Surveying system

• US 6,023,326 A
• Filed: 03/18/1997
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Koshikawa, Kazushige, Katayama, Yasutaka, Kimura, Kazuaki, Sasagawa, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/820,653
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 356/141.1, 356/141.3, 356/141.5, 356/139.07, 356/4.01, 364/556, 33/290
• US Class Current: 356/141.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105

Abstract

A surveying system comprises a surveying machine (11) which is disposed at a reference point (A) and a reflecting mirror (5) which is disposed on the side of a target point (B). In this surveying system, a signal-light projecting device (16) for projecting a beam of signal light (P3) onto the surveying machine (11) is disposed on the side of the target point (B), and a rough-direction detecting device (20) for detecting roughly a direction in which the signal-light projecting device (16) is located by receiving the beam of signal light (P8), and a precise-direction detecting device (21) for detecting precisely the direction in which the signal-light projecting device (16) is located by receiving the beam of signal light (P3) are disposed on the side of the surveying machine (11).

Claims

1. A surveying machine having an automatic rotation mechanism for rotating automatically a machine body of the surveying machine in horizontal and vertical directions, said surveying machine comprising:

a signal-light projecting device for projecting a beam of signal light from a side of a target point toward said surveying machine which is disposed at a reference point;

a plurality of direction detecting means, contained in said machine body and disposed in a rotational direction of said machine body, for receiving the signal light projected by said signal-light projecting device and detecting a direction of the signal light;

control means for controlling a collimation direction of said surveying machine to be pointed toward said signal-light projecting device; and

wherein at least one of said plurality of direction detecting means is a precise-direction detecting means for detecting more precisely the direction of the signal light.

2. A surveying machine according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of direction detecting means are disposed in a horizontally rotational direction of said machine body.

3. A surveying machine according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of direction detecting means detect a direction at least within a collimation range of a telescope of said surveying machine.

4. A surveying machine according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of direction detecting means detect a direction at least within a trackable range in a case in which said surveying machine is of an automatic tracking type.

5. A surveying machine according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of direction detecting means are each provided with a condensing lens so that a direction to be detected is not in a dead angle.