Method and arrangement for target seeking

• US 5,828,057 A
• Filed: 05/12/1997
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spectra Precision AB
• Original Assignee: Spectra Precision AB
• Inventors: Naslund, Anders, Hertzman, Mikael
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Stephone B.
• Application Number:
  US08/836,315
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 250/225, 250/559.38, 356/3.01, 356/3.02, 356/3.06, 356/4.01, 356/4.07, 356/5.13, 356/5.14, 356/140, 356/141.1, 356/141.2, 356/152
• US Class Current: 250/225
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/499 using polarisation effects

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and arrangement for target seeking, where a rotatable instrument emits an electromagnetic radiation and automatically searches for a target reflector by detecting whether reception occurs of electromagnetic radiation received by the target reflector and reflected back to the instrument. In the beam path of the electromagnetic radiation, polarization of the electromagnetic radiation, polarization modulation of the polarization direction on the electromagnetic radiation by alternately changing it, and polarization of the electromagnetic radiation take place in sequence. At least on of these steps is performed at the target reflector. Checking of the detected reflector is carried out by testing if the received radiation changes at the same rate as the modulation of the polarization direction. Only targets are accepted which give different signal strengths at said rate for the received radiation.

Claims

1. Method for searching for targets, where an instrument emits an electromagnetic radiation and searches for a target reflector by detecting if reception takes place of a received electromagnetic radiation reflected from the target reflector back to the instrument, characterized in that in the radiation direction of the electromagnetic radiation, the following procedural steps take place after one another:

a. polarization of the electromagnetic radiation;

b. polarization modulation of the polarization direction of the electromagnetic radiation through alternately changing it;

c. polarization of the electromagnetic radiation;

wherein at least one of the procedural steps mentioned under points a) to c) is performed near to the target reflector (11); and

checking of the detected reflector is performed by testing if the received radiation changes alternately at the same rate as the modulation of the polarization direction, and only accepting a target which gives different signal strengths for the received radiation at said rate.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the search for the target reflector first is performed without polarization modulation with conventional methods, and only after a reflector has been detected is the polarization modulation started, together with checking of whether the reflector is a target reflector.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that during the search for a target reflector, the polarization modulation is performed with a predetermined modulation frequency, whereby reflected signals with the modulation frequency can solely be obtained from a target reflector.

4. Target seeking arrangement for a rotatable instrument comprising a unit (12) which emits a beam, a detector unit (15) which is arranged to detect reception of a radiation received and reflected back from a target reflector (11) to the instrument, characterized by

a. a polarization modulating arrangement (14;

14'"'"';

40;

43;

     45) arranged in the beam path of the radiation, controllable to alternately change the polarization direction of the radiation;

b. at least one polarization arrangement (10,13;

10,13'"'"';

41,42;

44;

46,47) with a fixed polarization so placed in the beam of the radiation that the beam passes through the polarization arrangement both before and after the polarization modulating arrangement;

c. whereby at least one of the above mentioned arrangements is placed by the reflector (11);

d. a control unit (31) which controls the polarization modulating arrangement alternately between different opposing polarizations;

e. an evaluation circuit (25-31) connected to the detector unit (15) and arranged to accept a target reflector which gives different degrees of reflection for said different polarizations.

5. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the polarization modulating arrangement (14;

14'"'"';

43;

     45) is comprised in an inseparable combination with one of the polarizing arrangements (13;

13'"'"';

44;

     45).

6. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the polarization modulating arrangement (14) is placed by the instrument to influence the emitted radiation from the radiation source, wherein one of the polarizing arrangements (10) is placed by the reflector (11).

7. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the polarization modulating arrangement (14'"'"') is placed by the instrument to influence the received radiation, wherein one of the polarizing arrangements (10) is placed by the reflector (11).

8. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the polarization modulating arrangement (40;

43;

     45) is placed by the target reflector (11) and that said at least one polarizing arrangement (41,42;

44;

46,47) is placed either by the instrument or by the reflector or divided between the instrument and the reflector.

9. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized by a control circuit (31), which performs the modulation of the electromagnetic radiation by means of control of the polarization modulating arrangement (14;

14'"'"';

40;

43;

     45) for repolarization of the electromagnetic radiation.

10. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that one of the polarization arrangements comprises the light source itself, which in this case is chosen to be a light source which emits polarized light.