Transmitter and surveying system, and method for automatically resuming tracking.

Abstract

To provide a light transmitter that automatically directs a light transmission opening toward a surveying instrument.SOLUTION: A light transmitter comprises: a light transmitter main body for transmitting tracking guide light; a drive portion for driving the light transmitter main body in horizontal rotation; an inertial measurement device for measuring accelerations of the light transmitter main body in three axial directions; an angle detector for detecting a rotation angle of the light transmitter main body; a light transmitter communication portion for transmitting and receiving information; and a light transmitter control portion for performing arithmetic processing of a measured value of the inertial measurement device and of the angle detector, control of the light transmitter communication portion, control of the transmission of the tracking guide light by the light transmitter main body, and control of the rotation of the drive portion. The light transmitter control portion receives a horizontal direction angle of the surveying instrument by the light transmitter communication portion, and calculates, as an angle, a difference between a light transmission direction of the tracking guide light and an azimuth angle to the surveying instrument from the measured value of the inertial measurement device and a measured value of the angle detector, rotationally drives the drive portion such that the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light faces the surveying instrument, and transmits the tracking guide light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a light transmitter, a surveying system, and a method for automatically resuming tracking.

Background Art

[0002] There is a surveying instrument equipped with an automatic tracking device (for example, Patent Document 1). When the tracking is lost, in Patent Document 1, an operator who holds a pole with a prism attached holds a light transmitter and sends a light transmission signal (tracking guide light) toward the surveying instrument with the light transmitter. Then, the surveying instrument receives the transmission signal, detects the arrival direction of the transmission signal, and turns the telescope toward the arrival direction. Thereby, the prism can be quickly locked to the surveying instrument and tracking can be resumed again.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above method, when the tracking is lost, the operator has to stop the surveying work, point the light transmission port of the remote control at the surveying instrument, press the switch, and send a transmission signal, which is troublesome and time-consuming for the operator.

[0005] The present case has been made in view of such problems, and relates to a light transmitter that automatically points the light transmission port at a surveying instrument, a surveying system, and a method for automatically resuming tracking.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, in one embodiment of this disclosure, a transmitter body that transmits tracking guide light, a drive unit that drives the transmitter body to rotate horizontally, an inertial measuring device that measures the acceleration of the transmitter body in three axes, an angle detector that detects the rotation angle of the transmitter body, a transmitter communication unit that transmits and receives information, and a unit that controls the measured values ​​of the inertial measuring device and the calculation processing of the angle detector, the control of the transmitter communication unit, the transmission of the tracking guide light by the transmitter body, and the rotation of the drive unit. The device comprises a light transmitter control unit, which receives the horizontal angle from the surveying instrument to the light transmitter body and the first direction of movement of the light transmitter body via the light transmitter communication unit, and calculates the difference between the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light and the azimuth angle to the surveying instrument as an angle from the measured value of the inertial measuring device and the measured value of the angle detector, and rotates the drive unit so that the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light is directed toward the surveying instrument, thereby configuring the light transmitter to transmit the tracking guide light.

[0007] In one embodiment, the light transmitter control unit is configured to calculate the second movement direction of the light transmitter from the measured value of the inertial measuring device, match the first movement direction and the second movement direction, and calculate the difference with the horizontal azimuth angle to the surveying instrument as an angle.

[0008] In one embodiment, the tracking guide light is configured to emit light at different frequencies in the left and right regions in the horizontal direction centered on the light transmission direction, and to emit light at a frequency different from both the left and right regions in the region including the light transmission direction.

[0009] In one embodiment, the transmitter includes a transmitter body that transmits tracking guide light, a drive unit that drives the transmitter body to rotate horizontally, an inertial measuring device that measures the acceleration of the transmitter body in three axes, an angle detector that detects the rotation angle of the transmitter body, a transmitter communication unit that transmits and receives information, a transmitter control unit that controls the measurement values ​​of the inertial measuring device and the calculation processing of the angle detector, the control of the transmitter communication unit, the transmission of the tracking guide light by the transmitter body, and the rotation of the drive unit, a prism attached to the transmitter, a light receiving unit that receives the tracking guide light, and the transmitter communication unit. The surveying system comprises a surveying instrument communication unit capable of communicating with a unit, a surveying instrument having a tracking function and a distance and angle measuring function for measuring the distance and angle of the prism, and the light transmitter control unit receives the horizontal angle from the surveying instrument to the light transmitter body and the first movement direction of the light transmitter body from the light transmitter communication unit, calculates the difference between the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light and the azimuth angle to the surveying instrument as an angle from the measured value of the inertial measuring device and the measured value of the angle detector, and rotates the drive unit so that the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light is directed toward the surveying instrument, thereby transmitting the tracking guide light.

[0010] Furthermore, in one embodiment, a method for automatically resuming tracking when tracking is lost includes a light transmitter having a light transmitter body that transmits tracking guide light, a drive unit that drives the light transmitter body to rotate horizontally, an inertial measuring device that measures the acceleration of the light transmitter body in three axes, an angle detector that detects the rotation angle of the light transmitter body, a light transmitter communication unit that transmits and receives information, a light transmitter control unit that controls the measurement value of the inertial measuring device and the calculation processing of the angle detector, the control of the light transmitter communication unit, the transmission of the tracking guide light by the light transmitter body, and the rotation of the drive unit, a prism attached to the light transmitter, a light receiving unit that receives the tracking guide light, and a surveying instrument communication unit that can communicate with the light transmitter communication unit, and having a tracking function and a distance measuring and angle measuring function that measures distance and angle using the prism, (a) The transmitter communication unit receives from the surveying instrument the horizontal angle from the surveying instrument to the transmitter body and the first direction of movement of the transmitter body, (b) The light transmitter control unit calculates the difference between the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light and the azimuth angle to the surveying instrument as an angle, based on the measured value of the inertial measuring device and the measured value of the angle detector, (c) The light transmitter control unit rotates the drive unit based on the angle and the measurement value of the angle detector so that the direction of the tracking guide light transmitted from the light transmitter body is directed toward the surveying instrument, (d) The light transmitter control unit causes the light transmitter body to transmit tracking guide light, (e) The light receiving unit receives the tracking guide light, detects the direction of the center of the light transmitter, and the tracking unit performs a vertical prism search to lock the prism, It was configured to include the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As is clear from the above explanation, this relates to a light transmitter that automatically directs the light source towards the surveying instrument, a surveying system, and a method for automatically resuming tracking. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of a surveying system including a light transmitter according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the surveying instrument. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal structure of a surveying instrument. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of the surveying equipment. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the target unit. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram of the light transmitter. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the surveying instrument and light transmitter at the start of tracking (and during tracking). [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the light transmitter when tracking is lost. [Figure 9] This is the flow for automatically resuming tracking. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a surveying system including a light transmitter according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a block diagram of a light transmitter according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a development view of a polygon mirror and the peripheral side surface of the polygon mirror. [Figure 13] It is a plan view of a surveying instrument and a fan beam light transmitting unit, and is an explanatory diagram for explaining the effect.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. Also, in the following descriptions of the embodiments and modifications, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0014] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a surveying system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] The surveying system 1 includes a surveying instrument 10 and a target unit 70.

[0016] The surveying instrument 10 is a total station having a distance measuring and angle measuring function and a tracking function. Further, the surveying instrument 10 also includes a light receiving unit 60.

[0017] The target unit 70 has a prism 72 for total reflection, which is a target of the surveying instrument 10, at the upper end of a pole 71. The target unit 70 is generally erected vertically, held by an operator, and transported. The lower end of the pole 71 is installed generally vertically at a measurement point and measured by the surveying instrument 10.

[0018] The target unit 70 has a light transmitter 90. While the surveying instrument 10 is tracking the prism 72, the light transmitter 90 continuously sends and receives various data to and from the surveying instrument 10. When tracking is lost, the light transmitter 90 rotates toward the surveying instrument 10 and transmits infrared tracking guide light Lc toward the surveying instrument 10.

[0019] The light-receiving unit 60 of the surveying instrument 10 receives the tracking guide light Lc, detects the direction of the prism 72, locks (sights) the prism 72 again, and allows for a quick resumption of tracking.

[0020] (Surveying instrument) The surveying instrument 10 will be explained using Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a front view of the surveying instrument 10. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal structure of the surveying instrument 10.

[0021] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the surveying instrument 10 is composed of a surveying instrument body 15 which consists of a base portion 13 and a rotating base 14 which rotates horizontally relative to the base portion 13, and a cover member 16.

[0022] The base unit 13 is generally composed of a fixing base 13a fixed to the tripod base 2, a leveling base 13b having a leveling screw (not shown), and a case 13c that houses a drive mechanism such as a horizontal rotation drive unit M1 that rotates the rotating base 14 horizontally around the vertical axis V.

[0023] A mounting section 17, composed of a pair of support members 17a, is erected on the rotating base 14. The lens barrel section 18 of the rangefinder optical system and the tracking optical system is positioned between the support members 17a. The lens barrel section 18 is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction by a horizontal axis H provided on the mounting section 17. The rangefinder section 18 houses the rangefinder unit 23 and the tracking unit 24.

[0024] A vertical rotation drive unit M2, which rotates the lens barrel 18 in the vertical direction, is fixed to one end of the horizontal axis H, and a vertical angle detector 22 for detecting the rotation angle of the lens barrel 18 is provided at the other end.

[0025] A thin horizontal plate 19 is fixed to the upper end of the support section 17, extending horizontally across a pair of support members 17a. A surveying instrument control unit 29 and a light receiving unit 60 are mounted on the upper surface of the horizontal plate 19.

[0026] The cover member 16 has a projection 16a that protrudes from its upper surface, and the front surface of the projection is flush with the front surface of the cover member. The light receiving unit 60 is positioned in the center of the horizontal plate 19, inside the projection 16a.

[0027] The surveying instrument control unit 29 is located in the center of the horizontal plate 19, behind the light receiving unit 60, with the control circuit board as its base.

[0028] The front surface of the cover member 16 is provided with two windows: a light-receiving window 16d located in front of the protruding portion 16a, and a lens barrel window 16b extending vertically in the center of the front surface.

[0029] The telescope tube window 16b is formed on the optical axis of the telescope tube 18 and transmits infrared laser light from the optical systems of the distance measuring unit 23 and the tracking unit 24. The light receiving unit window 16d is formed in front of the light receiving unit 60, and the light receiving unit 60 receives the tracking guide light Lc through the light receiving unit window 16d.

[0030] The surveying instrument 10 is connected to an operating terminal having a display unit and an input unit (not shown). The operating terminal is, for example, a smartphone or tablet, and the controller functions of the surveying instrument 10 are implemented by installing an application. The operator carries the operating terminal and inputs commands as needed while checking the surveying status on the display unit.

[0031] (Block diagram) Figure 4 is a control block diagram of the surveying instrument 10. The surveying instrument 10 includes a horizontal angle detector 21, a vertical angle detector 22, a horizontal rotation drive unit M1, a vertical rotation drive unit M2, a distance measuring unit 23, a tracking unit 24, a surveying instrument communication unit 25, a memory unit 26, and a surveying instrument control unit 29 to which all of these are connected.

[0032] The horizontal angle detector 21 and the vertical angle detector 22 are absolute encoders or incremental encoders having a rotating disk, a slit, a light-emitting diode, and an image sensor. The horizontal angle detector 21 is mounted on the rotation axis of the rotating base 14 and detects the horizontal angle of the rotating base 14. The vertical angle detector 22 is mounted on the horizontal axis H of the lens barrel 18 and detects the vertical angle of the lens barrel 18.

[0033] The horizontal rotation drive unit M1 and the vertical rotation drive unit M2 are motors. Controlled by the surveying instrument control unit 29, the horizontal rotation drive unit M1 moves the rotation axis of the rotating base 14, and the vertical rotation drive unit M2 moves the horizontal axis H of the telescope tube 18. The orientation of the telescope tube 18 is changed by the cooperation of both drive units. The angle measuring unit is composed of the horizontal angle detector 21 and the vertical angle detector 22. The drive unit is composed of the horizontal rotation drive unit M1 and the vertical rotation drive unit M2.

[0034] The distance measuring unit 23 includes a light transmitting unit and a light receiving unit. It sights the target, a 360-degree reflective prism 72, and emits a distance measuring light, such as an infrared laser beam, onto the prism 72. The reflected light is received by the light receiving unit, and the distance is measured from the phase of the distance measuring light and the internal reference light.

[0035] The tracking unit 24 includes a tracking light transmission system that emits tracking light, such as infrared laser light of a different wavelength than the distance measurement light, and a tracking light receiving system that has an image sensor such as a CCD sensor or CMOS sensor. The tracking unit 24 acquires a landscape image including the tracking light and a landscape image excluding the tracking light, and sends both images to the surveying instrument control unit 29. The surveying instrument control unit 29 determines the center of the target image from the difference between the two images, detects it as the target position, and automatically tracks so that the lens barrel 18 is always facing the target, so that the distance between the center of the target image and the center of the optical axis of the lens barrel 18 is within a certain value.

[0036] The surveying instrument communication unit 25 enables communication with an external network. For example, it connects to the internet using the Internet Protocol (TCP / IP) and transmits and receives information with the light transmitter 90. Wireless communication is not limited to this, and known wireless communication methods such as Bluetooth® can be used.

[0037] The memory unit 26 is a storage medium such as a hard disk drive, and stores programs for arithmetic control. Acquired measurement data and received data are also stored there.

[0038] The light receiving unit 60 is a light receiving sensor that receives the tracking guide light Lc. The light receiving unit 60 is positioned in front of the surveying instrument 10 and detects the horizontal direction of the light transmitter 90 that transmits the tracking guide light Lc.

[0039] The surveying instrument control unit 29 is a microcontroller that incorporates components such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM into an integrated circuit. All the components of the surveying instrument 10 are connected to it, and it controls them. For example, it controls the horizontal rotation drive unit M1 and the vertical rotation drive unit M2, the emission control of the distance measuring unit 23 and the tracking unit 24, the automatic tracking, automatic aiming, distance measurement, and angle measurement of the prism 72, the control of the light receiving unit 60, and the transmission and reception of measurement data and commands via the surveying instrument communication unit 25.

[0040] (Target Unit) Next, the target unit 70 will be explained with the help of a drawing. Figure 5 is a side view of the target unit 70. Please also refer to the perspective view of the target unit 70 in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the target unit 70 has a prism 72 attached to the upper end of a pole 71. The optical center of the prism 72 passes through the central axis of the pole 71, and the distance (mounting height) between the optical center of the prism 72 and the lower end of the pole 71 is known.

[0041] Furthermore, a light transmitter 90 is provided on the upper part of the prism 72.

[0042] The light transmitter 90 consists of a light transmitter base 98 mounted on top of the target unit 70, and a light transmitter body 96 supported on top of the light transmitter base 98 so as to be rotatable horizontally with respect to the vertical axis X2. The light transmitter 90 is mounted on top of the prism 72 with the vertical axis X2 aligned with the central axis of the pole 71. A light transmitter opening 95 is provided on the circumferential side of the light transmitter body 96 through which the tracking guide light Lc is transmitted.

[0043] Figure 6 is a block diagram of the control system of the light transmitter 90. The light transmitter 90 comprises an IMU 91, a light transmitter drive unit 92, a light transmitter angle detector 93, a light transmitter communication unit 94, a laser light source 97a included in the light transmitting unit 97, and a light transmitter control unit 99 that controls these.

[0044] The IMU91 is an Inertial Navigation Unit, consisting of a 3-axis gyroscope and 3-directional accelerometers, which measure angular velocity and acceleration in three axes. The IMU91 is positioned so that its measurement center point passes through the central axis of pole 71.

[0045] The light transmitter drive unit 92 is a motor that drives the light transmitter body 96 to rotate horizontally around the vertical axis X2.

[0046] The light transmitter angle detector 93 is an encoder that detects the rotation angle of the vertical axis X2. In this embodiment, the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light Lc is set as the reference direction AX, and the rotation angle of the reference direction AX is detected.

[0047] The light transmitter communication unit 94 has the same configuration as the surveying instrument communication unit 25 and is capable of sending and receiving information with the surveying instrument 10.

[0048] The light transmitting unit 97 has a laser light-emitting diode as a laser light source 97a and a lens 97b. Light emitted from the laser light source 97a is transmitted horizontally (perpendicular to the vertical axis X2) as tracking guide light Lc from the light transmitting port 95 via the lens 97b. In the light transmitter 90, the direction in which the tracking guide light Lc is transmitted from the vertical axis X2 is defined as the reference direction AX.

[0049] The light transmitter control unit 99 is a microcontroller with components such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM integrated into an integrated circuit. It is connected to the equipment of the light transmitter 90 and controls them. For example, it controls the lighting of the light transmitter unit 97, processes the detection data of the light transmitter angle detector 93 and IMU 91, controls the light transmitter drive unit 92, and transmits and receives data with the surveying instrument 10 via the light transmitter communication unit 94. It also has memory where the program is stored, as well as received data and measurement data.

[0050] While the surveying instrument 10 is tracking the prism 72, the light transmitter control unit 99 continuously acquires the measured values ​​from the IMU 91 and receives from the surveying instrument 10 the direction of movement of the prism 72 calculated from the measured data, as well as the horizontal angle of the surveying instrument 10. Then, from these measured values, it calculates the difference between the current reference direction AX of the light transmitter 90 and the azimuth angle of the surveying instrument 10, so that the reference direction AX of the light transmitter 90 can be directed towards the surveying instrument 10 (details will be described later).

[0051] If the tracking unit 24 loses track of the prism 72, the light transmitter control unit 99 immediately controls the light transmitter drive unit 92 to point the reference direction AX towards the direction of the surveying instrument 10 just before the tracking was lost, thereby directing the reference direction AX of the light transmitter 90, i.e., the light transmission direction, towards the surveying instrument 10, and turning on the laser light source 97a to transmit the tracking guide light Lc.

[0052] In this embodiment, the light transmitter body 96 is driven only in the horizontal direction, but a vertical rotation drive unit may be provided to drive the light transmission direction vertically as well. Since the tracking guide light Lc is infrared light, the operator will not see the light.

[0053] (How to resume tracking) The light transmitter 90 has a function that, if tracking is lost, automatically rotates toward the surveying instrument 10, transmits tracking guide light Lc, and facilitates the surveying instrument 10 to resume tracking. This will be explained in detail using a diagram.

[0054] Figure 7 shows the processing of the surveying instrument 10 and the light transmitter 90 at the start of tracking (during tracking). Figure 8 shows the processing of the light transmitter 90 when tracking is lost.

[0055] When the tracking unit 24 locks onto the prism 72 and begins tracking, the surveying instrument 10 transmits this information to the light transmitter 90. As a result, the light transmitter 90 also begins processing for tracking.

[0056] Next, the surveying instrument 10 performs distance and angle measurement on the prism 72. Distance and angle measurement of the prism 72 is performed as needed during tracking. The surveying instrument control unit 29 calculates the horizontal angle Hm of the surveying instrument 10 to the prism 72 and the direction of movement Ht of the prism 72 from the distance and angle measurement data and transmits them to the light transmitter 90.

[0057] The calculation processing of distance and angle measurement data is performed by the surveying instrument control unit 29, and the calculation results are transmitted to the light transmitter 90. Alternatively, the distance and angle measurement data may be transmitted to the light transmitter 90, and the data calculation processing may be performed by the light transmitter control unit 99.

[0058] As part of the tracking process, the light transmitter 90 first starts measurement using the IMU 91. The IMU 91 continuously measures acceleration and angular velocity. The measured values ​​are stored along with time information so that the time of measurement can be identified.

[0059] The direction of movement of the light transmitter 90 (i.e., the prism 72) is calculated based on the acceleration. As shown in Figure 7, during tracking, the direction of movement Ht of the prism 72 obtained from the surveying instrument 10 (thick white arrow in Figure 7) and the direction of movement T1 of the prism 72 calculated from the IMU 91 (thick black arrow in Figure 7) will coincide. This allows for synchronization and correction of acquired data.

[0060] During tracking, the surveying instrument 10 always points its optical axis towards the prism 72. Therefore, the direction of the prism 72 as seen from the surveying instrument 10 (arrow DR1) and the direction of the surveying instrument 10 as seen from the prism 72 (arrow DR2) are in opposite directions.

[0061] Next, the processing of the surveying instrument 10 and the light transmitter 90 when tracking is lost will be explained using Figure 8.

[0062] If tracking is lost, the surveying instrument 10 first sends a message to the light transmitter 90 indicating that tracking has been lost. This causes the light transmitter 90 to begin processing the data for when tracking is lost.

[0063] Since the surveying instrument 10 has not locked onto the prism 72, the direction of the prism 72 as seen from the surveying instrument 10 (arrow DR1) and the direction of the surveying instrument 10 as seen from the prism 72 (arrow DR2) will not coincide, even if they are opposite directions. Therefore, a process is performed to compare the data acquired by the surveying instrument 10 just before tracking was lost with the data acquired from the light transmitter 90.

[0064] The light transmitter control unit 99 extracts the direction of movement T1 of the light transmitter 90 (i.e., prism 72) just before tracking is lost, based on the measurement value from the IMU 91. The light transmitter control unit 99 performs a measurement with the light transmitter angle detector 93 and calculates the azimuth angle AN2 of the reference direction AX with respect to this direction of movement T1.

[0065] Furthermore, the light transmitter control unit 99 extracts data on the direction of movement Ht of the prism 72 and the horizontal angle Hm of the surveying instrument 10 toward the prism 72, just before tracking is lost, from the distance and angle measurement data received from the surveying instrument 10. The light transmitter control unit 99 calculates horizontal angle Hm + 180 degrees as the opposite direction of the horizontal angle Hm of the surveying instrument 10 toward the prism 72, and uses this as the direction angle toward the surveying instrument 10 in the light transmitter 90. This is based on the fact that the surveying instrument 10 always points its optical axis toward the prism 72 while tracking, so the direction of the prism 72 as seen from the surveying instrument 10 (arrow DR1) is directly opposite to the direction of the surveying instrument 10 as seen from the prism 72 (arrow DR2). The azimuth angle AN1 of horizontal angle Hm + 180 degrees relative to the direction of movement Ht of the prism 72 is calculated.

[0066] Then, the difference between azimuth angle AN1 and azimuth angle AN2 is calculated as angle AN3. Angle AN3 represents the difference in direction between the reference direction AX and the surveying instrument 10. The light transmitter control unit 99 controls the light transmitter drive unit 92 to rotate the light transmitter body 96 horizontally by angle AN3 so that the reference direction AX is directed towards the surveying instrument 10. Then, the light transmitter control unit 99 turns on the laser light source 97a and transmits the tracking guide light Lc towards the surveying instrument 10.

[0067] When the surveying instrument 10 receives the tracking guide light Lc with the light receiving unit 60, the horizontal direction of the center of the tracking guide light Lc is detected, and then the telescope tube 18 is driven in the vertical direction to lock the prism 72.

[0068] When tracking resumes, the light transmitter 90 stops transmitting the tracking guide light Lc and switches to the tracking processing mode.

[0069] Conventionally, even without any clues, the prism could be locked by scanning all directions with tracking light, but this had the problem of being time-consuming. The light transmitter 90 can send tracking guide light Lc toward the surveying instrument 10 at any time using the method described above. The operator does not need to point the tracking guide light Lc toward the surveying instrument 10, and if the lock is released, it automatically rotates toward the surveying instrument 10 and transmits the tracking guide light Lc.

[0070] It is preferable that the surveying instrument 10 is also configured to receive measurement data from the IMU 91 from the light transmitter 90 in real time. This allows the direction and speed of movement of the prism 72 to be known, and if the movement speed is high, the interval between distance and angle measurements of the prism 72 can be shortened to make it less likely to lose tracking. Furthermore, even if tracking is lost, the most recent data can be used, which shortens the time until tracking can be resumed. The direction in which the surveying instrument 10 should turn when tracking is lost can also be estimated.

[0071] In conventional surveying instruments, the light-transmitting unit of the tracking unit emits tracking light, and the reflected light is received by the light-receiving unit to perform scanning. In this case, since the light-receiving unit receives reflected light, the amount of light received is small. In contrast, the surveying instrument 10 receives the tracking guide light Lc transmitted from the target side with the light-receiving unit 60, so the amount of light received is large and easy to detect. Therefore, the prism 72 can be locked more quickly.

[0072] In this embodiment, the light transmitter 90 rotated its body 96 after tracking was lost. However, the light transmitter control unit 99 may drive the light transmitter drive unit 92 based on the angle AN3 calculated as needed, so that the reference direction AX is always pointed towards the surveying instrument 10.

[0073] (Continued tracking flow) Using the above configuration, we will now explain an automatic tracking continuation flow that automatically resumes tracking even if tracking is lost after the tracking has started.

[0074] Figure 9 shows the flow of automatic tracking continuation. Since the surveying instrument 10 and the light transmitter 90 may process simultaneously, the processing of the surveying instrument 10 will be explained as steps S101 to S111, and the processing of the light transmitter 90 as steps S201 to S211.

[0075] First, in step S101, the tracking unit 24 of the surveying instrument 10 locks onto the prism 72, and tracking begins.

[0076] Next, in step S102, the surveying instrument 10 receives a command to the light transmitter 90 to start the tracking process. The processing of the light transmitter 90 upon receiving the command will be described later.

[0077] Next, in step S103, the surveying instrument 10 performs distance and angle measurement using the locked prism 72. Distance and angle measurement are performed periodically at predetermined time intervals.

[0078] Next, in step S104, the surveying instrument control unit 29 calculates the direction of movement Ht of the prism 72 (i.e., the light transmitter 90) and the horizontal angle Hm of the surveying instrument 10 from the measured values ​​obtained by distance measurement and angle measurement, and transmits the calculation results to the light transmitter 90.

[0079] Next, proceed to step S105. If tracking is still ongoing, return to step S103. If tracking is lost, proceed to step S106.

[0080] In step S106, a command is sent to the light transmitter 90 to perform the tracking restart process.

[0081] Next, in step S107, the light receiving unit 60 receives the tracking guide light Lc transmitted by the light transmitter 90. This allows the horizontal direction of the center of the light transmitter 90 to be detected.

[0082] Next, the process moves to step S108, in which the surveying instrument 10 drives the telescope tube 18 vertically while the tracking unit 24 emits tracking light, thereby searching the prism 72 vertically.

[0083] Next, the process moves to step S109, where the tracking unit 24 locks onto the prism 72.

[0084] Next, the process moves to step S110, where the prism is locked and tracking has resumed, so the surveying instrument 10 sends a command to the light transmitter 90 to terminate the tracking resumption process.

[0085] Next, the process moves to step S111, and tracking resumes. The process returns to step S101.

[0086] Next, I will explain the processing flow of the light transmitter 90.

[0087] First, in step S201, the light transmitter 90 receives a command from the surveying instrument 10 to start the tracking process (see step S102). Upon receiving the command, the light transmitter 90 starts the tracking process.

[0088] Next, the process moves to step S202, where the IMU91 begins measurement. The IMU91 performs measurements of 3-axis acceleration and 3-axis angular velocity at predetermined time intervals.

[0089] Next, the process moves to step S203, where the direction of movement Ht of the prism 72 (i.e., the light transmitter 90) and the horizontal angle Hm of the surveying instrument 10 are received from the surveying instrument 10 (see step S104). Steps S202 and S203 are carried out continuously up to step S204.

[0090] Next, in step S204, the light transmitter 90 receives a command from the surveying instrument 10 to resume tracking (see step S106). As a result, the light transmitter 90 performs the steps for resuming tracking (steps S205 to S209).

[0091] The process moves to step S205, and a command is sent to the transmitter 90 to resume tracking. The azimuth angle AN2 and the direction of movement T1 are calculated from the measurement data of the IMU 91 and the measurement data of the transmitter angle detector 93.

[0092] Next, the process moves to step S206, where the result of the calculation in step S205 is matched with the direction of movement Ht of the prism 72 and the horizontal angle Hm of the surveying instrument 10 received in step S203, and the angle AN3 is calculated.

[0093] Next, proceed to step S207, where the transmitter body 96 is rotated by the angle AN3 calculated in step S206, so that the reference direction AX is directed towards the surveying instrument 10.

[0094] Next, the process moves to step S208, where the tracking guide light Lc is transmitted from the light transmitter 90. The light receiving unit 60 of the surveying instrument 10 receives the tracking guide light Lc (see step S107).

[0095] Next, the process moves to step S209, where the surveying instrument 10 receives a command to terminate the tracking restart process (see step S110).

[0096] Next, the process moves to step S210, where the light transmitter 90 stops transmitting light by turning off the tracking guide light Lc.

[0097] According to the above processing flow, even if tracking is lost, the process to resume tracking is automatically initiated, and tracking will resume without any action from the operator.

[0098] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. Components having the same configuration as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0099] Figure 10 shows an overview of the surveying system 101 including the target unit 170 according to the second embodiment.

[0100] The surveying system 101 consists of a surveying instrument 10 and a target unit 170.

[0101] The target unit 170 includes a prism 72 mounted on the upper end of the pole 71 and a light transmitter 190. The light transmitter 190 has the same configuration as the light transmitter 90 of the first embodiment, except that it has a fan beam light transmitter 200 instead of a light transmitter 97. The fan beam light transmitter 200 transmits a fan beam as a tracking guide light Lc2, which is narrow in the vertical direction and wide in the horizontal direction. The fan beam is transmitted in pairs in the horizontal direction. The pair of fan beams are transmitted in different directions horizontally and partially overlap to scan in the vertical direction.

[0102] The surveying instrument 10 has the same configuration as the surveying instrument 10, except that the light receiving unit 60 receives the tracking guide light Lc2, which is a fan beam. In this embodiment, the surveying instrument control unit 29 counts the number of times the light receiving unit 60 receives the fan beam within a predetermined time. The tracking guide light Lc2 consists of a pair of fan beams scanned in the vertical direction, and the light transmitter 190 is configured to detect the direction of the surveying instrument 10 based on the number of times the light receiving unit 60 receives the fan beam, and to assist in directing the reference direction AX towards the surveying instrument 10 (described later).

[0103] (Fan beam light transmission unit) Figure 11 is a block diagram of the light transmitter 190, including the fan beam light transmitting unit 200.

[0104] The fan beam light transmission unit 200 includes a laser light source 201 that emits laser light, a cylindrical lens 202 that spreads the emitted light from the laser light source 201 horizontally, a polygon mirror 207 whose circumferential surface is composed of a reflective surface, and a motor M3 that rotates the polygon mirror 207.

[0105] Light incident on the cylindrical lens 202 is formed into a fan-shaped beam spread horizontally, which is reflected by the circumferential surface of the polygon mirror 207, which is rotated by motor M3 around the central axis X3, and the fan beam, which is long horizontally and short vertically, is scanned in the vertical direction.

[0106] The light transmitter control unit 199 of the light transmitter 190 has the same configuration as the light transmitter control unit 99, except that it controls the fan beam light transmitting unit 200 instead of the light transmitting unit 97. The light transmitter control unit 199 also controls the rotational drive of the motor M and the illumination of the laser light source 201.

[0107] (Polygon mirror form) The polygon mirror 207 and the fan beam scanned by the polygon mirror 207 will be explained in detail using diagrams.

[0108] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the polygon mirror 207. Figure 12(A) is a perspective view of the polygon mirror 207. Figure 12(B) is an unfolded view of the peripheral surface of the polygon mirror 207.

[0109] The polygon mirror 207 has the outline of a roughly regular hexagonal prism, and its circumferential surface has six reflective surfaces formed at equal intervals: the first reflective surface 208a, the second reflective surface 208b, the third reflective surface 208c, the fourth reflective surface 208d, the fifth reflective surface 208e, and the sixth reflective surface 208f. Furthermore, it has a left end surface 210a to which one side of all the reflective surfaces are connected, and a right end surface 210b to which the other side of all the reflective surfaces are connected.

[0110] The polygon mirror 207 is driven to rotate around its central axis X3 by the motor M3, scanning the light incident on the reflective surfaces 208a to 208f in the rotational direction. In this embodiment, the polygon mirror 207 is positioned approximately horizontally around its central axis X3, and the fan beam is incident in a generally horizontally spread direction and scanned in the vertical direction.

[0111] The first reflective surface 208a and the fourth reflective surface 208d are formed with a slight inclination toward the left end surface 210a, causing the incident fan beam to be reflected slightly toward the left end surface 210a. Of the six reflective surfaces of the polygon mirror 207, the fan beam that is reflected by these two surfaces and emitted relatively to the left is referred to as the first fan beam B1.

[0112] In contrast, the second reflective surface 208b, the third reflective surface 208c, the fifth reflective surface 208e, and the sixth reflective surface 208f are slightly tilted towards the right end surface 210b, and the incident fan beam is reflected slightly towards the right end surface 210b. Of the six reflective surfaces of the polygon mirror 207, the fan beam that is reflected by these four surfaces and emitted relatively to the right is called the second fan beam B2.

[0113] The polygon mirror 207 reflects the incident light, splitting it relatively to the left and right. The method of reflecting the fan beam in a relatively left-right direction is not limited to this; other known methods may be used, such as surface treatment of the reflective surfaces 208a to 208f to adjust the reflection direction.

[0114] (Fan beam configuration) The effects of the light transmitter 190 with the above configuration will be explained with reference to Figure 13. Figure 12 shows the light transmitter 190 and the fan beam in a plan view, and is an explanatory diagram that mainly illustrates the form of the fan beam produced by the light transmitter 190.

[0115] As shown in Figure 11, the first fan beam B1 and the second fan beam B2, reflected by the polygon mirror 207, are transmitted with different main irradiation directions in the horizontal direction, while overlapping in some areas.

[0116] As described above, when tracking was lost, the light transmitter 90 rotated its reference direction AX towards the surveying instrument 10. Similarly, the light transmitter 190, which has a similar configuration, also rotates its reference direction AX5 towards the surveying instrument 10. The light transmitter 190 is set so that its reference direction AX5 is in the center of the overlapping area of ​​the first fan beam B1 and the second fan beam B2. Preferably, the overlapping area is set to be narrow relative to the horizontal spread of the first fan beam B1 and the second fan beam B2.

[0117] The first fan beam B1 is reflected from two of the six reflective surfaces of the polygon mirror 207. The second fan beam B2 is reflected from four of the six reflective surfaces of the polygon mirror 207. Therefore, the first fan beam B1 and the second fan beam B2 are received by the light receiving unit 60 at different rates for each rotation (period) of the polygon mirror 207, making it possible to distinguish which fan beam is which. Using this, the direction of the surveying instrument 10 centered on the reference direction AX5 of the light transmitter 190 can be detected.

[0118] The region where only the first fan beam B1 is scanned is designated as the first region AR1, the region where only the second fan beam B2 is scanned is designated as the second region AR2, and the region where both the first fan beam B1 and the second fan beam B2 are transmitted is designated as the third region AR3.

[0119] Similar to the light transmitter 90, when the light transmitter 190 is tracked, it starts measuring with the IMU 91 and receives measurement data from the surveying instrument 10 as it progresses. When tracking is lost, the light transmitter control unit 99 is rotated to point the reference direction AX5 towards the surveying instrument 10, and the first fan beam B1 and the second fan beam B2, which spread horizontally, are scanned vertically as tracking guide light Lc2 toward the surveying instrument 10.

[0120] Conventionally, when tracking was lost, the surveying instrument did not know which direction the prism was in, and even if a fan beam was transmitted from the transmitter, it was difficult to receive the fan beam from the beginning. However, the transmitter 190, like the transmitter 90, rotates its reference direction AX5 toward the surveying instrument 10 and transmits the tracking guide light Lc2. As a result, the tracking guide light Lc, which consists of a pair of fan beams that spread widely in the horizontal direction, can be received by the light receiving unit 60 of the surveying instrument 10. In addition, since the first fan beam B1 and the second fan beam B2 are reflected in different directions in the horizontal direction, the overall horizontal spread of the fan beam is wider than when the reflection is not distributed to the left and right directions, making it easier for the surveying instrument 10 to receive the tracking guide light Lc.

[0121] If the surveying instrument 10 is positioned in the first region AR1, the light receiving unit 60 will only receive the first fan beam B1. Upon receiving this detection result, the light transmitter 190 rotates horizontally to the left so that it faces the surveying instrument 10 in the reference direction AX5. As a result, when the light receiving unit 60 receives both the first fan beam B1 and the second fan beam B2, it is determined that the surveying instrument 10 has entered the third region AR3.

[0122] Similarly, if the surveying instrument 10 is positioned in the second region AR2, the light receiving unit 60 will only receive light from the second fan beam B2. Upon receiving this detection result, the light transmitter 190 rotates horizontally to the right. As a result, when the light receiving unit 60 receives light from both the first fan beam B1 and the second fan beam B2, it is determined that the surveying instrument 10 has entered the third region AR3.

[0123] When the surveying instrument 10 receives light with the light receiving unit 60, the center of the third region AR3, i.e., the reference direction AX5, can be directed towards the surveying instrument 10.

[0124] The light transmitter 190 can correct the direction of the surveying instrument 10 based on the number of times the surveying instrument 10 receives light.

[0125] Since the surveying instrument 10 was tracking the prism 72 until just before the tracking was lost, its sighting direction was pointed towards the light transmitter 190. Therefore, if the reference direction AX5 is pointed in the direction just before the tracking was lost, the two will be facing each other directly. Since the tracking was lost from that point, if the surveying instrument 10 was positioned in the first region AR1 to the left of the center when receiving the tracking guide light Lc, then the light transmitter 190 will also be horizontally to the left relative to the surveying instrument 10. The surveying instrument 10 scans the telescope tube 18 vertically while rotating it slightly to the left horizontally to lock the prism 72.

[0126] Similarly, if the surveying instrument 10 is in the second region AR2 to the right of the center, then the light transmitter 190 will also be horizontally to the right relative to the surveying instrument 10. The surveying instrument 10 scans the lens barrel 18 vertically while rotating it slightly to the right horizontally to lock the prism 72.

[0127] Since the surveying instrument 10 was tracking until just before it lost tracking, the prism 72 is located near the current sighting direction after the tracking was lost. When performing a search, if it is possible to know at least whether the direction to search from the position where tracking was lost is to the left or to the right, it is easy to find the prism 72. With this configuration, the surveying instrument 10 can detect the search direction and the time until the surveying instrument 10 resumes tracking can be shortened.

[0128] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and it is possible to combine them based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such forms are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 1: Surveying system 10:Surveying machine 21: Horizontal angle detector 22: Vertical Angle Detector 23: Distance measurement section 24: Tracking part 60: Light receiving part 72: Prism 90: Light transmitter 91: IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 92: Transmitter drive unit (drive unit) 93: Light transmitter angle detector (angle detector) 94: Transmitter Communication Unit 96: Transmitter body 99: Transmitter Control Unit AN1:Azimuth AN2: Azimuth AN3:Angle Ht: Direction of movement (first direction of movement) Lc: Tracking guide light T1: Direction of movement (second direction of movement)

Claims

1. A light transmitter body that transmits tracking guide light; a drive unit that drives the light transmitter body to rotate horizontally; an inertial measuring device that measures the acceleration of the light transmitter body in three axes; an angle detector that detects the rotation angle of the light transmitter body; a light transmitter communication unit that transmits and receives information; a light transmitter control unit that performs calculation processing of the measured values ​​of the inertial measuring device and the angle detector, controls the light transmitter communication unit, controls the transmission of the tracking guide light by the light transmitter body, and controls the rotation of the drive unit. Equipped with, The light transmitter control unit receives the horizontal angle from the surveying instrument to the light transmitter body and the first movement direction of the light transmitter body from the light transmitter communication unit, and calculates the difference between the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light and the azimuth angle to the surveying instrument as an angle from the measured value of the inertial measuring device and the measured value of the angle detector, and rotates the drive unit so that the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light is directed toward the surveying instrument, thereby transmitting the tracking guide light. A light transmitter characterized by the following features.

2. The light transmitter control unit calculates the second movement direction of the light transmitter from the measured value of the inertial measuring device, The first and second movement directions are aligned, and the difference between them and the horizontal azimuth angle to the surveying instrument is calculated as an angle. The light transmitter according to feature 1.

3. The tracking guide light emits light at different frequencies in the left and right regions in the horizontal direction, centered on the light transmission direction, and in the region including the light transmission direction, it emits light at a frequency different from both the frequency of the left region and the frequency of the right region. The light transmitter according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A light transmitter comprising: a light transmitter body that transmits tracking guide light; a drive unit that drives the light transmitter body to rotate horizontally; an inertial measuring device that measures the acceleration of the light transmitter body in three axes; an angle detector that detects the rotation angle of the light transmitter body; a light transmitter communication unit that transmits and receives information; and a light transmitter control unit that performs calculation processing of the measured values ​​of the inertial measuring device and the angle detector, controls the light transmitter communication unit, controls the transmission of the tracking guide light by the light transmitter body, and controls the rotation of the drive unit. A prism attached to the light transmitter, A surveying instrument having a light receiving unit that receives the aforementioned tracking guide light, a surveying instrument communication unit that can communicate with the light transmitter communication unit, and having a distance measuring and angle measuring function and a tracking function for measuring the distance and angle of the prism, Equipped with, The light transmitter control unit, using the light transmitter communication unit, calculates the difference between the transmission direction of the tracking guide light and the azimuth angle to the surveying instrument as an angle, based on the horizontal angle from the surveying instrument to the light transmitter body, the first movement direction of the light transmitter body, the measured value of the inertial measuring device, and the measured value of the angle detector, and rotates the drive unit so that the transmission direction of the tracking guide light is directed toward the surveying instrument, thereby transmitting the tracking guide light. A surveying system characterized by the following.

5. A light transmitter comprising: a light transmitter body that transmits tracking guide light; a drive unit that drives the light transmitter body to rotate horizontally; an inertial measuring device that measures the acceleration of the light transmitter body in three axes; an angle detector that detects the rotation angle of the light transmitter body; a light transmitter communication unit that transmits and receives information; and a light transmitter control unit that controls the calculation processing of the measured values ​​of the inertial measuring device and the angle detector, the control of the light transmitter communication unit, the transmission of the tracking guide light by the light transmitter body, and the rotation of the drive unit. A prism attached to the light transmitter, A surveying instrument having a light receiving unit that receives the aforementioned tracking guide light, a surveying instrument communication unit that can communicate with the light transmitter communication unit, and having a distance measuring and angle measuring function and a tracking function for measuring the distance and angle of the prism, A method that includes a mechanism to automatically resume tracking if tracking is lost, (a) The transmitter communication unit receives from the surveying instrument the horizontal angle from the surveying instrument to the transmitter body and the first direction of movement of the transmitter body, (b) The light transmitter control unit calculates the difference between the light transmission direction of the tracking guide light and the azimuth angle to the surveying instrument as an angle, based on the measured value of the inertial measuring device and the measured value of the angle detector, (c) The light transmitter control unit rotates the drive unit by the angle such that the light transmitting direction of the tracking guide light from the light transmitter body is directed toward the surveying instrument, (d) The light transmitter control unit causes the light transmitter body to transmit the tracking guide light, (e) The light receiving unit receives the tracking guide light, detects the direction of the center of the light transmitter, and the surveying instrument performs a prism search in the vertical direction to lock the prism, A method for automatically resuming tracking, characterized by comprising the following:

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