Surveying instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9921062-B2
Application number	US-201615158629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2016
Priority date	May 28, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

The invention provides a surveying instrument, which comprises a horizontal rotating unit, a measuring unit installed on the horizontal rotating unit, a coupler for mechanically coupling the horizontal rotating unit with the measuring unit, and a connector for electrically connecting the horizontal rotating unit with the measuring unit, wherein the coupler couples the horizontal rotating unit with the measuring unit and can separate from each other, the connector can electrically connect the horizontal rotating unit with the measuring unit and can separate from each other, wherein the horizontal rotating unit comprises a driving unit for rotating the measuring unit, a horizontal angle detector for detecting a horizontal angle, and a horizontal angle control unit for calculating horizontal angle data based on a signal from the horizontal angle detector and for controlling the driving 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 vertical angle control unit for calculating vertical angle data based on detection results from the vertical angle detector, a coordinate calculating unit, and a main control unit, wherein the horizontal angle control unit transmits the horizontal angle data at the time of distance measurement to the coordinate calculating unit via the connector based on a control signal from the main control unit and distance measurement data by the distance measuring unit and the vertical angle data from the vertical angle control unit are inputted to the coordinate calculating unit, and the coordinate calculating unit is constituted so as to calculate three-dimensional data based on the horizontal angle data, the distance measurement data and the vertical angle data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surveying instrument comprising; a horizontal rotating unit, a measuring unit installed on the horizontal rotating unit, a coupler for mechanically coupling said horizontal rotating unit with said measuring unit, and a connector for electrically connecting said horizontal rotating unit with said measuring unit, wherein said coupler couples said horizontal rotating unit with said measuring unit and can separate from each other, said connector can electrically connect said horizontal rotating unit with said measuring unit and can separate from each other,
wherein said horizontal rotating unit comprises a driving unit for rotating said measuring unit, a horizontal angle detector for detecting a horizontal angle, and a horizontal angle control unit for calculating horizontal angle data based on a signal from said horizontal angle detector and for controlling said driving 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 vertical angle control unit for calculating vertical angle data based on detection results from said vertical angle detector, a coordinate calculating unit, and a main control unit,
wherein said horizontal angle control unit transmits the horizontal angle data at the time of distance measurement to said coordinate calculating unit via said connector based on a control signal from said main control unit and distance measurement data by said distance measuring unit and said vertical angle data from said vertical angle control unit are inputted to said coordinate calculating unit, and said coordinate calculating unit is constituted so as to calculate three-dimensional data based on said horizontal angle data, said distance measurement data and said vertical angle data.

2. The surveying instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said horizontal rotating unit has a leveling unit, said measuring unit has a tilt sensor for detecting a tilting in two horizontal directions, and a mounting condition of said measuring unit with respect to said horizontal rotating unit of said measuring 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.

3. The surveying instrument according to claim 2 , wherein said measuring unit is a two-dimensional scanner unit, wherein said two-dimensional scanner unit emits a pulsed distance measuring light and is provided on a distance measuring unit for performing distance measurement per each said pulsed distance measuring light and on a vertical rotation shaft having a horizontal axis, and comprises a scanning mirror 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 axis, wherein said measuring unit is constituted so as to acquire two-dimensional point cloud data based on the distance measurement result of said distance measuring unit and on a vertical angle at the time of distance measurement as detected by said vertical angle detector, said two-dimensional point cloud data are inputted to said coordinate calculating unit and three-dimensional point cloud data are calculated by said coordinate calculating unit.

4. The surveying instrument according to claim 3 , wherein said measuring unit is a sighting distance measuring unit, wherein said sighting distance measuring unit comprises a telescope unit rotatable 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 distance measurement of said measuring point under a condition where a predetermined measurement point is sighted by said telescope unit, said vertical angle control unit calculates vertical angle data of said sighting telescope under a sighted condition, and distance measurement data and said vertical angle data based on the distance measurement result of said measuring point are inputted to said coordinate calculating unit, and wherein the two-dimensional scanner unit is mounted on said sighting distance measuring unit via a second coupler, said two-dimensional scanner unit and said horizontal rotating unit are electrically connected via a second connector, it is configured so that said horizontal angle data from said horizontal angle control unit are inputted to said coordinate calculating unit of said two-dimensional scanner unit via said second connector, and it is configured so that the distance measurement of the measuring point by said sighting distance measuring unit and the acquisition of the two-dimensional point cloud data are selectively performed.

5. The surveying instrument according to claim 2 , wherein said measuring unit is a sighting distance measuring unit, wherein said sighting distance measuring unit comprises a telescope unit rotatable 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 distance measurement of said measuring point under a condition where a predetermined measurement point is sighted by said telescope unit, said vertical angle control unit calculates vertical angle data of said sighting telescope under a sighted condition, and distance measurement data and said vertical angle data based on the distance measurement result of said measuring point are inputted to said coordinate calculating unit.

6. The surveying instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said measuring unit is a two-dimensional scanner unit, wherein said two-dimensional scanner unit emits a pulsed distance measuring light and is provided on a distance measuring unit for performing distance measurement per each said pulsed distance measuring light and on a vertical rotation shaft having a horizontal axis, and comprises a scanning mirror 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 axis, wherein said measuring unit is constituted so as to acquire two-dimensional point cloud data based on the distance measurement result of said distance measuring unit and on a vertical angle at the time of distance measurement as detected by said vertical angle detector, said two-dimensional point cloud data are inputted to said coordinate calculating unit and three-dimensional point cloud data are calculated by said coordinate calculating unit.

7. The surveying instrument according to claim 6 , wherein said measuring unit is a sighting distance measuring unit, wherein said sighting distance measuring unit comprises a telescope unit rotatable 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 distance measurement of said measuring point under a condition where a predetermined measurement point is sighted by said telescope unit, said vertical angle control unit calculates vertical angle data of said sighting telescope under a sighted condition, and distance measurement data and said vertical angle data based on the distance

Assignees

• Topcon Corp

Inventors

• Yoshino Ken-Ichiro

Classifications

• G01C15/008 Primary

  combined with inclination sensor · CPC title

• G01C15/002 Primary

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

• G01S17/42

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

• G01C15/00 Primary

  Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00 · CPC title

• G01S17/86

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