Target for use in surveying applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025189309-A1
Application number	US-202418938193-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 5, 2024
Priority date	Dec 11, 2023
Publication date	Jun 12, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present inventive concept relates to a target for use in surveying applications, said target comprising: a base element having a central axis, a reflector for reflecting light beams being incident on said target, said reflector including a plurality of retroreflectors arranged around said central axis to cover an angular area of substantially 360 degrees, wherein said reflector has an outer circumference and an inner circumference as defined by the arrangement of the retroreflectors and wherein a retroreflector has a first side located at the outer circumference and a second side located at the inner circumference; and a plurality of light emitting elements providing a plurality of apparent light sources arranged around said central axis, wherein an apparent light source is positioned within the inner circumference of the reflector for emitting light in a direction away from the central axis of the base element.

First claim

1 . A target for use in surveying applications, said target comprising:
a base element having a central axis; a reflector for reflecting light beams being incident on said target, said reflector including a plurality of retroreflectors arranged around said central axis to cover an angular area of substantially 360 degrees, wherein said reflector has an outer circumference and an inner circumference as defined by the arrangement of the retroreflectors and wherein a retroreflector has a first side located at the outer circumference and a second side located at the inner circumference; and a plurality of light emitting elements providing a plurality of apparent light sources arranged around said central axis, wherein an apparent light source is positioned within the inner circumference of the reflector for emitting light in a direction away from the central axis of the base element.

2 . The target according to claim 1 , wherein an apparent light source is positioned in the first half of a distance from the central axis to the second side of a corresponding one of said plurality of retroreflectors.

3 . The target according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apparent light sources consists of N apparent light sources, and wherein, at full width at half maximum, FWHM, an apparent light source has a light intensity distribution covering an angular width of at least 360/N degrees.

4 . The target according to claim 1 , wherein a retroreflector is a corner cube prism.

5 . The target according to claim 4 , wherein a light emitting element is positioned within the inner circumference of the reflector and configured to emit light through a second side of a corresponding retroreflector of said plurality of retroreflectors.

6 . The target according to claim 5 , wherein the light emitting element is positioned in proximity to the corresponding retroreflector such that at least 75% of an intensity of light emitted by the light emitting element is transmitted through the corresponding retroreflector.

7 . The target according to claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of optical coupling elements, wherein an optical coupling element is arranged between one of the plurality of light emitting elements and a corresponding retroreflector and configured to transmit the light emitted from said one of the plurality of light emitting elements to the corresponding retroreflector.

8 . The target according to claim 7 , wherein an apparent light source provided by one or more light emitting elements is positioned at an offset position as compared to a position of an apex of a corresponding corner cube prism in a plane having a normal pointing from the central axis to said apex.

9 . The target according to claim 7 , wherein an apparent light source provided by one or more light emitting element is positioned at the apex of a corresponding corner cube prism.

10 . The target according to claim 4 , wherein a light emitting element is arranged at the first side of a corresponding retroreflector and configured to emit light through the first side and towards the central axis of the base element, said light being reflected by the corresponding retroreflector for being directed away from the central axis of the base element.

11 . The target according to claim 4 , wherein the apex of the corner cube prism is cut to form the second side of the retroreflector.

12 . The target according to claim 11 , wherein an apparent light source is aligned, along the central axis, with the center of the second side of a corresponding retroreflector.

13 . The target according to claim 11 , wherein, for each retroreflector, the second side is configured to be substantially parallel to the first side.

14 . The target according to claim 11 , wherein the second side comprises a polished surface.

15 . The target according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical coupling elements configured to shape the light emission of the plurality of light emitting elements, wherein an optical coupling element is arranged between a light emitting element and its corresponding apparent light source.

16 . The target according to claim 1 , wherein each light emitting element is at least one of a light emitting diode, a laser or a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser.

17 . The target according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of retroreflectors is between 6 and 10.

18 . The target according to claim 1 , wherein an apparent light source is provided by more than one light emitting element ( 122 - 1 , 122 - 2 , 122 - 3 ).

Assignees

• Trimble Inc

Inventors

• Graesser Christian
• Claeson Jonas
• Natura Ute

Classifications

• G01C15/02

  Means for marking measuring points · CPC title

• G01C15/002 Primary

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

• G02B5/136

  plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary body (G02B5/124 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B5/122

  cube corner, trihedral or triple reflector type · CPC title

• G02B5/12

  Reflex reflectors · CPC title