SURVEYING INSTRUMENT

• US 20170268876A1
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Published: 09/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: LIENHART, Werner, ZOGG, Hans-Martin, KOTZUR, Norbert, NINDL, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 10,215,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 1/04 combined with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/105 Sighting devices with light source and collimating reflector reflecting sights for small arms having light source F41G1/34

Abstract

The invention relates to a surveying instrument comprising a telescope, at least one camera providing first, second or more image signals and a controller, wherein the controller is adapted to combine the image signal data of the first, second or more image signals in order to simultaneously display at least two of the images corresponding to the first, second or more image signals on display means.

Claims

1. A surveying instrument comprising:

a base;

a support being rotatable with respect to the base;

an aiming structure being swivelable with respect to the support and including;

an objective optical system defining an aiming axis; and

at least a first camera in a direction of the aiming axis, wherein the at least first camera is provided as an on axis camera that is integrated into the aiming structure, wherein the first camera provides at least a first image signal having an optical magnification factor; and

a wide angle camera as a second camera that is integrated into the aiming structure providing a second image signal, wherein the first image corresponding to the first image signal is a magnification of a detail of the second image being an overview image;

angle encoders for determining an angle of rotation of the support as well of the aiming structure;

a distance meter configured to determine—

along the aiming axis—

a distance to a target;

a display; and

a controller being programmed so as to provide for an aiming mode in which the first image signal and the second image signal are processed in order to generate image signal data so that a first image and a second image are displayed simultaneously on the display, wherein the first image corresponds with the first image signal and the second image corresponds with the second image signal, wherein each of the first image signal and the second image signal represent a real time video stream, wherein the first image from the on axis camera is overlaid with an aiming mark indicating the aiming axis.

2. A surveying instrument comprising:

a base;

an aiming structure being swivelable in two directions with respect to the base of the surveying instrument and including;

an objective optical system defining an aiming axis; and

at least a first camera in a direction of the aiming axis, wherein the at least first camera is provided as an on axis camera that is integrated into the aiming structure and that is seeing through the objective optical system, wherein the first camera provides at least a first image signal having an optical magnification factor; and

a wide angle camera as a second camera that is integrated into the aiming structure, the optical axis of the wide angle camera being parallel to the aiming axis, providing a second image signal, wherein the first image corresponding to the first image signal is a magnification of a detail of the second image being an overview image;

angle and distance measurement functionality configured to determine the direction of the aiming axis and of a distance to a target;

a display; and

a controller being adapted so that the first image signal and the second image signal are processed in order to generate image signal data so that a first image and a second image are displayed simultaneously on the display, wherein the first image corresponds with the first image signal and the second image corresponds with the second image signal, wherein each of the first image signal and the second image signal represent a real time video stream.

3. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein the surveying instrument is a theodolite or total station.

4. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein the wide angle camera has a lower optical magnification factor than the first camera.

5. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein:

the first image from the on axis camera is displayed laying over the second image from the wide angle camera in such a way that it is displayed in a central region of the display; and

an offset from the aiming axis to the optical axis is considered for simultaneously displaying the first image and the second image.

6. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein:

the at least first image signal is processed on side of the surveying instrument and the at least first and second images are displayed on the display at the surveying instrument as one single image and/or the generated image signal data is transferred to a remote controller and the images corresponding to the generated image signal data are displayed on display at the remote controller, or

the at least first image signal is transferred in parallel to the remote controller, processed on side of the remote controller so as to generate the image signal data and the at least first and second images are displayed on the display at the remote controller.

7. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein the at least first and second images corresponding to the at least first image signal are arranged on the display in an adjacent manner.

8. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein one or some of the at least first and second images corresponding to the at least first image signal are arranged in a manner to partly and/or fully overlap one or some of each other.

9. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein an overlapping of the at least first and second images is generated by displaying at least one of the images in the foreground in a semi-transparent manner.

10. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein some or all of the image signals are provided by separate cameras.

11. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the at least first and second image is provided in defined color-channels and/or in adapted representation modes, in particular adapted by image processing.

12. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein the display is implemented as an electro optical viewer.

13. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein:

the controller is adapted to process information from one or more wavelength channels; and

/or

the controller comprises input means for manually adapting the arrangement of the images and for marking and/or selecting points and areas.

14. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein a user input on one of the images is performed on at least one adjacent and/or one overlapping image.

15. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein a marking and/or selecting points or areas on one of the images is automatically performed on at least one adjacent and/or one overlapping image.

16. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein the optical axis of the first camera is coaxial to the aiming axis.

17. A surveying instrument comprising:

a base;

an aiming structure being swivelable in two directions with respect to the base of the surveying instrument and including;

an objective optical system defining an aiming axis; and

at least a first camera in a direction of the aiming axis, wherein the at least first camera is provided as an on axis camera that is integrated into the aiming structure, wherein the first camera provides at least a first image signal having an optical magnification factor; and

a wide angle camera as a second camera that is integrated into the aiming structure, the optical axis of the wide angle camera being parallel to the aiming axis, providing a second image signal, wherein the first image corresponding to the first image signal is a magnification of a detail of the second image being an overview image;

angle and distance measurement functionality configured to determine the direction of the aiming axis and of a distance to a target;

a display; and

a controller being adapted so that the first image signal and the second image signal are processed in order to generate image signal data so that a first image and a second image are displayed simultaneously on the display, wherein the first image corresponds with the first image signal and the second image corresponds with the second image signal, wherein each of the first image signal and the second image signal represent a real time video stream, wherein the first image from the on axis camera is displayed laying over the second image from the wide angle camera in such a way that it is displayed in a central region of the second image.

18. A surveying instrument according to claim 17, wherein the first image from the on axis camera is overlaid with an aiming mark indicating the aiming axis.

19. A surveying instrument according to claim 18, wherein the aiming mark is a reticle.

20. A surveying instrument according to claim 17 wherein the first image from the first camera is displayed laying over the second image from the wide angle camera such that it is arranged at the position of the target in the second image.

21. A surveying instrument according to claim 17, wherein an offset from the aiming axis to the optical axes of the on axis camera and/or the wide angle camera is considered for simultaneously displaying the first image and the second image.

22. A surveying instrument according to claim 21 wherein the first image from the first camera is displayed laying over the second image from the wide angle camera in such a way that the optical axes of the first camera and the wide angle camera coincide at the same point on the display.

23. A surveying instrument comprising:

a base;

an aiming structure being swivelable in two directions with respect to the base of the surveying instrument and including;

an objective optical system defining an aiming axis; and

at least a first camera in a direction of the aiming axis, wherein the at least first camera is provided as an on axis camera that is integrated into the aiming structure, wherein the first camera provides at least a first image signal having an optical magnification factor; and

a wide angle camera as a second camera that is integrated into the aiming structure, the optical axis of the wide angle camera being parallel to the aiming axis, providing a second image signal, wherein the first image corresponding to the first image signal is a magnification of a detail of the second image being an overview image;

angle and distance measurement functionality configured to determine the direction of the aiming axis and of a distance to a target;

a display; and

a controller being adapted so that the first image signal and the second image signal are processed in order to generate image signal data so that a first image and a second image are displayed simultaneously on the display, wherein the first image corresponds with the first image signal and the second image corresponds with the second image signal, wherein each of the first image signal and the second image signal represent a real time video stream, wherein the first image from the on axis camera is overlaid with an aiming mark indicating the aiming axis.

24. A surveying instrument according to claim 23, wherein the aiming mark is a reticle.

25. A surveying instrument comprising:

a base;

an aiming structure being swivelable in two directions with respect to the base of the surveying instrument and including;

an objective optical system defining an aiming axis; and

at least a first camera in a direction of the aiming axis, wherein the at least first camera is provided as an on axis camera that is integrated into the aiming structure, wherein the first camera provides at least a first image signal having a selectable optical magnification factor; and

a wide angle camera as a second camera that is integrated into the aiming structure, the optical axis of the wide angle camera being parallel to the aiming axis, providing a second image signal, wherein the first image corresponding to the first image signal is a magnification of a detail of the second image being an overview image;

angle and distance measurement functionality configured to determine the direction of the aiming axis and of a distance to a target;

a display; and

a controller being adapted so that the first image signal and the second image signal are processed in order to generate image signal data so that a first image and a second image are displayed simultaneously on the display, wherein the first image corresponds with the first image signal and the second image corresponds with the second image signal, wherein each of the first image signal and the second image signal represent a real time video stream.