US5949548A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Height sensing measurement device
Assignee: Pentax Corp
•
Filing: 1998-01-20
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Granted: 1999-09-07
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Expires: 2018-01-20
Abstract
Abstract A measurement device has a telescope supported by a main body of a total station so as to be rotatable about the horizontal axis. A vertically extending light-passing hole is formed in the main body, so that a distance measuring light wave, which is emitted through the telescope from a light-emitting element provided in the main body, can pass. A prism unit having a corner cube prism is placed on a base point. A centering operation is carried out by rotating the telescope vertically downward. Then, a distance measurement is carried out by radiating the distance measuring light wave onto the corner cube prism through the telescope.
Inventors
- 👤 Masami Shirai
- 👤 Atsumi Kaneko
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 01:00
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C1/00; G01C1/02; G01C15/00; G01C15/002
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
119 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is output from said measurement device through said telescope; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body, said directing mechanism comprises a light-passing hole through which said distance measuring light wave passes, and which extends in a vertical direction; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
119 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is output from said measurement device through said telescope; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body, said directing mechanism comprises a light-passing hole through which said distance measuring light wave passes, and which extends in a vertical direction; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said main body is rotatable about a vertical axis, which passes through said predetermined point, and said horizontal axis, said predetermined point being the center of said measurement device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said light-passing hole has mouths at the upmost position and the lowest position thereof, respectively, each of said mouths being provided with a transparent member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said measuring processor measures said distance by sensing a light beam, generated by said distance measuring light wave, which is reflected by said target point.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising a main reflecting member, which is disposed at said target point, so that said light wave outputted by said radiating mechanism is reflected.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
A measurement device according to claim 5, wherein said main reflecting member is a corner cube prism.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A measurement device according to claim 5, further comprising an obtaining processor obtaining an instrument height of said measurement device based on information related to a position where said main reflecting member is disposed and said distance measured by said measuring processor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A measurement device according to claim 7, wherein said obtaining processor obtains said instrument height by adding a height of a position where said main reflecting member is disposed to said distance measured by said measuring processor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A measurement device according to claim 7, further comprising a microcomputer calculating said instrument height, and an indicating unit indicating a numerical value of said instrument height.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A measurement device according to claim 7, wherein said instrument height is used as a data for measurement.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising an altitude graduated circle for measuring an angle of said telescope about said horizontal axis.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning mechanism for determining whether or not said telescope is coincident with said vertical axis.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A measurement device according to claim 12, wherein said positioning mechanism has a first mark provided on said telescope and a second mark provided on said main body.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A measurement device according to claim 12, wherein said telescope has a rotational shaft, and said positioning mechanism has a recess formed in said rotational shaft enabling a ball to be engaged with said recess.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
128 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is output from said measurement device through said telescope; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point, said main body comprising a handle in which a sub-reflecting member is provided, so that said telescope can be sighted through said sub-reflecting member when said telescope is directed vertically downward.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
128 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is output from said measurement device through said telescope; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point, said main body comprising a handle in which a sub-reflecting member is provided, so that said telescope can be sighted through said sub-reflecting member when said telescope is directed vertically downward.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
A measurement device according to claim 15, further comprising an optical member changing a magnification index, said optical member being disposed on an optical path of said telescope in such a manner that said optical member and said telescope are respectively disposed on opposite sides of said sub-reflecting member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A measurement device according to claim 15, wherein said main body is rotatable about a vertical axis, which passes through said predetermined point, and said horizontal axis, said predetermined point being the center of said measurement device.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
A measurement device according to claim 15, further comprising a main reflecting member, which is disposed at said target point, said light wave output by said radiating mechanism being reflected by said main reflecting member.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
A measurement device according to claim 18, wherein said main reflecting member is a corner cube prism.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
114 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is output from said measurement device through said telescope; an optical member that changes a diameter of a luminous flux of said distance measuring light wave; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
114 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is output from said measurement device through said telescope; an optical member that changes a diameter of a luminous flux of said distance measuring light wave; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
A measurement device according to claim 20, further comprising a main reflecting member, which is disposed at said target point, said light wave output by said radiating mechanism being reflected by said main reflecting member.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
A measurement device according to claim 21, wherein said main reflecting member is a corner cube prism.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
116 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is output from said measurement device through said telescope; an antireflection member preventing said distance measuring light wave from being reflected by a surface of said main body; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
116 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is output from said measurement device through said telescope; an antireflection member preventing said distance measuring light wave from being reflected by a surface of said main body; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
17 words
A measurement device according to claim 23, wherein said antireflection member is treated with an antireflection process.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
A measurement device according to claim 23, further comprising a main reflecting member, which is disposed at said target point, said light wave output by said radiating mechanism being reflected by said main reflecting member.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
17 words
A measurement device according to claim 25, wherein said main reflecting member is a corner cube prism.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
116 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is outputted from said measurement device through said telescope; a centering telescope having an optical member, which reflects a visible light and transmits said distance measuring light wave; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
116 words
A measurement device comprising: a main body; a telescope supported by said main body to rotate about a horizontal axis of said main body; a radiation mechanism radiating a distance measuring light wave, which is outputted from said measurement device through said telescope; a centering telescope having an optical member, which reflects a visible light and transmits said distance measuring light wave; a directing mechanism directing said distance measuring light wave to a target point which is located at a position vertically under said main body; and a measuring processor measuring a distance from a predetermined point of said measurement device to said target point, using said distance measuring light wave directed to said target point.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
35 words
A measurement device according to claim 27, further comprising a main reflecting member, which is disposed at said target point, said light wave output by said radiating mechanism being reflected by said main reflecting member.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
17 words
A measurement device according to claim 28, wherein said main reflecting member is a corner cube prism.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-09-06 | 2003-03-08 | 2003-09-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-09-06 | 2007-03-08 | 2007-09-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-09-06 | 2011-03-08 | 2011-09-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |