COORDINATE MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT

• US 20100253931A1
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Jensen, Thomas, Braunecker, Bernhard, Meier, Dietrich, Zumbrunn, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 8,031,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/4.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

A coordinate measurement instrument includes an optical distance measurement device (200, 300) for measuring the distance from an auxiliary measurement means (5) which can move in space, a zoom camera (106), which can rotate with respect to at least two axes, with a zoom lens, and an overview camera (104) for coarse localization of the auxiliary measurement means (5). A light exit and light receiving optical system (101, 102) of the distance measurement device (200, 300), the zoom camera (106) and the overview camera (104) are arranged on a shared carrier (1) which can rotate with respect to at least two axes (A, Z). The optical axis (111) of the distance measurement device (200, 300) and the optical axis of the overview camera (104), preferably extend coaxially outside the coordinate measurement instrument. Sub-units of the distance measurement devices (200, 300) are, preferably, arranged on the carrier (1) and on the rotatable intermediate unit (2) and are connected to each other by means of optical waveguides (501-508).

Claims

1. A coordinate measurement apparatus, comprising:

at least one optical distance measurement device (200, 300) for measuring the distance to a measurement aid (5) movable in space, and with a first measurement and control loop for tracking the measurement aid (5),

a zoom camera (106) which is rotated with respect to at least two axes, with a zoom objective and with a second measurement and control loop for keeping constant the size of an image of the measurement aid (5) on an optoelectronic image converter (107) of the zoom camera (106), and

an overview camera (104) for the coarse localization of the measurement aid (5),

wherein light exit optics and light receiver optics (101, 102) of the distance measurement device (200, 300), the zoom camera (106) and the overview camera (104) are arranged on a common carrier (1) which is rotatable with respect to at least two axes (A, Z), and

wherein the optical axis (112) of the distance measurement device (200, 300) and the optical axis (112) of the overview camera (104) run coaxially outside the coordinate measurement apparatus.

2. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first outcoupling (101) of light to the overview camera (104) is arranged in the beam path of a received light bundle.

3. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a second outcoupling (102) of light to a sensor (108) is arranged subsequent to the first outcoupling, said sensor providing a measurement variable for tracking the measurement aid.

4. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first outcoupling (101) couples out light into a first outcoupling direction, and the second outcoupling (102) couples out light into a second outcoupling direction, wherein the first outcoupling direction and the second outcoupling direction, seen in the direction of the received light bundle, run approximately perpendicular to one another.

5. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the overview camera (104) provides a measurement variable for tracking the measurement aid.

6. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the overview camera (104) has an aperture angle of 10°

or more.

7. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the overview camera (104) and the zoom camera (106) are not identical.

8. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the overview camera (104) and the optical distance measurement device (200, 300) are not identical.

9. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the beam path of the zoom camera (106) and the beam path of the distance measurement device (200300) are led via in each case separate exit optics.

10. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an optical axis (11) of the zoom camera (106) runs, outside the coordinate measurement apparatus, coaxially to optical axes (112) of the distance measurement device (200, 300) and the overview camera (104).

11. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a third outcoupling (103) is arranged in the beam path of the light coupled out from the first outcoupling (101), and the third outcoupling (103) is arranged for coupling out light to the zoom camera (106).

12. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the outcouplings (101, 102, 103) is a wavelength-dependent beam splitter.

13. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an electro-optical image converter (107) of the zoom camera (106) is arranged asymmetrically with respect to an optical axis (111) of the zoom camera, and the middle point of the image converter is displaced away from an optical axis (112) of the distance measurement device (200, 300) with respect to the optical axis (111) of the zoom camera (106).

14. A coordinate measurement apparatus, comprising:

at least one optical distance measurement device (200, 300),

means for irradiating and for receiving light, and

an emitter-receiver unit (1) which is rotatably arranged about an axis (Z) with respect to an intermediate unit (2),

wherein the intermediate unit (2) is rotatably arranged about a further axis (A) with respect to a base unit (3), by which means the emitter-receiver unit (1) is rotatably arranged with respect to the base unit (3) about two axes (A, Z),

wherein the optical distance measurement device (200, 300) comprises a first sub-unit which is arranged on the emitter-receiver unit (1) and moved with the emitter-receiver unit,

wherein the optical distance measurement device (200, 300) comprises a second sub-unit, and at least one optical waveguide (501-508) for transmitting light is arranged between the first and the second sub-unit of the distance measurement device (200, 300), and

wherein the second sub-unit is arranged on the intermediate unit (2) and moved with the second sub-unit.

15. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one optoelectronic detector (204, 307) of the at least one distance measurement device (200, 300) is arranged in the emitter-receiver unit (1).

16. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 14, wherein an emitted and a returning light beam of the at least one distance measurement device (200, 300) are led through the same optical waveguide (501-504) between the first and the second sub-unit.

17. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 14, wherein an emitted and a returning light beam of the at least one distance measurement device are led through separate optical waveguides (505, 506) between the first and the second sub-unit.

18. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 14, comprising a first and a second distance measurement device (200, 300), wherein light beams of the two distance measurement devices are led in each case through separate optical waveguides (503, 504;

505,506) between the first and the second sub-units.

19. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 14, comprising a first and a second distance measurement device (200, 300) with, in each case, an emitted and a returning light beam, wherein at least one of the light beams of the first distance measurement device (200) and one of the light beams of the second distance measurement device (300) are led through the same optical waveguide (506) between the first and the second sub-unit.

20. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 14, comprising a first and a second distance measurement device (200, 300) with, in each case, an emitted and a returning light beam, wherein all light beams of the first as well as the second distance measurement device (200, 300) are led through the same optical waveguide (502) between the first and the second sub-unit.

21. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a light source (301) is arranged in the intermediate unit (2), and the remaining elements of the at least one distance measurement device (200, 300) are arranged in the emitter-receiver unit (1)

22. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 14, wherein individual sub-units of the at least one distance measurement device (200, 300) are also arranged on the base unit (3) and are connected via optical waveguides to other sub-units on the intermediate unit (2) and/or emitter-receiver unit (1), and at least one light source is arranged on the base unit (3).

23. A coordinate measurement apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a quarter-wave plate (4) is arranged in the beam path of the emitted as well as the returning light of at least one of the at least two measurement devices (200, 300), in the emitter-receiver unit (1).

24. A coordinate measured apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one optical waveguide (501, 508) is a polarisation-maintaining optical waveguide.