IP Library Granted Patent US 12,656,114
Granted Patent B2
US 12,656,114 · App. 17/952,931 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Unevenness level inspecting device, unevenness level inspectiing system, and unevenness level inspecting method

Inventor: Takeshi Kikuchi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
G01C15/006G01B17/08G01C15/04G01S17/42
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,656,114
App. No.
17/952,931
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An unevenness level inspecting device includes a target T at a known distance from a to-be-inspected surface, a traveling unit for traveling on the to-be-inspected surface, a first marker for marking information on the to-be-inspected surface, and a control unit configured to control the first marker, and the control unit calculates a height of the to-be-inspected surface at a measurement position of the target T based on three-dimensional position coordinates of the target input each time the unevenness level inspecting device travels a predetermined distance, and controls the first marker so as to mark unevenness level information indicating a difference between the height of the to-be-inspected surface and a reference height on a corresponding position on the to-be-inspected surface, and the unevenness level information is marked in a color that differs depending on a magnitude of the difference between the height of the to-be-inspected surface and the reference height.

Claims (61)

1 . An unevenness level inspecting device comprising:

a target at a known distance from a to-be-inspected surface;

a traveling unit for traveling on the to-be-inspected surface;

a first marker for marking information on the to-be-inspected surface; and

a control unit including at least a processor and a memory, the control unit configured to control the first marker, wherein

the control unit calculates a height of the to-be-inspected surface at a measurement position of the target based on three-dimensional position coordinates of the target input each time the unevenness level inspecting device travels a predetermined distance, and controls the first marker so as to mark unevenness level information indicating a difference between the height of the to-be-inspected surface and a reference height on a corresponding position on the to-be-inspected surface, and

the unevenness level information is marked in a color that differs depending on a magnitude of the difference between the height of the to-be-inspected surface and the reference height.

2 . The unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the reference height is a representative value of heights of the to-be-inspected surface obtained by measuring a plurality of points on the to-be-inspected surface.

3 . The unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a hammering test unit including

a hammering unit configured to hammer the to-be-inspected surface with a hammer, and

a sound collecting unit configured to detect a hammering sound produced by the hammer; and

a second marker configured to mark information on the to-be-inspected surface, wherein

the control unit determines whether an upper surface of the to-be-inspected surface has an abnormality based on a hammering sound collected by the hammering test unit, and when detecting an abnormality, controls the second marker to perform marking at a position corresponding to a hammering position.

4 . The unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a hammering test unit including

a hammering unit configured to hammer the to-be-inspected surface with a hammer, and

a sound collecting unit configured to detect a hammering sound produced by the hammer; and

a second marker configured to mark information on the to-be-inspected surface, wherein

the control unit determines whether an upper surface of the to-be-inspected surface has an abnormality based on a hammering sound collected by the hammering test unit, and when detecting an abnormality, controls the second marker to perform marking at a position corresponding to a hammering position.

5 . The unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 3 , wherein a marking region of the first marker and a marking region of the second marker deviate from each other in a left-right direction orthogonal to a traveling direction.

6 . The unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 4 , wherein a marking region of the first marker and a marking region of the second marker deviate from each other in a left-right direction orthogonal to a traveling direction.

7 . The unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a rectangular parallelepiped housing for housing the first marker, the second marker, and the hammering test unit; and

a traveling driving unit configured to drive the traveling unit, wherein

an adsorbing portion extending downward is provided on one side surface of the housing, and the adsorbing portion includes an adsorbing main body including a suction fan, a skirt enclosing the outer periphery of the adsorbing main body, and a duct hose for exhausting air suctioned by the suction fan rearward, and

the inspecting device is configured to travel on an edge portion of a structure by driving of the traveling driving unit.

8 . The unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a rectangular parallelepiped housing for housing the first marker, the second marker, and the hammering test unit; and

a traveling driving unit configured to drive the traveling unit, wherein

an adsorbing portion extending downward is provided on one side surface of the housing, and the adsorbing portion includes an adsorbing main body including a suction fan, a skirt enclosing the outer periphery of the adsorbing main body, and a duct hose for exhausting air suctioned by the suction fan rearward, and

the inspecting device is configured to travel on an edge portion of a structure by driving of the traveling driving unit.

9 . The unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a rectangular parallelepiped housing for housing the first marker, the second marker, and the hammering test unit; and

a traveling driving unit configured to drive the traveling unit, wherein

an adsorbing portion extending downward is provided on one side surface of the housing, and the adsorbing portion includes an adsorbing main body including a suction fan, a skirt enclosing the outer periphery of the adsorbing main body, and a duct hose for exhausting air suctioned by the suction fan rearward, and

the inspecting device is configured to travel on an edge portion of a structure by driving of the traveling driving unit.

10 . The unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a rectangular parallelepiped housing for housing the first marker, the second marker, and the hammering test unit; and

a traveling driving unit configured to drive the traveling unit, wherein

an adsorbing portion extending downward is provided on one side surface of the housing, and the adsorbing portion includes an adsorbing main body including a suction fan, a skirt enclosing the outer periphery of the adsorbing main body, and a duct hose for exhausting air suctioned by the suction fan rearward, and

the inspecting device is configured to travel on an edge portion of a structure by driving of the traveling driving unit.

11 . An unevenness level inspecting system comprising:

the unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 1 ; and

a surveying instrument emitting distance-measuring light such toward the target, and receiving reflected light to measure a distance and an angle to the target.

12 . An unevenness level inspecting system comprising:

the unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 2 ; and

a surveying instrument emitting distance-measuring light such toward the target, and receiving reflected light to measure a distance and an angle to the target.

13 . An unevenness level inspecting system comprising:

the unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 3 ; and

a surveying instrument emitting distance-measuring light such toward the target, and receiving reflected light to measure a distance and an angle to the target.

14 . An unevenness level inspecting system comprising:

the unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 5 ; and

a surveying instrument emitting distance-measuring light such toward the target, and receiving reflected light to measure a distance and an angle to the target.

15 . An unevenness level inspecting system comprising:

the unevenness level inspecting device according to claim 7 ; and

a surveying instrument emitting distance-measuring light such toward the target, and receiving reflected light to measure a distance and an angle to the target.

16 . An unevenness level inspecting method using an unevenness level inspecting device including a target at a known distance from a to-be-inspected surface, a traveling unit for traveling on the to-be-inspected surface, a first marker for marking information on the to-be-inspected surface, and a control unit including at least a processor and a memory, the control unit configured to control the first marker, wherein

the control unit calculates a height of the to-be-inspected surface at a measurement position of the target based on three-dimensional position coordinates of the target input each time the unevenness level inspecting device travels a predetermined distance, and

controls the first marker so as to mark unevenness level information indicating a difference between the height of the to-be-inspected surface and a reference height on a corresponding position on the to-be-inspected surface, and

the unevenness level information is marked in a color that differs depending on a magnitude of the difference between the height of the to-be-inspected surface and the reference height.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2022
From: KIKUCHI, TAKESHI
To: TOPCON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061217/0564 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-160648 · Sep 30, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230099546A1 · Mar 30, 2023
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