Trimble Navigation Limited

Apache Technologies, Inc.

Robert G Conner

Lars Schumacher

James Thomas Zalusky

Chris W Snyder

The present disclosure relates to a surveying system including a surveying instrument and method for detecting light of fan shaped laser beam. The surveying instrument includes a detector for detecting light of the fan shaped laser beam rotating around a propagation axis with a direction of rotation and having two detector elements arranged in a known spatial relation for outputting a detection signal when irradiated. A position determining unit is used to obtain a first set of detection signals from the detector elements, to determine a first time relation between the detection signals of the first set, and to determine a positional relation between the detector and the propagation axis based on the first time relation.

Surveying instrument and method for detecting a laser beam

The present disclosure relates to a positioning system including a positioning device and method for detecting light of fan shaped laser beam. The positioning device includes a detector for detecting light of the fan shaped laser beam rotating around a propagation axis with a direction of rotation and having two detector elements arranged in a known spatial relation for outputting a detection signal when irradiated. A position determining unit is used to obtain a first set of detection signals from the detector elements, to determine a first time relation between the detection signals of the first set, and to determine a positional relation between the detector and the propagation axis based on the first time relation.

Positioning device and method for detecting a laser beam

A laser light receiver is provided with an integral laser distance measurement (LDM) device for measuring the distance from a laser plane of a desired elevation to a desired physical target point to be measured on a jobsite. The laser receiver can be combined with a gravity reference device, so that the laser receiver does not necessarily have to be held plumb to a desired target point, when determining the relative elevation of the laser receiver between a rotating beam of laser light and the target point; it can also acquire multiple samples of positions and automatically take a vertical measurement and store that result for later readout. The laser receiver can be further combined with a GPS receiver, to acquire latitude and longitude data, and then in combination act as a three-dimensional transducer that is more accurate in the vertical direction than a GPS receiver alone is capable of.

Handheld laser light detector with height correction, using a GPS receiver to provide two-dimensional position data

A hand-held laser detector clamp apparatus is provided for use in attachment against virtually all available sizes and shapes of members found on construction sites and in surveying applications. A reversible jaw adapter that contains both a &ldquo;flat&rdquo; face and a &ldquo;ramped&rdquo; face is attached to a travelling clamp jaw with a clamp lead screw. The reversible jaw adapter can be used with either its flat face out or its ramped face out. A detector bracket and detector screw are also provided as part of the clamp apparatus to hold a hand-held laser detector in place. If the flat face of the reversible jaw adapter is oriented so as to be &ldquo;out,&rdquo; then the clamp apparatus will generally be most useable in attaching to flat surfaces, such as rectangular rods or boards. When the ramped face of the reversible jaw adapter is &ldquo;out,&rdquo; then the clamp apparatus can be used for attachment against a variety of different member shapes, such as round rods, oval rods, and certain sizes of rectangular rods. To use the reversing feature of the clamp apparatus, the travelling clamp jaw is backed away using the clamp lead screw from whatever surface or member that the clamp apparatus is presently attached against. After the clamp apparatus has become free, the adapter screw is loosened to an extent that the reversible jaw adapter becomes free from the travelling clamp jaw. After that has occurred, the orientation of the reversible jaw adapter is manually reversed, then the adapter screw is tightened to hold the reversible jaw adapter in place against the travelling clamp jaw. Now the clamp apparatus is ready for use in clamping against a different size or shape of member.

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New Carlisle, OH, United States of America

Robert G Conner