Patents by Inventor Marcel Rohner
Marcel Rohner 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: 8896843Abstract: A method for speckle mitigation in an interferometric distance meter comprises the steps of transmitting optical radiation with at least one wavelength ? to a target to be surveyed, receiving a portion of the optical radiation scattered back by the target in an optical axis (OA), wherein the optical radiation forms a speckle field, converting the received optical radiation into at least one received signal, determining a true distance to the target from the received signal by absolute or incremental interferometric distance measurements. In the method the true pointing direction relative to the optical axis (OA) is determined, wherein the distance error due to speckle effects is corrected.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2010Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventors: Marcel Rohner, Yves Salvade
-
Publication number: 20140333918Abstract: Highly accurate electro-optical time of flight distance measuring device for determining a distance to a target, including a transmitter for sending out a pulse shaped optical radiation to the target as well as a receiver for an optical signal built for turning the optical signal to an electrical signal, and a filter with a transfer function for filtering the electrical signal whereby the filter is built in such a way that its transfer-function is of at least 4th order, in particular 5th or 7th or higher order, so that aliasing is suppressed. Further a waveform-sampler, as an analog-to-digital-converter, for digitalizing the pulse shape from the filtered electrical signal as time- and value-quantized digital data, and a computation means for a numerical evaluation of the distance according to the pulse shape or a pulse shape representing numerical signature from the digital data.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2014Publication date: November 13, 2014Inventors: Reto STUTZ, Robert FRITSCH, Juerg HINDERLING, Marcel ROHNER
-
Patent number: 8848171Abstract: Highly accurate electro-optical time of flight distance measuring device for determining a distance to a target, including a transmitter for sending out a pulse shaped optical radiation to the target as well as a receiver for an optical signal built for turning the optical signal to an electrical signal, and a filter with a transfer function for filtering the electrical signal whereby the filter is built in such a way that its transfer-function is of at least 4th order, in particular 5th or 7th or higher order, so that aliasing is suppressed. Further a waveform-sampler, as an analog-to-digital-converter, for digitalizing the pulse shape from the filtered electrical signal as time- and value-quantized digital data, and a computation means for a numerical evaluation of the distance according to the pulse shape or a pulse shape representing numerical signature from the digital data.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventors: Reto Stutz, Robert Fritsch, Juerg Hinderling, Marcel Rohner
-
Patent number: 8654341Abstract: In a distance-measuring method, chirped laser radiation with two separable radiation components is emitted to at least one target to be surveyed and via a local oscillator path, the radiation components having an opposite chirp as a time dependency of the modulated wavelengths (?1, ?2). After reception of the laser radiation scattered back from the target and passed via the local oscillator path, the laser radiation received is converted into signals and the distance to the at least one target is determined from the signals on the basis of interferometric mixing, separation of the radiation components being effected on the basis of their spectral characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2009Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventors: Thomas Jensen, Marcel Rohner
-
Patent number: 8654342Abstract: In a distance-measuring method comprising a distance-measuring apparatus having at least one frequency-modulatable laser source for producing chirped laser radiation. The laser radiation has radiation components with opposite chirp as time dependency of the modulated wavelengths, the simultaneous oppositeness of the frequency curve being realized via an optical delay path (3) for one of the two radiation components. The radiation produced is passed in a measuring interferometer (5) to a target (6) and parallel via a local Oscillator. After reception of the laser radiation scattered back from the target (6) and passed via the local oscillator path, the laser radiation received is converted into signals and the distance to the at least one target (6) is determined from the signals on the basis of interferometric mixing.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2009Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventors: Thomas Jensen, Marcel Rohner
-
Patent number: 8331624Abstract: The invention relates to a method for surveying at least one target using a geodetic device. According to said method, a camera of the device captures a visual image and surveys an angle and/or a distance to the target with geodetic precision, the angle and/or distance surveillance being supported or controlled by the visual image. At the same time of capture of the visual image at least two distance points of a distance image are captured as the spatial distribution of discrete distance points in the area of detection. When the visual image and the distance image are correlated with each other, the target is recognized or the measuring process is controlled.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2006Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventors: Bernhard Braunecker, Marcel Rohner
-
Patent number: 8289523Abstract: In a method for generating a synthetic wavelength, particularly for an interferometric distance measuring setup, with a primary laser source defining a primary frequency ?0 and at least a first sideband frequency ?1 of the primary frequency ?0, laser radiation with the first sideband frequency ?1 and a corresponding first wavelength is provided wherein the first sideband frequency ?1 is continuously shifted, particularly by modulating the primary laser source. The synthetic wavelength is generated by combining the first wavelength and a second wavelength which is defined by the primary laser source, particularly by superposition.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2007Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventors: Sébastien Le Floch, Yves Salvade, Thomas Jensen, Marcel Rohner
-
Publication number: 20120257187Abstract: Highly accurate electro-optical time of flight distance measuring device for determining a distance to a target, including a transmitter for sending out a pulse shaped optical radiation to the target as well as a receiver for an optical signal built for turning the optical signal to an electrical signal, and a filter with a transfer function for filtering the electrical signal whereby the filter is built in such a way that its transfer-function is of at least 4th order, in particular 5th or 7th or higher order, so that aliasing is suppressed. Further a waveform-sampler, as an analog-to-digital-converter, for digitalizing the pulse shape from the filtered electrical signal as time- and value-quantized digital data, and a computation means for a numerical evaluation of the distance according to the pulse shape or a pulse shape representing numerical signature from the digital data.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2010Publication date: October 11, 2012Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AGInventors: Reto Stutz, Robert Fritsch, Juerg Hinderling, Marcel Rohner
-
Publication number: 20120242998Abstract: A method for speckle mitigation in an interferometric distance meter comprises the steps of transmitting optical radiation with at least one wavelength ? to a target to be surveyed, receiving a portion of the optical radiation scattered back by the target in an optical axis (OA), wherein the optical radiation forms a speckle field, converting the received optical radiation into at least one received signal, determining a true distance to the target from the received signal by absolute or incremental interferometric distance measurements. In the method the true pointing direction relative to the optical axis (OA) is determined, wherein the distance error due to speckle effects is corrected.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2010Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AGInventors: Marcel Rohner, Yves Salvade
-
Publication number: 20110292403Abstract: In a distance-measuring method, chirped laser radiation with two separable radiation components is emitted to at least one target to be surveyed and via a local oscillator path, the radiation components having an opposite chirp as a time dependency of the modulated wavelengths (?1, ?2). After reception of the laser radiation scattered back from the target and passed via the local oscillator path, the laser radiation received is converted into signals and the distance to the at least one target is determined from the signals on the basis of interferometric mixing, separation of the radiation components being effected on the basis of their spectral characteristic.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2009Publication date: December 1, 2011Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AGInventors: Thomas Jensen, Marcel Rohner
-
Publication number: 20110051146Abstract: In a distance-measuring method comprising a distance-measuring apparatus having at least one frequency-modulatable laser source for producing chirped laser radiation. The laser radiation has radiation components with opposite chirp as time dependency of the modulated wavelengths, the simultaneous oppositeness of the frequency curve being realized via an optical delay path (3) for one of the two radiation components. The radiation produced is passed in a measuring interferometer (5) to a target (6) and parallel via a local Oscillator. After reception of the laser radiation scattered back from the target (6) and passed via the local oscillator path, the laser radiation received is converted into signals and the distance to the at least one target (6) is determined from the signals on the basis of interferometric mixing.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2009Publication date: March 3, 2011Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AGInventors: Thomas Jensen, Marcel Rohner
-
Patent number: 7800739Abstract: A distance measuring method for detecting the spatial dimension of at least one target by at least one emission of a multiplicity of light pulses, in particular laser light, towards the target, detecting the light pulse scattered back by the target by means of a multiplicity of distance measuring pixels and eliminating the distance to the target for each pixel, wherein each light pulse can be detected within a measuring interval Ti from at least two partial intervals tij and the detection of at least one repetition constitutes a detection step performed in at least two stages wherein the measuring interval T˜ is shortened from stage to stage.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2007Date of Patent: September 21, 2010Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventors: Marcel Rohner, Beat Aebischer, Thomas Jensen, Knut Siercks
-
Patent number: 7671971Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optical distance measuring method wherein frequency-modulated optical radiation is emitted onto at least one target to be measured. Once the radiation back-scattered to the target is received, the chirp of radiation is modeled by means of a phase function ?(t) having parameters cj, thereby making description of the deviation of the chirp from the linear profile possible. The parameters used for description are at least partially determined from measurements or are coestimated during numerical signal processing.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2005Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventors: Beat Aebischer, Marcel Rohner
-
Publication number: 20100046003Abstract: In a method for generating a synthetic wavelength, particularly for an interferometric distance measuring setup, with a primary laser source defining a primary frequency U0 and at least a first sideband frequency U1 of the primary frequency U1, laser radiation with the first sideband frequency O1 and a corresponding first wavelength is provided wherein the first sideband frequency U1 is continuously shifted, particularly by modulating the primary laser source. The synthetic wavelength is generated by combining the first wavelength and a second wavelength which is defined by the primary laser source, particularly by superposition.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2007Publication date: February 25, 2010Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AGInventors: Sébastien Le Floch, Yves Salvade, Thomas Jensen, Marcel Rohner
-
Patent number: 7619719Abstract: The invention relates to a method for interferometric absolute distance measuring by a frequency modulation electromagnetic radiation on at least one measurable target and for subsequently receiving a retransmitted radiation with a heterodyne mixture, wherein the radiation is guided in a parallel direction via a reference interferometric length. In such a way, a first digitized interferogram of the radiation retransmitted by the target and a second digitised interferogram of the radiation guided on the reference length are obtainable at a reception. According to phase progression data of the second interferogram, a virtual interferogram or a phase progression thereof is synthesized and the distance determination is carried out by comparing the progression face data of the first interferogram with the progression face data of the virtual interferogram.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2006Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Leica Geosystems AGInventors: Marcel Rohner, Thomas Jensen
-
Publication number: 20090185159Abstract: A distance measuring method for detecting the spatial dimension of at least one target by at least one emission of a multiplicity of light pulses, in particular laser light, towards the target, detecting the light pulse scattered back by the target by means of a multiplicity of distance measuring pixels and eliminating the distance to the target for each pixel, wherein each light pulse can be detected within a measuring interval Ti from at least two partial intervals ti,j and the detection of at least one repetition constitutes a detection step performed in at least two stages wherein the measuring interval Ti is shortened from stage to stage.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2007Publication date: July 23, 2009Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AGInventors: Marcel Rohner, Beat Aebischer, Thomas Jensen, Knut Siercks
-
Publication number: 20090135403Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optical distance measuring method wherein frequency-modulated optical radiation is emitted onto at least one target to be measured. Once the radiation back-scattered to the target is received, the chirp of radiation is modeled by means of a phase function ?(t) having parameters cj, thereby making description of the deviation of the chirp from the linear profile possible. The parameters used for description are at least partially determined from measurements or are coestimated during numerical signal processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2005Publication date: May 28, 2009Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AGInventors: Beat Aebischer, Marcel Rohner
-
Publication number: 20080205707Abstract: The invention relates to a method for surveying at least one target using a geodetic device. According to said method, a camera of the device captures a visual image and surveys an angle and/or a distance to the target with geodetic precision, the angle and/or distance surveillance being supported or controlled by the visual image. At the same time of capture of the visual image at least two distance points of a distance image are captured as the spatial distribution of discrete distance points in the area of detection. When the visual image and the distance image are correlated with each other, the target is recognized or the measuring process is controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2006Publication date: August 28, 2008Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AGInventors: Bernhard Braunecker, Marcel Rohner
-
Publication number: 20080204698Abstract: The invention relates to a method for interferometric absolute distance measuring by a frequency modulation electromagnetic radiation on at least one measurable target and for subsequently receiving a retransmitted radiation with a heterodyne mixture, wherein the radiation is guided in a parallel direction via a reference interferometric length. In such a way, a first digitised interferogram of the radiation retransmitted by the target and a second digitised interferogram of the radiation guided on the reference length are obtainable at a reception. According to phase progression data of the second interferogram, a virtual interferogram or a phase progression thereof is synthesised and the distance determination is carried out by comparing the progression face data of the first interferogram with the progression face data of the virtual interferogram.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2006Publication date: August 28, 2008Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AGInventors: Marcel Rohner, Thomas Jensen