Measuring method and measuring device

• US 8,934,009 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Kumagai, Kaoru, Ohtomo, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): SECHSER, JILL D
• Application Number:
  US13/182,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20120057021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/022 by means of tv-camera scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/004 Reference lines, planes or sectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/00 Measuring distances in line of sight; Optical rangefinders tapes, chains or wheels for measuring length G01B3/00; active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

The invention provides a measuring device, comprising a distance measuring unit 8 for performing distance measurement on a measuring point by projecting a distance measuring light and by receiving a reflected distance measuring light from the measuring point, an image pickup unit 7 for acquiring a digital image of a measurement range, a distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit 16 for deflecting a distance measuring optical axis of the distance measuring light, an angle measuring unit 9 for measuring an angle of the distance measuring optical axis, an image processing unit 14 for extracting the measuring point through image processing of the digital image, and a control arithmetic unit 21, wherein the control arithmetic unit detects an angle of the measuring point on the digital image, controls the distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit based on the detected angle, directs the distance measuring optical axis toward the measuring point one after another and measures a distance to the measuring point.

Claims

1. A measuring method by using a measuring device, which comprises a distance measuring unit for performing distance measurement on a measuring point by projecting a distance measuring light and by receiving a reflected distance measuring light from the measuring point, an image pickup unit, having a reference optical axis, for acquiring a digital image of a measurement range, a distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit for deflecting a distance measuring optical axis of said distance measuring light, wherein said distance measuring optical axis is deflected with respect to said reference optical axis, and an image processing unit for extracting the measuring point by image processing of said digital image, comprising:

acquiring a digital image of said measurement range,

extracting the measuring point through image processing of the acquired digital image,

measuring an angle of each of the measuring points from the image, and

directing said distance measuring optical axis to each of the measuring points one after another based on the result of angle measurement, and measuring a distance to each of the measuring points, wherein measurement is performed on each of the measuring points within said measurement range in a condition that said reference optical axis is fixed.

2. A measuring method according to claim 1, wherein a distance measurement is performed while micro-scanning of said distance measuring optical axis is performed around the measuring point.

3. A measuring method according to claim 1, further comprising setting a measuring order of the measuring points based on a result of said angle measurement, and wherein directing said distance measuring optical axis to each of the measuring point one after another is based on said result of said angle measurement and said measuring order.

4. A measuring device, comprising

a distance measuring unit for performing distance measurement on a measuring point by projecting a distance measuring light and by receiving a reflected distance measuring light from the measuring point,

an image pickup unit, having a reference optical axis, for acquiring a digital image of a measurement range,

a distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit for deflecting a distance measuring optical axis of said distance measuring light, wherein said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit deflects said distance measuring optical axis with respect to said reference optical axis,

an angle measuring unit for measuring an angle of said distance measuring optical axis,

an image processing unit for extracting the measuring point through image processing of said digital image, and

a control arithmetic unit, wherein said control arithmetic unit detects an angle of the measuring point on said digital image, controls said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit based on the detected angle, directs said distance measuring optical axis toward the measuring point one after another and measures a distance to the measuring point.

5. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit is a pair of MEMS mirrors provided at positions opposite to each other on said distance measuring optical axis, and said pair of MEMS mirrors have tilting direction deviated by 90°

from each other.

6. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein said angle measuring unit has a luminous flux splitting means disposed on said distance measuring optical axis and a two-dimensional position detecting element for receiving the luminous flux thus split, wherein said two-dimensional position detecting element has a coordinate system having a point to match said distance measuring optical axis as an origin, and by detecting a position of the split luminous flux in said coordinate system, detects a deflection angle and a deflecting direction of said distance measuring optical axis.

7. A measuring device according to claim 4, further comprising a display unit, wherein a digital image of said measurement range is displayed on said display unit, the extracted measuring point are disposed in superimposed manner on said digital image, and a measuring point not yet measured and a measuring point already measured are discriminated from each other and are displayed.

8. A measuring device according to claim 4, further comprising a display unit, wherein said distance measuring light is a visible light, a digital image of said measurement range is displayed on said display unit, and a distance measuring light to be projected to the measuring point is displayed on said digital image.

9. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein said distance measuring unit has said distance measuring optical axis, said image pickup unit has a reference optical axis, wherein said distance measuring optical axis and said reference optical axis are disposed in a fixed relation with each other, said distance measuring optical axis and said reference optical axis are integrally deflected, and said distance measuring optical axis is directed to the measuring point.

10. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein an optical axis of said image pickup unit commonly shares said distance measuring optical axis, a deflection mirror is installed on the optical axis portion commonly shared, and when said deflection mirror is rotated in horizontal direction and is rotated in vertical direction, said distance measuring optical axis is deflected.

11. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein said control arithmetic unit sets a measuring order of the measuring points based on the detected angle, and controls said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit based on the detected angle and the measuring order.