Device for optically scanning and measuring an environment

• US 8,896,819 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2010
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Schumann, Philipp, Ossig, Martin, Zeller, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): RATCLIFFE, LUKE D
• Application Number:
  US13/510,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20120262700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 356 301- 315, 356 401- 41, 356 501- 515, 356 6- 22, 356/28, 356/28.5
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4812 transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path

Abstract

In a device for optically scanning and measuring an environment, where the device is a laser scanner having a light emitter which, by a rotary mirror, emits an emission light beam, with a light receiver which receives a reception light beam, which, after passing the rotary mirror and a receiver lens which has an optical axis, is reflected from an object in the environment of the laser scanner. The laser scanner also includes a control and evaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points, determines the distance to the object. Also, a rear mirror is provided on the optical axis behind the receiver lens, where the rear mirror reflects towards the receiver lens the reception light beam which is refracted by the receiver lens.

Claims

1. A device for optically scanning and measuring an environment, comprising:

a laser scanner having a light emitter that emits an emission light beam, the laser scanner also having a rotary mirror, the laser scanner further having a light receiver that receives a reception light beam, where the emission light beam is reflected by the rotary mirror to an object in the environment, where a portion of the emission light beam is reflected by the object to produce the reception light beam, and where the reception light beam is reflected by the rotary mirror and passes through a receiver lens which has an optical axis, is reflected from an object in the environment of the laser scanner;

the laser scanner also having a control and evaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points, determines a distance to the object; and

the laser scanner further having a rear mirror located on the optical axis behind the receiver lens, where the rear mirror reflects the reception light beam, which has been refracted by the receiver lens, towards the receiver lens.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the rear mirror has a plane design.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a mask is provided on the optical axis between the receiver lens and the rear mirror, where the mask shadows a part of the reception light beam which, relative to the optical axis, is radially outward.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein a central mirror is provided on the optical axis between the receiver lens and the rear mirror, where the central mirror reflects towards the rear mirror the reception light beam which is reflected by the rear mirror.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the central mirror is arranged in the center of the mask that is shadowed by a color camera and/or an emission mirror and/or the light emitter in front of or in the receiver lens.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the central mirror is aspherical.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the reception light beam, which is reflected by the central mirror hits though a central orifice of the rear mirror.

8. The device of claim 4, wherein a reception mirror is provided on the optical axis behind the rear mirror, where the reception mirror deflects the reception light beam and emits the reception light beam onto the light receiver.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the light receiver is arranged radially to the optical axis.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein a measuring head is provided that rotates about a vertical axis and bears the light emitter, the receiver lens, the rear mirror, the light receiver and the rotary mirror, wherein the rotary mirror rotates about the optical axis which is horizontally arranged.