Surveying System Trilateration Without Leveling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surveying systems require accurate angle measurements, which are time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially when using total stations, and involve complex leveling operations.
Innovation Solution
A surveying system that omits angle measurements by using a surveying instrument with a distance measuring unit, image pickup unit, attitude detecting unit, and arithmetic processing unit to calculate horizontal distances and perform trilateration based on tilt angles and coordinates, allowing for easier and more efficient point measurement without leveling or vertical angle measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If angle measurement is performed with high accuracy using a total station, then measurement precision is improved, but operation time and operational burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the angle measurement function from the traditional total station surveying process. Instead of measuring angles directly, the system uses only distance measurement combined with coordinates and tilt angles to calculate positions through trilateration, thereby eliminating the time-consuming angle measurement and leveling operations while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical angle measurement system with an optical-distance-based system. By using distance measurement combined with image pickup and tilt angle detection, the system substitutes the traditional mechanical theodolite/total station angle measurement mechanism with a more efficient distance-based trilateration approach
2Measurement precision
If leveling is performed with high accuracy to ensure proper instrument installation, then measurement precision is improved, but operation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the leveling operation from the surveying process. By using tilt angle detection to compensate for non-level conditions and calculating positions based on three-dimensional coordinates and slope distances, the system eliminates the need for precise leveling while maintaining measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter set used for surveying calculations. Instead of requiring level conditions as a prerequisite, the system incorporates tilt angles as an additional parameter, allowing calculations to be performed under any orientation condition, thereby simplifying operation while maintaining precision
3Measurement precision
If multiple measuring points are sighted sequentially to obtain relations between points, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to heavy operational burden
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the sequential mechanical sighting process with a parallel distance measurement system. By capturing images and detecting tilt angles at multiple positions simultaneously, then calculating all position relationships through trilateration, the system achieves both high precision and improved productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary actions by capturing images and detecting tilt angles at multiple positions before performing the final calculation. This allows all necessary data to be collected in advance, and the position relationships to be calculated efficiently through computer processing rather than sequential field measurements
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
The system significantly reduces operational burden and time by eliminating the need for angle measurements and leveling, enabling faster and more accurate trilateration of surveying points.
Implementation Method 1
a measuring unit for performing a distance measurement by projecting a distance measuring light toward an object to be measured and by receiving a reflected distance measuring light from the object to be measured
Implementation Method 2
an image pickup unit having an image pickup optical axis running in parallel to a projection optical axis of the distance measuring light and for picking up an image including the object to be measured
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a surveying system, which comprises a surveying instrument, wherein the surveying instrument comprises a measuring unit for performing a distance measurement by projecting a distance measuring light toward an object to be measured and by receiving a reflected distance measuring light from the object to be measured, an image pickup unit having an image pickup optical axis running in parallel to a projection optical axis of the distance measuring light and for picking up an image including the object to be measured, an attitude detecting unit provided integrally with the measuring unit and for detecting a tilt angle with respect to the horizontal of the measuring unit, a coordinates acquiring unit for detecting a position of the surveying instrument and an arithmetic processing unit, wherein a first image of the object to be measured is acquired by the image pickup unit from a first position where coordinates of the first position are acquired by the coordinates acquiring unit, a second image of the object to be measured is acquired by the image pickup unit from a second position where coordinates of the second position are acquired by the coordinates acquiring unit, wherein the measuring unit directs a distance measuring optical axis toward common measuring points as specified in the first image and the second image respectively, projects the distance measuring light, and carries out a first distance measurement from the first position and a second distance measurement from the second position, and wherein the arithmetic processing unit calculates horizontal distances from the first position and the second position respectively based on the tilt angles detected by the attitude detecting unit at the first position and the second position, on the first distance measurement and on the second distance measurement, and further the arithmetic processing unit is configured to calculate a base line length based on coordinates of the first position and on coordinates of the second position and to carry out a trilateration with respect to the measuring point based on the horizontal distance and on the base line length.