Geodetic instrument.

p0001The present invention relates to a surveying instrument with a component for optical imaging of a target and with a camera for the electronic detection of the optical image produced in the instrument part.

p0002Surveying instruments this kind are already known. As the optical part of such an instrument is a riflescope. In scope is a reticle. The telescope is associated with a camera, where the provisions of this image of the reticle and the target, the target figure and the target are shown on a screen. With the help of controls can adjust the scope such that cover the middle part of the image of the target and the middle part of the reticle.

p0003In such an instrument, the readings can only by adjusting the optical portion thereof may be obtained by the operator. In some applications of surveying instruments, however, requires that the measured values ​​are recorded automatically.

p0004The object of the present invention is to provide a surveying instrument, which enables the automatic carrying out of measurements.

p0005This object is inventively solved the surveying instrument of the aforementioned type, as defined in the characterizing part of claim 1.

p0006In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows:<ul><li>FIG. 1 is a side view of the present instrument,</li><li>FIG. 2 is a front view of a subject present in this instrument surround,</li><li>Fig. 3 to 6 Additional versions of the diaphragm according to FIG. 2 and</li><li>Fig. 7 is a diaphragm which is provided with alignment marks.</li></ul>

p0007This surveying instrument comprises an optical element 1, and a camera second The optical instrument part 1 is used for imaging of a target or a target (not shown) extending in the target area, for example in a to be measured area, inside a building or the like., Are and which mark the respective point of the object to be measured. When such a mark can be used for example a known measuring mark.

p0008The camera 2 has an optical inlet section 23, in a field located from opto-electronic elements. These are used to convert optical images into electrical signals. Such cameras are also already known. The Kopellung between the exit part of the optical instrument part 1 and the optical input section 23 of the camera 2 is performed using an optical deflection device 3 which is connected between these two instrument parts. 1 and 2 This deflection device 3 includes, among other parts, such as an imaging optical system 8, a prism 4, which provides the necessary deflection of the optical beams to the camera second

p0009The optical part 1 has a lens 5, which is the initial part of a housing. 6 In the opposite end section of this housing 6 is an eyepiece 7, which is associated with 3 the deflection. In the plane in which the image generated by the lens reele 5 the objective arises, there is a screen 10, which bears a reference mark (20, Fig. 2 and following). At this level, therefore both the image of the target and the reference mark are simultaneously visible. The ocular 7 is arranged with respect to this plane in such a manner that this plane is located in the front focal plane of the eyepiece. 7 Through the eyepiece 7, the image of the target and the image of the reference mark can thus be observed simultaneously.

p0010In FIG. 1 one of the supports sides 11 of the support for the telescope 1 is shown. The tilting axis 12 consists of two shaft halves 121, of which only the rear support mounted in the side shaft half 11 is indicated by 121 in FIG. 1. The remote from the bearing points ends of the shaft halves 121 are attached to the side surfaces of a sleeve 31, which thus forms a rotatable around the tilt axis unit with these shaft halves 121st The camera 2 is located on a support plate 13 which is fastened by means of screws 14 on the top of the sleeve 31st

p0011The inner diameter of said sleeve 31 is larger than the outer diameter of the central portion of the telescope housing 6. This middle part of the housing 6, which is cylindrical, is provided with a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing 6 stationary holding plate 9th In the corners of the plate 9 holes are designed to pass through which fastening screws 32 for the telescope. 1 These screws 32 are screwed into threaded bores which are made in the front side of the sleeve 31st The described mounting of the camera 2 to the sleeve 31 any mechanical stress of the housing 6 of the telescope 1 can be prevented by the camera 2, even though the overall length of the instrument vorlie ing the length of a conventional surveying instrument resembles.

p0012It is also possible to omit the eyepiece and assign the entry portion of the deflection device 3 of the visor 10 directly.

p0013Fig. 2-7 show several embodiments of the diaphragm 10. The outer edge 15 of the aperture 10 is substantially circular, because the aperture 10 is to be arranged in the housing 6. One can the edge 15 but also be regarded as the outer border of the image field of the telescope. 1 In the middle area of ​​the diaphragm 10 an opening 16 is formed, which has an edge 17th Around the middle of this aperture 16 is the finish line of the telescope 1 round. In the aperture 16 is the already mentioned reference mark 20th

p0014In the example shown in Fig. 2, the reference mark 20 in the form of a quadrangular frame, which is located inside the aperture opening 16. This means that the outer edge of the reference mark 20 is located at a distance from the inner edge 17 of the aperture sixteenth The lying between the outer edge of the reference mark 20 and the edge 17 of the aperture 16 Section 18 of the aperture 10 is for accumulating radiation equal permeable as the area located inside the reference mark 20 of the screen 10. The Re reference mark 20 is made such that impinging on the diaphragm 10 radiation is partially prevented from passing through the aperture 10 at least.

p0015The camera 2 captures the central region of the aperture 10. By means of per se known measures can be achieved that the value detected by the camera 2 region of the diaphragm 10 is larger than the area of ​​the aperture 16. This means that the camera 2 not only the can detect surface of the aperture 16 but also that region 19 of the impermeable for the radiation part 22 of the diaphragm 10, which directly adjoins the aperture sixteenth In this way, the dimensions of the camera field of view are enlarged not only in the horizontal but also in the vertical direction. The outer boundary of the visual field of the camera 2 is designated by the 21st

p0016Fig. 3 shows a diaphragm 10 in which the edge 17 of the aperture 16 is circular and in which the reference mark 20 has the shape of a ring, which is located at a distance 18 from the edge 17 of the aperture 16. This distance 18 is equal in the example shown in any direction of the diaphragm 10th Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the reference mark 20, in which the aperture 16 and the reference mark 20 are hexagonal.

p0017Under certain circumstances it may be advantageous to make the width of the permeable portion 18 between the reference mark 20 and the diaphragm edge 17 along the reference mark 20 is variable or of unequal size. This can even go so far that the reference mark 20 is designed as an offshoot from the diaphragm edge 17th

p0018According to FIG. 5 and 6, the reference mark 20 as one or more can be formed of a self-contained character in the present case two cutouts 201 and 202. For the reference mark 20 of FIG. 5 represents a quadrilateral the self-contained character. For the reference mark 20 of FIG. 6, this is a circle. The respective portion 201 and 202 of the reference mark 20 of FIG. 5 is approximately L-shaped, with the legs 25 and 26 of the respective L-shaped portion 201 and 202 of the reference mark 20 can be long same or different. In the example shown, the legs 25 and 26 of different lengths, wherein the longer legs 25 extend horizontally. The sections 201 and 202 of the reference mark 20 are arranged in opposite corners of the square aperture 16 in which the width of the permeable region 18 of the diaphragm 10 between the sections 201 and 202 of the reference mark 20 and the edge 17 of the aperture 16 at the two mark portions 201 and 202 is the same and at the same time immutable.

p0019In the aperture 10 of FIG. 6, the reference mark 20 of two arcuate portions 201 and 202 which are 16 arranged in a circular aperture diametrically opposite. Again, the distance 18 between the mark portions 201 and 202 and the edge 17 of the aperture 16 is the same and consistently.

p0020In Fig. 7 a diaphragm 10 is shown which is very similar to the diaphragm of FIG. 2. In contrast to the last-mentioned aperture 10, the aperture according to FIG. 7 fiducials 30th These alignment marks 30 are used to adjust the aperture 10 within the telescope 1, as is well known. As this alignment marks 30 are not directly involved in the extraction of measurement results, they are located outside the outer limit 21 of the field of the camera 2 in the radiation otherwise impenetrable area 22 of the aperture 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the alignment marks 30 are diamond-shaped. Symmetrically to each side of the frame 20 is located in each case such an alignment mark 30 with the longer diagonal of the diamond 30 is perpendicular to the respective side of the square-shaped reference mark 20th

p0021In the optical input section of the camera 2, which is coupled via the deflection device 4 with the telescope 1, there is an array of elements, which are sensitive to the incident to this radiation, such as light. These sensors convert the radiation into electrical signals. The sensitive elements are arranged within the said field to form rows and columns.

p0022The shape and the size of the sensor field is indicated by the outer boundary 21 of the field of view of the camera second For the function of this instrument, it is irrelevant whether the surface of the sensor array is in fact as great as indicated by the boundary line 21, or whether the limitation 21 of the sensor array from a projection of this field in the plane of the diaphragm 10, for example, by diverting 4, revealed. Each sensitive to the radiation element of the sensor array 21 is in this manner a certain elementary area of ​​the surface of the diaphragm 10 is associated, which is delimited by the boundary line 21 of the image field of the camera second The image field of the camera 2 thus includes the marginal portion 19 of the aperture 10. Conversely, one can say that the irradiation condition of the respective elementary area of ​​the aperture 10 has an effect on the corresponding sensor on the camera 2 on said Zuordnungsweg. With the aid of suitable electronic circuits can determine the charge state of the sensors and transmit the thus obtained signal for processing at other circuits. Such cameras 2 are prior art.

p0023If radiation of an elemental area of ​​the aperture 10 is propagated to the corresponding sensitive element of the camera 2, then appears at the output of this element an electrical signal. In the absence of irradiation, then is the sensor element in question from no electrical signal. Proceeding from these known findings, we can say that sensitive elements which behind the impenetrable to the radiation used elementary areas of the diaphragm 10, for example, behind the reference mark 20 and its components 201 and 202, as well as behind the edge area 19 of the aperture 16 , are, proposed no electrical signal. In the irradiated sensor elements, of course, the opposite is true. The charge state of the sensor elements in the mentioned field is indeed interrogated sequentially by said electronic circuits, however, the method and the switching circuits are known, which allow the sequential signal reshape so that an electrical image corresponding to the optical image on the screen 10 is formed.

p0024In this way the course of the edge 17 of the aperture 16 and / or the shape of the reference mark 20 can be electrically detected and indeed as a contrast to the uncovered Ele the diaphragm mentarflächen 10. A first of these areas is located in the area bounded by the reference mark 20 area of aperture 16, while a second of such surfaces 18 located between the outer edge of the reference mark 20 and the edge 17 of the aperture sixteenth

p0025The optical part 1 of this instrument can be initially aligned such that the image of the desired or sought target figure in that region of the aperture 16 falls, which is located within the reference mark 20th The image of the target figure is distinguished, the same as the reference mark 20, etc., through juxtaposed contrasts between light and dark out. Therefore, the the respective elementary area of ​​the aperture 16 associated sensor in the camera 2 provides an electrical signal or not, depending on whether it is located in a bright or dark area of ​​the image of the target figure. In this manner, not only the shape of the image of the target figure but also its location within the aperture 16 electrically detect. The devices connected to the camera 2 switching circuits can therefore also provide the basic information on whether the image of one or a very specific target figure in the aperture 16 or not.

p0026Once it has been established that 16 is the image of the desired objective in the aperture, you can perform the rough reading of the coordinates of this objective, for example, from the corresponding pitch circles of the surveying instrument. To specify the exact position of the target, the distance between the line of sight of the optical instrument part and the image of the target has to be determined, though.

p0027For the reference mark 20 is advantageously chosen a shape that can be described mathematically easy or capture. The reference mark 20 may take the form of a rectangle, a polygon, a circle or at least a section of these, or a part of them. There are already known switching circuitry, can calculate which reproduced from such curves electrical signals the emphasis of the respective curve. Such a circuit may be part of the connected to the output of the camera 2 circuitry. The calculated in this way focus SR of the reference mark 20 is one of the points of the line of sight of the telescope. 1

p0028Said switching circuit may equally also the focus of the image of the target SM calculate. There are now therefore two priorities SR and SM before, which in most cases are located at a distance from each other. The track A, which connects these two points SR and SM, has a limited hours te length and a certain direction. The device connected to the camera 2 electric circuitry is further configured such that it is able to determine the length and direction of said distance A between the two focal points SR and SM. With this route A relevant information already mentioned and read from the pitch circles of the instrument rough information be corrected so that accurate information on the position of the target can be made.

p0029It is understood that the reference mark can still be carried out differently. As reference mark, for example, only the edge 17 and the edge portion 19 of the aperture 16 are used, so that it requires no special reference mark in the aperture. On the other hand, a brand designed as described 20 or 201, 202 or the like. In the image field of the optical instrument part can be arranged without being surrounded by a bezel. The present invention relates to all possible embodiments of the disclosed in this document object, which lie within the current protection is sought. It is also noted that all features disclosed in the present specification features are to be regarded as essential to the invention.