Patents Assigned to Vectronix AG
  • Patent number: 11867840
    Abstract: The inventive Device is comprising a laser rangefinder for determining the distance along a laser axis between the device and a target object. The laser rangefinder is comprising a pumping laser and a thulium and/or holmium doped fiber laser with a thulium and/or holmium doped fiber section and two Bragg gratings arranged on both sides of the thulium and/or holmium doped fiber section of the thulium and/or holmium doped fiber laser wherein the thulium and/or holmium doped fiber laser is pumped by the pumping laser and configured to emit laser light with a wavelength in the range of 1900 nm to 2150 nm. The inventive device has an improved applicability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN VECTRONIX AG
    Inventor: Christian Ban
  • Patent number: 11460302
    Abstract: The invention relates to an observation device having a location determination functionality for the high-accuracy determination of the spatial location and thus the position and orientation (for example, Euler angles: azimuth, elevation angle, and roll angle) of the observation device by analysis of a recorded camera image of the terrain surrounding the camera by means of the three-dimensional map information of a digital terrain model (DTM). For this purpose, the observation device comprises a camera having an objective lens and a camera sensor, a data memory, a sensor system, an analysis unit, and a display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN VECTRONIX AG
    Inventor: Holger Kirschner
  • Patent number: 11385054
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hand-held observation device. The observation device is characterized in that a first observation channel comprises a first opto-mechanical stabilization unit for actively and equally stabilizing, during an observation, a first observation optical axis and an LRF axis of an integrated laser range finder by compensating for hand jitter during the observation, the first opto-mechanical stabilization unit being adapted for continuously adjusting and setting a lateral position (with respect to the optical axis) of at least one lens of the objective optical system of the first optical observation channel, in a way automatically controlled by an electronic processing and control unit, which reads and processes the gyro sensor data, particularly in a way wherein the adjusting of the lateral position of the at least one lens equally stabilizes the first observation optical axis and the LRF axis in one go.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN VECTRONIX AG
    Inventors: Dusan Zadravec, Daniel Kunz
  • Publication number: 20210190916
    Abstract: The inventive Device is comprising a laser rangefinder for determining the distance along a laser axis between the device and a target object. The laser rangefinder is comprising a pumping laser and a thulium and/or holmium doped fiber laser with a thulium and/or holmium doped fiber section and two Bragg gratings arranged on both sides of the thulium and/or holmium doped fiber section of the thulium and/or holmium doped fiber laser wherein the thulium and/or holmium doped fiber laser is pumped by the pumping laser and configured to emit laser light with a wavelength in the range of 1900 nm to 2150 nm. The inventive device has an improved applicability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventor: Christian BAN
  • Patent number: 10816664
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a hand-held observation device and methods for observing distant targets, comprising at least a first optical observation channel defining a first observation optical axis by receiving and imaging optical light rays onto an image plane for observations of a user, a first eyepiece being arranged at the first optical observation channel, and a laser range finder for determining, along an axis of the laser range finder, a distance between the observation device and a target, wherein at least one light source is adapted to emit light to illuminate a user's eye at the first eyepiece, an image sensor that is adapted to capture images of the eye, and comprises an electronic image processing unit for determining, in real-time, eye parameters that indicate a gazing direction of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN VECTRONIX AG
    Inventor: Daniel Kunz
  • Patent number: 10684140
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method (100) for monitoring the accuracy of the azimuthal orientation of a handheld optoelectronic measuring device to be determined (110) by means of an electronic magnetic compass, including an automatic ascertainment (120) of an estimated accuracy value by the measuring device based on measured data of the magnetic compass, characterized by a safety check (200), within the scope of which a probability that the estimated accuracy value meets a previously determined (140) accuracy criterion is automatically ascertained (220) by the measuring device, and the ascertained probability is provided (230) to a user as a return value. The invention also relates to a handheld optoelectronic measuring device including an electronic magnetic compass for carrying out the method according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventors: Ivo Annen, Marzell Schiller
  • Patent number: 10648808
    Abstract: Optoelectronic measuring device having an electronic magnetic compass and a compensation device assigned to the magnetic compass for compensating device-fixed interference fields and is designed to occupy at least two defined, repeatable operating states and generates a different device-fixed interference field in each of the operating states. The measuring device is designed to occupy at least two defined, repeatable application states, the magnetic compass being exposed to a different external magnetic interference field in each of the application states. The compensation device being designed to measure a first, second and third magnetic field set in a first, second and third overall state of the measuring device, and to determine by means of the processing unit a first, second and third set of parameters based on the first, second and third magnetic field set respectively, and to derive a fourth parameter set based on the first, second and third parameter set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventor: Silvio Gnepf
  • Publication number: 20190383616
    Abstract: The invention relates to an observation device having a location determination functionality for the high-accuracy determination of the spatial location and thus the position and orientation (for example, Euler angles: azimuth, elevation angle, and roll angle) of the observation device by analysis of a recorded camera image of the terrain surrounding the camera by means of the three-dimensional map information of a digital terrain model (DTM). For this purpose, the observation device comprises a camera having an objective lens and a camera sensor, a data memory, a sensor system, an analysis unit, and a display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventor: Holger KIRSCHNER
  • Patent number: 10502560
    Abstract: Disclosed is an optoelectronic measuring device having an electronic magnetic compass for determining an azimuthal alignment of the measuring device and a compensation unit, which is associated with the magnetic compass, for compensating for device-fixed interference fields, wherein the measuring device assumes at least two defined, repeatable operating states, has a different device-fixed interference field in each of the operating states, and the compensation unit carries out an initial compensation of the electronic magnetic compass in a first operating state of the measuring device, wherein the compensation unit has a detection unit for detecting a present operating state, a memory unit for storing a magnetic offset resulting from the different device-fixed interference fields between the first and a second operating state of the measuring device, and a computer unit for computing the azimuthal alignment of the measuring device depending on an ascertained operating state and based on the magnetic offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventors: Ivo Annen, Silvio Gnepf
  • Patent number: 10422640
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for a field compensation of an electronic compass for influences to a geomagnetic field by magnetic objects in the vicinity of the compass, that is done with acquiring a magnetic field value by a magnetic field sensor and acquiring an inclination with respect to level plane by an accelerometer, in a discrete set of multiple orientations of the compass. Therein, a user guidance for subsequently orienting the compass into a predetermined desired range of orientation is provided to the user. In the following, compensation data are calculated from those magnetic sensor acquisitions to compensate for the influences in such a way, that a magnetic north heading is determinable based on the compensated magnetic field values. Therein, the user guidance for the compensation is done with a gathering of directional information based on rotary rate readings from a gyroscope for an azimuthal component of the orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventors: Ivo Annen, Silvio Gnepf
  • Publication number: 20180245918
    Abstract: Optoelectronic measuring device having an electronic magnetic compass and a compensation device assigned to the magnetic compass for compensating device-fixed interference fields and is designed to occupy at least two defined, repeatable operating states and generates a different device-fixed interference field in each of the operating states. The measuring device is designed to occupy at least two defined, repeatable application states, the magnetic compass being exposed to a different external magnetic interference field in each of the application states. The compensation device being designed to measure a first, second and third magnetic field set in a first, second and third overall state of the measuring device, and to determine by means of the processing unit a first, second and third set of parameters based on the first, second and third magnetic field set respectively, and to derive a fourth parameter set based on the first, second and third parameter set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventor: Silvio GNEPF
  • Publication number: 20180180734
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a hand-held observation device (1) for observing distant targets, comprising at least a first optical observation channel (20) defining a first observation optical axis (40) by receiving and imaging optical light rays onto an image plane for observations of a user, a first eyepiece being arranged at the first optical observation channel (20), and a laser range finder for determining, along an axis (3A) of the laser range finder, a distance between the observation device (1) and a target, the laser range finder being adapted to emit a laser beam through a laser emission channel (31) and receive a reflection of the laser beam through a laser receiver channel (30), characterized by at least one light source (27A, 27B) that is adapted to emit light, particularly infrared light, to illuminate a user's eye at the first eyepiece, an image sensor (25) that is adapted to capture images of the eye, and comprises an electronic image processing unit (24) for determining, in real-time, eye parame
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicant: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventor: Daniel Kunz
  • Patent number: 9918044
    Abstract: The invention relates to a handheld observation device including a digital magnetic compass for measuring a magnetic field direction of a magnetic field present, a gravitation sensor for measuring a gravitational field direction of a gravitational field present, and a control and evaluation unit configured for determining an externally referenced orientation of the observation device depending on a measured magnetic field direction and a measured gravitational field direction and with application of an algorithmic disturbance suppression, for which compensation parameters are stored. The observation device can also include a video tracking system (4) for recording an image sequence and for deriving orientation changes of the observation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventors: Holger Kirschner, Silvio Gnepf
  • Patent number: 9864061
    Abstract: The invention relates to a portable observation device having an observation path for optical targeting of a target object, and comprising an optoelectronic rangefinder for measuring the distance in the direction of the targeting. The rangefinder includes a transmission unit for emitting a temporal sequence of pulses of optical radiation, a reception unit for receiving a portion of the optical radiation cast back by the target object and for determining signal information and an electronic evaluation unit, which a distance to the target object can be determined on the basis of a signal travel time between emission and reception of the optical radiation. When a trigger is actuated manually, the distance is determined including the signal information from a specified minimum number of pulses, which define a minimum length of a time window of the distance measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventor: Luca Giacotto
  • Patent number: 9683842
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optoelectronic distance measuring device having a transmitting unit having a driver stage for a light source for emitting optical pulses as pulsed-mode-intensity-modulated optical radiation, having a receiving unit for receiving a portion of the optical radiation, said portion being reflected from a target object, and converting it into an electrical reception signal, by means of a photosensitive electrical component. It also has an analogue-digital converter for digitizing the reception signal, and an electronic evaluation unit which is designed in such a way that a distance from the target object can be ascertained on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitized reception signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventors: Luca Giacotto, Riccardo Tinivella
  • Patent number: 9103669
    Abstract: An optoelectronic distance measuring device is disclosed. The device has a transmitting unit with a driver stage for emitting optical pulses, a receiving unit for receiving a portion of the optical pulses, said portion being reflected from a target object, and converting it into an electrical reception signal, via a photosensitive electrical component. It also has an analog-digital converter for digitizing the reception signal, and an electronic evaluation unit to ascertain a distance from the target object on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitized reception signal. The driver stage can be designed so that at least two pulse durations of different length for the optical pulses can be set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: VECTRONIX AG
    Inventors: Luca Giacotto, Riccardo Tinivella
  • Patent number: 9036135
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optical distance measuring device comprising a transmitting unit comprising a light source for emitting intensity-modulated optical radiation, a receiving unit for receiving a portion of the optical radiation, said portion being reflected from a target object, by means of a photosensitive electrical component and for converting it into an electrical reception signal. Furthermore comprising a conditioning unit for conditioning the reception signal comprising at least one amplifier stage, an analog-to-digital converter fox digitizing the conditioned reception signal, and an electronic evaluation unit, which is designed in such a way that a distance from the distance measuring device to the target object, can be determined on the basis of a signal propagation time with the aid of the digitized reception signal. According to the invention, in this case the amplifier stage is designed in such a way that it has a non-linear input-output characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Vectronix AG
    Inventor: Luca Giacotto
  • Patent number: 8904656
    Abstract: A goniometer has a base defining a standing axis, a structure rotatable around the standing axis relative to the base, an angle encoder, and a control and processing unit. The structure has a graphic electronic information display arrangement having at least two display zones for displaying user guidance information and/or measuring information, a first of the at least two display zones being arranged in a first radial alignment relative to the standing axis on the structure. A second of the at least two display zones of the information display means is arranged in a second radial alignment relative to the standing axis on the structure, the first radial alignment and the second radial alignment enclosing an angle of at least 90°. The at least two display zones are automatically individually activated by the control and processing unit as a function of a fulfillment of a stored angular position criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Vectronix AG
    Inventors: Reto Hohl, Simon Hegetschweiler, Felix Wälti
  • Patent number: 8826550
    Abstract: A north-referenceable goniometer for azimuthal orientation determination of a sighting device has a base, a rotary part, a rotation angle encoder for determining a rotational position of the rotary part about an upright axis, a gyroscope fixed on the rotary part and having a measuring device oriented orthogonally to the upright axis for determining a component of the Earth rotation vector, and an evaluation unit for determining the azimuthal angle of the geographical north pole. The goniometer also includes an acceleration sensor, and the evaluation unit is formed such that, using the evaluation unit, the determined component of the Earth rotation vector is corrected by a sink rate of the goniometer, determined with the aid of the acceleration sensor, and a systematic measurement error of the gyroscope is corrected by determining measurement values of the component of the Earth rotation vector in at least three different rotational positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Vectronix AG
    Inventor: Silvio Gnepf
  • Publication number: 20130235366
    Abstract: An optoelectronic distance measuring device is disclosed. The device has a transmitting unit with a driver stage for emitting optical pulses, a receiving unit for receiving a portion of the optical pulses, said portion being reflected from a target object, and converting it into an electrical reception signal, via a photosensitive electrical component. It also has an analogue-digital converter for digitizing the reception signal, and an electronic evaluation unit to ascertain a distance from the target object on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitized reception signal. The driver stage can be designed so that at least two pulse durations of different length for the optical pulses can be set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: Vectronix AG
    Inventors: Luca GIACOTTO, Riccardo Tinivella