# US 12,192,638 B2 · Laser scanning apparatus, laser scanning method, and laser scanning program

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- Number: US 12,192,638 B2
- Document ID: US12192638B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/165,354
- Filed: 2023-02-07
- Published: 2023-08-17
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-14
- Assignees: Topcon Corporation
- Applicants: Topcon Corporation
- Inventors: You Sasaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192638B2

## CPC

- G01C 15/004: {Reference lines, planes or sectors}
- H04N 23/698: for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
- G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning}
- G01S 17/86: Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
- G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging
- 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)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- 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

## Abstract

Efficiency of a technique for performing laser scanning and photography simultaneously is improved. A laser scanning apparatus includes a horizontally rotatable horizontal rotation unit, a rotation controller, and a processor or circuitry. The horizontal rotation unit includes cameras and a vertical rotation unit that performs laser scanning in an upper-lower direction. The rotation controller controls rotation of the horizontal rotation unit. The processor or circuitry performs a process of not selecting some pieces of laser scanning data that is obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction. Laser scanning and photography that uses the cameras are performed while the horizontal rotation unit is horizontally rotated. The rotation of the horizontal rotation unit is decelerated in performing photography. The processor or circuitry does not select some pieces of laser scanning data that are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction during the deceleration.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A laser scanning apparatus comprising:
a horizontally rotatable horizontal rotation unit including a camera and a laser scanning unit that is configured to perform laser scanning in an upper-lower direction; and
a processor or circuitry being configured to perform a process of not selecting some pieces of laser scanning data that are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction,
wherein the laser scanning and photography that uses the camera are performed while the horizontal rotation unit is horizontally rotated;
the photography is performed by decelerating rotation of the horizontal rotation unit;
the processor or circuitry does not select some pieces of laser scanning data that are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction during the deceleration,
wherein the deceleration is performed on the horizontal rotation unit in a state of being rotated at a constant speed, and
some pieces of laser scanning data, which are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction, are not selected, so as to reduce differences between scanning intervals in a horizontal direction of laser scanning in the upper-lower direction during rotation at the constant speed and scanning intervals in the horizontal direction of laser scanning in the upper-lower direction during the deceleration.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The laser scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deceleration is performed by applying negative acceleration so as to decrease speed of the rotation or is performed so as to make the rotation slower.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The laser scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process of not selecting some pieces of laser scanning data, which are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction, is performed by not emitting or not receiving light of laser scanning in the upper-lower direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The laser scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process of not selecting some pieces of laser scanning data, which are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction, is performed by not detecting a detection signal related to laser scanning in the upper-lower direction.

### Claim 5

A laser scanning apparatus comprising:
a horizontally rotatable horizontal rotation unit including a camera and a laser scanning unit that is configured to perform laser scanning in an upper-lower direction; and
a processor or circuitry being configured to perform a process of not selecting some pieces of laser scanning data that are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction,
wherein the laser scanning and photography that uses the camera are performed while the horizontal rotation unit is horizontally rotated;
the photography is performed by decelerating rotation of the horizontal rotation unit;
the processor or circuitry does not select some pieces of laser scanning data that are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction during the deceleration,
wherein the process of not selecting some pieces of laser scanning data, which are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction, corrects irregularity in interval in the horizontal direction of scanning data.

### Claim 6

A laser scanning apparatus comprising:
a horizontally rotatable horizontal rotation unit including a camera and a laser scanning unit that is configured to perform laser scanning in an upper-lower direction; and
a processor or circuitry being configured to perform a process of not selecting some pieces of laser scanning data that are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction,
wherein the laser scanning and photography that uses the camera are performed while the horizontal rotation unit is horizontally rotated;
the photography is performed by decelerating rotation of the horizontal rotation unit;
the processor or circuitry does not select some pieces of laser scanning data that are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction during the deceleration,
wherein the deceleration is performed on the horizontal rotation unit in a state of being rotated at a constant speed, and
the process of not selecting some pieces of laser scanning data, which are obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction, is performed by selecting some pieces of upper-lower scanning data, based on an angle interval 40 in the horizontal direction of the upper-lower scanning data that is obtained by laser scanning in the upper-lower direction during rotation at the constant speed.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The laser scanning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the some pieces of upper-lower scanning data are selected at angle intervals closest to the angle interval Δθ.