Abstract: A target (100) for use in surveying applications is provided. The target comprises a plurality of light sources (106) arranged around a longitudinal axis (A) of a base element (108) of the target. The plurality of light sources is configured to emit light radially. The target further comprises a sensor unit (216) a control unit (214). The control unit is configured to obtain information regarding an orientation (?) of said target relative to a surveying instrument (120) aimed at the target, based on at least a measurement received from the sensor unit. The control unit is further configured to identify, based on the obtained information regarding the orientation of the target relative to the surveying instrument, a first subset (106c-106e) of the plurality of light sources arranged to emit light towards the surveying instrument, and a second subset (106a, 106b, 106f-106h) of the plurality of light sources arranged to emit light away from the surveying instrument.

Abstract: A target for use in surveying applications is provided. The target comprises a plurality of light sources arranged around a longitudinal axis (A) of a base element of the target. The plurality of light sources is configured to emit light radially. The target further comprises a control unit. The control unit is configured to receive, from a surveying instrument aimed towards the target, an input indicative of a distance (d) between the target and the surveying instrument. The control unit is further configured to control an intensity of the light emitted by the plurality of light sources based on the input indicative of the distance between the target and the surveying instrument.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device comprising an alidade rotatably mounted on a base about a vertical axis and to which are attached an electronic distance meter having a horizontal axis and arranged to generate a point cloud, and at least one camera oriented towards an optical system housed in the alidade. Each camera is positioned so that the virtual image of its image nodal point is at the intersection of the vertical and optical axes, and is attached to a platform rotatably mounted about an axis colinear with the vertical axis and passing through the image nodal point. In the scanning mode, each platform rotates at an angular velocity opposite to that of the alidade over a plurality of angular ranges to allow each camera to capture images for colorizing the point cloud.

Abstract: Embodiments provide for a geodetic assembly (200) for land surveying. The geodetic assembly (200) may include a first element (210) including a first magnetic unit (270) and a second element (250) including a second magnetic unit (260). The second element may be part of a support structure (240) of the geodetic assembly and is adapted to mate with the first element for supporting a geodetic device (230), the first element being attached to the geodetic device (or vice versa). The second magnetic unit is arranged to interact with the first magnetic unit for locking or unlocking the first element on the support structure. Each of the first magnetic unit and the second magnetic unit is divided in a plurality of regions (320a-d, 360a-d) arranged in a circular manner such that two adjacent regions have magnetic poles of opposite polarities.

Abstract: A measurement instrument is disclosed. The measurement instrument comprises a front lens assembly, a distance measurement module and a deflection module. The front lens assembly comprises an optical path along an instrument optical axis and the distance measurement module is configured to transmit and receive optical radiation along a measurement path. The deflection module is arranged between the distance measurement module and the front lens assembly to deflect the measurement path across the instrument optical axis.

Abstract: The present inventive concept relates to a method for operating a geodetic instrument comprising an optical source for assisting a user in aiming at a target in a scene by emitting optical pulses forming a spot at the target, and an imaging device, wherein the imaging device and the optical source share a common optical channel within the geodetic instrument, the method comprising: capturing a first image of a scene with the optical source turned on; obtaining a reference image from at least the first image, wherein contribution from the scene is suppressed, the reference image representing crosstalk occurring in the common optical channel; capturing a second image with the optical source turned on; and processing the second image with the reference image for removing crosstalk from the second image.

Abstract: A method implemented in a processing unit controlling a surveying instrument is provided. The method comprises obtaining a first set of data from optical tracking of a target with the surveying instrument, and identifying from the first set of data a dependence over time of at least one parameter representative of movements of the target. The method further comprises receiving a second set of data from a sensor unit via a communication channel, the second set of data including information about the at least one parameter over time, and determining whether a movement pattern for the optically tracked target as defined by the dependence over time of the at least one parameter is the same as, or deviates by a predetermined interval from, a movement pattern as defined by the dependence over time of the at least one parameter obtained from the second set of data.

Abstract: The present inventive concept relates to a method for operating a geodetic instrument comprising an optical source for assisting a user in aiming at a target in a scene and an imaging device, wherein the imaging device and the optical source share a common optical channel within the geodetic instrument, said method comprising: causing emission, by the optical source, of optical pulses towards the target; causing capture, by the imaging device, of images of the scene using a frame sequence, wherein a frame of said frame sequence includes an exposure time during which the imaging device is exposed to light from the scene; synchronizing emission of the optical pulses to the frame sequence for obtaining data from images in which the optical pulses are absent; and processing the obtained data for surveying said scene.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for determining a direction to a geodetic target from a geodetic instrument. The method includes emitting an optical pulse from the geodetic target, capturing a first image and a second image of the geodetic target using a camera arranged at the geodetic instrument, obtaining a difference image between the first image and the second image, and determining a direction to the geodetic target from the geodetic instrument based on the position of the optical pulse in the difference image. The method further includes synchronizing the geodetic instrument and the geodetic target for emitting the optical pulse concurrently with the capturing of the first image and nonconcurrently with the capturing of the second image. The present disclosure also provides a geodetic instrument, a geodetic target and a geodetic surveying system.

Abstract: An electronic distance meter comprises a coupler located between a laser source and a target and adapted to divert a portion of measurement light emitted by the laser source into a calibration portion connected to a photodetector and comprising an attenuator between said coupler and said photodetector for varying the luminance value of the light passing through the calibration portion, said calibration portion having a known length and said processor being configured to perform distance measurements through the calibration portion at a variety of luminance values achieved by said attenuator to derive calibration values from said distance measurements and said known length, said processor being further configured to use said calibration values for determining a target distance based on a return pulse signal.

Abstract: An electronic distance meter comprises a laser emitting a laser pulse toward a target, a photodetector adapted for receiving a laser pulse reflected by the target and for outputting a corresponding return pulse signal, and a comparison circuit receiving said return pulse signal and comprising a comparator provided with a first input and a second input and arranged to output a first fixed value signal when the signal at the first input exceeds the signal at the second input and else to output a second fixed value signal, said comparison circuit being arranged for determining a return pulse time signal based on the output of said comparator, said electronic distance meter being arranged for determining a target distance based on said return pulse time signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a surveying instrument including a chassis, an optical system having an optical axis, a stage attached to the chassis and an optical component. The optical system may be adapted to receive and/or transmit light. The optical component is located at, or in proximity to, the optical axis. The received and/or transmitted light passes through the optical component. The stage includes an actuating member arranged to act on the optical component for movement thereof. The actuating member may be responsive to temperature so as to induce a displacement of the optical component relative to the chassis along the optical axis in response to a temperature change.

Abstract: A method for determining a distance to a target by a geodetic instrument is disclosed. The method comprises emitting an optical pulse towards a target at an emission time, applying a bias adjustment to a photodiode that is arranged to receive a return optical pulse reflected at the target, obtaining a reference signal that is indicative of a transient behavior of the photodiode for the bias adjustment, obtaining a difference signal by subtracting, from a signal output from the photodiode, a signal that resembles, or is equal to, the transient behavior of the photodiode in response to the bias adjustment based on the reference signal, extracting a reception time that corresponds to reception of the return optical pulse at the photodiode based at least in part on the difference signal, and determining the distance to the target based on the emission time and the reception time.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for determining a direction to a geodetic target from a geodetic instrument. The method includes emitting an optical pulse from the geodetic target, capturing a first image and a second image of the geodetic target using a camera arranged at the geodetic instrument, obtaining a difference image between the first image and the second image, and determining a direction to the geodetic target from the geodetic instrument based on the position of the optical pulse in the difference image. The method further includes synchronizing the geodetic instrument and the geodetic target for emitting the optical pulse concurrently with the capturing of the first image and nonconcurrently with the capturing of the second image. The present disclosure also provides a geodetic instrument, a geodetic target and a geodetic surveying system.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a geodetic instrument (100) adapted to determine a direction and/or a distance to a target. The geodetic instrument includes an attachment device (120) for attaching the geodetic instrument to a holding arrangement (122); a motorized position arrangement for aiming a line of sight (L) of the geodetic instrument via rotation and/or translation of at least a part of the motorized position arrangement relative to the holding arrangement, and a controller (130). The controller is configured to, upon determining that a setting up of the geodetic instrument is required, provide a control sequence to the motorized positioning arrangement for causing a series of oscillatory rotational and/or translational movements of the at least a part of the motorized positioning arrangement. A method of setting up a geodetic instrument is also provided.

Abstract: A distance measurement instrument and a method of operating a distance measurement instrument are disclosed. According to some embodiments, a transmit light signal is transmitted by a transmitter unit along a transmit path at an emission time and a return light signal is received by a receiver unit at a receive time along a receive path. The return light signal is converted to a return electrical signal. At least one of the transmit path and the receive path is deflected by a deflection module at a deflection angle relative to an optical axis of the instrument. A time-dependent attenuation function is selected based on information relative to the deflection angle and attenuation is applied by an attenuator to at least one of the return light signal and the return electrical signal according to the selected time-dependent function. A measured distance may be determined by a processor unit based on at least the emission time and the receive time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring distance from an instrument origin to each of a plurality of points in an environment. Laser pulses are emitted along a measurement axis at successive displacements about the origin. The emission time of each pulse is time-shifted relative to a fixed rate. The time shift corresponds to an index of a repetitive sequential pattern. Received pulses are detected at respective arrival times. For each received pulse: a current apparent distance is determined, a measured delta distance is calculated, a range interval is assigned by comparing measured delta distance with an expected delta distance synchronized with the index of the latest emitted pulse, the current apparent distance is defined to be a true measured distance for any received pulse assigned to a first time interval, otherwise the current apparent distance is defined to be a false measured distance.

Abstract: A method of rendering a three-dimensional point cloud in a two-dimensional display includes inputting the three-dimensional point cloud that includes three-dimensional coordinates of a set of points, creating a depth buffer for the three-dimensional point cloud that includes depth data for the set of points from a viewpoint location. The method further includes determining a foreground depth buffer by, for each respective pixel area of the two-dimensional display, determining a foreground depth by detecting a closest point to the viewpoint location among a subset of the set of points corresponding to the respective pixel area, and assigning a depth of the closest point as the foreground depth for the respective pixel area. The method further includes filtering the depth buffer to obtain a filtered depth buffer by removing points that are not in the foreground, and outputting the filtered depth buffer to the two-dimensional display.

Abstract: A measurement instrument is disclosed. The measurement instrument comprises a front lens assembly, a distance measurement module and a deflection module. The front lens assembly comprises an optical path along an instrument optical axis and the distance measurement module is configured to transmit and receive optical radiation along a measurement path. The deflection module is arranged between the distance measurement module and the front lens assembly to deflect the measurement path across the instrument optical axis.

Abstract: A transmit light signal is emitted toward a target at an emission time. An optical subsystem of a receiving system receives a return light signal which is converted to a return electrical signal. At least one attenuator applies an attenuation to at least one of the return light signal and the return electrical signal. The attenuation varies, as time passes, after emission of the transmit light signal, according to a time-dependent attenuation function such that the attenuation is maximum at a critical time elapsed since an emission time of the transmit light signal. The critical time is dependent on at least one geometrical parameter of the optical subsystem. A receive time is determined from the return electrical signal. The emission time and the receive time are used to calculate a measured distance.