unit 240 provide a mutual charging function, wherein, instead of balancing the SoC of the batteries, the battery with a higher SoC, for example the battery with the highest SoC (as long as it is below a certain threshold), first receives electrical energy from the battery with a lower SoC, in particular the battery that is discharged the most (as long as it is not below a discharge threshold).

[0063] Although described as two units, in certain applications the charging unit and the control unit may be implemented in a single entity.

[0064] The portable case 200 may also be equipped with a connector 260 for electrically connecting the charging unit to the surveying instrument, in particular the power drive unit of the surveying instrument. Figure 5 This implementation is further described.

[0065] The portable case 200 may further include a terminal 290 for electrically connecting the charging unit 240 to a power socket of an external power source (e.g., a power grid (or mains) or a vehicle battery), and / or electrically connecting to a photovoltaic system arranged on at least one side of the portable case 200. Figure 2a As shown, in some implementations, the connector 260 for electrically connecting the charging unit to the surveying instrument to power the surveying instrument (i.e., for discharging the battery to the load) and the terminal 290 for electrically connecting the charging unit to an external power source (i.e., for charging the battery) can be the same. For example, the connector 260 / terminal 290 can be a USB C / PD supporting bidirectional power transmission. In some other implementations, the connector 260 and the terminal 290 can be separate elements of the portable case 200.

[0066] Thus, the control unit 250 may be configured to charge the batteries placed in the portable case 200 through the charging unit 240 by transferring the power received from the external power source and / or the photovoltaic system at the charging unit 240 to the multiple batteries. In some implementations, the control unit 250 of the portable case 200 may be configured to preferentially charge the multiple batteries 235 from the external power source and / or the photovoltaic system based on the respective charge states of the batteries 235.

[0067] The portable case 200 may also be equipped with a display unit 280, which is configured to display information related to the batteries placed in the portable case 200. As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit may be arranged in the lower case so that when the surveyor opens the case 200 (or opens the top cover), the display unit becomes visible. The display unit 280 may, for example, be configured to display an indication of the respective power-carrying states of a plurality of batteries arranged in the secondary compartment. Thus, the surveyor can easily select a battery suitable for the measurement or measurement sequence performed by the surveying instrument, and in particular can easily identify the battery with the highest SoC. A dedicated indication may also be provided to identify the battery with the highest SoC. The display unit may also be configured to display the SoC of the battery installed in the surveying instrument, for example, when the portable case is electrically connected to the surveying instrument. Thus, the surveyor may determine whether the battery installed in the surveying instrument needs to be replaced. Then, the surveyor may also determine whether the case contains a battery with a higher SoC than the SoC of the battery installed in the surveying instrument.

[0068] although Figure 2a An example implementation of a display unit in one position in the lower case is provided, but other implementations of the display unit are possible. The display unit may, for example, be arranged as a plurality of display subunits, wherein the display subunit is located near a secondary compartment to provide information about the state (e.g., SoC) of a battery arranged in the secondary compartment. The display unit need not be a screen, but may include any kind of indicator, such as using colors to indicate various power levels. Such a display subunit or indicator will preferably be visible to the operator when the carrying case is opened.

[0069] The display unit may be, for example, a touch screen, or provided with a selection mechanism for activating / deactivating the mutual charging function as described above. The display unit may also be configured to indicate that the battery charge state is below a predetermined threshold, for example 25%.

[0070] Reference Figure 3 , showing a general overview of methods according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0071] Method 3000 includes, in 3100, obtaining information about the charge state of each of a plurality of batteries, and in 3200, controlling the mutual charging function of the portable case based on the obtained information so that, among the batteries in the plurality of batteries whose charge state is lower than a first threshold, a less discharged battery receives electrical energy from at least one more discharged battery.

[0072] The method 3000 may be implemented in the control unit 250 of the carrying case 200 described with reference to FIG2. The method 3000 may also include all the steps and actions of the control unit 250 (and more generally the carrying case 200) described above with reference to FIG2.

[0073] Furthermore, in some implementations, the charging unit may be electrically connected to the first compartment to connect the charging unit to a battery installed in the surveying instrument stored in the main compartment. Thus, the control unit may be configured to control a mutual charging function between the battery arranged in the secondary compartment and the battery arranged in the main compartment.

[0074] refer to Figure 4 , schematically illustrating the interconnection between some elements of a carrying case according to some embodiments.

[0075] Figure 4 1 shows example circuitry of a carrying case, in particular example interconnections between a control unit (or microprocessor) 450, a charging unit 440, and batteries 435a and 435b disposed in the carrying case. The control unit 450 may be connected to the charging unit 440 and batteries 435a and 435b via a system management bus (SMBUS) 454. The control unit 450 and the charging unit 440 of the carrying case may be configured as described above with respect to Figure 1-Figure 3 Perform the operation as described.

[0076] In this example, the battery labeled 435a (hereinafter also referred to as the first battery) is represented as having a higher state of charge than the battery labeled 435b (hereinafter also referred to as the second battery). Batteries 435a and 435b can be connected to a charging unit (or battery charger) 440, for example, if necessary, they can be connected through a DC / DC converter (not shown), which is suitable for adjusting the DC current and / or DC voltage to be transmitted between batteries 435a and 435b. Alternatively, the charging unit 440 itself may include one or more DC / DC converters, which are used to adjust the DC current and / or DC voltage to a level suitable for batteries 435a and 435b.

[0077] The batteries 435a and 435b (or any sensors connected to the batteries) may also communicate their respective charge states to the control unit 450, for example via the SMBUS 454, for example by measuring their respective capacitances (eg by measuring voltage).

[0078] also, Figure 4 Also shown is a power socket or terminal 470 for connecting the case or circuit to the mains, for example via a switch or switch arrangement 472 and an AC / DC converter 475 for converting alternating current delivered by the mains into direct current. Figure 4475 is not specifically shown, but the control unit 450 can be configured to control the switch 472 so that the batteries 435a and 435b receive power, thereby charging through the charging unit 440 using the power received from the mains. In some implementations, the portable case or circuit is connected to the mains by the switch 472, and the switch 472 forms the contact of the portable case. In this case, the AC / DC converter 475 is not part of the portable case or circuit. In some other implementations, the portable case can be equipped with its own AC / DC converter 475.

[0079] also, Figure 4 The circuit shown includes switches or switch devices 442 and 452. The control unit 450 can be configured to control the first switch 442 (or the first switch device 442) to enable the charging unit 440 to charge the first battery 435b or the second battery 435a using the power received from the AC / DC converter 475. As described in some embodiments described with reference to the aforementioned figures, the control unit 450 can enable the batteries 435a and 435b to be charged according to their power load states.

[0080] In addition, the control unit 450 can cause the charging unit 440 to provide power from a battery disposed in one of the sub-compartments to another battery, such as power exchange between batteries 435a and 435b. In this regard, it should be understood that Figure 4 The switching device 442 shown in is schematic only, and the switching device 442 can provide an electrical connection between the first battery 435a and the second battery 435b through the charging unit 440 so that the first battery 435a (having a higher state of charge) receives power from the second battery 435b (having a lower state of charge).

[0081] Figure 4 It is also shown that the portable case may also be equipped with a power socket or connector 460 for electrically connecting the portable case to the surveying instrument 405, in particular the power drive unit of the surveying instrument 405, via a power cable 465. Figure 5 This implementation is further described.

[0082] The control unit 450 can control the switch device 452 so that the portable case supplies power to the surveying instrument 405 from a specific battery installed in the portable case. In this example, the control unit 450 can be configured to control the switch device 452 so that power is first supplied from the battery 435b (i.e., the second battery) with a lower charge, and then from the battery (i.e., the first battery) with a higher charge.

[0083] Figure 4The circuits or electrical connections of the elements of the carrying case shown are schematic and simplified. For example, it should be understood that the carrying case may include more than two batteries, so that when the switch 442 is activated to provide a connection between the charging unit 440 and the first battery 435a, a third battery (435a) having a lower charge state than the second battery 435b (and the charge state of the first battery 435a) may be connected at the charging unit. Figure 4 ) receives electrical energy.

[0084] also, Figure 4 The circuit shown may include a diode to protect the battery from reverse current. However, it should be understood that such a diode is optional and can be replaced with other components or circuits that provide similar functions. In addition, Figure 4 Neither polarity nor any ground connection is shown.

[0085] In addition, the switches or switch devices 442 and 452 can be connected to each other or integrated with each other. The switches can also be equipped with more poles so that in certain conditions, they are not connected to any battery. The switches are controlled by the control unit 450 according to the method described in any embodiment of the embodiments disclosed herein. In addition, the control unit 450 can be configured to control the charging of the battery to avoid or at least reduce any short circuit risk.

[0086] Reference Figure 5 , showing the connection of a portable case to a surveying instrument according to some embodiments.

[0087] Figure 5 A surveying instrument 505 for carrying out land surveying measurements mounted on a tripod is shown. The surveying instrument 505 may have been brought to a work site (or survey location) using a portable case 500 in which the surveying instrument 505 is stored. The portable case 500 may be as described above with reference to Figure 1-Figure 4 In particular, the portable case 500 may be equipped with a connector 560 , so that it can be connected to the surveying instrument 505 via the connector 560 and a power cable 565 .

[0088] When the portable case 500 (especially its charging unit) is connected to the surveying instrument 505, the control unit of the portable case can be configured to control the charging unit to first supply electrical energy to the surveying instrument (especially the power drive unit of the surveying instrument 505) from the battery with the lowest charge state, and then supply electrical energy from the battery with less discharge.

[0089] In some implementations, the control unit of the portable case 500 can be configured to first use power from the battery with the lowest state of charge, and then only use the more charged (or less discharged) batteries, and in particular use the least discharged battery as the last source of power.

[0090] Although the connector 560 may be disposed within the carrying case, in which case the carrying case 500 may need to remain open, unless a passage is formed in the case for introducing the power cable 565, the connector 560 may advantageously be located outside the carrying case, such as on a lid, in which case the carrying case may remain closed. The connector 560 (or connecting means) may include, for example, Figure 5 The physical connector shown may alternatively include a wireless / inductive charging connector.

[0091] The control unit may be configured to first enable the battery with the most discharge to provide power to the electric drive unit of the surveying and mapping instrument until the discharge threshold of the charge state of the battery with the most discharge is reached (which may be the same as the discharge threshold described above). It should be understood that the control unit may then be configured to enable the battery with the second most discharge to provide power to the electric drive unit of the surveying and mapping instrument, and so on.

[0092] It should be understood that, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the examples shown in different figures may be combined and elements with the same reference numerals in different figures may be identical or similar to each other. In any case, the above description does not limit the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A portable case (200) for transporting a surveying and mapping instrument (205), the portable case comprising: a main compartment (220) for storing the surveying instrument within the portable case; a plurality of sub-compartments (230) for accommodating a plurality of rechargeable batteries (235); a charging unit (240) disposed in the portable case and electrically connected to the plurality of sub-compartments for transferring electrical energy to and / or from the plurality of rechargeable batteries; as well as A control unit (250), the control unit being configured to: obtaining information about a charge state of each of the plurality of rechargeable batteries disposed in the plurality of subcompartments, and The mutual charging function of the charging unit is controlled based on the obtained information so that among the batteries whose state of charge is lower than a first threshold value, the less discharged battery receives electric energy from at least one more discharged battery.

2. The portable case according to claim 1, wherein: Batteries with a charge state higher than a second threshold belong to a first group, and batteries with a charge state lower than the second threshold belong to a second group, wherein the control unit is configured to enable the batteries of the second group to provide electrical energy to the batteries of the first group.

3. The portable case according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The control unit is configured to cause the least discharged battery to receive power from other batteries of the plurality of batteries arranged in the carrying case.

4. A carrying case according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The control unit is configured to enable the most discharged battery to supply electric energy to the least discharged battery.

5. A carrying case according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The control unit is configured to cause the less discharged battery to receive electrical energy from the more discharged battery until a discharge threshold of the state of charge of the more discharged battery is reached, or until a charge threshold of the state of charge of the less discharged battery is reached.

6. The portable case according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein: The control unit is configured to enable the battery with the second largest discharge to provide electrical energy to the battery with the least discharge under the condition that the state of charge of the battery with the largest discharge has reached the discharge threshold and the state of charge of the battery with the least discharge has not yet reached the charge threshold.

7. The portable case according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a connector (260) for electrically connecting the charging unit to a power drive unit of the surveying instrument, wherein: Under the condition that the charging unit is connected to the electric drive unit, the control unit is configured to control the charging unit to supply electric energy from the battery arranged in the sub compartment to the electric drive unit.

8. The portable case according to claim 7, wherein: The connector includes one of a physical connector and / or a wireless / inductive charging connector.

9. The portable case according to any one of claims 7-8, wherein: The control unit is configured to first enable the most discharged battery to provide electrical energy to the electric drive unit of the surveying instrument until a discharge threshold of the charge state of the most discharged battery is reached.

10. The portable case according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a terminal (470) for electrically connecting the charging unit to a power socket of an external power source and / or a photovoltaic system arranged on at least one side of the portable case, wherein: The control unit is configured to cause the charging unit to transfer electric energy received at the charging unit from the external power source and / or the photovoltaic system to the plurality of batteries for charging.

11. The portable case according to claim 10, wherein: The control unit is configured to preferentially charge the plurality of batteries from the external power source and / or the photovoltaic system based on respective charge states of the batteries.

12. The portable case according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises a display unit (280), which is configured to display at least one of: an indication of the respective charge states of the multiple batteries arranged in the secondary compartment, the charge states of the batteries installed in the surveying instrument, an indication of which battery among the multiple batteries has the highest charge state, a selection mechanism for activating / deactivating the mutual charging function as described in claims 1-11, and / or an indication that the charge state of the battery is below a predetermined threshold.

13. A method (3000) for controlling the charging of a plurality of batteries arranged in a portable case for transporting a surveying instrument, the method comprising: obtaining (3100) information about a charge state of each of the plurality of batteries, and Based on the obtained information, the mutual charging function of the portable case is controlled (3200) so that among the batteries whose state of charge is lower than a first threshold value, the battery with less discharge receives electric energy from at least one battery with more discharge.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: Batteries with a charge state higher than a second threshold belong to a first group, and batteries with a charge state lower than the second threshold belong to a second group, wherein the control includes enabling the batteries of the second group to provide electrical energy to the batteries of the first group.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein: The controlling includes causing the least discharged battery to receive power from other batteries of the plurality of batteries arranged in the portable case.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein: The control includes causing the more discharged battery to provide electrical energy to the less discharged battery until a discharge threshold of the state of charge of the more discharged battery is reached, or until a charge threshold of the state of charge of the less discharged battery is reached.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The control includes enabling the battery with the second largest discharge to provide electric energy to the battery with the least discharge under the condition that the state of charge of the battery with the largest discharge has reached the charging threshold and the state of charge of the battery with the least discharge has not yet reached the discharging threshold.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, further comprising: When the portable case is electrically connected to supply power to the power drive unit of the surveying instrument, power is first supplied to the power drive unit from the battery with the lowest charge state, and then from the battery with less discharge.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: The most discharged battery is enabled to provide electric energy to the electric drive unit of the surveying instrument until a discharge threshold value of the charge state of the most discharged battery is reached.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, further comprising: The plurality of batteries are charged by transferring electrical energy received at the portable case from an external power source and / or a photovoltaic system of the portable case to the plurality of batteries.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein: The charging includes preferentially charging the plurality of batteries from the external power source and / or the photovoltaic system based on respective power loading states of the plurality of batteries.

22. The method according to any one of claims 13-21 further includes displaying (3300) at least one of: an indication of the respective charge states of the multiple batteries arranged in the portable case, the charge states of the batteries installed in the surveying instrument, an indication of which battery among the multiple batteries has the highest charge state, and / or an indication that the charge state of a battery is below a predetermined threshold.

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