Patent ID: 8358341

Claim:
A method for scanning a surface of an object using a total station, the method comprising: defining a set of coordinates to identify an area associated with the object; defining a plurality of sections within the area associated with the object, the plurality of sections forming an array having a first number of rows, each of the rows having a second number of sections; for each section of a first row of the array: a) positioning a scanning element of the total station to image a portion of the area associated with the object corresponding to a first section of the first row; b) designating one or more sections adjacent to the first section for subsequent scanning if a result of scanning the portion of the area associated with the object corresponding to the first section of the first row indicates presence of a first portion of the object; c) repeating steps a) and b) for subsequent sections of the first row; for a second row of the array: d) positioning the scanning element to image a portion of the area associated with the object corresponding to a first section of the second row; e) designating one or more sections adjacent to the first section of the second row for subsequent scanning if it is determined that the portion of the area associated with the object corresponding to the first section of the second row indicates presence of a second portion of the object; and f) designating one or more sections adjacent to the first section of the second row for no subsequent scanning if it is determined that the portion of the area associated with the object corresponding to the first section of the second row does not indicate presence of a portion of the object; g) repeating steps d), e), and f) for subsequent sections of the second row.