Trimble Jena Gmbh

Trimble Navigation Limited

Zsp Geodaetische Systeme Gmbh

Andreas Glimm

Michael Vogel

Torsten Kludas

Ute Natura

Ludwin-Heinz Monz

Thomas Metz

Rolf Richter

The present invention relates to a surveying apparatus for surveying an object as well as a surveying system comprising the surveying apparatus having a simple and compact optical setup. The surveying apparatus comprises a lens arrangement including at least one movably arranged focus lens element for focusing to sight an object; an imaging unit configured to obtain an image of at least a part of the object; a distance measuring unit configured to measure a distance to the object along the optical axis of the distance measuring unit; and a beam splitter/combiner configured to combine a part of the optical imaging path of the imaging unit and a part of the optical distance measuring path of the distance measuring unit so that the optical axis of the imaging unit and the optical axis of the distance measuring unit are at least coaxially arranged with the optical axis of the lens arrangement between the lens arrangement and the beam splitter/combiner.

Surveying apparatus for surveying an object

The present invention relates to a tracker and a surveying apparatus comprising the tracker, which improve the reliability of tracking a target. The tracker comprises a an image sensor arrangement having an imaging region composed of a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix of columns and rows. The imaging region is arranged to take an image of a scene including the target. A controller receives or generates a timing signal indicating a time duration during which an illumination unit is switched on and off, controls the imaging region to take an image of the scene when the illumination unit is switched on, and reads out a subgroup of neighboring columns or rows constituting a stripe window of the imaging region so that an image section including the target is obtained, controls the imaging region to take another image of the scene when the illumination unit is switched off, and reads out another subgroup of neighboring columns or rows constituting another stripe window of the imaging region so that another image section including the target is obtained, and calculates a difference image section by determining a difference between the pixel values of the pixels of the image section and the other image section.

Tracker, surveying apparatus and method for tracking a target

For swift and secure determination of a measurement error a first digital image is obtained using an image sensor, wherein a line of sight of an optical arrangement is oriented in a first face direction. A characteristic image area in the first digital image on an image sensor is determined. A second digital image is then taken with a line of sight of the image sensor oriented in a second face and the characteristic image area defined in the first image is searched in the second digital image, the first or the second digital image is rotated in the image plane by 180&#xb0; . Then in the second digital image the position of the characteristic image area is determined. And offset between the characteristic image area in the first digital image and the characteristic image area in the second digital image is determined.

Determination of a measurement error

A geodetic device comprises three device components, two axes of rotation, and two angle sensors such that the device components are rotatable with respect to each other and their rotational positions are determinable, and an inclination sensor system. A method for determining a characteristic of the device comprises an alignment of the second device component with respect to the first device component into a plurality of different rotational positions, whereby in each rotational position of the plurality of rotational positions a measurement value is determined from the first angle sensor, a measurement value is determined from the second angle sensor, and a measurement value is determined for the orientation of the inclination sensor system.

Geodetic device and a method for determining a characteristic of the device

Apparatus and methods for detecting inclination employ a point source of light from which light is emitted through a lens toward a reflective surface of a liquid contained in a vessel. Light reflected from the surface passes through the lens to form a defocused image of the point source on a two-dimensional array of detector elements. Data acquired from the array represents intensity of the light incident on each of the detector elements. A center of gravity representing inclination of the vessel is determined from the data.

Inclination detection methods and apparatus

An angle measurement device includes a light source configured to emit light along an optical path and a patterned member positioned along the optical path and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. The patterned member includes a periodic optical variation. Light passing through the patterned member provides a spatially modulated optical waveform. The angle measurement device also includes an imaging device positioned along the optical path and including a plurality of photosensitive elements disposed in an array configuration. The imaging device is configured to receive the spatially modulated optical waveform and provide a signal associated with light intensity at each of the plurality of photosensitive elements. The angle measurement device further includes an angle determination unit coupled to the imaging device and configured to compute a rotation angle of the patterned member based on a reference waveform and the provided signal.

Method and system for angle measurement

The invention is directed to an optical clinometer comprising a housing or vessel with a transparent liquid which forms a liquid horizon and which is suitable for changing the direction of at least one optical beam bundle depending on inclination. At least one light source is provided for illuminating at least one structure or for generating at least one light point or light spot. An optical device is responsible for imaging the at least one structure or the at least one light point or light spot through the liquid and by of total reflection at the surface of the liquid on photoelectric sensor elements of at least one line-shaped or surface-shaped sensor arrangement, wherein the optical device for imaging the structure or the light point or light spot is arranged on the underside of the bottom of the housing or are a component part of this bottom, and the optical device is formed of an individual optical element which couples light in and out and images the structure or the light point or light spot.

Optical clinometer

A device for determining position between two parts which are movable relative to one another, comprises a linear sensor arrangement, a length scale or angle scale comprising a sequence of transparent and non-transparent fields, an illumination device and elements for imaging at least one section of the scale on the sensor arrangement. The entire length scale or angle scale is divided into n graduation portions of equal length, wherein every portion contains a sequence of transparent and non-transparent marks, and the sequence is successively a number which is binary-coded with k bits and correlated with the respective portion as rough value code and a fixedly recurring number which is likewise binary-coded with k bits as a reference mark (reference mark with length of k bits). Every code bit is of equal length and is formed of a transparent and a non-transparent field (half-bit) of equal length, wherein the binary information comes from a sequence of two half-bits. A process for relative position determination shows how the sensing of the graduation and the evaluation and determination of the measurement values is carried out.

Growing community of inventors

Weimar, Germany

Andreas Glimm