Patents Assigned to Leica Geosystems AG
  • Patent number: 11067690
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus comprising a tunable laser diode for generating a mono mode measurement radiation, said laser diode being designed as a laser beam source in such a way that an emission wavelength of the measurement radiation is variable within a wavelength range by means of the variation of a tuning parameter, comprising an absorption medium defining absorption lines within the wavelength range, comprising a memory having a line atlas for the absorption medium, comprising a detector for determining an absorptivity and comprising a control and evaluation unit for regulating the emission wavelength by means of the at least one tuning parameter in a manner dependent on the absorptivity determined in such a way that the emission wavelength remains stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Thomas Lüthi, Burkhard Böckem, Yves Salvadé
  • Publication number: 20210181494
    Abstract: An apparatus for inserting a measurement light beam which can be projected onto a target object, comprising a light-refracting component having an optical axis, and at least two mirrors for deflecting the measurement light beam, and an optical overall body consisting of at least one optically effective material, wherein the optical overall body is configured in such a way that the at least two mirrors are fitted inside or at the edge, in particular as a part, of the optical overall body, in such a way that the measurement light beam entering the optical overall body is offset parallel to the incident measurement light beam when emerging from the optical overall body, so that the emerging measurement light beam lies on the optical axis of the light-refracting component of the apparatus and is projected in this form onto the target object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Thomas BÖSCH, Josef MÜLLER
  • Patent number: 11015930
    Abstract: A method for a three dimensional surveying of a 3D-scene for deriving a true-to-size 3D-model. It involves deriving a first 3D-partial-model of a section of the 3D-scene together with a capturing of at least one first 2D-visual-image and a second 3D-partial-model of another section of the 3D-scene, together with a capturing of at least one second 2D-visual-image, wherein the 3D-partial-models are partially overlapping. The first 3D-partial-model is conglomerated with the second 3D-partial-model to form the 3D-model of the 3D-scene, which is done with defining a first line segment in the first 2D-visual-image and a second line segment in the second 2D-visual-image, which first and second line segments are representing a visual feature, which is common in both of the 2D-visual-images. The line segments in the 2D-visual-images are utilized in conglomerating the corresponding 3D-partial models to form the 3D-model of the whole 3D-scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Metzler, Tobias Heller, Siegfried Wiltsche
  • Publication number: 20210149030
    Abstract: A laser scanner comprising a base, a body, a first motor for rotating the body relative to the base at a first speed, a first angle encoder determining a first angle of the body, an emitter emitting a transmission beam, a receiver detecting a reception beam, a deflector deflecting the transmission beam towards a setting, deflecting the reception beam to the receiver, a second motor rotating at a second speed higher than the first speed, a second angle encoder determining a second angle of the deflector, a processor determining a distance based on the emitted transmission beam and the detected reception beam, determining a point based on the first angle, the second angle, and the determined distance. The processor determines first calibration points and second calibration points, a first deviation based on the first calibration points the second calibration points, and based on the first deviation, determining first calibration parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Christian NIKLAUS, Christoph HERBST
  • Patent number: 10990202
    Abstract: A handheld stylus for the precise operation of a touch-sensitive display screen, comprising an oblong housing, which is designed in such a way that the stylus is provided to be held in one hand like a pen, and a tip, which is designed for touching the display screen, wherein the stylus comprises a laser distance meter integrated into the housing for measuring distances to spatial points along an emission direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventor: Burkhard Böckem
  • Publication number: 20210063150
    Abstract: A surveying instrument for executing a relocation functionality, which determines first coordinates of a stationary target point associated with the start signal, in response to a start signal, a first actuator and a second actuator are controlled such that the stationary target point remains within a detection area of a tracking unit of the surveying instrument, determines second coordinates of the stationary target point, receives an end signal, wherein the second coordinates of the stationary target point are associated with the end signal, and based at least in part on the first and second coordinates of the stationary target point, and determines a relative pose of the surveying instrument with respect to a first setup location and a second setup location, wherein the first setup location is associated with the first coordinates and the second setup location is associated with the second coordinates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Elvir MALKOC, Josef MÜLLER, Johannes HOTZ
  • Publication number: 20210055102
    Abstract: A method for image-based point measurement includes moving a surveying system along a path through a surrounding and capturing a series of images of the surrounding. A subset of images are defined as frames and a subset of frames are defined as key-frames. Textures are identified in first and second frames and are tracked in successive frames to generate first and second frame feature lists. A structure from motion algorithm is used to calculate camera poses for the images based on the first and second frame feature lists. Corresponding image points in images of the series of images are identified using feature recognition in at least a plurality of images. Three-dimensional coordinates of the selected image point are determined using forward intersection with the poses of the subset of images in which corresponding image points are identified. The three-dimensional coordinates of the selected image point are presented to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Bernhard RICHTER, Zoltán TÖRÖK, Elmar Vincent VAN DER ZWAN, Bernhard METZLER
  • Publication number: 20210055105
    Abstract: A target of a geodetic system based on global and local identification references. The target comprises a light emitter (LE) for emitting n predetermined modulated light patterns (MLPs) permanently assigned to one of m (m>n) global identification reference (GIR). The target transmits or receives data based on the assigned GIR. The geodetic system further comprises a geodetic surveying instrument comprising an optical sensor (OS) receives the MLPs and digitizes them using a fast sampling analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). A computing system selects one of the targets or receives a selection of the at least one target assigned to a selected GIR. One of n local identification references (LIRs) is temporarily assigned to the selected GIR. The light emitter of the selected target is directed to emit an MLP corresponding with the assigned LIR. Thus, by detection of the assigned LIR, the selected target is identified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Markus GESER, Daniel HOFSTETTER, Martin MAYER
  • Publication number: 20210056716
    Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) point cloud generation using a stationary laser scanner and a mobile scanner. The method includes scanning a first part of a surrounding with the stationary laser scanner, obtaining a first 3D point cloud, scanning a second part of the surrounding with the mobile scanner, obtaining a second 3D point cloud, whereby there is an overlap region of the first part and the second part, and aligning the second 3D point cloud to the first 3D point cloud to form a combined 3D point cloud. The positional accuracy of points of the second 3D point cloud is increased by automatically referencing second scanner data of the overlap region, generated by the mobile scanner, to first scanner data of the overlap region, generated by the stationary laser scanner. Therewith, deformations of the second 3D point cloud and its alignment with the first 3D point cloud are corrected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Thomas MÖRWALD, Zoltán TÖRÖK, Bernhard METZLER
  • Publication number: 20210055104
    Abstract: A geodetic surveying instrument to move a measurement light beam into a desired measurement direction in space, comprising at least one movement axis which is motorized, providing a positioning of the measurement direction of the geodetic surveying instrument, and an instrument-encoder at the movement axis configured for deriving the measurement direction as a measurement value of the geodetic surveying instrument. The geodetic surveying instrument comprises a transmission link of the movement axis of the geodetic surveying instrument to a motor axis of a stepper motor, which transmission link is configured with a gear reduction and a slipping clutch arrangement, and wherein the stepper motor comprises a rotational motor-encoder on its motor-axis and is driven by a motor controller that provides a field oriented control of phase currents of the stepper motor, which field orientation is derived based on the rotational motor-encoder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Benjamin MÜLLER, Thomas Lienhard SCHMITT, Christoph HERBST, Hannes Martin WACHTER
  • Publication number: 20210049784
    Abstract: A method for surveying an environment by a movable surveying instrument configured to be carried by a human with a progressional capturing of 2D-images by at least one camera and applying a visual simultaneous location and mapping algorithm (VSLAM) or a visual inertial simultaneous location and mapping algorithm (VISLAM) with a progressional deriving of a sparse evolving point cloud of at least part of the environment, and a progressional deriving of a trajectory of movement. The method comprises a progressional matching of the sparse evolving point cloud with a known CAD-geometry, with a minimizing of a function configured to model a distance between the sparse point cloud and the known CAD-geometry and deriving a spatial localization and orientation of the surveying instrument. At least one surveying measurement value of the environment by a spatial measurement unit is combined with the sparse point cloud or the plan information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Zoltán TÖRÖK, Thomas MÖRWALD
  • Patent number: 10920458
    Abstract: A portable protective case for the safe transport and storage of measuring devices and other electrical equipment. The protective case is designed to protect a valuable and sensitive measuring device located inside it against theft, unauthorized use and/or potentially harmful environmental influences. The case comprises communication means for sending and receiving data via a wireless network, as well as for receiving localization data, which enable the communication unit to provide at least a rough location of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Thomas Harring, Katherine Broder, Burkhard Böckem
  • Publication number: 20210025978
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a coordinate measuring device for detecting a position of a target object which can move in space and which comprises a retroreflector, wherein an automatic identification of a recognized target object and an assignment of specifications associated with the target object takes place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Thomas LÜTHI, Roger STEGER
  • Patent number: 10900260
    Abstract: A portable protective case for the safe transport and storage of measuring devices and other electrical equipment. The protective case is designed to protect a valuable and sensitive measuring device located inside it against theft, unauthorized use and/or potentially harmful environmental influences. The case comprises communication means for sending and receiving data via a wireless network, as well as for receiving localization data, which enable the communication unit to provide at least a rough location of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Thomas Harring, Katherine Broder, Burkhard Böckem
  • Patent number: 10901070
    Abstract: A coordinate measuring device for detecting a position of a target object which can move in space and which comprises a retroreflector, wherein an automatic identification of a recognized target object and an assignment of specifications associated with the target object takes place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Thomas Lüthi, Roger Steger
  • Patent number: 10890446
    Abstract: A surveying device for determining the position of a target, comprising a means for orienting a target axis of the surveying device towards the target point, an angle-measuring functionality for the highly precise detection of the orientation of the target axis, and evaluation means for data storage, a height measuring system for determining a height of the surveying device above the ground by means of triangulation, wherein the height measuring system comprises at least one laser plummet for emitting a laser beam along a standing axis of the surveying device onto a ground point, and a detection unit comprising a line sensor for detecting a diffuse backscattering of the laser beam, and wherein the height measuring system for determining a height of the surveying device above the ground point is designed based on a position of the diffuse backscattering on the line sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Heinz Bernhard, Jürg Hinderling, Alice Traber
  • Patent number: 10890430
    Abstract: An Augmented Reality (AR)-based inspection system comprising a coordinate measuring instrument having a first camera unit, a first computer unit, and a first communication unit, and an AR-device having a second camera unit, a second computer unit, and a second communication unit, wherein the first and the second communication units are connectable, each of the coordinate measuring instrument and the AR-device is configured for establishing a referenced status relative to a setting, at least one of the first and the second computer unit is configured for detecting two-dimensional or three-dimensional structured shapes in images captured by at least one of the first and second camera unit. The AR-device is configured for providing a real view of the setting, providing overlays onto the real view according to corresponding AR-data, wherein said AR-data are at least in part spatially associated with the detected structured shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Matthias Saure, Michael Lettau
  • Patent number: 10878633
    Abstract: An Augmented Reality (AR)-based system includes a mobile sensor, AR device, coordinate measuring machine, and computer. The AR-device includes a camera for capturing an environment, and a display providing a view of the environment and overlays. The coordinate measuring instrument determines a position of the mobile sensor and the AR-device. The computer: controls the camera, provides a reciprocal data connection, provides the AR-data and at least one corresponding identification feature, establishes a referenced status of the AR-device by, in each case, identifying a respective identification feature captured by the camera, determines a pose of the AR-device relative to the respective identification feature, and generates the overlays in the referenced status based on the pose of the AR-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Markus Steiner, Michael Lettau
  • Publication number: 20200386548
    Abstract: An industrial or geodetic surveying device with a scan functionality including an alidade rotating about a standing axis and a telescope unit with a beam exit for a laser measuring beam. The telescope unit is mounted on the alidade and is movable in a tilting motion about an elevation axis substantially orthogonal to the standing axis. The scan functionality comprises a scan sequence with an angular velocity of the alidade around the standing axis, wherein during the scan sequence the alidade is in a continuous revolving motion with mainly constant angular velocity about the standing axis, and the angular velocity of the alidade is faster than half of the angular velocity of the tilting motion of the telescope unit about the elevation axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Josef MÜLLER, Christoph HERBST, Lukasz KUCHARCZYK, Christian NIKLAUS, Markus GESER
  • Publication number: 20200387741
    Abstract: A method for creating point cloud representations for a point cloud generated based on images, wherein the method comprises receiving a point cloud generated based on images, retrieving, from a user, selection criterion information, wherein the selection criterion information is related to the quality information comprised by the points of the point cloud, and filtering the generated point cloud and creating a filtered-point-cloud representation to be displayed while leaving volume and substance of the generated point cloud unchanged, wherein for each point of the point cloud its quality information is compared with the retrieved selection criterion information and only those points of the point cloud are used for the creation of the filtered-point-cloud representation to be displayed, which have a quality information fulfilling the retrieved selection criterion information, and displaying the filtered-point-cloud representation to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Thomas BACH, Martina DI RITA, Anargyros MARTYRIDIS, Kevin HANSON