Laser Scanner Dynamic Scan Rotation for Uniform Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser scanners face challenges in maintaining uniform scanning resolution and coverage when the height of a seaborne or airborne vehicle changes, often requiring complex flight paths and multiple scans with significant overlap, leading to abrupt changes in scanning resolution and high operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A laser scanner equipped with a measuring unit to determine the vehicle's height above the ground and an actuation device that rotates the fan-shaped scan pattern about a different axis, maintaining a constant strip width and scanning resolution, allowing for simpler flight routes and reduced overlap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the height of the vehicle above the ground varies, then the strip width and scanning resolution change, but maintaining uniform scanning resolution requires complex flight paths and multiple scans with significant overlap
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the scan pattern rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the scan axis. The rotation angle is dynamically adjusted based on the measured height above ground, allowing the system to adapt to varying heights while maintaining uniform strip width and scanning resolution. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the need for complex flight paths and multiple overlapping scans.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple scans with overlap are performed to maintain scanning resolution, then scanning coverage is improved, but scanning time and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic rotation of the scan pattern based on real-time height measurement allows the system to maintain optimal strip width and scanning resolution across varying terrains. This eliminates the need for multiple overlapping scans, thereby reducing scanning time and operational costs while still achieving complete ground coverage.
3Device complexity
If the fan angle is kept constant, then the optical system is simplified, but strip width varies with height changes
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the fan angle to maintain constant strip width, the patent rotates the entire scan pattern about an axis perpendicular to the scan axis. This dynamic rotation maintains the constant fan angle (simplifying the optical system) while adjusting the effective strip width to compensate for height variations, thereby resolving the contradiction between optical simplicity and strip width consistency.
4Area of stationary object
If adjacent scanning strips are assembled to cover larger areas, then scanning coverage is improved, but abrupt changes in scanning resolution occur at overlap borders
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic rotation of the scan pattern ensures that each individual scan maintains uniform strip width and scanning resolution across the entire ground area. By preventing overlaps and gaps through real-time height compensation, the system eliminates abrupt resolution changes at borders while achieving complete coverage, thus resolving the contradiction between coverage and resolution uniformity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables uniform scanning resolution and increased scanning efficiency by maintaining constant strip width and reducing the need for multiple scans or overlaps, allowing for straightforward, rectilinear scanning routes while covering larger areas in less time.
Implementation Method 1
The time-of-flight of every laser beam from when it is emitted until when its reflection off the ground is received and the emission direction are used to calculate the distance of the ground from the laser scanner
Implementation Method 2
a scanning unit for emitting a fan-shaped scan pattern made of laser beams fanned out about a scan axis
Implementation Method 3
for receiving the laser beams reflected off the ground
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed subject matter relates to a laser scanner for scanning a ground from a seaborne or airborne vehicle, comprising a scanning unit for emitting a fan-shaped scan pattern made of laser beams fanned out about a scan axis and for receiving the laser beams reflected off the ground and an evaluation unit connected to the scanning unit for evaluating the laser beams that are received. The laser scanner is characterized by a measuring unit that is designed to measure the height of the vehicle above ground, and an actuation device that can be anchored to the vehicle and that is connected to the measuring unit. The actuation device is designed to rotate the fan-shaped scan pattern of the scanning unit with respect to the vehicle about a first actuation axis that is different from the scan axis, depending on the measured height above the ground.