Patents by Inventor Kaoru Kumagai

Kaoru Kumagai has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7433028
    Abstract: A laser surveying instrument, comprising a laser projector for projecting a laser beam by rotary irradiation and designed as tiltable, a tilting unit for tilting the laser projector, a rotating unit for integrally rotating the tilting unit and the laser projector in horizontal direction, a tilt setting unit for tilting the laser projector with respect to the rotating unit and for setting a target tilt angle, a tilt angle detector for detecting tilting of the laser projector, tilt sensors provided on the tilt setting unit in two directions perpendicularly crossing and for detecting horizontal direction, a horizontal angle detector for detecting horizontal rotation angle of the rotating unit, and an arithmetic control unit for controlling rotation angle of the rotating unit based on detection results of the tilt sensors and based on detection results of the horizontal angle detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Jun-ichi Kodaira
  • Publication number: 20080243429
    Abstract: A three-dimensional position-measuring apparatus comprises a body, a rotational optical portion rotatable with respect to the body in a horizontal direction and comprising a reflective plate in which deflection in a vertical direction is controllable, a first data transmitting and receiving portion arranged in the body and comprising a first coil which has a rotational axis of the rotational optical portion as an axis, and a second data transmitting and receiving portion arranged in the rotational optical portion and comprising a second coil that has the same axis as that of the first coil and magnetically couples with the first coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Kenichiro Yoshino, Kaoru Kumagai
  • Patent number: 7385685
    Abstract: A position detecting device includes: a liquid having a free surface; a light source configured to irradiate a light flux toward the free surface of the liquid; a dark field pattern provided between the liquid and the light source and configured to form a pattern of the light flux irradiated by the light source; a light-receiving sensor configured to detect the pattern of the light flux reflected by the free surface of the liquid; and an arithmetic unit configured to calculate a position of the pattern from results of detection of the light-receiving sensor, add the results of the detection of the light-receiving sensor in an X-direction and a Y-direction of the light-receiving sensor, and calculate the position of the pattern from an output obtained by adding the results of the detection in the X-direction and the Y-direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Shinji Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20080074637
    Abstract: A laser scanner, comprising a mirror rotatably provided, a driving unit for rotating the mirror, a distance measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light for scanning to a measurement range via the mirror and for obtaining a position data by receiving the reflected distance measuring light via the mirror, a measuring direction observing means for indicating a projecting direction of the distance measuring light, and an operation unit for setting the measurement range by designating at least two measuring directions based on the result of observation of the measuring direction obtained by the measuring direction observing means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Ken-Ichiro Yoshino, Yasushi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7319512
    Abstract: A surveying instrument for projecting a distance measuring light to an object to be measured and for measuring a distance from a reflected light, comprising at least an image pickup unit for picking up an image of a spreading range of the distance measuring light, and a control unit for performing edge extraction from the image captured by the image pickup unit and for judging whether there is an edge or not within the spreading range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai
  • Patent number: 7307699
    Abstract: A light wave distance measuring method, using a light wave distance measuring system with a focusing function, comprising a step of comparing a reference distance to an object to be measured obtained based on a position of a focusing lens with a measuring distance obtained by light wave distance measurement, and a step of defining the measuring distance approximately equal to the reference distance as a result of measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai
  • Patent number: 7301617
    Abstract: A surveying apparatus including an objective lens; an irradiation unit for irradiating illumination light from the objective lens toward a reflector; a ranging unit for irradiating ranging light from the objective lens to measure a distance from the surveying apparatus to the reflector; an image sensor for outputting information on an image in a field of view based on light entering through the objective lens; an image processing circuit connected with the image sensor for processing the image information outputted from the image sensor; and a monitor connected with the image processing circuit for displaying an image, wherein a ranging-possible area and a position at which the reflector is located based on the illumination light reflected from the reflector are displayed in a form of figure on the image displayed on the monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai
  • Patent number: 7274802
    Abstract: The present invention comprises an illumination portion (11), and, a light receiving portion (12) having an image sensor (27) which are disposed in a surveying machine body (8), arithmetic portion (38) for calculating a position of a reflection light image (MO) from a reflector (2) in an area of the image sensor (27) based on a received light of the image sensor (27), a rotation mechanism for rotating the surveying machine body (8) so as to position the reflector (2) on a light receiving optical axis of the light receiving portion (12) based on the position obtained by the arithmetic portion (38), a storing portion (45) for storing a quantity of light of each pixel in the image sensor (27), and an edge position detecting portion (46) for detecting a beginning edge position (La) and end edge potion (Lb) of the reflection light image (MO) every scanning line in the image sensor (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Masahiro Saito, Shinji Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7222021
    Abstract: A base station is installed in a predetermined area where a large number of target points are studded around the station. When the operator moves a mobile station around the base station, display means is provided for both or either of the base station that guides the operator and the mobile station, and a display screen of the display means displays 2 kinds of a Forward (foreground) mode and a Back (background) mode. In the Forward (foreground) mode, the display screen of the display means displays a landscape in a forward direction (opposite direction to the mobile station by 180° when seen from the base station) of the operator (mobile station) when the operator sees the base station from the current position of the mobile station, or from the next target point if the operator reaches the next target point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Fumio Ootomo, Akio Kimura, Kaoru Kumagai, Kazuki Osaragi, Kunihiro Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20070103672
    Abstract: A laser surveying instrument, comprising a laser projector for projecting a laser beam by rotary irradiation and designed as tiltable, a tilting unit for tilting the laser projector, a rotating unit for integrally rotating the tilting unit and the laser projector in horizontal direction, a tilt setting unit for tilting the laser projector with respect to the rotating unit and for setting a target tilt angle, a tilt angle detector for detecting tilting of the laser projector, tilt sensors provided on the tilt setting unit in two directions perpendicularly crossing and for detecting horizontal direction, a horizontal angle detector for detecting horizontal rotation angle of the rotating unit, and an arithmetic control unit for controlling rotation angle of the rotating unit based on detection results of the tilt sensors and based on detection results of the horizontal angle detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Jun-ichi Kodaira
  • Publication number: 20070081146
    Abstract: A position detecting device includes: a liquid having a free surface; a light source configured to irradiate a light flux toward the free surface of the liquid; a dark field pattern provided between the liquid and the light source and configured to form a pattern of the light flux irradiated by the light source; a light-receiving sensor configured to detect the pattern of the light flux reflected by the free surface of the liquid; and an arithmetic unit configured to calculate a position of the pattern from results of detection of the light-receiving sensor, add the results of the detection of the light-receiving sensor in an X-direction and a Y-direction of the light-receiving sensor, and calculate the position of the pattern from an output obtained by adding the results of the detection in the X-direction and the Y-direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Shinji Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20070076189
    Abstract: A distance measuring device for measuring a distance by projecting a pulsed laser beam to an object to be measured and by receiving a reflected light from the object to be measured, comprising a first light emitting unit for projecting a pulsed laser beam for distance measurement, a second light emitting unit for emitting a correction pulsed laser beam, a distance measuring light optical path to guide the pulsed laser beam for distance measurement toward a first photodetection unit, an internal reference light optical path for splitting an internal reference pulsed light from the pulsed laser beam for distance measurement and for guiding to a second photodetection unit, a correction light optical path for splitting the correction pulsed laser beam and for guiding to the first photodetection unit and the second photodetection unit, light amount adjusting means for changing light intensity of the correction pulsed laser beam and the internal reference pulsed light, and a control arithmetic unit for calculating
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Ken-ichiro Yoshino
  • Patent number: 7187434
    Abstract: A surveying apparatus includes an irradiation portion provided with an objective lens, and for irradiating a ranging light toward a measured object, a ranging portion for measuring a distance per unit time more than once based on a reflection light reflected by the measured object and entered through the objective lens, a collimation optical system portion for collimating the measured object through the objective lens, the collimation optical system portion being provided with an image processing device configured to obtain a collimation image obtained through the objective lens, and a determination device to determine whether or not a moving obstacle has passed a projection optical path of the ranging light during projecting the ranging light based on an image obtained by the image processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai
  • Patent number: 7177015
    Abstract: A distance-measuring device, comprising a light source unit for emitting a distance-measuring light, a photodetection optical system, a projecting optical system for projecting the distance-measuring light from the light source unit to an object to be measured and for guiding the distance-measuring light reflected by the object to be measured to the photodetection optical system, and an internal reference optical system for guiding the distance-measuring light from the light source unit toward the photodetection optical system, wherein the light source unit can emit two distance-measuring lights having different spreading angles and having the same or almost the same wavelengths, and the photodetection optical system has an optical filter which transmits light components of narrower wavelength range of the distance-measuring light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai, Jun-ichi Kodaira
  • Patent number: 7127822
    Abstract: The present invention provides a surveying instrument (20), comprising a surveying instrument main unit (21) which projects a measuring light to an object to be measured and measures a position based on a reflection light from the object to be measured and an operation device (67) which is removably attached on the surveying instrument main unit, wherein the surveying instrument main unit comprises a distance measuring unit (54) and (55) for emitting the measuring light and for measuring a distance, an image pickup unit (51) and (53) for acquiring an image, a reflection mirror (45) rotatably mounted and used for directing the measuring light toward the object to be measured, for directing the reflected light from the object to be measured toward a light receiving unit, and for directing the image in a projecting direction toward the image pickup unit, a detecting means (31) for detecting a rotating position of the reflection mirror, and a control unit (74) for controlling at least the distance measuring unit,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Fumio Ohtomo
  • Patent number: 7095490
    Abstract: An electric distance meter of the present invention comprises a device (1) to generate a modulation signal for modulating measuring light which is irradiated to an object, a device (4) to periodically generate an intermittent pulse signal for generating intermittent modulated measuring light by intermittently adding the modulation signal to a light emitting element (10), a device (5A) to generate an internal frequency signal (S5) with a frequency different from the modulation signal (S2), a light receiving element (27) for outputting a light receiving signal by receiving the intermittent modulated measuring light, a device (7) to generate an intermittent difference frequency signal (S7) by inputting the light receiving signal (S4) and the signal (S5), an arithmetic logical unit (36) for calculating a distance to the object based on a phase difference between a phase of the signal (S7) output from the device (7) and a phase of the intermittent difference frequency signal obtained through a reference optical pa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai, Kenichiro Yoshino
  • Patent number: 7072032
    Abstract: The present invention comprises an illumination portion (11), a light receiving portion (12), disposed in the surveying machine body (8), having an image sensor (27) for receiving a reflection light image (MO) of the measurement light, arithmetic means (38) for calculating a position in an area of the image sensor (27) for the reflection light image (MO) from a reflector (2), and a rotation mechanism for rotating the surveying machine body (8) so as to position the reflector (2) on a light receiving optical axis of the light receiving portion (12) based on the position obtained by the arithmetic means (38), and the light receiving portion (12) is provided with a light receiving sensor (47) having a smaller area than the area of the image sensor (27) on the light receiving optical axis in a conjugated position with the image area (27), and the arithmetic means (38) distinguishes the reflector 2 based on an output of the light receiving sensor (47).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Masahiro Saito, Shinji Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20050275829
    Abstract: A surveying instrument, comprising a first image pickup unit for obtaining a first image in a collimating direction, a second image pickup unit for obtaining a second image highly magnified than the first image pickup unit, a display unit for displaying the images obtained by the first image pickup unit and the second image pickup unit, and a control unit for magnifying and continuously displaying the first image and the second image on the display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Fumio Ohtomo, Masaaki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20050275830
    Abstract: A surveying apparatus including an objective lens; an irradiation unit for irradiating illumination light from the objective lens toward a reflector; a ranging unit for irradiating ranging light from the objective lens to measure a distance from the surveying apparatus to the reflector; an image sensor for outputting information on an image in a field of view based on light entering through the objective lens; an image processing circuit connected with the image sensor for processing the image information outputted from the image sensor; and a monitor connected with the image processing circuit for displaying an image, wherein a ranging-possible area and a position at which the reflector is located based on the illumination light reflected from the reflector are displayed in a form of figure on the image displayed on the monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20050275826
    Abstract: A surveying apparatus includes an irradiation portion provided with an objective lens, and for irradiating a ranging light toward a measured object, a ranging portion for measuring a distance per unit time more than once based on a reflection light reflected by the measured object and entered through the objective lens, a collimation optical system portion for collimating the measured object through the objective lens, the collimation optical system portion being provided with an image processing device configured to obtain a collimation image obtained through the objective lens, and a determination device to determine whether or not a moving obstacle has passed a projection optical path of the ranging light during projecting the ranging light based on an image obtained by the image processing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai