Surveying instrument for scanning an object and for projection of information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11397245-B2
Application number	US-201816118299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2018
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

Surveying device comprising a base defining a base axis (A), a support structure arranged to be rotatable around the base axis (A) and defining a rotation axis (B), a light emitting unit for emitting measuring signal and a light receiving unit comprising a detector for detecting reflected measuring signal. A rotation unit is mounted on the support structure for providing emission and reception of measuring light in defined directions, wherein the rotation unit comprises a rotation body which is mounted rotatable around the rotation axis (B) and the rotation body comprises a scanning mirror which is arranged tilted relative to the rotation axis (B). The device comprises at least one projector fixedly arranged with the support structure, defining a particular optical axis and configured to direct a light pattern at a scene, wherein position and shape of the pattern are controllable by the controlling and processing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surveying device comprising:
a base defining a base axis (A);
a support structure which is arranged to be rotatable around the base axis (A) and which defines a rotation axis (B) which is oriented orthogonally relative to the base axis (A);
an emitting unit for emitting a measuring signal;
a receiving unit comprising a detector for detecting a reflected measuring signal;
a rotation unit mounted on the support structure for providing emission and reception of the measuring signal in defined directions,
wherein:
the rotation unit comprises a rotation body which is mounted so as to rotate around the rotation axis (B) and
the rotation body comprises at least one reflecting scanning mirror which is arranged tilted relative to the rotation axis (B) and provides defined deflection of the measuring signal; and

a controlling and processing unit,
wherein:
the surveying device comprises at least one projector fixedly arranged with the support structure, defines a particular optical axis, and is configured to direct a light pattern at a scene,
the position and shape of the pattern are controllable by the controlling and processing unit,
the rotation body comprises at least one deflecting surface which is independent and spatially separated from the scanning mirror, and
the at least one projector and the rotation body are configured and arranged relative to each other in a predetermined range of alignment of the rotation body around the rotation axis (B),
the optical axis of the at least one projector is deflected by the at least one deflecting surface,
a field of view of the at least one projector is deflected and defined by the deflection of the optical axis so that the field of view comprises a defined field angle around the rotation axis (B), and
a parallax-free light pattern projection is providable with the surveying device.

2. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation body and the at least one projector are arranged and designed so that an emission axis for the measuring signal and the deflected optical axis of the at least one projector lie in a common plane which is oriented at least orthogonal relative to the rotation axis (B).

3. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the surveying device comprises at least two projectors which are fixedly arranged on the support structure,
each projector defining a particular optical axis,
the rotation body comprises at least two adjacent deflecting surfaces,
the at least two deflecting surfaces are arranged tilted relative to each other, in particular so that each of the deflecting surfaces lies on a different lateral face of a virtual pyramid defined thereby,
each of the at least two projectors is assigned to one of the at least two deflecting surfaces such that at least two pairs of one of the projectors and one of the deflecting surfaces are provided, and
the projectors and the rotation body are designed so and arranged relative to each other so that in the predetermined range of alignment of the rotation body around the rotation axis (B) a combined and continued wide-angle field of view around the rotation axis (B) is provided.

4. The surveying device according to claim 3 , wherein the at least two deflecting surfaces are arranged with a defined distance between two successively arranged adjacent deflecting surfaces.

5. The surveying device according to claim 3 , wherein the continued wide-angle field of view covers an angle of at least 90° around the rotation axis (B).

6. The surveying device according to claim 3 , wherein each of the fields of view which is defined by a deflection by means of the assigned deflecting surface in the predetermined alignment range partly covers the wide-angle field of view, wherein an overlap of adjacent fields of view is provided.

7. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controlling and processing unit provides a projection functionality which is configured so that each of the at least one projector projects at least a part of the entire light pattern, wherein the rotation body is in the predetermined range of alignment, and the controlling and processing unit is configured to control a step of rotating the rotation body around the rotation axis (B) so that the rotation body is brought in the predetermined range of alignment.

8. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one projector and the rotation body are designed so and arranged relative to each other so that in the predetermined range of alignment of the rotation body an optical distance from the at least one deflecting surface to a respective exit pupil of the respectively assigned at least one projector along the optical axis of this projector corresponds to an optical distance from an intersection point of the optical axis with the deflecting surfaces to a nodal point of the surveying device.

9. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one deflecting surfaces is provided by a reflecting mirror, wherein the reflecting mirror
is provided by one planar surface of the rotation body, wherein the planar surface is formed as one part with the rotation body,
is provided as a separate mirror element attached to the rotation body, or
is provided by a hyperbolic mirror.

10. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one deflecting surfaces is a coated mirror surface of a prismatic element, wherein the prismatic element is attached to the rotation body.

11. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotation body is designed so that a reflecting surface of the scanning mirror faces in an opposite direction of at least one of the deflecting surfaces,
the rotation body is designed so that the scanning mirror is arranged on a front side of the rotation body and the deflecting surfaces are arranged on the backside of the rotation body, or
the rotation body is arranged in a transparent cover which is designed to provide at least a first transmission window for emission and reception of the measuring signal and a second transmission window for emission of light for projecting the light pattern by the at least one projector.

12. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined range of alignment is provided by only one particular rotation region around the rotation axis (B).

13. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein
the projector is:
a digital projector,
a monochromatic laser projector, or
a polychromatic laser projector,

and
the projector comprises a laser source and an optical matrix element or a continuously deflecting element generating a light pattern.

14. The surveying device according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least one camera
is fixedly arranged with the support structure,
defines a particular imaging optical axis, and
is configured to acquire image information related to the scene,

wherein:
the at least one camera and the rotation body are designed so and arranged relative to each other in a defined range of alignment of the rotation body around the rotation axis (B),
the imaging optical axis of the at least one camera is deflected by the at least one deflecting surface,
a field of view of the at least one camera is deflected and defined by the deflection of the optical axis so that the field of view comprises a defined field angle around the rotation axis (B), and
parallax-free image acquisition is providable by means of the at least one camera.

15. A method for projecting a light pattern onto a scene

Assignees

• Hexagon Technology Ct Gmbh

Inventors

• Ammer Thomas
• Jensen Thomas
• Hinderling Jürg

Classifications

• G01S17/86

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

• G01C15/002

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

• G01C15/004

  Reference lines, planes or sectors · CPC title

• G01C1/02

  Theodolites · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title