Surveying apparatus with positioning device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260873-B2
Application number	US-201514963011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention include a surveying apparatus that includes an optoelectronic distance measuring device having a measuring beam path, a base for placing the surveying apparatus, a support which is mounted on the base such that it is rotatable about a vertical axis, a beam directing unit which is mounted in the support such that it is rotatable about a tilting axis, an angle measurement system for measuring the axial positions, and an actuatable positioning device driving the beam directing unit or the support. In some embodiments the positioning device may include a plurality of coils which are arranged in a positionally fixed manner in the form of a ring about the tilting axis and/or vertical axis, with winding axes which are axially parallel to the tilting axis or vertical axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surveying apparatus comprising:
an optoelectronic distance measuring device having a measuring beam path, a base for placing the surveying apparatus,
a support which is mounted on the base such that it is rotatable about a vertical axis, for azimuthal alignment of the optical beam path,
a beam directing unit which is mounted in the support such that it is rotatable about a tilting axis, for elevation alignment of the measurement beam path,
an angle measurement system for measuring the axial positions, and
an actuatable positioning device driving the beam directing unit or the support, wherein:
the positioning device has a plurality of coils which are arranged in a positionally fixed manner in the form of a ring about the tilting axis and/or vertical axis, with winding axes which are axially parallel to the tilting axis or vertical axis, and the coils are actuatable by actuating means such that they interact with a plurality of rotor magnets which are adjacent circumferentially on a rotor disc with alternating poles and are arranged axially with respect to the coils in order to ensure the following functions:
exerting torque on the beam directing unit or the support,
allowing the free-hand maneuverability of the beam directing unit or the support, and
blocking the maneuverability of the beam directing unit or the support,

wherein the coils are arranged on one side of a circuit board and configured such that a back iron is laminated onto the other side of the circuit board.

2. The surveying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surveying apparatus is configured in accordance with at least one of the following:
the rotor magnets are embodied by a unipartite remanent magnet which is magnetized circumferentially in sectionally alternating fashion;
rotor and/or stator have an axially central opening;
the coils are embodied by conductor tracks which are embedded on the circuit board or by electrical conductors on or in the circuit board;
the rotor disc is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a shaft, and the shaft is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the beam directing unit or the support;
the rotor disc is surrounded axially on both sides by in each case a positionally fixed unit and a unit having coils that are arranged in the form of a ring, wherein one of these units is the circuit board and wherein the rotor magnets are situated opposite the coils; or
the positioning device is arranged in the beam directing unit, in the support or in the base.

3. The surveying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surveying apparatus is configured in accordance with at least one of the following:
using an axial force which is achievable by way of selective actuation of the coils, the bearing preloading of the bearing of the shaft is specifically influenceable;
an operating mode of the positioning device is configured for energy regeneration during braking of the rotor; or
to exert torque onto the shaft, the coils are excited via the actuation means such that the resulting rotating electromagnetic fields exert circumferential magnetic forces onto the rotor disc that is provided with rotor magnets.

4. The surveying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surveying apparatus is configured with one of the following:
the coils are arranged on one side of a circuit board and configured such that the back iron is arranged on the other side of the circuit board;
the coils are arranged on one side of a circuit board and configured such that the back iron and the circuit board are components of a composite plate, wherein the composite plate embodies a carrying structure which is fixed to the support or the base in a combination of the materials metal and ceramic and/or plastic; or
the back iron is configured in a uniformly planar fashion such that no cogging torques exist between stator and rotor when no electric current flows through the coils.

5. The surveying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surveying apparatus is configured in accordance with one of the following:
to allow the free-hand maneuverability of the beam directing unit or the support, the coils are changed into a non-excited state such that the interaction between the rotor magnets and the coils is canceled, and thus the maneuverability of the rotor disc with respect to the stator is free from magnetic forces;
to allow the free-hand maneuverability of the beam directing unit or the support, the coils are excited in a regulated fashion such that, when torque is detected to be exerted by hand onto the beam directing unit or onto the support rotating of the beam directing unit or of the support is permitted, wherein targeted haptic force feedback is directable counter to the rotating by way of the actuation of the coils; or
to restrict the maneuverability of the beam directing unit or of the support, the coils are excited via the actuation means such that the resulting positionally fixed electromagnetic fields exert onto the rotor disc, which is equipped with rotor magnets, circumferential magnetic forces that block the rotation.

6. A surveying apparatus comprising:
an optoelectronic distance measuring device having a measuring beam path, a base for placing the surveying apparatus,
a support which is mounted on the base such that it is rotatable about a vertical axis, for azimuthal alignment of the optical beam path,
a beam directing unit which is mounted in the support such that it is rotatable about a tilting axis, for elevation alignment of the measurement beam path,
an angle measurement system for measuring the axial positions, and
an actuatable positioning device driving the beam directing unit or the support, wherein:
the positioning device has a plurality of coils which are arranged in a positionally fixed manner in the form of a ring about the tilting axis and/or vertical axis, with winding axes which are axially parallel to the tilting axis or vertical axis, and the coils are actuatable by actuating means such that they interact with a plurality of rotor magnets which are adjacent circumferentially on a rotor disc with alternating poles and are arranged axially with respect to the coils in order to ensure the following functions:
exerting torque on the beam directing unit or the support,
allowing the free-hand maneuverability of the beam directing unit or the support, and
blocking the maneuverability of the beam directing unit or the support,

wherein:
to allow the free-hand maneuverability of the beam directing unit or the support, the coils are changed into a non-excited state such that the interaction between the rotor magnets and the coils is canceled, and thus the maneuverability of the rotor disc with respect to the stator is free from magnetic forces.

7. The surveying apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the surveying apparatus is configured in accordance with at least one of the following:
the rotor magnets are embodied by a unipartite remanent magnet which is magnetized circumferentially in sectionally alternating fashion;
rotor and/or stator have an axially central opening;
the coils are embodied by conductor tracks which are embedded on the circuit board or by electrical conductors on or in the circuit board;
the rotor disc is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a shaft, and the shaft is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the beam directing unit or the support;
the rotor disc is surrounded axially on both sides by in each case a positionally fixed unit and a unit having coils that are arranged in the form of a ring, wherein one of these units is the circuit board and wherein the rotor magnets are situated opposite the coils; or
the positioning device is arranged in the beam directing unit, in the support or in the base.

Assignees

• Leica Geosystems Ag

Inventors

• Faix Oliver
• Herbst Christoph
• Auer Daniel
• MüLLER JOSEF

Classifications

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G01C15/002 Primary

  Active optical surveying means (optical plumbing G01C15/105) · CPC title

• H02K21/24

  with magnets axially facing the armatures, e.g. hub-type cycle dynamos · CPC title

• G01C3/08

  Use of electric radiation detectors · CPC title

• H02K29/10

  using light effect devices · CPC title