Apparatus for optically measuring the distance to a scattering target object or a reflecting target object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12596194-B2
Application number	US-202017767676-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2020
Priority date	Oct 11, 2019
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

An apparatus for optically measuring a distance to a scattering target object or a reflecting target object includes a laser beam source which is embodied as a first electro-optical component, a detector which is embodied as a second electro-optical component and which receives a reception beam that has been scattered at the scattering target object or a reception beam that has been reflected at the reflecting target object, and a laser beam shaping device with a first laser beam shaping optical unit and a second laser beam shaping optical unit where the second laser beam shaping optical unit is disposed downstream of the first laser beam shaping optical unit in a beam path of a laser beam. The second laser beam shaping optical unit is embodied as a first array of reflecting transmission elements where an orientation of the reflecting transmission elements is adjustable by a first control unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An apparatus ( 10 ) for optically measuring a distance to a scattering target object ( 52 ) and a reflecting target object ( 51 ; 53 ), comprising:
a laser beam source ( 13 ) which is embodied as a first electro-optical component and which emits a laser beam ( 14 ); a detector ( 15 ) which is embodied as a second electro-optical component and which receives a reception beam ( 73 ) that has been scattered at the scattering target object ( 52 ) or a reception beam ( 63 ; 83 ) that has been reflected at the reflecting target object ( 51 ; 53 ); and a laser beam shaping device ( 33 ) with a first laser beam shaping optical unit ( 18 ) and a second laser beam shaping optical unit ( 31 ), wherein the second laser beam shaping optical unit ( 31 ) differs from the first laser beam shaping optical unit ( 18 ) and is disposed downstream of the first laser beam shaping optical unit ( 18 ) in a beam path of the laser beam ( 14 , 34 ); wherein the second laser beam shaping optical unit ( 31 ) is embodied as a first array ( 41 ) of reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) and wherein an orientation of the reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) is adjustable by a first control unit ( 45 ) to adjust the orientation such that the laser beam ( 14 ) is adaptable to different types of a target object, to a distance to the target object, and to a size of the target object, wherein the different types of the target object include the scattering target object ( 52 ) and the reflecting target object ( 51 ; 53 ).

2 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first transmission arrangement for the first array ( 41 ) is stored in the first control unit ( 45 ) and wherein the reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) form a convex mirror ( 61 ) in the first transmission arrangement for the laser beam.

3 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a second transmission arrangement for the first array ( 41 ) is stored in the first control unit ( 45 ) and wherein the reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) form a concave mirror ( 71 ) in the second transmission arrangement for the laser beam.

4 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a third transmission arrangement for the first array ( 41 ) is stored in the first control unit ( 45 ) and wherein the reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) form a plane mirror ( 81 ) in the third transmission arrangement for the laser beam.

5 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first transmission arrangement for the first array ( 41 ), a second transmission arrangement for the first array ( 41 ), and a third transmission arrangement for the first array ( 41 ) are stored in the first control unit ( 45 ) and wherein the reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) form a convex mirror ( 61 ) in the first transmission arrangement for the laser beam, the reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) form a concave mirror ( 71 ) in the second transmission arrangement for the laser beam, and the reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) form a plane mirror ( 81 ) in the third transmission arrangement for the laser beam.

6 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) of the first array ( 41 ) are adjustable between a first transmission angle range and a second transmission angle range and wherein a transmission partial beam of the laser beam deflected by a reflecting transmission element ( 42 ) of the reflecting transmission elements ( 42 ) passes a second opening ( 57 ), disposed downstream of the second laser beam shaping optical unit ( 31 ) in the beam path of the laser beam, in the first transmission angle range and impinges on an absorption area ( 58 ) in the second transmission angle range.

7 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a reception beam shaping device ( 34 ) with a first reception beam shaping optical unit ( 19 ) and a second reception beam shaping optical unit ( 32 ), wherein the second reception beam shaping optical unit ( 32 ) differs from the first reception beam shaping optical unit ( 19 ) and is disposed upstream of the first reception beam shaping optical unit ( 19 ) in a beam path of the reception beam.

8 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second reception laser beam shaping optical unit ( 32 ) is embodied as a second array ( 43 ) of reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) and wherein an orientation of the reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) is adjustable by a second control unit ( 46 ).

9 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a first reception arrangement for the second array ( 43 ) is stored in the second control unit ( 46 ) and wherein the reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) form a convex mirror ( 64 ) in the first reception arrangement for the reception beam.

10 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a second reception arrangement for the second array ( 43 ) is stored in the second control unit ( 46 ) and wherein the reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) form a concave mirror ( 74 ) in the second reception arrangement for the reception beam.

11 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a third reception arrangement for the second array ( 43 ) is stored in the second control unit ( 46 ) and wherein the reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) form a plane mirror ( 84 ) in the third reception arrangement for the reception beam.

12 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a first reception arrangement for the second array ( 43 ), a second reception arrangement for the second array ( 43 ), and a third reception arrangement for the second array ( 43 ) are stored in the second control unit ( 46 ) and wherein the reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) form a convex mirror ( 64 ) in the first reception arrangement for the reception beam, the reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) form a concave mirror ( 74 ) in the second reception arrangement for the reception beam, and the reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) form a plane mirror ( 84 ) in the third reception arrangement for the reception beam.

13 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) are adjustable independently of one another between a first reception angle range and a second reception angle range and wherein a reception partial beam of the reception beam deflected by a reflecting reception element ( 44 ) of the reflecting reception elements ( 44 ) impinges on the detector ( 15 ) in the first reception angle range and impinges on an absorption area ( 58 ) in the second reception angle range.

Assignees

• Hilti Ag

Inventors

• Gogolla Torsten
• Winter Andreas

Classifications

• G01S7/4813

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01S7/4812

  transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path · CPC title

• G01S17/08 Primary

  for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) · CPC title