# US 10,371,801 B2 · Measuring instrument

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- Number: US 10,371,801 B2
- Document ID: US10371801B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/243,025
- Filed: 2016-08-22
- Published: 2017-03-02
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-08-26
- Assignees: Topcon Corporation
- Applicants: TOPCON Corporation
- Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo; Kaoru Kumagai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371801B2

## CPC

- G01S 7/4808: {Evaluating distance, position or velocity data}
- G01C 1/02: Theodolites
- G01C 3/08: Use of electric radiation detectors
- G01C 9/18: by using liquids
- G01C 15/002: {Active optical surveying means (optical plumbing G01C15/105)}
- G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

The invention provides a measuring instrument, which comprises a measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light toward an object to be measured and for performing a distance measurement by receiving a reflected light from the object to be measured, and an attitude detecting device integrally provided with the measuring unit, wherein the attitude detecting device has tilt sensors for detecting a horizontality and relative tilt angle detectors for tilting the tilt sensors and for detecting a tilt angle of the measuring unit with respect to the horizontality under such condition that the tilt sensors detects the horizontality so that the horizontality is detected by the tilt sensor, and wherein the distance measurement of the object to be measured is performed by the measuring unit, and a vertical angle of a measuring point is determined based on the result of the tilt detection by the attitude detecting device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A measuring instrument, comprising a measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light toward an object to be measured and for performing a distance measurement by receiving a reflected light from the object to be measured, and an attitude detecting device integrally provided with said measuring unit, wherein said attitude detecting device has tilt sensors for detecting a horizontality and relative tilt angle detectors for tilting said tilt sensors so that the horizontality is detected by said tilt sensors and for detecting a relative tilt angle between said measuring unit and said tilt sensors under such condition that said tilt sensors detects the horizontality, and wherein the distance measurement of the object to be measured is performed by said measuring unit, and a vertical angle of a measuring point is determined based on the result of the tilt detection by said attitude detecting device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The measuring instrument according to claim 1, further comprising an image pickup unit having an image pickup optical axis running in parallel to an optical axis of said measuring unit and a display unit for displaying an image picked up by said image pickup unit, wherein said image pickup unit acquires an image including the object to be measured, and said image is displayed on said display unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein said measuring unit and said attitude detecting device are accommodated in a casing, and said casing is designed as portable.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein said measuring unit and said attitude detecting device are accommodated in a casing, said casing is mounted on an installment base unit, said installment base unit rotatably supports said casing in an up-to-bottom direction and rotatably supports in a left-to-right direction, and said installment base unit is provided with a left-to-right angle detector for detecting a rotation angle in the left-to-right direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein said tilt sensors comprise a first tilt sensor with high accuracy and a second tilt sensor with high responsiveness.