Patent · US Expired

Surveying instrument

US6445446B1 · kind B1 · utility

81Cited by
4References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 15, 1999
Grant dateSep 3, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 15, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S7/4811
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A photodetecting system for an automatic surveying instrument equipped with an automatic tracking system is capable of controlling the automatic surveying instrument by simple photodetecting means. A collimating optical system collimates the surveying instrument with respect to an object, a splitting optical device splits incident light rays received from the collimating optical system into light rays that travel toward first and second photodetecting devices, respectively, a first light condensing device disposed on an optical path between the first photodetecting device and the splitting optical device gathers the light rays in a first direction, and a second light condensing device disposed on an optical path between the second photodetecting device and the splitting optical device gathers the light rays in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.