# US 8,786,834 B2 · Optical distance measuring apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,786,834 B2 - Document ID: US8786834B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/408,534 - Filed: 2012-02-29 - Published: 2012-09-06 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-01 - Assignees: Topcon Corporation - Applicants: Kunihiro Hayashi; Kaoru Kumagai - Inventors: Kunihiro Hayashi; Kaoru Kumagai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786834B2 ## CPC - G01C 15/002: {Active optical surveying means (optical plumbing G01C15/105)} - G01C 3/08: Use of electric radiation detectors - G01S 7/4811: {common to transmitter and receiver} - G01S 17/10: using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32) - G01S 17/86: Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders - G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) - G01S 17/66: Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio 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) - 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 An optical distance measuring apparatus which emits emission light from a light source to an object and receives reflection light from the object with a light-receiving unit, and performs distance measurement based on the emission light and the reflection light, the apparatus including a deflection mechanism provided in an optical path to an irradiation light axis from the light source to the object, the deflection mechanism configured to reflect the emission light to incline a direction of the emission light with respect to the emission light axis of the light source, wherein the deflection mechanism has an optically conjugate relationship with a predetermined position on the emission light axis or on the irradiation light axis, the predetermined position being closer to the object than the deflection mechanism when viewed from the light source. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical distance measuring apparatus which emits emission light from a light source to an object and receives reflection light from the object with a light-receiving unit, and performs distance measurement based on the emission light and the reflection light, the light source having an emission light axis and emits the emission light along the emission light axis; and the emission light being irradiated from the optical distance measuring apparatus along an irradiation light axis, comprising: a deflection mechanism provided in an optical path from the light source to the irradiation light axis, wherein the deflection mechanism includes a reflection plane configured to reflect the emission light to incline a direction of the reflected emission light with respect to the emission light axis of the light source, and configured to rotate about two axes intersecting one another so as to change the direction of the reflected emission light to be inclined, wherein the deflection mechanism has an optically conjugate relationship with a predetermined position on the emission light axis or on the irradiation light axis, the predetermined position being closer to the object than the deflection mechanism when viewed from the light source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an observation optical system configured to observe a predetermined visual field with the irradiation light axis at a center of the predetermined visual field, wherein the deflection mechanism is configured to incline the direction of the emission light with respect to the emission light axis based on a position on the visual field of the observation optical system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deflection mechanism is an MEMS minor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deflection mechanism is a galvanomirror. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical distance measuring apparatus according claim 1, further comprising an irradiation area switching device in an optical path from the light source to the deflection mechanism, the irradiation area switching device being configured to change a dimension of an irradiation area which is formed on the object by the emission light irradiated from the optical distance measuring apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical distance measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the irradiation area switching device is formed of a diffusing optical member configured to diffuse a light flux of the emission light which is directed from the light source to the deflection mechanism. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The optical distance measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the irradiation area switching device is formed of a refractive optical member configured to change a spread angle of a light flux of the emission light which is directed from the light source to the deflection mechanism. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an image acquisition device configured to acquire an image of a predetermined visual field with the irradiation light axis at a center of the predetermined visual field; a display configured to display the image acquired by the image acquisition device; a measurement point identification device configured to identify a measurement point in the image displayed by the display; and a control calculator configured to set the direction of the reflected emission light to be inclined by the deflection mechanism based on the measurement point in the image identified by the measurement point identification device.