US 7,583,373 B2Granted

Geodetic total station which can be extended in a modular manner

AssigneeLeica Geosystems AG

InventorJohannes Schwarz

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Abstract

A geodetic total station comprising an upper part (1a) provided with a support (2) with at least one support section (2a; 2b), an electronic display control unit (4), a total station data interface (6) provided with electrical contact elements (6a), and a top attachment (20) that is mechanically coupled above the support (2) and the telescope (3), in a detachable manner, by means of at least one mechanical support interface (8a; 8b) and at least one corresponding mechanical top attachment interface (21a; 21b). The total station data interface (6) is arranged on the support section (2a; 2b), and the top attachment (20) receives the peripheral components and has a top attachment data interface (23) which comprises electrical contact elements (23a) and is connected to the peripheral components in a data-transmitting manner. The mechanical support interface (8a; 8b), the mechanical top attachment interface (21a; 21b), the total station data interface (6), and the top attachment data interface (23) are arranged in such a way that the contact elements (6a, 23a) of the total station data interface (6) and the top attachment data interface (23) are brought into mutual electrical contact by the coupling of the top attachment (20) to the support section (2a; 2b).

Claims20

Dependent claims

A geodetic total station for optical measurement of horizontal angles, vertical angles and distances to a target point a distance away, comprising:

an upper part which is rotatable about a vertical axis and has a support with at least one support section;
a sighting telescope which is arranged on the at least one support section and is rotatable relative to the support about a horizontal tilting axis and by which the target point can be sighted and the distance to the target point can be determined by electrosensory means;
an electronic display control unit to which measured data acquired by electrosensory means are fed so that the position of the target point can be determined, optically displayed, and stored by the display control unit;
at least one total station data interface having a data link to the display control unit and possessing electrical contact elements, for permitting a data link to at least one peripheral component;
and
a top attachment which is detachably coupled mechanically above the support and the telescope by at least one mechanical support interface arranged on the upward-pointing side of the at least one support section and at least one corresponding mechanical top attachment interface of the top attachment, wherein:
the total station data interface is arranged on the upward-pointing side of the at least one support section;
the top attachment comprises the at least one peripheral component and has at least one top attachment data interface which has electrical contact elements and possesses a data link to the peripheral component;
and
the mechanical support interface, the mechanical top attachment interface, the total station data interface, and the top attachment data interface are arranged and formed in such a way that the contact elements of the total station data interface and the contact elements of the top attachment data interface make mutual electrical contact by coupling the top attachment to the support section.

7 more elements

A top attachment for a rotatable upper part of a geodetic total station, which upper part comprises a support which is open at the top and in the form of a fork and has two support sections both of which have in each case at least one mechanical support interface on the upward-pointing side and at least one of which has, on the upward-pointing side, a total station data interface having a data link to a display control unit of the total station and possessing electrical contact elements for permitting a data link to at least one peripheral component, the top attachment comprising:

mechanical top attachment interfaces which correspond to the mechanical support interfaces and are arranged and formed in such a way that the top attachment can be detachably coupled mechanically above the support;
and
at least one peripheral component that has at least one top attachment data interface which has electrical contact elements and possesses a data link to the peripheral component, wherein the mechanical top attachment interfaces and the top attachment data interface are arranged and formed, relative to the mechanical support interfaces and the total station data interface, in such a way that the contact elements of the total station data interface and the contact elements of the top attachment data interface make mutual electrical contact by coupling the top attachment to the support section.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.