Device for optically measuring distances

• US 20040012770A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Wolf, Peter, Stierle, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 6,801,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 13/20 for measuring areas, e.g. pneumatic planimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/32 using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4814 of transmitters alone

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for optical distance measurement, having a transmitter unit (12) for emitting optical radiation (13), in particular laser radiation, in the direction of a target object (15); having a receiver unit (14) for receiving the radiation (16, 49) reflected by the target object (15); and having a control and evaluation unit (56) for ascertaining the distance between the apparatus and the target object (15), and also having at least one optical means (26, 28, 30, 50) for beam guidance.

It is proposed that the relative position of the at least one optical means (26, 28, 30, 50) and the light source (17, 18) of the apparatus to one another be variable.

Claims

1. An apparatus for optical distance measurement, having a transmitter unit (12) with a light source (17, 18) for emitting optical radiation (13, 20, 22) to a target object (15), having a receiver unit (14) for receiving the optical radiation (16, 49) returning from the target object (15), and having a control and evaluation unit (56) for ascertaining the optical distance from the apparatus to the target object (15), and having at least one optical means (26, 28, 30, 50) for beam guidance of the measuring radiation (13, 49), characterized in that the relative disposition of the at least one optical means (26, 28, 30, 50) for beam guidance and of the light source (17, 18) relative to one another is variable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the relative disposition of the at least one optical means (26, 28, 30, 50) and the light source (17, 18) is adjustable in all three directions in space.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, characterized in that the at least one optical means (26, 28, 30, 50) has a lens element (28).

4. The apparatus of claim 3, characterized in that the lens element (28) is disposed in the beam path of the transmitter device (12) and/or in the beam path of the receiver device (14).

5. The apparatus of one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the divergence, and/or the direction of the optical radiation (13, 20, 22) emitted toward a target object (15), and/or the optical radiation (16, 49) returning from the target object, is variable by changing the relative disposition of the at least one optical means (26, 28, 30, 50) for beam guidance and of the light source (17, 18) to one another.

6. The apparatus of one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the position of the lens element (28) relative to the position of the light source (17, 18) is adjustable via actuators (34).

7. The apparatus of one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the apparatus includes a closed-loop control mechanism (36), which controls the relative disposition of the at least one optical means (26, 28, 30, 50) and the light source (17, 18).

8. The apparatus of claim 7, characterized in that at least one sensor (38) is present, which detects at least the beam divergence, and/or the beam direction, and/or the beam diameter of the measurement signal (13), and/or of the returning measurement signal (16), and sends it on to the closed-loop control mechanism (36).

9. The apparatus of claim 8, characterized in that the closed-loop control mechanism (36) is manually controllable.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, characterized in that the closed-loop control mechanism (36) is a component of an automatic closed-loop control circuit (39).

11. The apparatus of one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the light source (17, 18) is a laser, in particular a laser diode (18), which emits radiation in the visible wavelength range, for the human eye, of the spectrum of electromagnetic waves.