Scanning Rangefinder
First Claim
1. A scanning rangefinder comprising:
- an optical-beam emitting projector having an optical emission source, said projector for emitting a scanning optical beam directed by the rangefinder onto a scanning target at a radial distance from the rangefinder;
a rotary unit driven rotationally about a rotational axis;
a stationary shaft piece positioned along the rotational axis;
a light receiver disposed on an upper end portion of said stationary shaft piece, for receiving, as a received optical signal, light reflected from the scanning target;
a dual-use mirror disposed in an upper part of said rotary unit so that the scanning beam output from said beam projector is incident on said dual-use mirror and so as to rotate unitarily with said rotary unit, said dual-use mirror therein functioning both as a scanning mirror for reflecting the scanning beam from said beam projector radially outward of said rotary unit to direct the beam onto the scanning target, and as a receiving mirror for reflecting, and guiding so as to introduce into said light receiver, light being the reflection of the scanning beam from the scanning target;
a rotor magnet affixed to a lower portion of said rotary unit;
a stator disposed in a position opposing said rotor magnet along its circumference, for imparting rotational drive force to said rotary unit;
a rotational position detector for detecting rotational position of said rotary unit; and
a distance computation circuit connected to said light receiver and to said rotational position detector, for computing distance to the scanning target based on the optical signal received by said light receiver.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Scanning rangefinder of simple, compact construction. The rangefinder is furnished with: an outer cover (1) in which a transparent window (2) is formed; a cylindrical rotary unit (3) inside the outer cover (1); a scanning/receiving window (4) provided in the rotary unit (3); a dual scanning/receiving mirror (5) disposed, angled, along the rotational axis of the cylindrical rotary unit (3); a motor (6) for rotationally driving the rotary unit (3); a disk part (13) arranged in the cylindrical rotary unit (3), anchored in an inside region thereof; a beam projector (14) anchored in a location where it is disposed slightly spaced apart from the rotational axis of the rotary unit (3); and a light receiver (16) anchored to, arranged coincident with the rotational axis of, the disk part (13) in the inside region of the rotary unit (3), and connected to a distance computation circuit (19).
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A scanning rangefinder comprising:
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an optical-beam emitting projector having an optical emission source, said projector for emitting a scanning optical beam directed by the rangefinder onto a scanning target at a radial distance from the rangefinder;
a rotary unit driven rotationally about a rotational axis;
a stationary shaft piece positioned along the rotational axis;
a light receiver disposed on an upper end portion of said stationary shaft piece, for receiving, as a received optical signal, light reflected from the scanning target;
a dual-use mirror disposed in an upper part of said rotary unit so that the scanning beam output from said beam projector is incident on said dual-use mirror and so as to rotate unitarily with said rotary unit, said dual-use mirror therein functioning both as a scanning mirror for reflecting the scanning beam from said beam projector radially outward of said rotary unit to direct the beam onto the scanning target, and as a receiving mirror for reflecting, and guiding so as to introduce into said light receiver, light being the reflection of the scanning beam from the scanning target;
a rotor magnet affixed to a lower portion of said rotary unit;
a stator disposed in a position opposing said rotor magnet along its circumference, for imparting rotational drive force to said rotary unit;
a rotational position detector for detecting rotational position of said rotary unit; and
a distance computation circuit connected to said light receiver and to said rotational position detector, for computing distance to the scanning target based on the optical signal received by said light receiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A scanning rangefinder comprising:
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an electromagnetic-radiation projector for emitting a scanning electromagnetic-radiation beam directed by the rangefinder onto a scanning target at a radial distance from the rangefinder;
a rotary unit driven rotationally about a rotational axis;
a stationary shaft piece positioned along the rotational axis;
an electromagnetic wave receiver disposed on an upper end portion of said stationary shaft piece, for receiving as a received electromagnetic-wave signal electromagnetic waves reflected from the scanning target;
a dual scanning/receiving reflector anchored to said rotary unit along the rotational axis of said rotary unit, inclined at a predetermined angle;
an electromagnetic-radiation waveguiding system for guiding into the upper portion of said rotary unit the scanning beam output from said electromagnetic-radiation projector so that the beam is incident on said dual scanning/receiving reflector, for reflecting the scanning beam radially outward of said rotary unit to direct the beam onto the scanning target, and for reflecting, and guiding so as to introduce into said electromagnetic wave receiver, electromagnetic waves being the reflection of the scanning beam from the scanning target;
a rotor magnet affixed to a lower portion of said rotary unit;
a stator disposed in a position opposing said rotor magnet along its circumference, for imparting rotational drive force to said rotary unit;
a rotational position detector for detecting rotational position of said rotary unit; and
a distance computation circuit connected to said electromagnetic wave receiver and to said rotational position detector, for computing distance to the scanning target based on the electromagnetic wave signal received by said electromagnetic wave receiver.
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13. A scanning rangefinder comprising:
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an outer cover in fixed form, a transparent window being formed in a circumferential wall portion of said outer cover;
a cylindrical rotary unit arranged inside said outer cover, said cylindrical rotary unit defining a circumferential wall and driven rotationally about a rotational axis;
an optical-beam emitting projector arranged inside the cylindrical rotary unit and having an optical emission source, said projector for emitting a scanning optical beam directed by the rangefinder onto a scanning target at a radial distance from the rangefinder;
a scanning/receiving window formed in a portion of said circumferential wall of said rotary unit at the same height as said transparent window in said outer cover, for guiding through said transparent window, interiorly into said rotary unit, light reflected from the scanning target;
a stationary shaft piece positioned along the rotational axis;
a light receiver disposed on an upper end portion of said stationary shaft piece, for receiving, as a received optical signal, light reflected from the scanning target;
a dual-use mirror disposed in an upper part of said rotary unit so that the scanning beam output from said beam projector is incident on said dual-use mirror and so as to rotate unitarily with said rotary unit, said dual-use mirror therein functioning both as a scanning mirror for reflecting the scanning beam from said beam projector radially outward of said rotary unit to direct the beam onto the scanning target, and as a receiving mirror for reflecting, and guiding so as to introduce into said light receiver, light being the reflection of the scanning beam from the scanning target;
a rotor magnet affixed to a lower portion of said rotary unit;
a stator disposed in a position opposing said rotor magnet along its circumference, for imparting rotational drive force to said rotary unit;
a rotational position detector for detecting rotational position of said cylindrical rotary unit; and
a distance computation circuit connected to said light receiver and to said rotational position detector, for computing distance to the scanning target based on the optical signal received by said light receiver. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A scanning rangefinder comprising:
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a rotary unit driven rotationally about a rotational axis;
a stationary shaft piece positioned along the rotational axis;
an optical-beam emitting projector situated on an inner wall of the rotary unit and having an optical emission source, said projector for emitting a scanning optical beam directed by the rangefinder onto a scanning target at a radial distance from the rangefinder;
a light receiver disposed on an upper end portion of said stationary shaft piece, for receiving, as a received optical signal, light reflected from the scanning target;
an optical system including a scanning mirror, said optical system arranged in said rotary unit for reflecting with said scanning mirror the beam from said beam projector and guiding the beam along the rotational axis of said rotary unit;
a dual-use mirror disposed in an upper part of said rotary unit so that the scanning beam output from said beam projector is incident on said dual-use mirror and so as to rotate unitarily with said rotary unit, said dual-use mirror therein functioning both as a scanning mirror for reflecting the scanning beam from said beam projector radially outward of said rotary unit to direct the beam onto the scanning target, and as a receiving mirror for reflecting, and guiding so as to introduce into said light receiver, light being the reflection of the scanning beam from the scanning target;
a receiving lens arranged in between the dual-use mirror and the light receiver;
a rotor magnet affixed to a lower portion of said rotary unit;
a stator disposed in a position opposing said rotor magnet along its circumference, for imparting rotational drive force to said rotary unit;
a rotational position detector for detecting rotational position of said rotary unit; and
a distance computation circuit connected to said light receiver and to said rotational position detector, for computing distance to the scanning target based on the optical signal received by said light receiver. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A scanning rangefinder comprising:
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a cylindrical rotary unit driven rotationally about a rotational axis;
a stationary shaft piece positioned along the rotational axis;
an optical-beam emitting projector situated on said stationary shaft piece and having an optical emission source, said projector for emitting a scanning optical beam directed by the rangefinder onto a scanning target at a radial distance from the rangefinder;
a light receiver disposed on an upper end portion of said stationary shaft piece, for receiving, as a received optical signal, light reflected from the scanning target;
a dual scanning/receiving mirror disposed in an upper part of, and rotating unitarily with, said cylindrical rotary unit, said scanning/receiving mirror having a scanning mirror section anchored to the rotary unit at a predetermined angle so that the scanning beam output from said beam projector is incident on said scanning mirror section and said scanning mirror section functions to reflect the scanning beam from said beam projector radially outward of said rotary unit to direct the beam onto the scanning target, and said scanning/receiving mirror having a receiving mirror-lens section configured so that said receiving mirror-lens section functions to reflect and focus, and guide so as to introduce into said light receiver, light being the reflection of the scanning beam from the scanning target;
a rotor magnet affixed to a lower portion of said rotary unit;
a stator disposed in a position opposing said rotor magnet along its circumference, for imparting rotational drive force to said rotary unit;
a rotational position detector for detecting rotational position of said rotary unit; and
a distance computation circuit connected to said light receiver and to said rotational position detector, for computing distance to the scanning target based on the optical signal received by said light receiver. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification