Geodetic instrument with diffractive optical elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10018836-B2
Application number	US-201514710446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2015
Priority date	May 13, 2014
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a geodetic instrument, in particular a geodetic telescope, for example for a theodolite, or geodetic overview, photogrammetry or axial camera, comprising an imaging optical system which defines an optical axis and comprises an observation beam path for imaging a target object by an eyepiece and/or on a camera sensor, for registering and/or providing an image of the sighted target object. According to the invention, the imaging optical system comprises at least two diffractive optical elements in the observation beam path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A theodolite or total station comprising:
a laser transmitter configured to transmit a laser measurement beam towards a target object,
a distance measuring sensor, and
a geodetic telescope, comprising:
an imaging optical system which comprises an objective assembly which is determined by the function of the telescope, wherein the imaging optical system defines an optical axis and comprises an observation beam path for imaging the target object on an intermediate image plane observable by an eyepiece and/or on a camera sensor for providing and/or registering an image of the sighted target object, wherein:
the imaging optical system comprises an emergence mirror or an emergence prism, the emergence mirror or the emergence prism being arranged on the optical axis in the observation beam path and being configured to direct the laser measurement beam coaxially along the optical axis towards the target object,
the imaging optical system comprises a beam splitter arranged downstream of the emergence mirror or the emergence prism in the observation beam path, namely in the beam path of the light radiated back from the target object, the beam splitter being adapted to deflect at least part of the laser measurement beam radiated back from the object away from the optical axis towards the distance measuring sensor,
the imaging optical system has at least two diffractive optical elements in the observation beam path, and
the objective assembly comprises a first one of the at least two diffractive optical elements as a diffractive objective component.

2. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the at least two diffractive optical elements is embodied as a hybrid lens made of a refractive lens with a diffractive structure.

3. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the at least two diffractive optical elements is embodied as a hybrid lens made of a aspherical lens or spherical lens with a diffractive structure.

4. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two diffractive optical elements is formed from glass, plastic or combinations of glass and plastic and/or are produced by replication technology.

5. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the objective component comprises an objective lens embodied as a hybrid lens.

6. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the diffractive objective component comprises a material made of crown glass and/or a diffractive structure that comprises a layer material with a layer thickness of less than 0.15 mm applied by replication technology.

7. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the diffractive objective component comprises a material made of crown glass and/or a diffractive structure that comprises a layer material with a layer thickness of less than 0.05 mm applied by replication technology.

8. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the objective assembly overall includes only one optical element which is provided by one of the at least two diffractive optical elements.

9. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the observation beam path has an eyepiece and the optical system is embodied for imaging the sighted target object on an intermediate image plane observable through the eyepiece for providing an image of the sighted target object, and
the eyepiece has one of the at least two diffractive optical elements of the imaging optical system.

10. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the at least two diffractive optical elements has diffractive and aspherical structures, which are produced by embossing or injection molding, wherein the asphericities have small dimensions.

11. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two diffractive optical elements are embodied for chromatic corrections by means of the first order of diffraction thereof and, simultaneously, for suppressing the zero and/or higher orders of diffraction.

12. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two diffractive optical elements are embodied for chromatic corrections by means of the first order of diffraction thereof and, simultaneously, for suppressing the zero and/or higher orders of diffraction by means of generating large circles of confusion in the case of diffraction for these orders of diffraction.

13. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two diffractive optical elements are embodied for chromatic corrections by means of the first order of diffraction thereof and, simultaneously, for suppressing the zero and/or higher orders of diffraction for imaging remaining intensity of higher orders of diffraction with a component of less than 5% of an overall imaging intensity.

14. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
a superposed asphere is used in at least one of the at least two diffractive optical elements for correcting spherical aberrations.

15. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least one lens aperture has different zones with different properties in at least one of the at least two diffractive optical elements, wherein different zones have different focal lengths, specifically for near-field optics for an electronic rangefinder.

16. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two diffractive optical elements are embodied for fulfilling different functionalities.

17. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two diffractive optical elements are embodied for imaging on different optical sensors by means of an extended focal range.

18. The theodolite or total station according to claim 1 , wherein:
the telescope comprises a focusing member, wherein:
the focusing member contains a second one of the at least two diffractive optical elements as diffractive focusing component, wherein this is movably arranged along the optical axis.

19. The theodolite or total station according to claim 18 , wherein:
the focusing member comprises flint glass and elements produced by replication technology or a diffractive plastic lens and a spherical flint glass lens.

20. The theodolite or total station according to claim 18 , wherein:
the focusing member overall includes at most two optical elements of which one is provided by one of the at least two diffractive optical elements, wherein the focusing member overall includes only one optical element which is provided by one of the at least two diffractive optical elements.

21. The theodolite or total station according to claim 18 , wherein:
at least three diffractive optical elements are present,
the objective assembly comprises a first one of the at least three diffractive optical elements,
the focusing member contains a second one of the at least three diffractive optical elements, and
the eyepiece comprises a third one of the at least three diffractive optical elements.

Assignees

• Leica Geosystems Ag

Inventors

• Kipfer Peter
• Lais Josef

Classifications

• G01S7/4812

  transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path · CPC title

• G01S17/86

  Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders · CPC title

• G01C15/00 Primary

  Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00 · CPC title

• G02B25/001

  Eyepieces · CPC title

• G02B23/2407

  Optical details · CPC title