Manual distance measuring apparatus

• US 8,970,825 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Abraham, Steffen, Roland, Matthias, Pfeil, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ratcliffe, Luke
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldemaryam, Assres H
• Application Number:
  US13/708,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20130148098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 815 Days
• Field of Search: 356/4.01, 356/4.03, 356/4.04, 356/5.05, 356/5.01, 356/5.1
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders

Abstract

A manual distance measuring apparatus includes at least one computing unit, an image acquisition means and a laser measuring device, which determines a distance of a measurement point on a measurement object in a measurement direction during a measuring process. The computing unit is configured to control, at least by open-loop control, the measurement direction depending at least on an output characteristic variable of the image acquisition means.

Claims

1. A manual distance measuring apparatus comprising:

a portable housing configured to be gripped by a user during use;

an image acquisition means positioned within the housing and configured to record images of a measurement object and generate output characteristic variables representative of the recorded images;

a laser measuring device positioned within the housing and configured to determine a distance of a measurement point on the measurement object in a measurement direction during a measuring process; and

at least one computing unit positioned within the housing and configured to control, at least by open-loop control, the measurement direction depending at least on the output characteristic variables of the image acquisition means,

wherein the at least one computing unit is configured to identify at least one structural element of the measurement object from the output characteristic variables of a plurality of different images and to compare the plurality of images to detect changes in orientation of the at least one structural element resulting from movement of the housing, and

wherein the at least one computing unit is configured to adjust the measurement direction in response to detecting a change in orientation of the structural element resulting from movement of the housing from the comparison of the plurality of images to maintain the measurement direction directed at the measurement point.

2. The manual distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser measuring device includes at least one measurement direction setting unit configured to alter the measurement direction in at least one operating state.

3. The manual distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computing unit is configured to determine, from the output characteristic variables of the image acquisition means, at least one change in orientation of the measurement object relative to the measuring apparatus.

4. The manual distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit on the housing configured to represent at least the output characteristic variable of the image acquisition means to an operator in at least one operating state.

5. The manual distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit on the housing, via which a structural element of the measurement object is selectable by an operator in at least one operating state.

6. A method of operating a manual distance measuring apparatus having a housing and at least one computing unit, an image acquisition means, and a laser measuring device supported within the housing, comprising:

manually orienting the housing so the image acquisition means and the laser measuring device are pointed toward a measurement object;

generating output characteristic variables representative of images of the measurement object with the image acquisition device;

detecting changes in orientation of the measurement object caused by movement of the housing of the manual distance measuring apparatus from the output characteristic variables using the at least one computing unit;

moving the laser measuring device in order to adjust the measurement direction depending on the output characteristic variables of the image acquisition means through open-loop control to maintain the measurement direction directed at the measurement point; and

determining a distance of a measurement point on the measurement object in a measurement direction during a measuring process with the laser measuring device.