Leica Geosystems Ag

Kurt Giger

Reto Metzler

Bernhard Fiegl

Juerg Hinderling

Heinz Bernhard

Christian Schorr

Hartmut Ehbets

Frank Schroeder

Peter Forrer

Asif Iqbal

Kurt Erne

Romy Koch

Some embodiments include determining geometrical data in a space, with a measurement sequence having a measurement of a first distance to a first target point by emitting a laser beam in a first emission direction, and a measurement of a second distance to a second target point by emitting a laser beam in a second emission direction. In some embodiments the geometrical data comprises a distance between the two target points and/or a solid angle between the first emission direction and the second emission direction. Some embodiments include detecting a series of images; relating the detected images to one another using image processing and using the at least one common image area; determining a distance between the mappings of the target points in the images put in relationship with one another; and determining the geometrical data on the basis of the distance between the mappings.

Method and handheld distance measurement device for indirect distance measurement by means of image-assisted angle determination function

An electro-optical distance measuring device includes a laser driver for a laser diode for emitting laser light pulses. The laser driver has a laser diode voltage supply for providing a voltage below a laser threshold voltage of the laser diode, an inductive component in a supply path of the laser diode, and an electronic switching element. The electronic switching element is arranged in an interacting manner such that a current flow through the inductive component can be generated in a first switching position of the switching element and the current flow can be conducted through the laser diode in a second switching position of the switching element. One of the laser light pulses can be emitted as the result of a switch from the first switching position to the second switching position, and laser light cannot be emitted in the static first switching position or the static second switching position.

Electro-optical distance measuring device

An electro-optical distance measuring device includes a laser driver for a laser diode for emitting laser light pulses. The measuring device further includes a laser diode voltage supply having a cascade of at least two voltage regulators, each of which provides an output voltage at a level below a laser threshold voltage of the laser diode. By changing from a first to a second switching position of an electronic switching element of the measuring device, one of the laser light pulses can be emitted and, in the steady-state first and the steady-state second switching positions, no laser light is emitted.

The invention relates to an optoelectronic distance measuring device, comprising a transmitting unit and comprising a receiving unit of an electronic evaluating unit. The transmitting unit has a circuit board, a semiconductor laser, and a laser diode driver for transmitting high-frequency intensity-modulated optical radiation. In order to receive a component of the optical radiation reflected by a target object by means of a photosensitive electrical component, the receiving unit is equipped with an electrical output signal as a received signal, a conditioning unit for conditioning the received signal, and an analog/digital converter for digitizing the conditioned received signal. The electronic evaluating unit determines a distance from the distance measuring device to the target object on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitized received signal. The semiconductor laser is attached to the circuit board as a laser substrate that does not have a housing.

Distance measuring device

The invention relates to an electro-optical distance-measuring device, more particularly a laser rangefinder, with a transmitting unit for transmitting intensity-modulated optical radiation, a receiving unit for receiving a portion of the optical radiation reflected back from a target in a photosensitive electrical component and converting it into an electrical received signal, an input filter for filtering the received signal, an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the filtered received signal and an electronic analysis unit that calculates the distance from the rangefinder to the target object on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitized received signal. The input filter is implemented as a time-discrete and continuous-value filter structure, more particularly a digital filter structure.

Distance-measuring device

Some embodiment include a handheld distance measuring device having a laser distance meter for measuring distances to target points in an environment and an image acquisition unit for acquiring images of the environment, characterized by a control unit having program code for controlling a spatial modeling functionality having a measurement sequence, in the scope of which images of a region of the environment are acquired from different positions of the distance measuring device, these images having a shared image region, wherein the image acquisition unit assumes different, which represent the respective position and alignment of the distance measuring device, during the acquisition of the first image and the second image.

Method and handheld distance measuring device for creating a spatial model

A measuring appliance in which inputted or measured spatial points and a horizontal projection representation or spatial representation of at least some spatial points from the quantity of spatial points can be displayed, said points being at least partially connected by lines. The measuring appliance has a representation-changing functionality in the framework of which, according to a line selected on the user side from the lines displayed in a horizontal projection representation or a spatial representation, in an automatically controlled manner by means of the evaluation and control unit: a virtual surface is defined by the selected line and a direction provided as the vertical; a subset of spatial points is selected from the quantity of spatial points, lying inside a buffer zone surrounding the virtual surface in a defined manner; and a vertical projection representation of exclusively such spatial points pertaining to the subset is displayed on the display.

Measuring appliance comprising an automatic representation-changing functionality

A surveying appliance for surveying targets has a targeting unit and a remote control unit for prompting changes in the orientation of the targeting unit, equipped with measurement functionality for determining a three-dimensional orientation of the remote control unit or for determining movements by the remote control unit. The surveying appliance also has an evaluation and control unit. The extent or speed of the changes in the orientation of the targeting unit can be scaled to corresponding changes in an orientation or speed of change of orientation of the remote control unit such that at least two targeting modes having different levels of transmission ratio are provided. The surveying appliance can be used with corresponding handheld, moving remote control units, computer program products for providing, controlling and performing a targeting functionality for the surveying appliance and methods for tracking and surveying targets using the surveying appliance.

Surveying appliance and method having a targeting functionality which is based on the orientation of a remote control unit and is scalable

The invention relates to an optical-electronic distance measuring method according to the phase measurement principle by emitting of optical measuring radiation, which is modulated according to the burst modulation principle, having a burst period duration made of an active burst time and a dead time, receiving at least a part of the measuring radiation (), which is reflected on the measured object, wherein transforming into an input measuring signal (ES) is performed, and determining a distance to the measured object by analyzing a measuring signal (MS, gMS) generated from the input measuring signal (ES).

Optical-electronic distance measuring device

The invention relates to an optical inclinometer, in which radiation is emitted form a radiation source. After passing through a receptacle containing at least one first medium, said radiation is reproduced in a camera. Information concerning the inclination of the inclinometer can be gathered from the position of the first medium, in particular a liquid level, in relation to the inclinometer or the camera. The recording of the position of the first medium by a camera permits the evaluation of a plurality of characteristics, in particular the form, dimension and position of a boundary layer.

Optical inclinometer

A distance measuring instrument having a sighting device is disclosed, which includes a transmitter for emitting an optical radiation, a receiving lens for the optical measurement radiation remitted or scattered by an object being measured, a receiver, located behind the receiving lens, for converting the optical radiation into electrical measurement signals, and a signal processing system for comparing the measurement signals with reference signals in order to determine from them the distance from the object being measured and to make the result available to the user. The sighting device includes a photoelectric picture-taking system, which is connected to an electronic display device, and an evaluation unit for forming the differential value for the pictures taken. The photoelectric picture-taking system of the sighting device and the electronic display device are disposed in a common housing which is equipped with a separate viewfinder lens for the photoelectric picture-taking system.

Distance measuring instrument with a sighting device

The invention relates to a method for measuring distances, based on the phase measurement of an optical measuring beam that is reflected or scattered by an object, on which the beam is sighted. According to said method, the measurement object is exposed to an optical measuring beam of modulated intensity emitted by a measuring device and is converted into electrical measurement signals. The signals are then compared with a reference signal that is generated from the detection and conversion of a portion of measuring light that has been guided on a known reference trajectory, in order to determine the distance between the measuring device and the measurement objet, based on the phase difference that has been determined. The emitted measuring beam is modulated in bursts and the measurement signal of the receiver is only evaluated during the active burst period. The invention also relates to devices for carrying out said method.

Method and device for measuring distances

In a method and a device for carrying frequency synthesis, in particular in a distance measuring device based on the principle of evaluating the change over time in the phase of an electromagnetic radiation emitted by a radiation source and remitted by an object aimed at, a frequency, which is preferably furnished by a quartz oscillator, is regulated in a ring oscillator with N delay elements (V, V, V, . . . , V) to a desired first high frequency (F), which is used as a mixer frequency or as a modulation frequency. The signals at the N delay elements (V, V, V, . . . , V) are delivered to a multiplexer, which is switched over with a cadence that is equivalent to 2*N times the frequency of the low-frequency measurement signal to be evaluated to produce a modulation frequency or mixer frequency.

Method and device for carrying out frequency synthesis in a distance measuring device

A system for signal acquisition in a distance meter includes at least one photoelectric receiver that detects electromagnetic radiation that is high-frequency modulated via a modulation frequency and converts the same to high-frequency electrical signals (HF). A device is provided for transforming the high-frequency electrical signals (HF) supplied by the photoelectric receiver into low-frequency measuring signals (NF) that can be passed on to a signal-processing unit mounted downstream of the device. The device for transforming the high-frequency electrical signals (HF) supplied by the photoelectric receiver into low-frequency measuring signals (NF) can include at least one switch whose switching frequency is controlled by a control frequency (F) whose frequency is higher or lower than the modulation frequency by the amount of the low-frequency measuring signal. The high-frequency actuated switch is linked with a capacitor mounted down-stream thereof to which a transimpedance amplifier is connected, at whose output the low-frequency measuring signal (NF) is available when the device is operational.

System and method for signal acquisition in a distance meter

A transmitter emits high-frequency modulated optical radiation which is reflected by an object and is received by a measurement receiver. Part of the transmitter radiation is decoupled as reference radiation and guided via a calibration path to a reference receiver whose electrical signals are fed to a frequency mixer. The frequency mixer and avalanche photodiodes acting as measurement receivers of the measuring radiation are interconnected directly via an electrical connection line upon which a mixer frequency acts. As a result thereof, optoelectronic calibration which completely compensates for the temperature-dependent phase shifts of the avalanche photodiodes is possible. Additionally, the phase shifts generated in the reference and receiver signals by the temperature drifts of the transmitter compensate one another. The overall accuracy of the distance measurement can be increased, particularly for short measuring times and immediately after the apparatus has been switched on. Furthermore, in comparison with a successive mechanical calibration process, the measuring times are halved and advantages in terms of weight, cost, and reliability are afforded since a mechanical change-over device is dispensed with.

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Rüthi, Switzerland

Kurt Giger