Surveying instrument having an automatic focusing device

• US 5,923,468 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shinichi, Tsuda, Koji, Ogawa, Ryota
• Primary Examiner(s): HENRY, JON W
• Application Number:
  US08/885,858
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 359/426, 359/429, 359/399, 359/427, 359/400, 250/201.2, 250/201.4, 356/5.01
• US Class Current: 359/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/32 using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4812 transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals

Abstract

A surveying instrument is provided having a sighting telescope and a distance measuring device. The sighting telescope has a focusing lens group which is moveable to focus an object to be measured. The distance measuring device measures a distance between the object and the surveying instrument. A focusing operation of the sighting telescope is carried out to move the focusing lens group to a focal position of the object in accordance with the distance between the object and the surveying instrument measured by the distance measuring device.

Claims

1. A surveying instrument, comprising:

a sighting telescope having a focusing lens group which is movable to focus on an object to be measured;

a distance measuring meter which is adapted to measure a distance between said object and said surveying instrument;

a focusing device which drives said focusing lens group of said sighting telescope in accordance with said distance between said object and said surveying instrument measured by said distance measuring meter; and

an optical distance measuring portion which emits measuring light and receives said measuring light reflected by said object to measure said distance between said object and said surveying instrument, wherein said focusing device comprises an automatic focusing device which controls a focusing operation of said sighting telescope so that said sighting telescope is focused on said object;

wherein said sighting telescope comprises an objective lens, a dichroic prism which permits visible light to pass therethrough, said focusing lens system, an image erecting system, a focusing plate, and an eyepiece system, in this order from an object side, and further wherein said optical distance measuring portion comprises a mirror which reflects said measuring light emitted by a light emitter toward said dichroic prism and said object to be measured, transmitted through said objective lens and reflected by said dichroic prism toward said light emitter, and a light receiver which receives said measuring light reflected by said mirror.

2. The surveying instrument according to claim 1, wherein said focusing device comprises drive means for driving said focusing lens group of said sighting telescope, focusing lens position detecting means for detecting a position of said focusing lens group, focusing lens position calculating means for determining a focal position of said focusing lens group at which said sighting telescope is focused on said object, and focusing lens position control means for moving said focusing lens group to said focal position determined by said focusing lens position calculating means.

3. The surveying instrument according to claim 1, wherein said optical distance measuring portion comprises an optical range finder.

4. A surveying instrument, comprising:

light emitting means which emits measuring light toward an object to be measured;

light receiving means for receiving said measuring light reflected by said object to be measured;

distance measuring means for measuring a distance of said object in accordance with said measuring light received by said light receiving means;

divergence angle adjusting means for adjusting a divergence angle of said measuring light emitted from said light emitting means; and

a sighting telescope having a focusing lens system which is movable to focus on the object to be measured;

wherein said sighting telescope comprises an objective lens, a dichroic prism which permits visible light to pass therethrough, said focusing lens system, an image erecting system, a focusing plate, and an eyepiece system, in this order from an object side, and further wherein said optical distance measuring portion comprises a mirror which reflects said measuring light emitted by a light emitter toward said dichroic prism and said object to be measured, transmitted through said objective lens and reflected by said dichroic prism toward said light emitter, and a light receiver which receives said measuring light reflected by said mirror.

5. The surveying instrument according to claim 4, wherein said divergence angle adjusting means comprises manual operation means which is manually actuated by an operator so that when said manual operation means is actuated said divergence angle of said measuring light is varied.

6. A surveying instrument according to claim 4, wherein said divergence angle adjusting means is capable of reducing a divergence angle of said measuring light from a divergence angle substantially corresponding to an angle of view of said sighting telescope.

7. A surveying instrument according to claim 4, wherein said divergence angle adjusting means varies a beam diameter of said measuring light emitted therefrom.

8. A surveying instrument according to claim 7, wherein said measuring light is a laser beam.

9. A surveying instrument according to claim 8, wherein said divergence angle adjusting means comprises a beam waist position adjusting device for adjusting a beam waist of said laser beam.

10. A surveying instrument according to claim 4, wherein said divergence angle adjusting means comprises a sighting system which collimates said measuring light emitted from said light emitting means.