Surveying instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9909871-B2
Application number	US-201615158631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2016
Priority date	May 28, 2015
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

The invention provides a surveying instrument, which comprises a horizontal rotating unit and a measuring unit installed on the horizontal rotating unit, wherein the horizontal rotating unit comprises a driving unit for rotating the measuring unit, a horizontal angle detector for measuring horizontal angle data, a first synchronization data generating unit, a first storage unit and a first control unit, the first control unit associates the horizontal angle data with the first synchronization data and stores in the first storage unit, wherein the measuring unit comprises a distance measuring unit for performing a distance measurement, a vertical angle detector for detecting a vertical angle at a time of distance measurement, a second synchronization data generating unit, a second storage unit and a second control unit, the second synchronization data generating unit outputs second synchronization data which indicate timings of a time of acquisition of the distance measurement data and a time of acquisition of the vertical angle data, the second control unit associates the two-dimensional measurement data with the second synchronization data and stores in the second storage unit, and the horizontal angle data and the two-dimensional measurement data can be converted to three-dimensional data based on the first synchronization data and the second synchronization data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surveying instrument comprising; a horizontal rotating unit and a measuring unit installed on said horizontal rotating unit,
wherein said horizontal rotating unit comprises a driving unit for rotating said measuring unit, a horizontal angle detector for measuring horizontal angle data, a first synchronization data generating unit, a first storage unit and a first control unit, wherein said first synchronization data generating unit outputs first synchronization data which indicate a timing at a time of acquisition of the horizontal angle data of said horizontal angle detector, said first control unit associates said horizontal angle data with said first synchronization data and stores in said first storage unit,
wherein said measuring unit comprises a distance measuring unit for performing a distance measurement, a vertical angle detector for detecting a vertical angle at a time of distance measurement, a second synchronization data generating unit, a second storage unit and a second control unit, wherein said measuring unit acquires two-dimensional measurement data based on distance measurement data by said distance measuring unit and vertical angle data by said vertical angle detector, said second synchronization data generating unit outputs second synchronization data which indicate timings of a time of acquisition of said distance measurement data and a time of acquisition of said vertical angle data, said second control unit associates said two-dimensional measurement data with said second synchronization data and stores in said second storage unit, and said horizontal angle data and said two-dimensional measurement data can be converted to three-dimensional data based on said first synchronization data and said second synchronization data.

2. A surveying instrument according to claim 1 , wherein each of said horizontal rotating unit and said measuring unit have GPS devices respectively, and said first synchronization data generating unit and said second synchronization data generating unit output said first synchronization data and said second synchronization data based on timing signals as obtained from said GSP devices.

3. A surveying instrument according to claim 2 , wherein said measuring unit is a two-dimensional scanner unit, wherein said two-dimensional scanner unit comprises a distance measuring unit which emits a pulsed distance measuring light and performs a distance measurement for each of said pulsed distance measuring light, a scanning mirror to be provided on a vertical rotation shaft having a horizontal axis and for rotatably irradiating said pulsed distance measuring light, a motor for rotating said vertical rotation shaft and a vertical angle detector for detecting a vertical angle of said vertical rotation shaft, wherein said measuring unit is configured so as to acquire two-dimensional point cloud data based on a distance measurement result of said distance measuring unit and on a vertical angle at a time of distance measurement as detected by said vertical angle detector.

4. A surveying instrument according to claim 2 , wherein said measuring unit is a sighting distance measuring unit, wherein said sighting distance measuring unit has a telescope unit capable of rotating in a vertical direction, a motor for rotating said telescope unit in a vertical direction, and a vertical angle detector for detecting a vertical angle of said telescope unit, wherein said telescope unit has a sighting telescope and a distance measuring unit, said distance measuring unit performs a distance measurement of a measuring point under a condition where a predetermined measuring point is sighted by said sighting telescope and said vertical angle detector measures a vertical angle of said sighting telescope under a sighted condition, wherein said measuring unit is configured so as to measure two-dimensional coordinates of said measuring point based on the distance measurement result and the vertical angle as detected.

5. A surveying instrument according to claim 1 , wherein each of said first control unit and said second control unit respectively have clocks which issue timing signals for control signal, either one of said first control unit and said second control unit outputs the control signal to the other of said first control unit and said second control unit and said first synchronization data and said second synchronization data are adapted to be synchronized based on said control signal.

6. A surveying instrument according to claim 5 , wherein said measuring unit is a two-dimensional scanner unit, wherein said two-dimensional scanner unit comprises a distance measuring unit which emits a pulsed distance measuring light and performs a distance measurement for each of said pulsed distance measuring light, a scanning mirror to be provided on a vertical rotation shaft having a horizontal axis and for rotatably irradiating said pulsed distance measuring light, a motor for rotating said vertical rotation shaft and a vertical angle detector for detecting a vertical angle of said vertical rotation shaft, wherein said measuring unit is configured so as to acquire two-dimensional point cloud data based on a distance measurement result of said distance measuring unit and on a vertical angle at a time of distance measurement as detected by said vertical angle detector.

7. A surveying instrument according to claim 5 , wherein said measuring unit is a sighting distance measuring unit, wherein said sighting distance measuring unit has a telescope unit capable of rotating in a vertical direction, a motor for rotating said telescope unit in a vertical direction, and a vertical angle detector for detecting a vertical angle of said telescope unit, wherein said telescope unit has a sighting telescope and a distance measuring unit, said distance measuring unit performs a distance measurement of a measuring point under a condition where a predetermined measuring point is sighted by said sighting telescope and said vertical angle detector measures a vertical angle of said sighting telescope under a sighted condition, wherein said measuring unit is configured so as to measure two-dimensional coordinates of said measuring point based on the distance measurement result and the vertical angle as detected.

8. A surveying instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said horizontal rotating unit has a leveling unit, said measuring unit has a tilt sensor for detecting tilting in two horizontal directions, and a mounting condition of said measuring unit with respect to said horizontal rotating unit is corrected so that said tilt sensor detects a horizontality under a condition where said horizontal rotating unit is leveled horizontally by said leveling unit.

9. A surveying instrument according to claim 8 , wherein said measuring unit is a two-dimensional scanner unit, wherein said two-dimensional scanner unit comprises a distance measuring unit which emits a pulsed distance measuring light and performs a distance measurement for each of said pulsed distance measuring light, a scanning mirror to be provided on a vertical rotation shaft having a horizontal axis and for rotatably irradiating said pulsed distance measuring light, a motor for rotating said vertical rotation shaft and a vertical angle detector for detecting a vertical angle of said vertical rotation shaft, wherein said measuring unit is configured so as to acquire two-dimensional point cloud data based on a distance measurement result of said distance measuring unit and on a vertical angle at a time of distance measurement as detected by said vertical angle detector.

10. A surveying instrument according to claim 8 , wherein said measuring unit is a sighting distance measuring u

Assignees

• Topcon Corp

Inventors

• Kumagai Kaoru
• Yoshino Ken Ichiro

Classifications

• G01C15/002 Primary

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

• G01S7/4817

  relating to scanning · CPC title

• G01S17/42

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

• G01S7/4813

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01B11/24 Primary

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title