Surveying device

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a distance measurement unit having a light-emitting element that emits distance measurement light and a light-receiving element that receives reflected distance measurement light from a measurement object; a rotation unit (20) that emits the distance measurement light; a vertical rotation drive unit that rotates the rotation unit in the vertical direction; a bracket unit (5) that is provided with the rotation unit; a horizontal rotation drive unit that rotates the bracket unit in the horizontal direction; a laser pointer light emitting unit (21) that emits laser pointer light (26) toward the rotation unit; and a calculation control unit that calculates the distance to the measurement object on the basis of a light-reception result of the reflected distance measurement light to the light-receiving element. The rotation unit has a visible light separation optical member that transmits the distance measurement light and reflects the laser pointer light, and the calculation control unit is configured to rotate the rotation unit and the bracket unit such that the laser pointer light is emitted to a desired point.

Description

surveying equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a surveying instrument capable of acquiring three-dimensional coordinates of a measurement object.

[0002] Surveying instruments such as laser scanners and total stations have optical distance measuring devices that detect the distance to an object to be measured using prism distance measurement, which uses a retroreflective prism as the object to be measured, or non-prism distance measurement, which does not use a reflective prism.

[0003] Some conventional surveying devices have a laser pointer light emitting unit that emits a visible laser pointer light so that the operator can grasp the irradiation position of the distance measuring light. In order to accurately grasp the irradiation position of the distance measuring light, some devices incorporate a laser pointer light emitting unit into the optical system of the electronic distance measuring device, making the optical axis of the distance measuring light and the optical axis of the laser pointer light coaxial, but this increases the size of the optical system and may increase the size of the entire device.

[0004] JP 2017-110965 A

[0005] The present invention provides a surveying instrument that has a compact optical system and allows the entire instrument to be made smaller.

[0006] The present invention relates to a surveying instrument comprising a distance measuring unit having a light emitting element that emits distance measuring light and a light receiving element that receives the reflected distance measuring light from an object to be measured, a rotating unit that irradiates the distance measuring light, a vertical rotation drive unit that rotates the rotating unit vertically, a base unit on which the rotating unit is mounted, a horizontal rotation drive unit that rotates the base unit horizontally, a laser pointer light irradiating unit that irradiates laser pointer light toward the rotating unit, and an arithmetic and control unit that calculates the distance to the object to be measured based on the light receiving element receiving the reflected distance measuring light, wherein the rotating unit has a visible light separating optical element that transmits the distance measuring light and reflects the laser pointer light, and the arithmetic and control unit is configured to rotate the rotating unit and the base unit so that the laser pointer light is irradiated at a desired point.

[0007] The present invention also relates to a surveying device configured such that the calculation control unit rotates the rotating unit and the base unit so that the optical axis of the distance measurement light is parallel to the optical axis of the laser pointer light irradiated at the desired point, thereby performing distance measurement.

[0008] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the rotating portion has a scanning mirror and a window portion that rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and the visible light separating optical element is a dichroic film vapor-deposited on the window portion.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument further comprising a window portion surrounding the rotating portion, the rotating portion having a scanning mirror and a visible light reflecting mirror that rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and the visible light separating optical element being a dichroic film vapor-deposited on the visible light reflecting mirror.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the rotating part has a scanning mirror, a window part that rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and at least one visible light reflecting mirror, and the visible light separating optical element is a dichroic film vapor-deposited on the window part.

[0011] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the rotating part is a square prism formed by joining two triangular prisms, the visible light separating optical element is a dichroic film deposited on the exit surface of the distance measuring light incident on the square prism, and at least one surface adjacent to the exit surface is a visible light reflecting mirror.

[0012] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the rotating part is a triangular prism and the visible light separating optical element is a dichroic film evaporated onto the exit surface of the distance measuring light incident on the triangular prism.

[0013] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the rotating part is a measuring part that houses the distance measuring part, and the visible light separating optical element is a visible light reflecting mirror provided on the underside of the measuring part.

[0014] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which a recess is formed in the support portion, the rotating portion is provided within the recess, and the laser pointer light irradiating portion is configured so that the laser pointer optical axis extends from the bottom surface of the recess toward the rotating portion and is deflected by the visible light separating optical element so as to be positioned in the same plane as the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

[0015] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument having a recess formed in the base portion, the rotating portion provided within the recess, a handle portion provided adjacent to the recess, and the laser pointer light emitting portion provided on the handle portion, wherein the laser pointer light emitting portion is configured so that the laser pointer optical axis extends from the handle portion toward the rotating portion and is deflected by the visible light separating optical element so as to be coaxial or approximately coaxial with the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

[0016] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument having a recess formed in the base portion, the rotating portion provided within the recess, a handle portion provided across the recess, and the laser pointer light emitting portion provided on the handle portion, wherein the laser pointer light emitting portion is configured so that the laser pointer optical axis extends from the handle portion toward the rotating portion and is deflected by the visible light separating optical element so as to be coaxial with or parallel to the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

[0017] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a surveying instrument in which a recess is formed in the base portion, the rotating portion is provided within the recess, a handle portion is provided adjacent to the recess, and a mirror is provided on the handle portion, and the laser pointer light irradiating portion is provided on the base portion so that the laser pointer optical axis extends toward the mirror, and the laser pointer optical axis is configured to be coaxial with or parallel to the optical axis of the distance measuring light by the mirror and the visible light separating optical element.

[0018] According to the present invention, a distance measurement device includes a distance measurement unit having a light-emitting element that emits distance-measuring light and a light-receiving element that receives the reflected distance-measuring light from the object to be measured, a rotation unit that irradiates the distance-measuring light, a vertical rotation drive unit that rotates the rotation unit vertically, a base unit on which the rotation unit is mounted, a horizontal rotation drive unit that rotates the base unit horizontally, a laser pointer light irradiator that irradiates a laser pointer light toward the rotation unit, and an arithmetic and control unit that calculates the distance to the object to be measured based on the light-receiving element receiving the reflected distance-measuring light, wherein the rotation unit has a visible light separating optical element that transmits the distance-measuring light and reflects the laser pointer light, and the arithmetic and control unit is configured to rotate the rotation unit and the base unit so that the laser pointer light is irradiated to a desired point.Therefore, there is no need to incorporate the laser pointer light irradiator into the distance measurement device so that the optical axis of the laser pointer light is coaxial with the optical axis of the distance-measuring light, which makes it possible to reduce the size of the optical system and the entire device.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing a surveying instrument according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the surveying instrument according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing the surveying instrument according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the surveying instrument according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing the surveying instrument according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a surveying instrument according to a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing the surveying instrument according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing the surveying instrument according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a surveying instrument according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan sectional view showing the surveying instrument according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan sectional view showing the surveying instrument according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing the surveying instrument according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 13(A) is a perspective view showing a scanning prism of the surveying instrument, and FIG. 13(B) is a plan view showing the scanning prism. FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B) are explanatory views showing the rotating section of a surveying instrument according to a modified example of the seventh embodiment. Fig. 15 is a side cross-sectional view showing a surveying instrument according to an eighth embodiment. Fig. 16(A) is a perspective view showing a scanning prism of the surveying instrument, and Fig. 16(B) is a plan view showing the scanning prism. Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing a surveying instrument according to a ninth embodiment. Fig. 18 is a side cross-sectional view showing a surveying instrument according to the ninth embodiment.

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] First, a surveying instrument according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0022] The surveying instrument 1 is, for example, a laser scanner, and is composed of a leveling unit 2 attached to a tripod (not shown), and a surveying instrument main body 3 attached to the leveling unit 2 .

[0023] The leveling unit 2 has a leveling screw 10, which is used to level the surveying instrument main body 3 horizontally.

[0024] The surveying instrument main body 3 is equipped with (contains) a fixed section 4, a base section 5, a horizontal rotation shaft 6, a horizontal rotation bearing 7, a horizontal rotation motor 8 as a horizontal rotation drive section, a horizontal angle encoder 9 as a horizontal angle detector, a vertical rotation shaft 11, a vertical rotation bearing 12, a vertical rotation motor 13 as a vertical rotation drive section, a vertical angle encoder 14 as a vertical angle detector, a scanning mirror 15, an operation panel 16 that serves both as an operation section and a display section, an arithmetic and control section 17, a memory section 18, a distance measurement section 19, a laser pointer light irradiation section 21, etc. The arithmetic and control section 17 may be a CPU specialized for this instrument or a general-purpose CPU.

[0025] The horizontal rotation bearing 7 is fixed to the fixed part 4. The horizontal rotation shaft 6 has a vertical axis 6a, and the horizontal rotation shaft 6 is rotatably supported by the horizontal rotation bearing 7. In addition, the base part 5 is supported by the horizontal rotation shaft 6, and the base part 5 rotates integrally with the horizontal rotation shaft 6 in the horizontal direction.

[0026] The horizontal rotation motor 8 is provided between the horizontal rotation bearing 7 and the base frame 5, and the horizontal rotation motor 8 is controlled by the arithmetic and control unit 17. The arithmetic and control unit 17 causes the horizontal rotation motor 8 to rotate the base frame 5 about the axis 6a.

[0027] The relative rotation angle of the base part 5 with respect to the fixed part 4 is detected by the horizontal angle encoder 9. A detection signal from the horizontal angle encoder 9 is input to the calculation control part 17, which calculates horizontal angle data. The calculation control part 17 performs feedback control on the horizontal rotation motor 8 based on the horizontal angle data.

[0028] The base 5 is provided with the vertical rotation shaft 11 having a horizontal axis 11a. The vertical rotation shaft 11 is rotatable via the vertical rotation bearing 12. The intersection of the axis 6a and the axis 11a is the emission position of the distance measuring light, and is the origin of the coordinate system of the surveying device main body 3.

[0029] A recess 22 is formed in the base frame 5. One end of the vertical rotation shaft 11 extends into the recess 22, and the scanning mirror 15 is fixed to the one end and housed in the recess 22. The vertical angle encoder 14 is provided on the other end of the vertical rotation shaft 11.

[0030] A window 23 made of a transparent material such as glass and rotating integrally with the scanning mirror 15 is provided on the axis 6a at a position facing the scanning mirror 15. The window 23 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the axis 6a, and a dichroic film serving as a visible light separating optical member that transmits near-infrared light and reflects visible light is vapor-deposited on the surface to form a visible light separating surface 24 (described later). The dichroic film may be vapor-deposited on the back surface of the window 23. The scanning mirror 15, the window 23, and the visible light separating surface 24 together constitute a rotating unit 20 that is rotated vertically via the vertical rotation shaft 11 by the vertical rotation motor 13.

[0031] The bottom surface of the recess 22 is made up of a horizontal portion 22a formed in the center, and inclined portions 22b, 22c that slope downward from both ends of the horizontal portion 22a toward the outside. In this embodiment, the side on which the inclined portion 22b is provided is the front side of the surveying instrument 1, and the side on which the inclined portion 22c is provided is the rear side of the surveying instrument 1. In other embodiments, the inclined portion 22b side is the front side, and the inclined portion 22c side is the rear side.

[0032] The base stand 5 is provided with the laser pointer light irradiator 21, which opens into the inclined portion 22b. A laser pointer optical axis 25 of the laser pointer light irradiator 21 extends upward, particularly vertically upward when the base stand 5 is in a horizontal position. That is, the laser pointer optical axis 25 extends toward the rotating unit 20, and laser pointer light 26 is irradiated along the laser pointer optical axis 25. Furthermore, when the rotating unit is located at a predetermined rotation position, the laser pointer light 26 is configured to be reflected in a predetermined direction by the visible light separation surface 24.

[0033] The vertical rotation motor 13 is provided on the vertical rotation shaft 11, and the vertical rotation motor 13 is controlled by the arithmetic and control unit 17. The arithmetic and control unit 17 rotates the vertical rotation shaft 11 using the vertical rotation motor 13, and the scanning mirror 15 rotates around the axis 11a.

[0034] The rotation angle of the scanning mirror 15 is detected by the vertical angle encoder 14, and a detection signal is input to the arithmetic and control unit 17. The arithmetic and control unit 17 calculates vertical angle data of the scanning mirror 15 based on the detection signal, and performs feedback control on the vertical rotation motor 13 based on the vertical angle data.

[0035] The horizontal angle data, vertical angle data, and measurement results calculated by the calculation control unit 17 are stored in the memory unit 18. The memory unit 18 may be a magnetic storage device such as an HDD, an optical storage device such as a CD or DVD, a semiconductor storage device such as a memory card, or a USB memory. The memory unit 18 may be detachable from the base unit 5, or may be capable of transmitting data to an external storage device or external data processing device via a communication device (not shown).

[0036] The storage unit 18 stores various programs such as a sequence program for controlling distance measurement operation, an arithmetic program for calculating distance by distance measurement operation, an arithmetic program for calculating an angle based on horizontal angle data and vertical angle data, a program for calculating three-dimensional coordinates of a desired measurement point based on the distance and angle, a control program for controlling the laser pointer light irradiating unit 21, and a control program for controlling the irradiation direction of the laser pointer light 26 based on the vertical angle data. Furthermore, various processes are performed by the arithmetic control unit 17 executing the various programs.

[0037] The operation panel 16 is, for example, a touch panel, and serves as both an operation section for issuing distance measurement instructions and changing measurement conditions, such as the measurement point interval, and a display section for displaying distance measurement results, images, and the like.

[0038] Next, the distance measurement unit 19 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. For convenience, the distance measurement unit 19 is shown in Fig. 3 as a front view.

[0039] The distance measurement unit 19 has a distance measurement light emitting unit 27, a distance measurement light receiving unit 28, a tracking light emitting unit 29, and a tracking light receiving unit 31. The distance measurement light emitting unit 27 and the distance measurement light receiving unit 28 form a distance measurement unit, and the tracking light emitting unit 29 and the tracking light receiving unit 31 form a tracking unit.

[0040] The distance measurement light emitting unit 27 has a distance measurement optical axis 32. The distance measurement light emitting unit 27 also has, in order from the light emitting side, a light emitting element 33, such as a laser diode (LD) that emits near-infrared light of a predetermined wavelength as distance measurement light 34, provided on the distance measurement optical axis 32, a light projecting lens 35, a dichroic mirror 36, and a mirror 37 provided on the transmission optical axis of the dichroic mirror 36. A reflecting prism 38 is provided on the reflection optical axis of the mirror 37, and the scanning mirror 15 is provided on the reflection optical axis of the reflecting prism 38. The window 23 is also provided on the reflection optical axis of the scanning mirror 15.

[0041] In this embodiment, the distance measurement optical axis 32, the distance measurement optical axis 32 reflected by the mirror 37, the distance measurement optical axis 32 reflected by the reflecting prism 38, and the distance measurement optical axis 32 reflected by the scanning mirror 15 are collectively referred to as the distance measurement optical axis 32.

[0042] The dichroic mirror 36 has optical properties that allow the distance measurement light 34 to pass through and reflect a tracking light 39 (described later). The dichroic mirror 36 is provided on a common optical path of the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39 (at the intersection of the distance measurement optical axis 32 and a tracking optical axis 41 (described later)), and deflects (reflects) the tracking optical axis 41 so that the tracking optical axis 41 coincides with the distance measurement optical axis 32. Therefore, the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39 are irradiated coaxially toward the measurement object.

[0043] The reflecting prism 38 is formed by joining two trapezoidal prisms together, and is configured so that the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39 are reflected by the joint surface 42 of each prism. The exit surface of the reflecting prism 38, from which the distance measurement light 34 exits (transmits), is configured so that the distance measurement light axis 32 reflected by the joint surface 42 enters at a slight inclination, preventing the distance measurement light 34 internally reflected by the exit surface of the reflecting prism 38 from being received by a light receiving element 43 (described below). The inclination angle of the joint surface 42 is set to an angle that deflects (reflects) the distance measurement light axis 32 so that it coincides with a light receiving light axis 44 (described below) and the axis 11a. The light receiving element 43 may be, for example, an avalanche photodiode (APD) or an equivalent photoelectric conversion element.

[0044] The distance measurement light receiving unit 28 has the light receiving optical axis 44. The distance measurement light receiving unit 28 also has, in order from the light receiving side, the light receiving element 43 and a light receiving prism 45 provided on the light receiving optical axis 44, and a light receiving lens 46 having a predetermined NA (Numerical Aperture) provided on the light receiving optical axis 44 after the light is reflected by the light receiving prism 45.

[0045] The light-receiving prism 45 has a dichroic film 47 as a separation surface. The light-receiving prism 45 is configured to internally reflect at least once the distance-measuring light 34 (reflected distance-measuring light 48) reflected by the object to be measured and the tracking light 39 (reflected tracking light 49) incident coaxially with the reflected distance-measuring light 48. The dichroic film 47 has optical properties that reflect the reflected distance-measuring light 48 and transmit the reflected tracking light 49.

[0046] In this embodiment, the light receiving optical axis 44 and the light receiving optical axis 44 reflected by the light receiving prism 45, the dichroic film 47, and the scanning mirror 15 are collectively referred to as the light receiving optical axis 44.

[0047] The tracking light emitting unit 29 has the tracking optical axis 41. The tracking light emitting unit 29 further has, in order from the light emitting side, a tracking light emitting element 51 provided on the tracking optical axis 41, a laser diode (LD) that emits, for example, near-infrared light having a wavelength different from that of the distance measuring light 34 as the tracking light 39, a tracking projection lens 52, and the dichroic mirror 36, as well as the mirror 37 provided on the reflected optical axis of the dichroic mirror 36 and the reflecting prism 38 provided on the reflected optical axis of the mirror 37.

[0048] The tracking light receiving unit 31 has a tracking light receiving optical axis 53. The tracking light receiving unit 31 also has, in order from the light receiving side, a tracking light receiving element 54 provided on the tracking light receiving optical axis 53, a light receiving prism 45, and the light receiving lens 46 provided on the reflected light axis of the light receiving prism 45. In this embodiment, the tracking light receiving optical axis 53, the light receiving prism 45, and the tracking light receiving optical axis 53 reflected by the scanning mirror 15 are collectively referred to as the tracking light receiving optical axis 53.

[0049] The tracking light receiving element 54 is a CCD or CMOS sensor that is a collection of pixels, and the position of each pixel can be specified on the tracking light receiving element 54. For example, each pixel has pixel coordinates with the center of the tracking light receiving element 54 as the origin, and the position on the tracking light receiving element 54 is specified by the pixel coordinates.

[0050] The distance measurement unit 19 is controlled by the calculation control unit 17. When the light emitting element 33 emits the pulsed distance measurement light 34 onto the distance measurement optical axis 32, it passes through the light projecting lens 35 and the dichroic mirror 36 and is reflected by the mirror 37. The distance measurement light 34 enters the reflecting prism 38 and is reflected by the bonding surface 42 so as to be coaxial with the light receiving optical axis 44 and the axis 11a. The distance measurement light 34 emitted from the exit surface of the reflecting prism 38 is deflected at a right angle by the scanning mirror 15, passes through the window 23 and the visible light separating surface 24, and is irradiated onto the measurement target. When the scanning mirror 15 rotates around the axis 11a, the distance measurement light 34 rotates (scans) within a plane perpendicular to the axis 11a and including the axis 11a.

[0051] Incidentally, the window portion 23 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the distance measurement optical axis 32, so that the distance measurement light 34 reflected by the window portion 23 is prevented from entering the light receiving element 43. Furthermore, the reflection position of the distance measurement light 34 on the scanning mirror 15, i.e., the reflection position of the distance measurement light 34, is the mechanical center 55 of the surveying instrument 1, and the mechanical center 55 is located on the axis 6a and the axis 11a.

[0052] The reflected distance measuring light 48 reflected by the object to be measured passes through the visible light separation surface 24 and the window portion 23, is reflected at a right angle by the scanning mirror 15, and is reflected by the dichroic film 47 as it passes through the receiving lens 46 and the receiving prism 45, and is received by the light receiving element 43.

[0053] The calculation control unit 17 measures the distance for each pulse of the distance measuring light 34 (Time Of Flight) based on the time difference between the light emission timing of the light emitting element 33 and the light reception timing of the light receiving element 43 (i.e., the round-trip time of the pulsed light) and the speed of light, and calculates the distance to the object to be measured. The light emission timing of the light emitting element 33, i.e., the pulse interval, can be changed via the operation panel 16. Furthermore, the three-dimensional coordinates of the object to be measured can be calculated based on the distance measurement result and the horizontal angle data and vertical angle data obtained by the horizontal angle encoder 9 and the vertical angle encoder 14.

[0054] Furthermore, by rotating the base unit 5 and the scanning mirror 15 at a constant speed while emitting the distance measuring light 34 at a predetermined pulse interval, the vertical rotation of the scanning mirror 15 and the horizontal rotation of the base unit 5 cooperate to perform two-dimensional scanning with the distance measuring light 34. Furthermore, by detecting the vertical angle and horizontal angle for each pulse of light using the vertical angle encoder 14 and the horizontal angle encoder 9, vertical angle data and horizontal angle data can be obtained. From the vertical angle data, horizontal angle data and distance measuring data, it is possible to obtain three-dimensional coordinates of the object to be measured relative to the installation position of the surveying instrument 1 and three-dimensional point cloud data corresponding to the object to be measured.

[0055] In parallel with the distance measurement operation, the tracking light 39, which has a wavelength different from that of the distance measurement light 34 and is emitted from the tracking light emitting element 51, is slightly diverged by the tracking projection lens 52 and then deflected by the dichroic mirror 36 so that it becomes coaxial with the distance measurement light 34.

[0056] The reflected tracking light 49 is irradiated onto the measurement object coaxially with the distance measuring light 34 and reflected by the measurement object. In the process of passing through the visible light separation surface 24 and the window portion 23, and passing through the light receiving lens 46 and the light receiving prism 45, it is separated from the reflected distance measuring light 48 by the dichroic film 47, passes through the dichroic film 47, and is received by the tracking light receiving element 54. In addition, a tracking image (not shown) can be obtained by receiving the reflected tracking light 49 at the tracking light receiving element 54.

[0057] The calculation control unit 17 calculates the position deviation between the center of the tracking light receiving element 54 and the light receiving position of the reflected tracking light 49 relative to the tracking light receiving element 54 (the center of the tracking image), and based on the position deviation, drives the horizontal rotation motor 8 and the vertical rotation motor 13 so that the center and the light receiving position coincide with each other, thereby tracking the object to be measured.

[0058] Next, the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The laser pointer light emitting unit 21 is controlled by the arithmetic and control unit 17.

[0059] The laser pointer light emitting unit 21 has the laser pointer optical axis 25. The laser pointer light emitting unit 21 also has a laser pointer light source 56, a collimator lens 57, and a protective glass 58 in this order from the light emitting side.

[0060] The laser pointer light source 56 is, for example, an LD or an LED, and is configured to irradiate red visible light as the laser pointer light 26 onto the laser pointer optical axis 25. The collimator lens 57 is configured to collimate the laser pointer light 26 irradiated from the laser pointer light source 56 into a parallel beam.

[0061] When the surveying device main body 3 is leveled horizontally, the laser pointer light 26 is emitted vertically upward from the laser pointer light source 56. The laser pointer light 26 is collimated by the collimator lens 57, passes through the protective glass 58, and is incident on the visible light separation surface 24 of the rotating unit 20. The laser pointer light 26 is deflected in a predetermined direction corresponding to the rotational position of the rotating unit 20, i.e., the angle of incidence with respect to the visible light separation surface 24. The laser pointer optical axis 25, the distance measurement optical axis 32, and the tracking optical axis 41 are located in the same plane including the axis center 6a and the machine center 55. That is, the laser pointer light 26 is emitted in the same plane as the distance measurement light 34.

[0062] The relationship between the direction of irradiation of the laser pointer light 26 and the rotational position of the rotating unit 20 is stored in advance in the memory unit 18, and the calculation control unit 17 controls the rotating unit 20 based on the detection result of the vertical angle encoder 14, thereby making it possible to irradiate the laser pointer light 26 in a desired direction.

[0063] In addition, the calculation control unit 17 is capable of calculating the positional relationship (direction) of the ranging optical axis 32 and the tracking optical axis 41 relative to the laser pointer optical axis 25 based on the relationship between the rotational position of the rotating unit 20 and the irradiation direction of the laser pointer light 26.

[0064] When the rotating unit 20 is positioned at a predetermined rotational position, the laser pointer optical axis 25 is reflected horizontally by the visible light separating surface 24, becoming a horizontal laser pointer optical axis 25a. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 32a denotes the distance measurement optical axis 32 when the distance measurement light 34 passes through the mechanical center 55 and is deflected (reflected) by the scanning mirror 15 in the horizontal direction, i.e., toward the front of the surveying device 1. When the laser pointer optical axis 25 is horizontal, the horizontal laser pointer optical axis 25a is parallel to the distance measurement optical axis 32a and has a known offset distance from the distance measurement optical axis 32a. The laser pointer light irradiating unit 21 is positioned so that the offset distance is, for example, 5 mm to 15 mm.

[0065] The offset distance when the laser pointer optical axis 25 and the distance measurement optical axis 32 are parallel increases as the laser pointer optical axis 25 is deflected upward relative to the horizontal, and decreases as the laser pointer optical axis 25 is deflected downward relative to the horizontal. Furthermore, the relationship between the deflection direction of the laser pointer optical axis 25 and the offset distance is calculated in advance and stored in the storage unit 18. That is, the offset distance is known.

[0066] Next, a case where the surveying instrument 1 is used as a total station instead of a laser scanner to perform non-prism measurement will be described. In this case, the tracking light emitting unit 29 and the tracking light receiving unit 31 can be omitted.

[0067] The arithmetic and control unit 17 causes the laser pointer light source 56 to emit the laser pointer light 26, and also drives the horizontal rotation motor 8 and the vertical rotation motor 13 to rotate the base unit 5 and the scanning mirror 15. The laser pointer light 26 passes through the collimator lens 57 and the protective glass 58, is deflected in a desired direction by the visible light separation surface 24, and is irradiated as a parallel beam of light onto a desired point, i.e., a measurement point.

[0068] The calculation control unit 17 also calculates the direction of irradiation of the laser pointer light 26 based on the rotational positions of the base unit 5 and the rotating unit 20 , that is, the detection results of the horizontal angle encoder 9 and the vertical angle encoder 14 .

[0069] When irradiation of the measurement point with the laser pointer light 26 is completed, an instruction to start measurement is input to the calculation control unit 17 via the operation panel 16 or the like.

[0070] Based on a measurement start instruction, the calculation control unit 17 rotates the base unit 5 and the rotating unit 20 via the horizontal rotation motor 8 and the vertical rotation motor 13 so that the distance measurement optical axis 32 is parallel to the laser pointer optical axis 25 of the laser pointer light 26 irradiated at the desired point, and performs measurement (distance measurement and angle measurement).

[0071] At this time, the irradiation point of the laser pointer light 26 on the measurement object, i.e., the measurement point, does not coincide with the irradiation point of the distance measuring light 34. On the other hand, the offset distance between the laser pointer optical axis 25 and the distance measuring optical axis 32 is 5 mm to 15 mm when the laser pointer optical axis 25 and the distance measuring optical axis 32 are parallel, and is approximately 20 mm to 25 mm at most, so the distance measuring optical axis 32 and the laser pointer optical axis 25 can be considered to be approximately coaxial.

[0072] Therefore, when the laser pointer light 26 is irradiated onto a measurement point other than a short distance, for example, a measurement point at a distance of several meters or more, the positional deviation between the measurement point irradiated by the laser pointer light 26 and the irradiation point of the ranging light 34 can be kept within an error amount within a practical range (tolerance range), so the measurement result (three-dimensional coordinates) of the irradiation point of the ranging light 34, which is a known offset distance away from the laser pointer optical axis 25, can be regarded as the measurement result (three-dimensional coordinates) of the measurement point.

[0073] In the above, a position shifted by the offset distance from the measurement point is regarded as the measurement point, measured, and the three-dimensional coordinates are calculated. However, the measurement results may be corrected based on the direction of the laser pointer optical axis 25 and the known offset distance, and the three-dimensional coordinates of the accurate measurement point may be calculated.

[0074] As described above, in the first embodiment, the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 is provided on the inclined portion 22b of the support unit 5 so that the operator can visually recognize the irradiation point of the distance measuring light 34, and the laser pointer light 26 irradiated from the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 is reflected by the visible light separating surface 24 vapor-deposited on the window portion 23, thereby irradiating the laser pointer light 26 to the front side of the surveying device 1.

[0075] Therefore, since there is no need to incorporate the laser pointer light irradiation unit 21 into the optical system of the distance measurement unit 19, the optical system of the distance measurement unit 19 can be made smaller, and the surveying device 1 as a whole can be made smaller.

[0076] Furthermore, when the support stand 5 and the scanning mirror 15 are rotated so that the distance measurement optical axis 32 and the laser pointer optical axis 25 are parallel to each other, the distance measurement optical axis 32 is parallel to the laser pointer optical axis 25 and positioned above it by a known offset distance. In other words, the laser pointer optical axis 25 and the distance measurement optical axis 32 are substantially coaxial.

[0077] Therefore, the positional deviation between the measurement point where the laser pointer light 26 is irradiated and the irradiation point of the distance measuring light 34 is reduced, and in measurements of several meters or more that are normally performed, the error between the measurement point and the irradiation point can be reduced to within an acceptable range, so that the measurement result of the irradiation point can be considered as the measurement result of the measurement point, improving workability.

[0078] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, the same components as those in Fig. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0079] In the second embodiment, the rotating unit 61 is made up of the scanning mirror 15 and a visible light reflecting mirror 59 serving as a visible light separating optical member that rotates integrally with the scanning mirror 15. The visible light reflecting mirror 59 is, for example, a glass plate on which a dichroic film that transmits near-infrared light and reflects visible light is vapor-deposited. That is, the visible light reflecting mirror 59 transmits the distance measurement light 34 and the reflected distance measurement light 48 and reflects the laser pointer light 26.

[0080] Furthermore, a glass plate 62a standing perpendicular to the inclined portion 22b is provided on the front side of the rotating portion 61, a glass plate 62b standing perpendicular to the inclined portion 22c is provided on the back side of the rotating portion 61, and a glass plate 62c is provided across the glass plates 62a and 62b on the upper side of the rotating portion 61. The glass plates 62a, 62b, and 62c have optical properties that allow them to transmit near-infrared light and visible light, respectively, and the glass plates 62a, 62b, and 62c form a window portion 62 surrounding the rotating portion 61.

[0081] Therefore, the distance measuring light 34 reflected by the scanning mirror 15 and transmitted through the visible light reflecting mirror 59 passes through the window portion 62 and is irradiated onto the object to be measured, and the reflected distance measuring light 48 reflected by the object to be measured passes through the window portion 62 and is incident on the rotating portion 61. In addition, the laser pointer light 26 reflected by the visible light reflecting mirror 59 passes through the window portion 62 and is irradiated onto the object to be measured.

[0082] In the second embodiment, the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 is provided closer to the center than in the first embodiment, and opens to the horizontal portion 22a of the recess 22 and further forward than the mechanical center 55. That is, the distance between the laser pointer optical axis 25 and the mechanical center 55 is closer than in the first embodiment.

[0083] Therefore, while the rotating part 61 makes one rotation, the vertical angle range over which the laser pointer light 26 is incident on the visible light reflecting mirror 59 can be made larger than in the first embodiment, so that the irradiation range of the laser pointer light 26 is expanded, making it easier to irradiate the laser pointer light 26 onto the measurement point, and improving operability.

[0084] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. In Figures 6 and 7, the same components as those in Figures 2 and 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0085] In the third embodiment, an upwardly projecting handle portion 64 is detachably attached to the support portion 5 so as to span the recessed portion 22 from above. The handle portion 64 has a longitudinal portion 64a that spans the recessed portion 22 and extends horizontally, and the longitudinal portion 64a is parallel to the axis 11a (see FIG. 1), for example.

[0086] Furthermore, a laser pointer light emitting unit 65 that opens downward is provided on the long portion 64a, and a laser pointer optical axis 66 of the laser pointer light emitting unit 65 extends vertically downward, i.e., parallel to the axis 6a (see FIG. 1), toward the rotating unit 20. In the third embodiment, the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 (see FIG. 4) provided on the inclined portion 22b is omitted. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. The configuration of the laser pointer light emitting unit 65 is the same as that of the laser pointer light emitting unit 21.

[0087] In the third embodiment, the reflection direction of the laser pointer optical axis 66 changes depending on the rotational position of the rotating unit 20, and the irradiation range of the laser pointer light 26 changes, so that the object to be measured can be detected in a range greater than the spread angle of the laser pointer light 26.

[0088] In the third embodiment, there is also no need to incorporate the laser pointer light irradiation unit 65 into the optical system of the distance measurement unit 19 (see Figure 3), so the distance measurement unit 19 can be made smaller, and the entire surveying instrument 1 can be made smaller.

[0089] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In Fig. 8, the same components as those in Fig. 7 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] In the fourth embodiment, a first laser pointer light irradiation unit 67 that opens downward is provided on the longitudinal portion 64 a and closer to the front than the mechanical center 55, and a second laser pointer light irradiation unit 68 that opens upward is provided on the horizontal portion 22 a of the recess 22 and closer to the front than the mechanical center 55.

[0091] A first laser pointer optical axis 69 of the first laser pointer light irradiator 67 extends downward toward the rotating unit 20 in parallel with the axis 6a (see FIG. 1). A second laser pointer optical axis 71 of the second laser pointer light irradiator 68 extends vertically upward, i.e., upward toward the rotating unit 20 in parallel with the axis 6a. Furthermore, the first laser pointer light irradiator 67 and the second laser pointer light irradiator 68 are arranged so that the first laser pointer optical axis 69 and the second laser pointer optical axis 71 coincide with each other. Other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment. The configurations of the first laser pointer light irradiator 67 and the second laser pointer light irradiator 68 are the same as those of the laser pointer light irradiator 21 (see FIG. 4) in the first embodiment.

[0092] In the fourth embodiment, either the first laser pointer light 72 emitted from the first laser pointer light emitting unit 67 or the second laser pointer light 73 emitted from the second laser pointer light emitting unit 68 is reflected by the visible light separating surface 24 and is irradiated toward the front side of the surveying device 1.

[0093] Therefore, the vertical angle range of the rotating part 20 at which the laser pointer light 72, 73 is incident on the visible light separation surface 24 is widened, and the vertical irradiation range of the laser pointer light 72, 73 can be expanded, making it easier to irradiate the measurement point with the laser pointer light 72, 73 and further improving workability.

[0094] Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. In Figures 9 and 10, the same components as those in Figures 6 and 7 are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0095] In the fifth embodiment, a handle portion 74 is detachably provided on the front side of the base rack portion 5 at a position adjacent to the recessed portion 22. The handle portion 74 is parallel to the front wall of the base rack portion 5 and has a longitudinal portion 74a extending in the vertical direction, and the longitudinal portion 74a is parallel to, for example, the axis 6a (see FIG. 1).

[0096] A laser pointer light emitting unit 75 is provided on the long portion 74a, and a laser pointer optical axis 76 extends toward the rotating unit 20 and is configured to be reflected by the visible light separating surface 24. The laser pointer light emitting unit 75 is also arranged so that, when the distance measuring optical axis 32 is changed to be horizontal by the scanning mirror 15, the laser pointer optical axis 76 intersects with the distance measuring optical axis 32a on the visible light separating surface 24, and the laser pointer optical axis 76a deflected horizontally by the visible light separating surface 24 is completely coaxial with the distance measuring optical axis 32a. That is, in a state where the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39 are irradiated horizontally, the laser pointer light 77 is emitted coaxially with the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39, and when the irradiation direction of the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39 is not horizontal, the laser pointer light 77 is emitted parallel to the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39, but is tilted at twice the tilt from the horizontal of the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39. The other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment.

[0097] In the fifth embodiment, the laser pointer light irradiating unit 75 is provided on the handle portion 74 so that the laser pointer optical axis 76 deflected by the visible light separating surface 24 is coaxial with or parallel to the distance measuring optical axis 32. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the positional deviation between the measurement point irradiated with the laser pointer light 77 and the irradiation point of the distance measuring light 34, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the measurement point.

[0098] Also in the fifth embodiment, since there is no need to incorporate the laser pointer light irradiating unit 75 into the optical system of the distance measuring unit 19 (see Figure 3), the distance measuring unit 19 can be made smaller, and the entire surveying instrument 1 can be made smaller.

[0099] Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 11. In Fig. 11, the same components as those in Fig. 10 are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0100] In the sixth embodiment, a laser pointer light emitting unit 75 is provided inside the base unit 5, and a laser pointer optical axis 76 extends toward the front side of the surveying instrument 1. A mirror 78 that deflects the laser pointer optical axis 76 is provided on the handle unit 74. The mirror 78 deflects the laser pointer optical axis 76 so that the laser pointer optical axis 76 intersects with the distance measurement optical axis 32a on the visible light separation surface 24, and the laser pointer optical axis 76a deflected by the visible light separation surface 24 is completely coaxial with the distance measurement optical axis 32a. That is, in a state where the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39 are irradiated horizontally, the laser pointer light 77 is emitted coaxially with the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39, and when the irradiation direction of the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39 is not horizontal, the laser pointer light 77 is emitted parallel to the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39, but is tilted at twice the tilt from the horizontal of the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39. The other configurations are the same as those of the fifth embodiment.

[0101] In the sixth embodiment, too, the laser pointer optical axis 76 deflected by the visible light separation surface 24 becomes coaxial with or parallel to the distance measurement optical axis 32, and it is possible to prevent or suppress misalignment between the distance measurement optical axis 32 and the laser pointer optical axis 76, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the measurement point. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to incorporate the laser pointer light irradiating unit 75 into the optical system of the distance measurement unit 19, it is possible to reduce the size of the optical system of the distance measurement unit 19, and it is possible to reduce the size of the surveying device 1 as a whole.

[0102] Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. In Figures 12 and 13, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts as in Figure 4, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0103] In the seventh embodiment, a scanning prism 79 is used instead of a scanning mirror as a vertical rotation unit for rotating and irradiating the distance measurement light 34. The scanning prism 79 is a substantially cubic square prism formed by joining two triangular prisms, and as shown in Fig. 13A, the joining surfaces of the triangular prisms form reflective surfaces 81 that reflect near-infrared light, i.e., the distance measurement light 34 and tracking light 39.

[0104] 13B, among the surfaces of the scanning prism 79, a dichroic film is vapor-deposited on a visible light reflecting surface 82a, which is the exit surface for the distance measuring light 34, as a visible light separating member that transmits the distance measuring light 34 and the tracking light 39 and reflects the laser pointer light 26. Furthermore, on the surfaces other than the incident surface for the distance measuring light 34 and the surface fixed to the vertical rotation axis 11 (see FIG. 1), i.e., on the four surfaces intersecting with the axis 6a (see FIG. 1), a dichroic film or visible light reflecting film similar to the visible light reflecting surface 82a is vapor-deposited, forming visible light reflecting surfaces 82b, 82c, and 82d as visible light reflecting mirrors. The visible light reflecting surfaces 82a to 82d form the visible light reflecting surface 82. 13B, the visible light reflecting surfaces 82 are formed on four surfaces, but the visible light reflecting surfaces 82 may be formed on at least two surfaces, namely the exit surface of the distance measuring light 34 incident on the scanning prism 79 and at least one surface adjacent to the exit surface. Of the visible light reflecting surfaces 82, the exit surface of the distance measuring light 34 may be slightly inclined with respect to the distance measuring optical axis 32 to prevent return light. The scanning prism 79 constitutes a rotating part.

[0105] In the seventh embodiment, the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 is provided on the base 5 and opens at the horizontal portion 22a of the recess 22 and toward the front side of the machine center 55. The laser pointer optical axis 25 of the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 is configured to extend vertically upward toward the scanning prism 79, that is, in a direction parallel to the axis 6a (see FIG. 1).

[0106] Therefore, since there is no need to incorporate the laser pointer light irradiation unit 21 into the optical system of the distance measurement unit 19, the optical system of the distance measurement unit 19 can be made smaller, and the surveying device 1 as a whole can be made smaller.

[0107] FIGS. 14A and 14B show a modified example of the seventh embodiment. In this modified example, a scanning mirror 15 is used as the vertical rotation unit. The visible light separation surface is a window 23 on which a dichroic film that reflects only the laser pointer light 26 is deposited, and one to three glass plates 83 on which a visible light reflective film is deposited are used as visible light reflection mirrors. FIG. 14A shows a case where there is one glass plate 83, while FIG. 14B shows a case where there are three glass plates 83 (83a to 83c in the figure). The glass plates 83 function as visible light reflection mirrors, and by being positioned so as to intersect with the laser pointer optical axis 25, they can achieve the same effect as the visible light reflection surface 82. The scanning mirror 15 and the glass plates 83 together form a rotation unit 84.

[0108] Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16. In Figures 15 and 16, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as in Figures 12 and 13, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0109] In the eighth embodiment, a scanning prism 85 is used instead of a scanning mirror as a vertical rotation unit for rotating and irradiating the distance measuring light 34. The base 5 is also provided with a laser pointer light irradiator 21 that opens on the horizontal portion 22a of the recess 22 and closer to the front than the mechanical center 55. The laser pointer light irradiator 21 has the same configuration as the laser pointer light irradiator 21 in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

[0110] 16(A) and 16(B), the scanning prism 85 is a triangular prism, and has a reflecting surface 86 that reflects near-infrared light, that is, the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39. Also, as shown in Figures 16(A) and 16(B), a dichroic film as a visible light separating member is deposited on the exit surface of the distance measurement light 34, forming a visible light reflecting surface 87 that reflects only the laser pointer light 26, and the laser pointer optical axis 25 is configured to be deflected by the visible light reflecting surface 87.

[0111] In the eighth embodiment, the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 is also provided on the base unit 5, and opens at the horizontal portion 22a of the recess 22 and further forward than the mechanical center 55. The laser pointer optical axis 25 of the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 is configured to extend vertically upward toward the scanning prism 85, that is, in a direction parallel to the axis 6a (see FIG. 1). Therefore, there is no need to incorporate the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 into the optical system of the distance measuring unit 19, and therefore the optical system of the distance measuring unit 19 can be made smaller, and the surveying device 1 as a whole can be made smaller.

[0112] Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 17 and 18. In Figures 17 and 18, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as in Figure 4, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0113] In the ninth embodiment, the surveying instrument 1 is a total station. The surveying instrument 1 has a recess 22 formed in the base part 5, and a measuring part 88 as a rotating part is provided in the recess 22.

[0114] The measuring unit 88 is rotatably supported on the base unit 5 via a vertical rotation shaft 11 (see FIG. 1), and is rotated in the vertical direction about a mechanical center 55 by a vertical rotation motor 13 serving as a vertical rotation drive unit. The measuring unit 88 also houses a distance measuring unit 19, and the direction of the distance measurement optical axis 32 also changes in the vertical direction in response to the rotation of the measuring unit 88. Regardless of the rotation position of the measuring unit 88, the mechanical center 55 is located on an extension of the distance measurement optical axis 32, and the rotation angle of the measuring unit 88 and the rotation angle of the distance measurement optical axis 32 match.

[0115] The support section 5 is provided with a laser pointer light emitting section 21 that opens into the inclined section 22b of the recess 22, and the laser pointer light emitting section 21 is arranged so that the laser pointer optical axis 25 extends vertically upward, i.e., in a direction parallel to the axis 6a (see Figure 1), i.e., toward the measuring section 88.

[0116] Further, a visible light reflecting mirror 89 is provided on the underside of the measuring unit 88 as a visible light separating optical member that reflects the laser pointer light 26. The visible light reflecting mirror 89 is, for example, a glass plate on which a visible light reflecting film that reflects the laser pointer light 26 is vapor-deposited. The laser pointer light 26 is reflected by the visible light reflecting mirror 89 and is irradiated toward the front side of the surveying instrument 1.

[0117] In the ninth embodiment, the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 is also provided in the base unit 5, so there is no need to incorporate the laser pointer light emitting unit 21 into the optical system of the distance measuring unit 19. This makes it possible to miniaturize the optical system of the distance measuring unit 19, and therefore makes it possible to miniaturize the entire surveying device 1.

[0118] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Surveying instrument 3 Surveying instrument main body 5 Base unit 8 Horizontal rotation motor 13 Vertical rotation motor 15 Scanning mirror 17 Arithmetic and control unit 19 Distance measurement unit 20 Rotation unit 21 Laser pointer light irradiation unit 23 Window unit 24 Visible light separation surface 26 Laser pointer light 34 Distance measurement light

Claims

1. A surveying device comprising: a distance measuring unit having a light emitting element that emits distance measuring light and a light receiving element that receives the reflected distance measuring light from the object to be measured; a rotating unit that irradiates the distance measuring light; a vertical rotation drive unit that rotates the rotating unit vertically; a base unit on which the rotating unit is mounted; a horizontal rotation drive unit that rotates the base unit horizontally; a laser pointer light irradiating unit that irradiates a laser pointer light toward the rotating unit; and an arithmetic and control unit that calculates the distance to the object to be measured based on the result of receiving the reflected distance measuring light at the light receiving element, wherein the rotating unit has a visible light separating optical member that transmits the distance measuring light and reflects the laser pointer light, and the arithmetic and control unit is configured to rotate the rotating unit and the base unit so that the laser pointer light is irradiated to a desired point.

2. The surveying device of claim 1, wherein the calculation and control unit is configured to rotate the rotating unit and the base unit so that the optical axis of the distance measuring light is parallel to the optical axis of the laser pointer light irradiated at a desired point, thereby performing distance measuring.

3. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein said rotating portion has a scanning mirror and a window portion which rotates integrally with said scanning mirror, and said visible light separating optical member is a dichroic film evaporated onto said window portion.

4. A surveying instrument as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a window portion surrounding said rotating portion, said rotating portion having a scanning mirror and a visible light reflecting mirror which rotates integrally with said scanning mirror, and said visible light separating optical element being a dichroic film evaporated onto said visible light reflecting mirror.

5. A surveying instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotating portion has a scanning mirror, a window portion which rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and at least one visible light reflecting mirror, and the visible light separating optical element is a dichroic film evaporated onto the window portion.

6. A surveying instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotating part is a square prism formed by joining two triangular prisms, the visible light separating optical element is a dichroic film deposited on the exit surface of the distance measuring light incident on the square prism, and at least one surface adjacent to the exit surface is a visible light reflecting mirror.

7. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein the rotating portion is a triangular prism, and the visible light separating optical element is a dichroic film evaporated onto the exit surface of the distance measuring light incident on the triangular prism.

8. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein the rotating section is a measuring section in which the distance measuring section is housed, and the visible light separating optical member is a visible light reflecting mirror provided on the underside of the measuring section.

9. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein a recess is formed in the support portion, the rotating portion is provided within the recess, and the laser pointer light emitting portion is configured so that the optical axis of the laser pointer extends from the bottom surface of the recess toward the rotating portion and is deflected by the visible light separating optical element so as to be positioned on the same plane as the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

10. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, comprising a recess formed in the support portion, the rotating portion provided within the recess, a handle portion provided adjacent to the recess, and the laser pointer light emitting portion provided on the handle portion, and the laser pointer light emitting portion is configured so that the optical axis of the laser pointer extends from the handle portion towards the rotating portion and is deflected by the visible light separating optical member so as to be coaxial or approximately coaxial with the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

11. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein a recess is formed in the support portion, the rotating portion is provided within the recess, the device has a handle portion provided across the recess, and the laser pointer light emitting portion is provided on the handle portion, and the laser pointer light emitting portion is configured so that the laser pointer optical axis extends from the handle portion towards the rotating portion and is deflected by the visible light separating optical member so as to be coaxial with or parallel to the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

12. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein a recess is formed in the support portion, the rotating portion is provided within the recess, a handle portion is provided adjacent to the recess, and a mirror is provided on the handle portion, the laser pointer light irradiation portion is provided on the support portion such that the laser pointer optical axis extends toward the mirror, and the laser pointer optical axis is configured to be coaxial with or parallel to the optical axis of the distance measuring light by the mirror and the visible light separating optical member.

Images