Surveying device

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a distance measurement unit (19) that has a light-emitting element (33) which emits distance measurement light (34) and a light-receiving element (43) which receives reflected distance-measurement light (48) from an object to be measured; 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 support frame part (5) to which the rotation unit is provided; a horizontal rotation drive unit that rotates the support frame part in the horizontal direction; a detection unit (21) that has a detection light emission unit which emits detection light and a detection light reception unit which has a detection light-receiving element for receiving reflected detection light reflected by the object to be measured, the detection unit (21) emitting the detection light having a wavelength different from that of the distance-measurement light towards the rotation unit; and a calculation control unit that calculates the distance to the object to be measured on the basis of the result of the reflected distance-measurement light received by the light-receiving element, and calculates the direction of the object to be measured on the basis of the result of the reflected detection light received by the detection light-receiving element, wherein the rotation unit has a detection light separating optical member that transmits the distance-measurement light and reflects the detection light, and the detection light is configured so as to be emitted by rotation of the rotation unit in a range equal to or greater than a spread angle of the detection light.

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] Surveying instruments include devices that emit a tracking light coaxially with a distance measuring light and track a measurement target based on the tracking light. However, the angle of view of the tracking light is small, and it takes time for the tracking light to detect the measurement target.

[0004] JP 2017-110964 A

[0005] The present invention provides a surveying instrument that reduces the time required to detect an object to be measured.

[0006] The present invention provides a distance measurement unit having a light-emitting element that emits distance measurement light and a light-receiving element that receives the reflected distance measurement light from the object to be measured, a rotation unit that emits the distance measurement light, a vertical rotation drive unit that rotates the rotation unit in a vertical direction, a base unit on which the rotation unit is provided, a horizontal rotation drive unit that rotates the base unit in a horizontal direction, a detection light emitting unit that emits detection light and a detection light receiving unit that has a detection light receiving element that receives the reflected detection light reflected by the object to be measured, and a light different from the distance measurement light that is directed toward the rotation unit. and a calculation control unit that calculates the distance to the object to be measured based on the result of reception of the reflected detection light by the detection light receiving element, and calculates the direction of the object to be measured based on the result of reception of the reflected detection light by the detection light receiving element, wherein the rotating unit has a detection light separating optical element that transmits the distance measurement light and reflects the detection light, and the detection light is irradiated in a range equal to or greater than the spread angle of the detection light by the rotation of the rotating unit.

[0007] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument that further comprises a tracking light emitting unit having a tracking light emitting element that emits tracking light onto the object to be measured that is coaxial with the distance measuring light and has a smaller spread angle than the detection light, and a tracking light receiving unit that receives the reflected tracking light from the object to be measured coaxially with the reflected distance measuring light, and the calculation control unit calculates the direction of the object to be measured based on the result of receiving the reflected detection light, rotates the rotating unit and the base unit so that the object to be measured is positioned within the angle of view of the tracking light, and begins tracking.

[0008] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the detection light receiving section has a bandpass filter that transmits only the reflected detection light.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the detection light receiving section has a dual pass filter that transmits the reflected detection light and visible light.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the detection light receiving unit is configured to insert or remove either a bandpass filter that transmits only the reflected detection light or a shortpass filter that transmits only visible light.

[0011] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the detection unit has a first detection light irradiating unit that irradiates the first detection light and a second detection light irradiating unit that irradiates the second detection light, which are arranged at symmetrical positions on either side of the detection light receiving unit, and the plane onto which the ranging light and the tracking light are irradiated and the plane onto which the first detection light and the second detection light are irradiated intersect around the light receiving optical axis of the detection light receiving unit.

[0012] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the rotating part has a scanning mirror and a window part that rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and the detection light separating optical element is a dichroic film that is vapor-deposited on the window part and reflects only the detection light.

[0013] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument which further comprises a window portion surrounding the rotating portion, the rotating portion having a scanning mirror and a detection light reflecting mirror which rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and the detection light separating optical element being a dichroic film vapor-deposited on the detection light reflecting mirror.

[0014] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the rotating part is a scanning mirror, a window part that rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and at least one detection light reflecting mirror, and the detection light separating optical element is a dichroic film vapor-deposited on the window part.

[0015] 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 detection light separation optical element is a dichroic film deposited on the exit surface of the distance measurement light incident on the square prism, and at least one surface adjacent to the exit surface is a detection light reflecting mirror.

[0016] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the rotating part is a triangular prism and the detection light separating optical element is a dichroic film evaporated onto the exit surface of the distance measuring light incident on the triangular prism.

[0017] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument in which the rotating part is a measuring part in which the distance measuring part is housed, and the detection light separating optical element is a detection light reflecting mirror provided on the underside of the measuring part.

[0018] 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 detection portion is configured so that the detection optical axis extends from the bottom surface of the recess toward the rotating portion and is deflected by the detection light separation optical element so as to be positioned in the same plane as the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

[0019] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument having a recess formed in the support portion, the rotating portion provided within the recess, a handle portion provided across the recess, and the detecting portion provided on the handle portion, wherein the detecting portion is configured so that the detection optical axis extends from the handle portion toward the rotating portion and is deflected by the detecting light separating optical element so as to be positioned in the same plane as the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

[0020] The present invention also relates to a surveying instrument having a recess formed in the support portion, the rotating portion provided within the recess, a handle portion provided adjacent to the recess, and the detecting portion provided on the handle portion, wherein the detecting portion is configured so that the detection optical axis extends from the handle portion toward the rotating portion and is deflected by the detecting light separating optical element so as to be coaxial or approximately coaxial with the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

[0021] 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 detection portion is provided on the base portion so that the detection optical axis extends toward the mirror, and the detection optical axis is configured to be coaxial or approximately coaxial with the optical axis of the distance measuring light by the mirror and the detection light separating optical element.

[0022] According to the present invention, a distance measuring device includes a distance measuring unit having a light emitting element that emits distance measuring light and a light receiving element that receives 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 in a vertical direction, a base unit on which the rotating unit is provided, a horizontal rotation drive unit that rotates the base unit in a horizontal direction, a detection light irradiating unit that emits detection light and a detection light receiving unit that has a detection light receiving element that receives reflected detection light reflected from the object to be measured, and a detection light irradiating unit that irradiates the detection light of a wavelength different from that of the distance measuring light toward the rotating unit. The device is equipped with an output unit, and an arithmetic 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, and calculates the direction of the object to be measured based on the result of receiving the reflected detection light at the detection light receiving element, and the rotating unit has a detection light separation optical element that transmits the distance measuring light and reflects the detection light, and the detection light is configured to be irradiated over a range greater than the spread angle of the detection light due to the rotation of the rotating unit, so that the irradiation range of the detection light is expanded and the time until the object to be measured is detected can be shortened.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a surveying instrument according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the surveying instrument according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the surveying instrument according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the surveying instrument according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the detection unit of a surveying instrument according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a graph explaining the optical characteristics of the dual-pass filter of the detection unit. FIG. 7 is a graph explaining the RGB sensitivity of the detection light receiving element of the detection unit. FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the detection unit of a surveying instrument according to a third embodiment. FIG. 9(A) is a side sectional view of the detection unit of a surveying instrument according to a fourth embodiment, and FIG. 9(B) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the tracking image received by the detection light receiving element and the prism position. FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of a surveying instrument according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a surveying instrument according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of a surveying instrument according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of a surveying instrument according to a seventh embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a surveying instrument according to an eighth embodiment. FIG. 15 is a plan sectional view showing a surveying instrument according to an eighth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a plan sectional view showing a surveying instrument according to a ninth embodiment. FIG. 17 is a side sectional view showing a surveying instrument according to a tenth embodiment. FIG. 18(A) is a perspective view showing a scanning prism of the surveying instrument, and FIG. 18(B) is a plan view showing the scanning prism. FIGS. 19(A) and 19(B) are explanatory views showing the rotating part of a surveying instrument according to a modified example of the tenth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a side sectional view showing a surveying instrument according to an eleventh embodiment. FIG. 21(A) is a perspective view showing a scanning prism of the surveying instrument, and FIG. 21(B) is a plan view showing the scanning prism. FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing a surveying instrument according to a twelfth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a side sectional view showing a surveying instrument according to a twelfth embodiment.

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0025] First, a surveying instrument according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0026] 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 .

[0027] The leveling unit 2 has a leveling screw 10, which is used to level the surveying instrument main body 3 horizontally.

[0028] 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 detection section 21, etc. The arithmetic and control section 17 may be a CPU specialized for this instrument or a general-purpose CPU.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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 detection light separation optical member that transmits distance measurement light and tracking light, as described below, and reflects detection light is vapor-deposited on the window 23, thereby forming a detection light separation surface 24. The dichroic film may be vapor-deposited on the back surface of the window 23. The scanning mirror 15, the window 23, and the detection light separation surface 24 together constitute a rotating unit 20 that is rotated vertically integrally by the vertical rotation motor 13 via the vertical rotation shaft 11.

[0035] The lower surface (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 back side of the surveying instrument 1.

[0036] The base 5 is provided with the detection unit 21 that opens into the inclined portion 22b. A detection optical axis 25 of the detection unit 21 extends upward, particularly vertically upward when the base 5 is in a horizontal position. That is, the detection optical axis 25 extends toward the rotating unit 20, and detection light 26 is irradiated along the detection optical axis 25. Furthermore, when the rotating unit 20 is positioned at a predetermined rotation position, the detection light 26 is reflected in a predetermined direction by the detection light separation surface 24.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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).

[0040] The storage unit 18 stores various programs such as a sequence program for controlling the distance measurement operation, an arithmetic program for calculating distance by the 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 distance and angle, a control program for controlling the detection unit 21, a control program for controlling the irradiation direction of the detection light 26 based on the vertical angle data, a direction detection program for detecting the direction of a measurement object based on reflected detection light, and a tracking program for tracking a target. Furthermore, various processes are performed by the arithmetic control unit 17 executing the various programs.

[0041] 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.

[0042] Next, the distance measurement unit 19 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. For convenience, the distance measurement unit 19 is shown as a front view in Fig. 3. In this embodiment, a retroreflective target, such as a prism, is used as the measurement object.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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, the 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] The distance measurement unit 19 is controlled by the calculation control unit 17. The pulsed distance measurement light 34 emitted from the light-emitting element 33 onto the distance measurement optical axis 32 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 joint 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 detection light separation surface 24, and is irradiated onto the measurement object. As 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.

[0055] Since the window 23 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the distance measurement optical axis 32, the distance measurement light 34 reflected by the window 23 is prevented from entering the light receiving element 43. The emission 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 intersection of the axis 6a and the axis 11a.

[0056] The reflected distance measuring light 48 reflected by the object to be measured passes through the detection light separation surface 24 and the window portion 23, is reflected at a right angle by the scanning mirror 15, 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.

[0057] The calculation control unit 17 measures the distance for each pulse of the distance measuring light 34 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 measurement object. The light emission timing of the light emitting element 33, i.e., the pulse interval, can be changed via the operation panel 16. Furthermore, 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, the three-dimensional coordinates of the measurement object (the irradiation point of the distance measuring light 34) can be calculated.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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 to a predetermined spread angle, and then deflected by the dichroic mirror 36 so as to be coaxial with the distance measurement light 34.

[0060] The reflected tracking light 49 is irradiated onto the measurement object coaxially with the distance measuring light 34 and reflected by the measurement object. It passes through the detection light separation surface 24 and the window 23, and is separated from the reflected distance measuring light 48 by the dichroic film 47 while passing through the light receiving lens 46 and the light receiving prism 45. It passes through the dichroic film 47 and is received by the tracking light receiving element 54. A tracking image (not shown) can be obtained by receiving the reflected tracking light 49 at the tracking light receiving element 54. The angle of view of the tracking light receiving unit 31 by the light receiving lens 46 is, for example, about 1° to 3°.

[0061] 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.

[0062] Next, the detection unit 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The detection unit 21 is controlled by the calculation control unit 17.

[0063] The detection unit 21 has a detection light emitting unit 56 and a detection light receiving unit 57. The detection light emitting unit 56 has a detection light axis 25. The detection light emitting unit 56 also has, in order from the light emitting side, a detection light emitting element 59, an illumination system lens 62, a beam splitter 63, and a protective glass 64.

[0064] The detection light emitting element 59 is, for example, an LED or laser light source that emits near-infrared light or visible light having a wavelength different from that of the distance measuring light 34 and the reflected distance measuring light 48 as the detection light 26. The illumination system lens 62 is configured to diverge the detection light 26 emitted from the detection light emitting element 59 at a predetermined divergence angle. The divergence angle of the detection light 26 is larger than the divergence angle of the tracking light 39 and is set appropriately between 3.5° and 35°, for example.

[0065] The beam splitter 63 has optical properties of transmitting 50% of the incident light and reflecting 50%. The protective glass 64 is coated with an AR (Anti-Reflection) coating so that the detection light 26 emitted from the detection light-emitting element 59 is not reflected by the protective glass 64.

[0066] The detection light receiving unit 57 has a detection light receiving optical axis 65. The detection light receiving unit 57 has, in order from the light receiving side, a detection light receiving element 66 provided on the detection light receiving optical axis 65, a band pass filter 67 as an external light removal filter, a light receiving system lens group 68 made up of a plurality of lenses, the beam splitter 63, and the protective glass 64 provided on the reflected optical axis of the beam splitter 63.

[0067] The angle of view of the detection light receiving unit 57 by the light receiving system lens group 68 is larger than the angle of view of the tracking light receiving unit 31. The angle of view of the detection light receiving unit 57 is appropriately selected from a range of 3° to 30° so as to be smaller than the spread angle of the detection light irradiating unit 56. In this embodiment, the detection light receiving optical axis 65 and the detection light receiving optical axis 65 reflected by the beam splitter 63 are collectively referred to as the detection light receiving optical axis 65.

[0068] The bandpass filter 67 is configured to transmit light having the same wavelength as the detection light 26 or a predetermined range of wavelengths centered on the wavelength of the detection light 26, and to block light having other wavelengths. In other words, the bandpass filter 67 is configured to block external light (background light).

[0069] The detection light receiving element 66 is a CCD or CMOS sensor that is a collection of pixels, and the position of each pixel can be specified on the detection light receiving element 66. For example, each pixel has pixel coordinates with the center of the detection light receiving element 66 as the origin, and the position on the detection light receiving element 66 is specified by the pixel coordinates.

[0070] The detection light 26 emitted from the detection light emitting element 59 is diverged by the illumination system lens 62 to a predetermined divergence angle, then passes through the beam splitter 63 and the protective glass 64, and is incident on the detection light separation surface 24 of the rotating unit 20. The detection 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 detection light separation surface 24. The detection light axis 25, the distance measurement light axis 32, and the tracking light axis 41 are located in the same plane including the axis center 6a and the mechanical center 55. That is, the detection light 26 is irradiated in the same plane as the distance measurement light 34.

[0071] Furthermore, when the rotating unit 20 is positioned at a predetermined rotational position, the detection optical axis 25 becomes a horizontal detection optical axis 25a, which is parallel to the horizontal distance measurement optical axis 32a and offset downward by a known distance.

[0072] The relationship between the irradiation direction of the detection light 26 and the rotational position of the rotating unit 20 is stored in advance in the storage unit 18, and the calculation and control unit 17 controls the rotational position of the rotating unit 20 based on the detection result of the vertical angle encoder 14, thereby making it possible to irradiate the detection light 26 in a desired direction. Furthermore, the calculation and control unit 17 can calculate the positional relationship of the ranging optical axis 32 and the tracking optical axis 41 with respect to the detection optical axis 25 based on the relationship between the rotational position of the rotating unit 20 and the irradiation direction of the detection light 26.

[0073] The detection light 26 emitted from the detection light emitting element 59 is reflected by the detection light separation surface 24. Reflected detection light 69 reflected by the object to be measured or the like is reflected by the detection light separation surface 24, passes through the protective glass 64, and enters the beam splitter 63. A part of the reflected detection light 69 that enters the beam splitter 63 is reflected at a right angle by the beam splitter 63, passes through the light receiving system lens group 68 and the band pass filter 67, and is received by the detection light receiving element 66, and a detection image is acquired.

[0074] In the process of passing through the band-pass filter 67 , external light that has entered together with the reflected detection light 69 is removed, and only the reflected detection light 69 is received by the detection light receiving element 66 .

[0075] The calculation control unit 17 detects the measurement object, such as a prism, based on the detected image or the amount of received light, and calculates the position deviation between the center of the detection light receiving element 66 and the receiving position of the reflected detection light 69, and calculates the direction of the measurement object, i.e., the direction of the measurement object relative to the detection optical axis 25, based on the position deviation and the rotational position of the rotating unit 20.

[0076] Furthermore, it is also possible to detect the object to be measured with higher accuracy by acquiring a detection image when the detection light 26 is not emitted from the detection light emitting element 59, and having the calculation control unit 17 calculate the difference between the detection image acquired when the detection light 26 is emitted and the detection image acquired when the detection light 26 is not emitted.

[0077] In addition, the calculation control unit 17 calculates the direction of the detection optical axis 25 relative to the ranging optical axis 32 and the tracking optical axis 41 based on the rotational position of the rotating unit 20, and calculates the direction of the object to be measured relative to the ranging optical axis 32 and the tracking optical axis 41 based on the calculated direction of the detection optical axis 25 and the direction of the object to be measured relative to the detection optical axis 25.

[0078] Based on the calculated direction of the detection optical axis 25, the calculation control unit 17 drives the horizontal rotation motor 8 to rotate the base unit 5 horizontally so that the object to be measured is positioned on the tracking optical axis 41, and also drives the vertical rotation motor 13 to rotate the scanning mirror 15 vertically.

[0079] When the object to be measured is positioned within the irradiation range (within the angle of view) of the tracking light 39 and the reflected tracking light 49 from the object to be measured is received by the tracking light receiving element 54, the calculation control unit 17 starts tracking the object to be measured using the tracking light emitting unit 29 and the tracking light receiving unit 31.

[0080] As described above, the detection unit 21 is a detection unit for executing a detection process to detect a measurement object such as a retroreflective prism as a preliminary step to distance measurement and tracking. Alternatively, if the tracking light emitting unit 29 and the tracking light receiving unit 31 are configured as precision tracking units with a narrow detection range but high resolution, the detection unit 21 can be considered as a rough tracking unit with a wide detection range but low resolution.

[0081] If the detection unit 21 has a resolution sufficient for tracking the object to be measured, the tracking light emitting unit 29 and the tracking light receiving unit 31 may be omitted.

[0082] As described above, in the first embodiment, the angle of view of the detection light receiving unit 57 is larger than the angle of view of the tracking light receiving unit 31, and the detection unit 21 detects the measurement object as a preliminary step to tracking. Therefore, the measurement object is easier to detect than when the measurement object is detected only by the tracking light 39, and the time required for detection can be shortened, thereby shortening the operation time and improving the workability.

[0083] Furthermore, the reflection direction of the detection light axis 25 changes depending on the rotational position of the rotating unit 20, and the irradiation direction of the detection light 26 changes accordingly. Therefore, the detection light 26 can be irradiated in a range greater than the spread angle of the detection light 26, so that the irradiation range of the detection light 26 is expanded, and the time required to detect the object to be measured can be further shortened.

[0084] Also, the detection unit 21 is provided at a position different from the distance measurement unit 19, i.e., so as to open at the inclined portion 22b of the recess 22. Also, a dichroic film serving as a detection light separation optical member that reflects the detection light 26 and transmits the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39 is vapor-deposited on the surface of the window portion 23 that rotates integrally with the scanning mirror 15, thereby forming the detection light separation surface 24. For this reason, only the reflected distance measurement light 48 and the reflected tracking light 49 are incident on the distance measurement unit 19, and the reflected detection light 69 is reflected by the detection light separation surface 24 and incident on the detection light receiving unit 57.

[0085] Therefore, since there is no need to incorporate the detection unit 21 into the distance measurement unit 19, the optical system of the distance measurement unit 19 can be made compact, and the surveying instrument 1 as a whole can be made compact.

[0086] Furthermore, since the detection unit 21 is not incorporated into the distance measurement unit 19 and the only light source present in the detection unit 21 is the detection light emitting element 59, stray light caused by light other than the detection light 26 can be prevented, and erroneous detection of the object to be measured due to stray light can be suppressed.

[0087] Furthermore, the detection unit 21 is capable of acquiring a detection image acquired when the detection light 26 is irradiated and a detection image acquired when the detection light 26 is not irradiated, and by calculating the difference between the two detection images, it is possible to completely remove light other than the reflected detection light 69, such as external light, and therefore it is possible to detect a measurement object having retroreflective properties, such as a prism, with high accuracy.

[0088] Furthermore, when the distance measurement optical axis 32 and the detection optical axis 25 are located in the same plane and the detection optical axis 25 is deflected horizontally, it is located parallel to the distance measurement optical axis 32 and below by a predetermined offset distance, and the parallax between the distance measurement unit 19 and the detection unit 21 is reduced, so that the object to be measured can be detected even if it is located at a close distance.

[0089] In the first embodiment, the detection optical axis 25 of the detection unit 21 is configured to extend toward the rotating unit 20, but when the rotating unit 20 is in a predetermined rotational position, for example, when the ranging optical axis 32 is aligned with the horizontal ranging optical axis 32a, the detection unit 21 may be positioned so that the detection optical axis 25 does not intersect with the rotating unit 20 and the detection light 26 is irradiated vertically upward.

[0090] 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 the description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] The detection unit 21 in the second embodiment has a detection light emitting element 71, which is an LED or laser light source that emits near-infrared light with a wavelength of about 800 nm to 900 nm as the detection light 26.

[0092] The beam splitter 72 has optical properties that reflect visible light, and also transmits 50% of near-infrared light in the range of 800 nm to 900 nm, i.e., the detection light 26 and the reflected detection light 69, and reflects 50% of the light.

[0093] Furthermore, in the detection light receiving section 57, instead of the band pass filter 67 (see FIG. 4) in the first embodiment, a dual pass filter 73 is provided as an external light removal filter between the detection light receiving element 70 and the light receiving lens group 68.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 6, the dual pass filter 73 has optical properties that allow light of two wavelengths to pass through, for example, visible light in the vicinity of 400 nm to 700 nm and near-infrared light in the vicinity of 850 nm.

[0095] 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the RGB sensitivity and wavelength of the detection light receiving element 70. In Fig. 7, the solid line is graph 74 showing the sensitivity to R, i.e., red light, the wavy line is graph 75 showing the sensitivity to G, i.e., green light, and the dashed line is graph 76 showing the sensitivity to B, i.e., blue light. As shown in Fig. 7, the detection light receiving element 70 is configured so that the sensitivity to the three lights (RGB sensitivity) is approximately the same in the wavelength range of about 800 nm to 900 nm.

[0096] In the second embodiment, the beam splitter 72 is configured to reflect visible light, and the dual pass filter 73 is configured to transmit visible light and near-infrared light. Therefore, the detection unit 21 (detection light receiving unit 57) not only detects the object to be measured, but also functions as an imaging unit.

[0097] When the rotating unit 20 (see Figure 4) of the imaging unit is in a predetermined rotational position, the detection optical axis 25 becomes a detection optical axis 25a that is parallel to the horizontal ranging optical axis 32a (see Figure 4) and offset downward by a known distance, and an image can be acquired centered on the detection optical axis 25a.

[0098] Therefore, the detection light receiving section 57 can acquire an image with little parallax relative to the distance measuring section 19 (see FIG. 3), and therefore, high-precision collimation can be performed using the acquired image as a collimation image.

[0099] Furthermore, since the angular difference between the ranging optical axis 32a and the ranging optical axis 32 when they are parallel to the detection optical axis 25a is known, and the ranging results can be matched with the image based on this angular difference, it is possible to color the point cloud acquired by the surveying device 1 (see Figure 1), and to create an image with three-dimensional coordinates, in which three-dimensional coordinates are assigned to each pixel.

[0100] Furthermore, since the dual pass filter 73 is configured to transmit near-infrared light in the wavelength band of 800 nm to 900 nm, in which the RGB sensitivity of the detection light receiving element 70 is approximately the same, the effect of near-infrared light on the color of the image can be reduced, and the coloring accuracy of the point cloud data can be improved.

[0101] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In Fig. 8, the same components as those in Fig. 5 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0102] In the third embodiment, a filter section 77 is provided between the detection light receiving element 70 and the light receiving lens group 68 in place of the band pass filter 67 (see FIG. 4) in the first embodiment.

[0103] The filter section 77 has a bandpass filter 78 that transmits the detection light 26 emitted from the detection light emitting element 71, for example, near-infrared light in a wavelength band around 800 nm to 900 nm, and blocks light in other wavelength bands, and a shortpass filter 79 that transmits visible light and reflects near-infrared light. The filter section 77 is configured so that either the bandpass filter 78 or the shortpass filter 79 is located on the detection light receiving optical axis 65, and the bandpass filter 78 and the shortpass filter 79 can be switched by a switching means such as a solenoid (not shown). The other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment.

[0104] In the third embodiment, when performing detection processing of a measurement object such as a prism, the band-pass filter 78 is inserted on the detection light receiving optical axis 65, and when acquiring an image such as a collimated image using visible light, the short-pass filter 79 is inserted on the detection light receiving optical axis 65.

[0105] Therefore, in the process of detecting the object to be measured, the S / N ratio can be improved more than in the second embodiment, and the probability and accuracy of detecting the object to be measured can be improved.

[0106] Furthermore, when acquiring an image, near-infrared light in the wavelength band around 800 nm to 900 nm, i.e., the reflected detection light 69, can be blocked by the short-pass filter 79, so the impact on the color of the image can be reduced more than in the second embodiment, and the coloring accuracy of the point cloud data can be further improved.

[0107] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 9(A) and 9(B). In Figures 9(A) and 9(B), the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as those in Figure 4, and their description will be omitted.

[0108] In the fourth embodiment, the detection unit 21 has a first detection light irradiator 81 , a second detection light irradiator 82 , and a detection light receiver 83 .

[0109] The first detection light irradiator 81 has a first detection optical axis 84, and a first detection light emitting element 85, a first irradiation system lens 86, and a first protective glass 87, which are arranged on the first detection optical axis 84 in this order from the light emitting side. The first detection light irradiator 81 opens to the inclined portion 22b (see FIG. 4), and the first detection optical axis 84 extends upward toward the rotating portion 20 (see FIG. 4). The first detection light emitting element 85 irradiates first detection light 88 along the first detection optical axis 84.

[0110] The second detection light irradiator 82 has a second detection optical axis 89 and, in this order from the light-emitting side, a second detection light emitting element 91, a second irradiation system lens 92, and a second protective glass 93, which are arranged on the second detection optical axis 89. The second detection light irradiator 82 opens to the inclined portion 22b, and the second detection optical axis 89 extends upward toward the rotating portion 20. The second detection light emitting element 91 irradiates second detection light 94 along the second detection optical axis 89. The first detection light 88 and the second detection light 94 are near-infrared light having the same wavelength as the detection light 26 in the first embodiment and having the same divergence angle.

[0111] The detection light receiving unit 83 has a detection light receiving optical axis 95, a detection light receiving element 96 provided on the detection light receiving optical axis 95 in this order from the light receiving side, a band pass filter 97, a light receiving lens group 98, and a protective glass 99. The detection light receiving unit 83 opens to the inclined portion 22b, and the detection light receiving optical axis 95 extends upward toward the rotating unit 20. The configuration of the detection light receiving element 96 is the same as that of the detection light receiving element 66 in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0112] The first detection light irradiating unit 81 and the second detection light irradiating unit 82 are provided at symmetrical positions with the detection light receiving unit 83 in between. That is, the first detection optical axis 84 and the second detection optical axis 89 are symmetrical with respect to the detection light receiving optical axis 95, and the first detection optical axis 84, the second detection optical axis 89, and the detection light receiving optical axis 95 are positioned on the same plane.

[0113] It is desirable that the first detection light emitting unit 81, the second detection light emitting unit 82, and the detection light receiving unit 83 are arranged so that the detection light receiving optical axis 95 is closest to the distance measurement optical axis 32 (see FIG. 4) and the tracking optical axis 41 (see FIG. 3). Therefore, the detection light receiving optical axis 95 is located on the same plane as the distance measurement optical axis 32 and the tracking optical axis 41, and the plane containing the first detection optical axis 84, the second detection optical axis 89, and the detection light receiving optical axis 95 intersects with the plane containing the distance measurement optical axis 32 and the tracking optical axis 41 at the center of the detection light receiving optical axis 95.

[0114] When the first detection light 88 is irradiated from the first detection light irradiating unit 81 at a predetermined spread angle and the second detection light 94 is irradiated from the second detection light irradiating unit 82 at a predetermined spread angle, the reflected first detection light reflected by a measurement object such as a prism is received by the detection light receiving element 96, and a first tracking image 101 is formed. Also, the reflected second detection light reflected by the measurement object is received by the detection light receiving element 96, and a second tracking image 102 is formed.

[0115] Since the first detection optical axis 84 is not coaxial with the detection light receiving optical axis 95, the position of the first tracking image 101 on the detection light receiving element 96 does not match the position of the measurement object. Similarly, since the second detection optical axis 89 is not coaxial with the detection light receiving optical axis 95, the position of the second tracking image 102 on the detection light receiving element 96 does not match the position of the measurement object.

[0116] On the other hand, since the first detection optical axis 84, the second detection optical axis 89, and the detection light receiving optical axis 95 are located on the same plane, and the first detection optical axis 84 and the second detection optical axis 89 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the detection light receiving optical axis 95, the center of the line connecting the center of the first tracking image 101 and the center of the second tracking image 102 can be calculated as the position 100 of the object to be measured.

[0117] In the fourth embodiment, the first detection light irradiating unit 81, the second detection light irradiating unit 82, and the detection light receiving unit 83 are arranged so that the first detection light axis 84, the second detection light axis 89, and the detection light receiving light axis 95 are non-coaxial and parallel.

[0118] Therefore, the light intensity of the first detection light 88 and the second detection light 94 can be increased without being attenuated by deflecting optical components such as a beam splitter in the optical system, and therefore the reach of the first detection light 88 and the second detection light 94 can be extended, thereby expanding the detection range of the object to be measured and shortening the detection time.

[0119] Furthermore, since the detection light receiving unit 83 has the bandpass filter 97, it is possible to remove light of wavelengths other than the first detection light 88 and the second detection light 94, such as external light, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the object to be measured.

[0120] Furthermore, by making the bandpass filter 97 a dual-pass filter and allowing not only the first detection light 88 and the second detection light 94 but also visible light to pass through, the detection light receiving unit 83 can be used as an imaging unit for collimation or for coloring point cloud data.

[0121] Furthermore, by making it possible to selectively insert or remove either the bandpass filter 97 or a shortpass filter that transmits visible light and blocks near-infrared light onto the detection light receiving optical axis 95, the detection accuracy of the object to be measured can be improved, the impact on the color of the image can be reduced, and the coloring accuracy of the point cloud data can be further improved.

[0122] Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In Fig. 10, the same components as those in Fig. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0123] In the fifth embodiment, a rotating unit 104 is configured by the scanning mirror 15 and a detection light reflecting mirror 103 serving as a detection light separating optical member that rotates integrally with the scanning mirror 15. The detection light reflecting mirror 103 is, for example, a glass plate on which a dichroic film is deposited that reflects the detection light 26 and transmits light in wavelength bands other than the detection light 26. That is, the detection light reflecting mirror 103 transmits the distance measurement light 34 and the reflected distance measurement light 48 and reflects the detection light 26.

[0124] Furthermore, a glass plate 105a standing perpendicular to the inclined portion 22b is provided on the front side of the rotating portion 104, a glass plate 105b standing perpendicular to the inclined portion 22c is provided on the back side of the rotating portion 104, and a glass plate 105c is provided across the glass plates 105a and 105b on the upper side of the rotating portion 104. The glass plates 105a, 105b, and 105c have optical properties that allow them to transmit near-infrared light and visible light, respectively, and the glass plates 105a, 105b, and 105c form a window portion 105 surrounding the rotating portion 104.

[0125] Therefore, the distance measuring light 34 and the detection light 26 reflected by the scanning mirror 15 and transmitted through the detection light reflecting mirror 103 are transmitted through the window portion 105 and irradiated onto the object to be measured, and the reflected distance measuring light 48 reflected by the object to be measured is transmitted through the window portion 105 and incident on the rotating portion 104.

[0126] In the fifth embodiment, the detection unit 21 is provided closer to the center than in the first embodiment, and opens toward the horizontal portion 22a of the recess 22 and toward the front side of the mechanical center 55. That is, the distance between the detection optical axis 25 and the mechanical center 55 is closer than in the first embodiment.

[0127] Therefore, the vertical angle range in which the detection light 26 is incident on the detection light reflecting mirror 103 while the rotating part 104 makes one rotation can be made larger than in the first embodiment, so that the irradiation range in the vertical direction of the detection light 26 can be further increased, and the detection range of the object to be measured can be expanded.

[0128] Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. In Figures 11 and 12, the same components as those in Figures 2 and 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0129] In the sixth embodiment, an upwardly projecting handle portion 106 is detachably attached to the support portion 5 so as to span the recessed portion 22 from above. The handle portion 106 has a longitudinal portion 106a that spans the recessed portion 22 and extends horizontally, and the longitudinal portion 106a is parallel to, for example, the axis 11a (see FIG. 1).

[0130] Furthermore, a detector 107 that opens downward is provided on the long portion 106a, and a detection optical axis 108 of the detector 107 extends vertically downward, i.e., parallel to the axis 6a (see FIG. 1), toward the rotating portion 20. In the sixth embodiment, the detector 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 detector 107 is the same as that of the detector 21.

[0131] In the sixth embodiment, the reflection direction of the detection optical axis 108 changes depending on the rotational position of the rotating part 20, and the irradiation range of the detection light 26 changes, so that the object to be measured can be detected in a range greater than the spread angle of the detection light 26.

[0132] Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In Fig. 13, the same components as those in Fig. 12 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0133] In the seventh embodiment, a first detection unit 109 that opens downward is provided on the longitudinal portion 106a and closer to the front than the mechanical center 55, and a second detection unit 111 that opens upward is provided on the horizontal portion 22a of the recess 22 and closer to the front than the mechanical center 55.

[0134] A first detection optical axis 112 of the first detection unit 109 extends downward toward the rotating unit 20 in parallel with the axis 6a (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, a second detection optical axis 113 of the second detection unit 111 extends vertically upward, i.e., upward toward the rotating unit 20 in parallel with the axis 6a. Furthermore, the first detection unit 109 and the second detection unit 111 are arranged so that the first detection optical axis 112 and the second detection optical axis 113 coincide with each other. The other configurations are the same as those of the sixth embodiment. Furthermore, the configurations of the first detection unit 109 and the second detection unit 111 are the same as those of the detection unit 21 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 4).

[0135] In the seventh embodiment, either the first detection light 114 emitted from the first detection unit 109 or the second detection light 115 emitted from the second detection unit 111 is reflected by the detection light separation surface 24 and is emitted toward the front side of the surveying device 1.

[0136] Therefore, the angular range of the rotating part 20 at which the detection light 114, 115 is incident on the detection light separation surface 24 is widened, and the vertical irradiation range of the detection light 114, 115 can be widened, thereby further expanding the detection range of the object to be measured.

[0137] Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. In Figures 14 and 15, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as in Figures 11 and 12, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0138] In the eighth embodiment, a handle 116 is detachably provided on the front side of the base 5 at a position adjacent to the recess 22. The handle 116 is parallel to the front wall of the base 5 and has a longitudinal portion 116a extending in the vertical direction, and the longitudinal portion 116a is parallel to, for example, the axis 6a (see FIG. 1).

[0139] A detection unit 117 is provided on the long portion 116a, and a detection optical axis 118 extends toward the rotating unit 20 and is configured to be reflected by the detection light separation surface 24. The detection unit 117 is also arranged so that, when the distance measurement optical axis 32 is deflected horizontally by the scanning mirror 15, the detection optical axis 118 intersects with the distance measurement optical axis 32a on the detection light separation surface 24, and the detection optical axis 118a deflected horizontally by the detection light separation surface 24 is completely coaxial with the distance measurement optical axis 32a. In other words, the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39 are emitted coaxially with the detection light 119. The other configurations are the same as those of the sixth embodiment.

[0140] In the eighth embodiment, the detection unit 117 is provided on the handle 116 so that the horizontally deflected distance measurement optical axis 32 and the detection optical axis 118a are completely coaxial with each other. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the object to be measured can be further improved.

[0141] Also in the eighth embodiment, the detection light 119 can be irradiated in a range greater than the divergence angle of the detection light 119, so that the detection range of the object to be measured can be expanded and the time required to detect the object to be measured can be shortened.

[0142] Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 16. In Fig. 16, the same components as those in Fig. 15 are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0143] In the ninth embodiment, a detection unit 117 is provided inside the base unit 5, and a detection optical axis 118 extends toward the front side of the surveying instrument 1. In addition, a mirror 121 that deflects the detection optical axis 118 is provided on the handle unit 116. The mirror 121 deflects the detection optical axis 118 so that the detection optical axis 118 intersects with the distance measurement optical axis 32a on the detection light separation surface 24, and the detection optical axis 118a deflected by the detection light separation surface 24 is completely coaxial with the distance measurement optical axis 32a. In other words, the detection light 119 is emitted coaxially with the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39. The other configurations are the same as those of the eighth embodiment.

[0144] In the ninth embodiment, the distance measurement optical axis 32a and the detection optical axis 118a are also coaxial, which improves the detection accuracy of the object to be measured, and since there is no need to incorporate the detection unit 117 into 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.

[0145] Furthermore, since the detection light 119 can be irradiated in a range greater than the divergence angle of the detection light 119, the detection range of the object to be measured can be expanded, and the time required to detect the object to be measured can be shortened.

[0146] Next, a tenth 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.

[0147] In the tenth embodiment, a scanning prism 122 is used instead of a scanning mirror as a vertical rotation unit for rotating and irradiating the distance measurement light 34. The scanning prism 122 is a substantially cubic square prism formed by joining two triangular prisms, and as shown in Fig. 18A, the joining surface of each triangular prism forms a reflecting surface 123 that reflects near-infrared light, i.e., the distance measurement light 34 and tracking light 39.

[0148] 18B, a dichroic film serving as a detection light separating member is vapor-deposited on the detection light reflecting surface 124a, which is the exit surface of the distance measurement light 34, among the surfaces of the scanning prism 122. Furthermore, on the surfaces other than the incident surface of the distance measurement light 34 and the surface fixed to the vertical rotation shaft 11 (see FIG. 1), i.e., on the four surfaces intersecting with the axis 6a (see FIG. 1), a dichroic film similar to the detection light reflecting surface 124a or a detection light reflecting film is vapor-deposited on the three surfaces other than the detection light reflecting surface 124a, thereby forming detection light reflecting surfaces 124b, 124c, and 124d serving as detection light reflecting mirrors. The detection light reflecting surfaces 124a to 124d form the detection light reflecting surface 124. 18B, the detection light reflecting surfaces 124 are formed on four surfaces, but the detection light reflecting surfaces 124 may be formed on at least two surfaces, namely the exit surface of the distance measuring light 34 incident on the scanning prism 122 and at least one surface adjacent to the exit surface. Furthermore, of the detection light reflecting surfaces 124, 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 122 constitutes a rotating part.

[0149] In the tenth embodiment, the detector 21 is provided on the support 5 and opens to the horizontal portion 22a of the recess 22 and toward the front side of the mechanical center 55. The detection optical axis 25 of the detector 21 extends vertically upward toward the scanning prism 122, that is, in a direction parallel to the axis 6a (see FIG. 1).

[0150] In the tenth embodiment, the scanning prism 122 has four detection light reflecting surfaces 124a to 124d, and the detection light 26 irradiated toward the scanning prism 122 is configured to be constantly irradiated toward the front side of the surveying instrument 1 by one of the detection light reflecting surfaces 124a to 124d. Therefore, the detection range of the measurement object is expanded, and the number of times that the scanning prism 122 deflects the detection light 26 in the vertical direction per rotation is increased, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the measurement object.

[0151] FIGS. 19A and 19B show a modified example of the tenth embodiment. In this modified example, a scanning mirror 15 is used as the vertical rotation unit. Furthermore, as the detection light separation surface, a window portion 23 on which a dichroic film that reflects only the detection light 26 is vapor-deposited and one to three glass plates 125 on which a detection light reflective film is vapor-deposited are used as the detection light reflection mirrors. Note that FIG. 19A shows the case where there is one glass plate 125, while FIG. 19B shows the case where there are three glass plates 125 (125a to 125c in the figure). The glass plates 125 function as detection light reflection mirrors, and by being positioned so as to intersect with the detection optical axis 25, they can achieve the same effect as the detection light reflection surface 124. Furthermore, the scanning mirror 15 and each glass plate 125 form a rotation unit 126.

[0152] Next, an eleventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 20 and 21. In Figures 20 and 21, the same components as those in Figures 17 and 18 are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0153] In the eleventh embodiment, a scanning prism 127 is used instead of a scanning mirror as a vertical rotating part for rotating and irradiating the distance measuring light 34. Also, the base 5 is provided with a detecting part 21 that opens on the horizontal part 22a of the recess 22 and on the front side of the mechanical center 55. The detecting part 21 has the same configuration as the detecting part 21 in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

[0154] 21(A) and 21(B), the scanning prism 127 is a triangular prism, and has a reflecting surface 128 that reflects near-infrared light, that is, the distance measurement light 34 and the tracking light 39. Also, as shown in Figures 21(A) and 21(B), a dichroic film is deposited on the exit surface of the distance measurement light 34 as a detection light separating member, forming a detection light reflecting surface 129 that reflects only the detection light 26, and the detection light axis 25 is configured to be deflected by the detection light reflecting surface 129.

[0155] In the eleventh embodiment, the detection light 26 is also deflected in the vertical direction relative to the horizontal by the detection light reflecting surface 129. Therefore, the detection light 26 can be irradiated in a range greater than the spread angle of the detection light 26, which expands the detection range of the measurement object and shortens the time required to detect the measurement object.

[0156] Next, a twelfth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 22 and 23. In Figures 22 and 23, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts as in Figure 4, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0157] In the twelfth embodiment, the surveying instrument 1 is a total station. The surveying instrument 1 has a recess 22 formed in the base part 5, and the recess 22 is provided with a measuring part 131 as a rotating part.

[0158] The measuring unit 131 is rotatably supported on the base unit 5 via a vertical rotation shaft 11 (see FIG. 1), and is rotated in the vertical direction around a mechanical center 55 by a vertical rotation motor 13 serving as a vertical rotation drive unit. The measuring unit 131 also houses a distance measurement unit 19, and the direction of the distance measurement optical axis 32 also changes vertically in response to the rotation of the measuring unit 131. Regardless of the rotation position of the measuring unit 131, the mechanical center 55 is located on an extension of the distance measurement optical axis 32, and the rotation angle of the measuring unit 131 and the rotation angle of the distance measurement optical axis 32 match.

[0159] The support portion 5 is provided with a detection portion 21 that opens into the inclined portion 22b of the recess 22, and the detection portion 21 is arranged so that the detection optical axis 25 extends vertically upward, i.e., in a direction parallel to the axis 6a (see Figure 1), i.e., toward the measurement portion 131.

[0160] Furthermore, a detection light reflecting mirror 132 is provided on the underside of the measuring unit 131 as a detection light separating optical member that reflects the detection light 26. The detection light reflecting mirror 132 is, for example, a glass plate on which a detection light reflecting film that reflects the detection light 26 is vapor-deposited. The detection light 26 is reflected by the detection light reflecting mirror 132 and is irradiated toward the front side of the surveying instrument 1.

[0161] In the twelfth embodiment, the detection light 26 is also deflected in the vertical direction relative to the horizontal by the detection light reflecting mirror 132. Therefore, the detection light 26 can be irradiated in a range greater than the spread angle of the detection light 26, which expands the detection range of the measurement object and shortens the time required to detect the measurement object.

[0162] 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 Detection unit 23 Window unit 24 Detection light separation surface 26 Detection light 27 Distance measurement light emitting unit 28 Distance measurement light receiving unit 29 Tracking light emitting unit 31 Tracking light receiving unit

Claims

1. 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 in the vertical direction, a base unit on which the rotating unit is provided, a horizontal rotation drive unit that rotates the base unit in the horizontal direction, a detection light irradiating unit that emits detection light, and a detection light receiving unit having a detection light receiving element that receives the reflected detection light reflected by the object to be measured, and a light different from the distance measuring light is irradiated toward the rotating unit. a detection unit that irradiates the detection light having a wavelength of 100 nm, and a calculation 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, and calculates the direction of the object to be measured based on the result of receiving the reflected detection light at the detection light receiving element, wherein the rotating unit has a detection light separating optical member that transmits the distance measuring light and reflects the detection light, and the detection light is irradiated in a range equal to or greater than the spread angle of the detection light by the rotation of the rotating unit.

2. A surveying device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a tracking light emitting unit having a tracking light emitting element which emits tracking light onto the object to be measured, the tracking light being coaxial with the distance measuring light and having a smaller spread angle than the detection light, and a tracking light receiving unit which receives the reflected tracking light from the object to be measured coaxially with the reflected distance measuring light, wherein the calculation and control unit calculates the direction of the object to be measured based on the result of receiving the reflected detection light, rotates the rotating unit and the base unit so that the object to be measured is positioned within the angle of view of the tracking light, and begins tracking.

3. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein said detection light receiving section has a bandpass filter which transmits only said reflected detection light.

4. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein said detection light receiving section has a dual pass filter which transmits said reflected detection light and visible light.

5. A surveying instrument according to claim 2, wherein said detection light receiving section is configured so as to selectively insert either a band pass filter which transmits only said reflected detection light or a short pass filter which transmits only visible light.

6. The surveying device of claim 2, wherein the detection unit has a first detection light irradiating unit that irradiates a first detection light and a second detection light irradiating unit that irradiates a second detection light, which are arranged symmetrically on either side of the detection light receiving unit, and the plane onto which the distance measuring light and the tracking light are irradiated and the plane onto which the first detection light and the second detection light are irradiated intersect at the light receiving optical axis of the detection light receiving unit.

7. A surveying instrument according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the rotating portion has a scanning mirror and a window portion which rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and the detection light separating optical element is a dichroic film which is vapor deposited on the window portion and which reflects only the detection light.

8. A surveying instrument according to any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising a window portion surrounding the rotating portion, the rotating portion having a scanning mirror and a detection light reflecting mirror which rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and the detection light separating optical element being a dichroic film vapor-deposited on the detection light reflecting mirror.

9. A surveying instrument according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the rotating portion is a scanning mirror, a window portion which rotates integrally with the scanning mirror, and at least one detection light reflecting mirror, and the detection light separating optical element is a dichroic film vapor-deposited on the window portion.

10. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the rotating part is a square prism formed by joining two triangular prisms, the detection light separation 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 detection light reflecting mirror.

11. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the rotating part is a triangular prism, and the detection light separation optical element is a dichroic film deposited on the exit surface of the distance measurement light incident on the triangular prism.

12. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the rotating section is a measuring section in which the distance measuring section is housed, and the detection light separating optical element is a detection light reflecting mirror provided on the underside of the measuring section.

13. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein a recess is formed in the support portion, the rotating portion is provided within the recess, and the detection portion is configured so that the detection optical axis extends from the bottom surface of the recess toward the rotating portion and is deflected by the detection light separating optical element so as to be positioned in the same plane as the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

14. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein a recess is formed in the support portion, the rotating portion is provided within the recess, and the device has a handle portion provided across the recess and the detecting portion provided on the handle portion, and the detecting portion is configured so that the detecting optical axis extends from the handle portion towards the rotating portion and is deflected by the detecting light separating optical element so as to be positioned in the same plane as the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

15. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein a recess is formed in the support portion, the rotating portion is provided within the recess, the handle portion is provided adjacent to the recess, and the detection portion is provided on the handle portion, and the detection portion is configured so that the detection optical axis extends from the handle portion toward the rotating portion and is deflected by the detection light separating optical element so as to be coaxial or approximately coaxial with the optical axis of the distance measuring light.

16. A surveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, comprising a recess formed in the support portion, the rotating portion provided within the recess, a handle portion provided adjacent to the recess, and a mirror provided on the handle portion, the detection portion being provided on the support portion such that the detection optical axis extends toward the mirror, and the detection optical axis being configured to be coaxial or approximately coaxial with the optical axis of the distance measuring light by the mirror and the detection light separating optical member.

Images