Method and handheld distance measuring device for creating a spatial model

A handheld distance measuring device comprising:

• a laser distance meter for measuring distances to target points in an environment;
• an analysis component for deriving and providing the measured distances;
• and
• an image acquisition unit having at least one camera for acquiring images of the environment;
• wherein a control unit having program code for controlling a spatial modeling functionality of the distance measuring device, which is implemented for use with a measurement sequence, in the scope of which a first image and a second image of a region of the environment are acquired from different positions of the distance measuring device, these images having a shared image region,
• wherein the image acquisition unit assumes different poses, which represent the respective position and alignment of the distance measuring device, during the acquisition of the first image and the second image,
• wherein in the scope of the spatial modeling functionality and in reaction to a first user command, from a first position of the distance measuring device a first image of a first region of the environment is acquired by the image acquisition unit and a first distance to a first target point in the first region is measured by the laser distance meter in chronological correlation and simultaneously, with the acquisition of the first image,
• wherein in reaction to a second user command, from a second position of the distance measuring device a second image of the first region of the environment is acquired by the image acquisition unit and a second distance to the first target point or to a second target point in the immediate environment of the first target point is measured by the laser distance meter in chronological correlation and simultaneously, with the acquisition of the second image,
• wherein the control unit is embodied for the purpose, in the scope of the spatial modeling functionality, of identifying features of the environment in the images, which are imaged in the shared image region, based on the identified features, the first distance, and the second distance, ascertaining a spatial relationship between the poses, and based on the first image, the second image and the spatial relationship, preparing a spatial model of the environment using stereo photogrammetry, wherein distances between spatial points in the environment can be ascertained on the basis of the spatial model.

A method for creating a spatial model of an environment with a handheld distance measuring device, which has a laser distance meter and an image acquisition unit, the method comprising:

• acquiring a first image of a first region of the environment by the image acquisition unit from a first position of the distance measuring device, in chronological correlation with the acquisition of the first image, a measurement of a first distance to a first target point in the first region of the environment by the laser distance meter;
• acquiring a second image of the first region of the environment by the image acquisition unit from a second position, which deviates from the first position of the distance measuring device, and in chronological correlation with the acquisition of the second image, a measurement of a second distance to the first target point or to another target point in the immediate environment of the first target point, wherein the first image and the second image have a shared image region, wherein the image acquisition unit assumes different poses, which represent the respective position and alignment of the distance measuring device, during the acquisition of the first image and the second image,
• identifying features of the environment in the images, which are imaged in the shared image region, are identified;
• ascertaining, based on the identified features, the first distance, and the second distance, a spatial relationship between the poses;
• and
• preparing a spatial model based on the first image, the second image, and the spatial relationship, using stereo photogrammetry, wherein distances between spatial points of the environment can be ascertained on the basis of the spatial model.

The method according to claim 27, wherein the prepared spatial model is a first partial spatial model, the method further comprising:

• acquiring a third image of a second region of the environment by the image acquisition unit from a third position of the distance measuring device, in chronological correlation, with the acquisition of the third image, a measurement of a third distance to a second target point in the second region of the environment by the laser distance meter,
• acquiring a fourth image of the second region of the environment by the image acquisition unit from a fourth position, which deviates from the third position of the distance measuring device, and in chronological correlation with the acquisition of the fourth image, a measurement of a fourth distance to the second target point or to another target point in the immediate environment of the second target point, wherein the third image and the fourth image have a shared image region, and the image acquisition unit assumes different poses, which represent the respective position and alignment of the distance measuring device, during the acquisition of the third image and the fourth image,
• identifying features in the environment, which are imaged in the shared image region,
• ascertaining a spatial relationship between the poses based on the identified features, the third distance, and the fourth distance,
• preparing a second partial spatial model of the environment based on the third image, the fourth image, and the spatial relationship;
• and
• assembling an overall spatial model from the first partial spatial model and the second partial spatial model, which have a shared overlap, wherein distances between spatial points of both regions of the environment can be ascertained on the basis of the spatial model.

The method according to claim 27, wherein:

• the distance measuring device has means for wireless data transmission, wherein
• the spatial model is transmitted using the wireless data transmission from the distance measuring device to at least one external device, or
• the spatial model is prepared based on data transmitted using the wireless data transmission from the distance measuring device to an external device,
• wherein the spatial model is displayed on the external device and a distance between two reference points selected by a user is ascertained by a computing unit of the external device and displayed thereon.

A method for ascertaining a distance between a first target point and a second target point using a handheld distance measuring device, which has a laser distance meter and an image acquisition unit having at least one camera, having a measurement sequence comprising

• measuring a first distance to the first target point from a first position of the distance measuring device,
• measuring a second distance to the second target point from a second position of the distance measuring device,
• acquiring a series of images, which has at least one first target image and one second target image and optionally bridging images, by at least one camera of the distance measuring device,
• wherein the first target image is acquired in chronological correlation and simultaneously, with the measurement of the first distance,
• wherein the second target image is acquired in chronological correlation and simultaneously, with the measurement of the second distance,
• wherein in each case successive images of the series have a shared image region, and
• wherein the image acquisition unit assumes different poses, which represent the position and alignment of the distance measuring device, during the acquisition of the images,
• identifying features in the environment based on the series of images, features in the environment, which are imaged in at least one shared image region,
• ascertaining for each of the acquired images the respective pose of the distance measuring device based on the identified features,
• ascertaining a spatial relationship between a first target pose assumed during the measurement of the first distance and a second target pose assumed during the measurement of the second distance, and
• ascertaining the distance between the first target point and the second target point with the aid of the spatial relationship.