Patents by Inventor Nobuyuki Nishita

Nobuyuki Nishita has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10724860
    Abstract: When a camera and a surveying device are connected by a synchro cable, and a photographing condition obtaining unit obtains a photographing start time of the camera, a survey control unit makes a survey time measurement unit start time measurement. After the camera and the surveying device are disconnected, the survey control unit starts a survey by a predetermined surveying period ?T when tracking of the prism starts. Based on the time measurement by the survey time measurement unit, the survey control unit associates the survey result with the photographing position of each image taken by the camera to generate the data for photogrammetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Topcon Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Nishita, Jumpei Kochi, Satoshi Yanobe
  • Publication number: 20200233083
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided that can identify an array direction of a measurement object formed in a linear shape and efficiently perform a localized measurement of the measurement object. A measurement apparatus includes a distance measuring unit, a deflecting unit which deflects a direction of emission of measurement light with respect to a reference optical axis and which is capable of performing scanning with the measurement light with respect to a prescribed center in a circumferential direction, and a calculation control unit which controls the distance measuring unit and the deflecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki NISHITA
  • Patent number: 10708572
    Abstract: A photogrammetric system includes a camera installed in a movable body and including a shutter unit that moves an exposed portion across an imaging surface from one side to the other side for exposure to capture an image, a measuring device configured to measure a position at which the camera captures the image, and a photogrammetry data generator configured to extract a feature point from the image captured by the camera, calculate a feature point capture position at which the feature point is captured based on a measurement result of the measuring device and a moving time of the exposed portion, and generate photogrammetry data including the feature point capture position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Nishita
  • Patent number: 10697771
    Abstract: A survey system including a movable photographing device, a surveying device, and an analysis device. The movable photographing device includes a camera mounted on a UAV and taking a plurality of images P for photogrammetry, and a GPS unit including a first time stamping portion stamping a first time Tc relating to a photographing time on the image P taken. The surveying device determines a position of the movable photographing device, and includes a second time stamping portion stamping a second time Tt relating to a surveying time on a survey result R determined above. The analysis device includes a photographing position analysis portion associating each survey result R with a photographing position of the respective image P based on the first time Tc and the second time Tt, and generating data for photogrammetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Nishita, Kazuki Osaragi, Yasuhito Haijima, You Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20200141729
    Abstract: A surveying system comprises a laser scanner for scanning a distance measuring light and for acquiring point cloud data and a target instrument having a target for reflecting the distance measuring light, wherein the target is a sphere having a known diameter, the laser scanner comprises a distance measuring module for projecting the distance measuring light, for receiving a reflected distance measuring light and for performing a distance measurement, an optical axis deflector which enables to two-dimensionally deflect the distance measuring light, and an arithmetic control module for controlling the optical axis deflector, and wherein the arithmetic control module is configured to perform a circular scan on a surface of the target by the optical axis deflector, to obtain a center of the target based on the point cloud data acquired by the circular scan and the diameter, and to measure a distance of the center of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Nishita
  • Publication number: 20200142031
    Abstract: A target device, which allows a sufficient amount of reflected light to be obtained from an end portion, is provided and includes a measurement section. In the target device, a retroreflective layer in which a plurality of retroreflective elements are arranged on the entire circumference in a circumferential direction about an axis is formed on at least part of the outer peripheral surface of the measurement section. The retroreflective layer is formed into an uneven shape in which a distance from the axis changes along the entire circumference in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki NISHITA
  • Publication number: 20200132840
    Abstract: A surveying instrument comprises a distance measuring module configured to perform a distance measurement of an objects to be measured, an optical axis deflector which is provided on a distance measuring optical axis and enables to two-dimensionally deflect the distance measuring optical axis, an arithmetic control module configured to control a deflecting action of the optical axis deflector and a distance measuring action of the distance measuring module, and a display module configured to display calculation results by the arithmetic control module, and wherein the arithmetic control module is configured to scan at least one plane of the objects to be measured in a predetermined scan pattern in at least one cycle by the optical axis deflector, to calculate parameters of the plane based on a measurement result of point cloud data acquired along a locus of a scan, and to display the calculated parameters on the display module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Nishita
  • Patent number: 10636171
    Abstract: A technique for reliably locking on a UAV in tracking the UAV by an optical device is provided. The location of a total station (TS) is measured, and location information of a UAV during hovering is obtained from a GPS unit that is mounted on the UAV. On the basis of the location of the TS and the location information of the UAV during hovering, the TS calculates the direction of the UAV as seen from the TS to capture the UAV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Nishita
  • Patent number: 10605600
    Abstract: A surveying system comprising a surveying instrument and a target having a pole and a prism which is provided on an axis of the pole, wherein the surveying instrument is configured to scan the distance measuring light with an optical center of the prism as a center by a circular scanning in a state where the prism is tracked, to calculate point cloud data of two points at which the pole intersects with the circular scanning, the axis of the pole and a tilt angle of the axis of the pole, a straight line on the pole which intersects with the circular scanning at two points, three-dimensional coordinates of two intersection points of the straight line and the circular scanning, and three-dimensional coordinates of the optical center of the prism, and to calculate three-dimensional coordinates of a measuring point based on the calculation result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: TOPCON Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Nishita
  • Publication number: 20200096333
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus is provided that includes a distance measuring unit, a deflecting unit, and a calculation control unit which controls the distance measuring unit and the deflecting unit. The calculation control unit detects coordinates of a pair of intersection points of the object to be measured and a scan trajectory with the measurement light on the basis of a distance measurement result by the distance measuring unit and the direction of emission deflected by the deflecting unit. The calculation control unit controls a deflection operation of the deflecting unit so as to change the direction of emission on the basis of the coordinates of the pair of intersection points such that the scan trajectory with the measurement light and the object to be measured intersect with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki NISHITA
  • Patent number: 10591290
    Abstract: Provided is a survey system capable of acquiring point group data of a three-dimensional object desired to be measured without complicated setting. A survey system includes a surveying instrument including a tracking section that tracks a target by emitting tracking light and receiving the tracking light reflected on the target, and a scanner that rotates horizontally and integrally with the surveying instrument and performs scanning around a single axis in a vertical direction, and the scanner and the tracking section are offset in the horizontal direction. Therefore, a scanning line (SL) does not match the target, and is always controlled around the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Nishita, Kenichiro Yoshino
  • Patent number: 10565730
    Abstract: A technique is provided to enable reduction in cost relating to installation of orientation targets in aerial photogrammetry. A survey data processing device includes a positioning data receiving unit, a relative orientation unit, an absolute orientation unit, and an adjustment calculation executing unit. The positioning data receiving unit receives positioning data obtained by tracking and positioning a reflective prism of an aerial vehicle by a total station. The aerial vehicle also has a camera. The relative orientation unit calculates relative exterior orientation parameters of the camera by relative orientation using photographed images taken by the camera. The absolute orientation unit provides a true scale to the relative exterior orientation parameters by absolute orientation using the positioning data and the relative exterior orientation parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Sasaki, Nobuyuki Fukaya, Nobuyuki Nishita
  • Publication number: 20200026310
    Abstract: A mobile body is controlled even in a place in which a navigation signal is difficult to receive from a navigation satellite. A three-dimensional information processing unit operates a device or a functional part which measures three-dimensional coordinates of a controlled target and operates a laser scanner or a laser scanning part which obtains three-dimensional point cloud data of the target. The unit includes a positioning section that operates the device or the functional part which measures the three-dimensional coordinates, to calculate the three-dimensional coordinates, and includes a scan controlling section that obtains the three-dimensional point cloud data from the laser scanner or the laser scanning part. The unit also includes a range calculator that calculates a movable range of the target from the three-dimensional coordinates and the three-dimensional point cloud data, and includes a controlled target position calculator that calculates a position of the target in the movable range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyuki NISHITA, Koji ONISHI
  • Publication number: 20200003558
    Abstract: A survey system includes a survey device and a target. The survey device includes a main body rotatable around a vertical axis, a telescope supported by the main body and rotatable around a horizontal axis, a wide angle imaging unit having a second angle of view wider than a first angle of view of the telescope, and a target identification unit configured to identify a target image. The target image is identified based on a differential image between a first image captured by the wide angle imaging unit during an on-period with laser light emitted from an emission unit and a second image captured during an off-period in which laser light is not emitted from the emission unit. The target image is quickly identified even when the target is significantly separated in the horizontal direction from a position directly in front of the survey device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki NISHITA
  • Patent number: 10488519
    Abstract: A polygon mirror includes a plurality of reflection surfaces formed in a circumference surface of the polygon mirror at equal intervals, and a surface processed part that reflects incident laser light to form a fan beam spreading in a predetermined direction, and the surface processed part being provided in each of the reflection surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Nishita
  • Patent number: 10473462
    Abstract: The system includes a survey machine having an image-taking section, a section of measuring a distance to a target and a section of measuring an angle, a pointing rod which is positioned on the measurement point X and includes, at a position deviated from a fixed length L from the measurement point, the prism, and an inclination sheet having a mark. The three-dimensional position of the measurement point is measured by equipping the inclination sheet to the pointing rod, imaging a mark surface in the image-taking section, calculating the inclination angle of the inclination sheet with respect to the eye direction from the survey machine by image-analyzing the mark surface, and determining the three-dimensional position of the measurement point from a three-dimensional position of the prism, the inclination angle of the inclination sheet and the fixed length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOPCON
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Nishita, Kaoru Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20190302233
    Abstract: An electro-optical distance meter includes a light source configured to emit light for distance measurement, a detector configured to receive the light and generate a distance measurement signal, a calculator configured to measure the distance from the distance measurement signal, an external optical path configured to guide the light from the light source to a target as measurement light, an internal optical path configured to guide the light from the light source directly to the detector as reference light, and a liquid shutter that can select one of the external and internal optical paths as the optical path through which the light from the light source travels by switching a region of light-blocking liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyuki NISHITA, Takashi TAKAHASHI, Tatsuya KOJIMA, Saki HORITA
  • Publication number: 20190234733
    Abstract: The survey system includes a mobile body equipped with a scanner configured to perform scanning by a distance measuring light, a position measuring device configured to measure a position of the scanner, and a posture detecting device configured to detect a posture of the scanner, the posture detecting device includes an imaging unit configured to periodically acquire image data, a 3-axis angular velocity sensor configured to detect 3-axis posture angles of the scanner, and an arithmetic control unit, and the arithmetic control unit is configured to calculate posture information of the scanner by summing photographing-time 3-axis posture angles (SP0, SP1, SPn) of the scanner acquired in each photographing by image analysis of the image data, and 3-axis posture relative displacement angles of the scanner calculated from detection values of the 3-axis angular velocity sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Nobuyuki NISHITA, You SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20190227173
    Abstract: A technique is provided to more easily measure a distance of a target from a ground surface or a ceiling surface. A surveying device has a laser scanner part and a total station in a unitary manner. The surveying device includes a TS functional part, a laser scanner part, and a distance calculator. The TS functional part positions a reflective prism by using laser light. The laser scanner part performs laser scanning of a ground surface along a vertical plane containing the reflective prism and an optical axis for the laser positioning to obtain a laser scanned point cloud. The distance calculator calculates a distance between the ground surface and the reflective prism on the basis of one or multiple points, which are extracted from the laser scanned point cloud and in proximity to a straight line connecting the reflective prism and a specific plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki NISHITA
  • Patent number: 10337863
    Abstract: A survey system includes a camera provided on a UAV and taking a plurality of images for photogrammetry. A surveying portion tracking the camera and continuously determining a position of the camera and a relative photographing position calculation portion calculates a relative photographing position of each image based on the plurality of images taken by the camera, and a traveling path calculation portion calculates a traveling path of the UAV from a survey result obtained by the surveying portion. A photogrammetry analysis portion associating a point group of the relative photographing positions calculated by the relative photographing position calculation portion with a flight path calculated by the flight path calculation portion, and generating data for photogrammetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Nobuyuki Nishita, Takeshi Sasaki