MANUAL SURVEYING INSTRUMENT HAVING COLLIMATION ASSISTING DEVICE

• US 20110131824A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topcon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sokkia Topcon Co., Ltd. (Topcon Corporation)
• Inventors: Yanobe, Satoshi, Nakamura, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 33/292
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a manual surveying instrument that allows easily performing a collimating operation and allows performing a high precision measurement in a short time,

[Solution Means] The manual surveying instrument includes a collimation assist device (70) having a collimation light transmitting system that emits a collimation light (R) along a collimation axis (O) toward a target installed at a measurement point, an area sensor (80) that obtains an image of a scene captured within a field of view of a collimating telescope (3), a display unit (48) that displays the image, a collimation light detecting unit (82) that detects the target as a result of receiving the collimation light reflected on the target by the area sensor, and an arithmetic control unit (46) that displays an area (94) being within a predetermined deviation from the collimation axis and where distance measurement is possible and a symbol indicating the target on the display unit as an animation image, judges that collimation has been completed when the target has been captured, by a manual operation of the collimating telescope, within the area where distance measurement is possible to perform a distance and angle measurement, and corrects an angle measurement value according to a deviation from the collimation axis of the target.

Claims

1. A manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device having a collimation light transmitting system that emits a collimation light along a collimation axis toward a target installed at a measurement point, an area sensor that obtains an image of a scene captured within a field of view of a collimating telescope, a display unit that displays the image, a collimation light detecting unit that detects the target as a result of receiving the collimation light reflected on the target by the area sensor, and an arithmetic control unit that displays an area indicating being within a predetermined deviation from the collimation axis and a symbol indicating the target on the display unit as an animation image, judges that collimation has been completed when the target has been captured, by a manual operation of the collimating telescope, within the area indicating being within a predetermined deviation from the collimation axis to perform an angle measuring operation, and corrects an angle measurement value according to a deviation from the collimation axis of the target.

2. The manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device according to claim 1, wherein the animation image is displayed with a deviation from the collimation axis enlarged as it approaches the collimation axis.

3. The manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device according to claim 1, wherein the symbol indicating the target changes in color, shape, or color and shape when having entered into the area indicating being within a predetermined deviation from the collimation axis.

4. The manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device according to claim 1, wherein the symbol indicating the target changes in color, shape, or color and shape when the target has exited the field of view of the collimating telescope, and indicates a direction to return the collimating telescope.

5. The manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device according to claim 1, wherein the symbol indicating the target changes in color, shape, or color and shape when the collimation light reflected from the target is excessively weak or excessively strong.

6. The manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device according to claim 1, including a wide-angle digital camera, wherein the arithmetic control unit first displays an image obtained from the wide-angle digital camera on the display unit, displays the field of view of the collimating telescope on the display unit, and switches the image obtained from the wide-angle digital camera to the animation image when having judged that the target has been captured within the field of view of the collimating telescope.

7. The manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device according to claim 1, including a distance measuring unit in an optical system of the collimating telescope, wherein the area indicating being within a predetermined deviation from the collimation axis is determined by an area where distance measurement by the distance measuring unit is enabled.

8. The manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device according to claim 7, wherein when the symbol indicating the target has entered into the area indicating being within a predetermined deviation from the collimation axis, distance measurement can be automatically performed.

9. The manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device according to claim 1, wherein an illustration indicating a turning direction of the collimating telescope is displayed on the display unit in order to locate the target on the collimation axis.

10. The manual surveying instrument including a collimation assist device according to claim 9, wherein the illustration indicating a turning direction of the collimating telescope is an illustration of a collimating telescope and an arrow indicating a turning direction of the collimating telescope or an illustration of a tangent screw and an arrow indicating a turning direction of the tangent screw.