Stationary and mobile scanning operations

A method of operating a scanning surveying system, wherein the scanning surveying system comprises:

• a base;
• an alidade mounted on the base and rotatable relative to the base about a first axis;
• a first motor configured to rotate the alidade relative to the base;
• a rotating optical element coupled to the alidade and rotatable relative to the alidade about a second axis;
• a second motor configured to rotate the rotating optical element relative to the alidade;
• an optical distance measuring unit configured to direct measuring light onto the rotating optical element such that the measuring light is directed towards objects surrounding the scanning surveying system, and to receive portions of the measuring light reflected back from the objects;
• a sensor configured to detect a motion of the scanning surveying system;
• and
• a controller configured to control the optical distance measuring unit;
• wherein the method comprises:
• controlling, by the controller, the optical distance measuring unit to perform stationary scanning operations;
• detecting, by the sensor, a motion of the scanning surveying system;
• and
• in response to detecting the motion of the scanning surveying system, controlling, by the controller, the optical distance measuring unit to automatically perform mobile scanning operations.

A scanning surveying system, comprising:

• a base;
• an alidade mounted on the base and rotatable relative to the base about a first axis;
• a first motor configured to rotate the alidade relative to the base;
• a rotating optical element coupled to the alidade and rotatable relative to the alidade about a second axis;
• a second motor configured to rotate the rotating optical element relative to the alidade;
• an optical distance measuring unit configured to direct measuring light onto the rotating optical element such that the measuring light is directed towards objects surrounding the scanning surveying system, and to receive portions of the measuring light reflected back from the objects;
• a sensor configured to detect a motion of the scanning surveying system;
• and
• a controller configured to control the optical distance measuring unit to automatically perform stationary scanning operations in response to a detection that the scanning surveying system has been stationary for a predetermined amount of time after a detection of motion by the sensor.

A method of operating a scanning surveying system, wherein the scanning surveying system comprises:

• a base;
• an alidade mounted on the base and rotatable relative to the base about a first axis;
• a first motor configured to rotate the alidade relative to the base;
• a rotating optical element coupled to the alidade and rotatable relative to the alidade about a second axis;
• a second motor configured to rotate the rotating optical element relative to the alidade;
• an optical distance measuring unit configured to direct measuring light onto the rotating optical element such that the measuring light is directed towards objects surrounding the scanning surveying system, and to receive portions of the measuring light reflected back from the objects;
• a sensor configured to detect a motion of the scanning surveying system;
• and
• a controller configured to control the optical distance measuring unit;
• wherein the method comprises:
• detecting, by the sensor, a motion of the scanning surveying system;
• subsequent to detecting the motion of the scanning surveying system, detecting, by the sensor, that the scanning surveying system has been stationary for a predetermined amount of time;
• and
• in response to detecting that the scanning surveying system has been stationary for the predetermined amount of time, controlling, by the controller, the optical distance measuring unit to automatically perform stationary scanning operations.