Patents by Inventor Reto METZLER

Reto METZLER 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).

  • Publication number: 20220120563
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic surveying instrument and to a method for synchronizing the emitting of projection light by the electronic surveying instrument and the acquiring of images by an image sensor of the electronic surveying instrument to reduce the visibility of the projection light in at least a part of the images acquired by the image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEM AG
    Inventors: Reto METZLER, Thomas BÖSCH, Josef MÜLLER
  • Patent number: 9817122
    Abstract: An electro-optical distance measuring device includes a laser driver for a laser diode for emitting laser light pulses. The laser driver has a laser diode voltage supply for providing a voltage below a laser threshold voltage of the laser diode, an inductive component in a supply path of the laser diode, and an electronic switching element. The electronic switching element is arranged in an interacting manner such that a current flow through the inductive component can be generated in a first switching position of the switching element and the current flow can be conducted through the laser diode in a second switching position of the switching element. One of the laser light pulses can be emitted as the result of a switch from the first switching position to the second switching position, and laser light cannot be emitted in the static first switching position or the static second switching position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Reto Metzler, Bernhard Fiegl, Kurt Giger
  • Patent number: 9753139
    Abstract: An electro-optical distance measuring device includes a laser driver for a laser diode for emitting laser light pulses. The measuring device further includes a laser diode voltage supply having a cascade of at least two voltage regulators, each of which provides an output voltage at a level below a laser threshold voltage of the laser diode. By changing from a first to a second switching position of an electronic switching element of the measuring device, one of the laser light pulses can be emitted and, in the steady-state first and the steady-state second switching positions, no laser light is emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Kurt Giger, Reto Metzler, Bernhard Fiegl
  • Patent number: 9677883
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optoelectronic distance measuring device, comprising a transmitting unit and comprising a receiving unit of an electronic evaluating unit. The transmitting unit has a circuit board, a semiconductor laser, and a laser diode driver for transmitting high-frequency intensity-modulated optical radiation. In order to receive a component of the optical radiation reflected by a target object by means of a photosensitive electrical component, the receiving unit is equipped with an electrical output signal as a received signal, a conditioning unit for conditioning the received signal, and an analog/digital converter for digitizing the conditioned received signal. The electronic evaluating unit determines a distance from the distance measuring device to the target object on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitized received signal. The semiconductor laser is attached to the circuit board as a laser substrate that does not have a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Kurt Giger, Reto Metzler, Bernhard Fiegl
  • Patent number: 9599713
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optical distance-measuring device, more particularly a laser rangefinder, with a transmitting unit for transmitting intensity-modulated optical radiation, a receiving unit for receiving a portion of the optical radiation reflected back from a target in a photosensitive electrical component and converting it into an electrical received signal, an input filter for filtering the received signal, an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the filtered received signal and an electronic analysis unit that calculates the distance from the rangefinder to the target object on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitized received signal. The input filter is implemented as a time-discrete and continuous-value filter structure, more particularly a digital filter structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Kurt Giger, Reto Metzler, Bernhard Fiegl
  • Publication number: 20140327902
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optoelectronic distance measuring device, comprising a transmitting unit and comprising a receiving unit of an electronic evaluating unit. The transmitting unit has a circuit board, a semiconductor laser, and a laser diode driver for transmitting high-frequency intensity-modulated optical radiation. In order to receive a component of the optical radiation reflected by a target object by means of a photosensitive electrical component, the receiving unit is equipped with an electrical output signal as a received signal, a conditioning unit for conditioning the received signal, and an analog/digital converter for digitizing the conditioned received signal. The electronic evaluating unit determines a distance from the distance measuring device to the target object on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitized received signal. The semiconductor laser is attached to the circuit board as a laser substrate that does not have a housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Kurt Giger, Reto Metzler, Bernhard Fiegl
  • Publication number: 20140307248
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optical distance-measuring device, more particularly a laser rangefinder, with a transmitting unit for transmitting intensity-modulated optical radiation, a receiving unit for receiving a portion of the optical radiation reflected back from a target in a photosensitive electrical component and converting it into an electrical received signal, an input filter for filtering the received signal, an analogue-to-digital converter for digitising the filtered received signal and an electronic analysis unit that calculates the distance from the rangefinder to the target object on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitised received signal. The input filter is implemented as a time-discrete and continuous-value filter structure, more particularly a digital filter structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventors: Kurt Giger, Reto Metzler, Bernhard Fiegl
  • Publication number: 20140226147
    Abstract: An electro-optical distance measuring device includes a laser driver for a laser diode for emitting laser light pulses. The laser driver has a laser diode voltage supply for providing a voltage below a laser threshold voltage of the laser diode, an inductive component in a supply path of the laser diode, and an electronic switching element. The electronic switching element is arranged in an interacting manner such that a current flow through the inductive component can be generated in a first switching position of the switching element and the current flow can be conducted through the laser diode in a second switching position of the switching element. One of the laser light pulses can be emitted as the result of a switch from the first switching position to the second switching position, and laser light cannot be emitted in the static first switching position or the static second switching position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Reto Metzler, Bernhard Fiegl, Kurt Giger
  • Publication number: 20140204396
    Abstract: An electro-optical distance measuring device includes a laser driver for a laser diode for emitting laser light pulses. The measuring device further includes a laser diode voltage supply having a cascade of at least two voltage regulators, each of which provides an output voltage at a level below a laser threshold voltage of the laser diode. By changing from a first to a second switching position of an electronic switching element of the measuring device, one of the laser light pulses can be emitted and, in the steady-state first and the steady-state second switching positions, no laser light is emitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Kurt GIGER, Reto METZLER, Bernhard FIEGL