Patents by Inventor Simon BESTLER

Simon BESTLER 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: 11859976
    Abstract: A target reflector search device. This device comprises an emitting unit for emitting an emission fan, a motorized device for moving the emission fan over a spatial region, and a receiving unit for reflected portions of the emission fan within a fan-shaped acquisition region, and a locating unit for determining a location of the reflection. An optoelectronic detector of the receiving unit is formed as a position-resolving optoelectronic detector having a linear arrangement of a plurality of pixels, each formed as an SPAD array, and the receiving unit comprises an optical system having an imaging fixed-focus optical unit, wherein the optical system and the optoelectronic detector are arranged and configured in such a way that portions of the optical radiation reflected from a point in the acquisition region are expanded on the sensitivity surface of the optoelectronic detector in such a way that blurry imaging takes place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Walser, Simon Bestler
  • Patent number: 11860312
    Abstract: A measuring device comprises a base, a case, and a rotating member rotatable about the axis of rotation. The rotating member comprises a transmission unit configured to emit transmission beams to different beam directions. The rotating member further comprises a receiver unit configured to receive returning transmission beams. A longitudinal member is fixed to the base and extends in a central area of the rotating member along the axis of rotation over a range including the transmission unit and the receiver unit. Two bearing members are arranged on the longitudinal member and on the rotating member. In the direction of the axis of rotation, the transmission unit and the receiver unit are located in a range between the two bearing members. The measuring device has a high aiming accuracy and low hysteresis of the turning transmission beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer Wohlgenannt, Jürg Hinderling, Simon Bestler
  • Patent number: 11733043
    Abstract: A target reflector search device. This device comprises an emitting unit for emitting an emission fan, a motorized device for moving the emission fan over a spatial region, and a receiving unit for reflected portions of the emission fan within a fan-shaped acquisition region, and a locating unit for determining a location of the reflection. An optoelectronic detector of the receiving unit is formed as a position-resolving optoelectronic detector having a linear arrangement of a plurality of pixels, each formed as an SPAD array, and the receiving unit comprises an optical system having an imaging fixed-focus optical unit, wherein the optical system and the optoelectronic detector are arranged and configured in such a way that portions of the optical radiation reflected from a point in the acquisition region are expanded on the sensitivity surface of the optoelectronic detector in such a way that blurry imaging takes place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Jürg Hinderling, Simon Bestler, Peter Kipfer, Andreas Walser, Markus Geser
  • Patent number: 11725935
    Abstract: A distance meter for the high-accuracy single-point distance measurement to a target point by means of an oriented emitted beam, wherein the receiver has an optoelectronic sensor based on an arrangement of microcells for acquiring the received beam. The receiver and a computer unit are configured in this case for deriving a set of runtimes with respect to different cross-sectional components of the received beam acquired using subregions of the receiver, and therefore, for example, an evaluation is enabled as to whether the received beam has parts of the emitted beam reflected on a single target or a multiple target in its lateral extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Jürg Hinderling, Simon Bestler, Thomas Piok, Andreas Walser, Rainer Wohlgenannt
  • Publication number: 20230243938
    Abstract: An electro-optic distance meter according to the time-of-flight principle with a receiver chain for generating a digital signal from a received light pulse, the receiver chain comprising a photodetector, a first gain stage, in particular a transimpedance amplifier or a current-mode electronic, for converting an input current from the photodetector associated to the returned light pulse into an output voltage, a filter and an analog-to-digital converter, whereby the digital signal provides an unambiguous relationship between intensity-time delay of the optical pulse and signalshape-time delay of the electrical signal, wherefore the photodetector, the first gain stage and the analog-to-digital converter are adapted to each other such that the analog-to-digital converter remains unclipped in a linear operating range even when the first gain stage shows a non-linear time-invariant response or a well-defined time-invariant saturation response to the input current of the photodetector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Simon BESTLER, Marcel ROHNER
  • Publication number: 20230184547
    Abstract: A surveying device embodied as total positioning system or total station, wherein the surveying device comprises a laser distance measuring module configured to generate a distance measuring beam for a single point measurement to determine a distance to a measurement point targeted by the distance measuring beam. Furthermore, the surveying device comprises a range imaging module with a switchable target illuminator for providing different distance-dependent illumination states of an area illumination comprising a broad and a narrow illumination state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Jürg HINDERLING, Simon BESTLER, Andreas WALSER
  • Publication number: 20230003524
    Abstract: A target reflector search device. This device comprises an emitting unit for emitting an emission fan, a motorized device for moving the emission fan over a spatial region, and a receiving unit for reflected portions of the emission fan within a fan-shaped acquisition region, and a locating unit for determining a location of the reflection. An optoelectronic detector of the receiving unit is formed as a position-resolving optoelectronic detector having a linear arrangement of a plurality of pixels, each formed as an SPAD array, and the receiving unit comprises an optical system having an imaging fixed-focus optical unit, wherein the optical system and the optoelectronic detector are arranged and configured in such a way that portions of the optical radiation reflected from a point in the acquisition region are expanded on the sensitivity surface of the optoelectronic detector in such a way that blurry imaging takes place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas WALSER, Simon BESTLER
  • Patent number: 11428784
    Abstract: A measuring appliance for performing distance measurements to an object, with an optical transmitter channel, an optical reception channel, a reference light path and an evaluation device, wherein the optical transmitter channel comprises a transmitter unit and an optical outlet element and the optical reception channel comprises an optical inlet element and a reception unit. The measuring appliance facilitates distance measurements over a measurement light path to the object and back again and over a reference light path. An attenuation device renders a desired signal attenuation attainable in the reference light path. The reference light path is laid out in such a way that it receives laser measurement radiation prior to the passage through the optical outlet element, guides said laser radiation without contact with the surroundings to the attenuation device and forwards an attenuated portion to the reception unit through the optical inlet element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Jürg Hinderling, Simon Bestler, Reto Stutz, Rainer Wohlgenannt
  • Patent number: 11372088
    Abstract: An optical distance meter configured to carry out a distance measurement in a first measuring mode, in which the distance meter is set for distance measurement on a retroreflective target, and a second measuring mode, in which the distance meter is set for distance measurement on a diffusely scattering target. In this case, a first aperture of the receiving channel is set in the first measuring mode, which is smaller than an aperture set in the second measuring mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Simon Bestler, Rainer Wohlgenannt, Jürg Hinderling
  • Publication number: 20220171038
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-beam distance measuring device, configured for timing the time-of-flight of transmission pulses by using a programmable integrated circuit, which has a plurality of parallel delay lines. Each delay line has a plurality of delay elements, which sequentially propagate an input signal of the respective delay line, wherein each of the delay elements is configured to provide a binary output as a function of the input signal. Time measurement of a signal change of a return signal is carried out by sampling binary outputs of a respective delay line and simultaneous consideration of the sampled binary outputs at a certain point in time, by further taking into account individual time delays of the delay elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer WOHLGENANNT, Roman KOLLER, Simon BESTLER, Marcel ROHNER
  • Patent number: 11022680
    Abstract: A distance measuring device comprising a sensor for highly accurate distance measurement with a very high dynamic range and range walk compensation, said sensor being provided by means of an array of single photon avalanche photodiodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Jürg Hinderling, Simon Bestler, Thomas Piok, Andreas Walser, Rainer Wohlgenannt
  • Publication number: 20210141064
    Abstract: A measuring device comprises a base, a case, and a rotating member rotatable about the axis of rotation. The rotating member comprises a transmission unit configured to emit transmission beams to different beam directions. The rotating member further comprises a receiver unit configured to receive returning transmission beams. A longitudinal member is fixed to the base and extends in a central area of the rotating member along the axis of rotation over a range including the transmission unit and the receiver unit. Two bearing members are arranged on the longitudinal member and on the rotating member. In the direction of the axis of rotation, the transmission unit and the receiver unit are located in a range between the two bearing members. The measuring device has a high aiming accuracy and low hysteresis of the turning transmission beams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer WOHLGENANNT, Jürg HINDERLING, Simon BESTLER
  • Publication number: 20210124049
    Abstract: An absolute distance measuring method and device including a transmission unit having a laser array comprising multiple measurement laser emitters arranged along a laser array axis and a receiver unit having at least one receiver array comprising multiple measurement receivers arranged along a receiver array axis for measuring of an absolute distance based on a respective detected transmission beam and the principle of time-of-flight. The laser array comprises at least a first reference laser emitter and the receiver array comprises at least a first reference receiver. The reference laser emitter and reference receiver define an internal absolute distance reference beam path for calibration of the device with respect to said measuring of absolute distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer WOHLGENANNT, Martin DE LANGE, Benjamin SEIFERT, Simon BESTLER, Jürg HINDERLING
  • Patent number: 10928491
    Abstract: A distance measuring method and an electronic laser distance measuring module, in particular for use in a distance measuring apparatus, especially configured as a laser tracker, tachymeter, laser scanner, or profiler, for fast signal detection with an analog-to-digital converter, wherein conversion errors that arise in the context of a signal digitization, in particular timing, gain and offset errors of the ADC, are compensated for by means of variation of the sampling instants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Simon Bestler, Rainer Wohlgenannt, Jürg Hinderling
  • Patent number: 10921449
    Abstract: A measuring device, in particular a tachymeter, laser scanner, profiler, or laser tracker, having an electronic laser distance measuring module, which comprises an optical transmitting channel having a transmitting unit and an optical receiving channel having a receiving unit for laser measuring radiation, wherein the beam guiding in the electronic laser distance measuring module is implemented by means of fiber optics, and wherein a settable attenuation unit based on an optically active crystal for attenuating the laser measuring radiation generated by the transmitting unit is provided in the optical transmitting channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY GENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Jürg Hinderling, Julien Singer, Simon Bestler
  • Publication number: 20200355499
    Abstract: A target reflector search device. This device comprises an emitting unit for emitting an emission fan, a motorized device for moving the emission fan over a spatial region, and a receiving unit for reflected portions of the emission fan within a fan-shaped acquisition region, and a locating unit for determining a location of the reflection. An optoelectronic detector of the receiving unit is formed as a position-resolving optoelectronic detector having a linear arrangement of a plurality of pixels, each formed as an SPAD array, and the receiving unit comprises an optical system having an imaging fixed-focus optical unit, wherein the optical system and the optoelectronic detector are arranged and configured in such a way that portions of the optical radiation reflected from a point in the acquisition region are expanded on the sensitivity surface of the optoelectronic detector in such a way that blurry imaging takes place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Jürg HINDERLING, Simon Bestler, Peter Kipfer, Andreas Walser, Markus Geser
  • Patent number: 10718866
    Abstract: A distance measuring method and an electronic laser distance measuring module, in particular for use in a distance measuring apparatus, especially configured as a laser tracker, tachymeter, laser scanner, or profiler, for fast signal detection with an analog-to-digital converter, wherein conversion errors that arise in the context of a signal digitization, in particular timing, gain and offset errors of the ADC, are compensated for by means of variation of the sampling instants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer Wohlgenannt, Simon Bestler, Jürg Hinderling
  • Publication number: 20200158826
    Abstract: A measuring appliance for performing distance measurements to an object, with an optical transmitter channel, an optical reception channel, a reference light path and an evaluation device, wherein the optical transmitter channel comprises a transmitter unit and an optical outlet element and the optical reception channel comprises an optical inlet element and a reception unit. The measuring appliance facilitates distance measurements over a measurement light path to the object and back again and over a reference light path. An attenuation device renders a desired signal attenuation attainable in the reference light path. The reference light path is laid out in such a way that it receives laser measurement radiation prior to the passage through the optical outlet element, guides said laser radiation without contact with the surroundings to the attenuation device and forwards an attenuated portion to the reception unit through the optical inlet element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Jürg HINDERLING, Simon BESTLER, Reto STUTZ, Rainer WOHLGENANNT
  • Patent number: 10345434
    Abstract: The invention relates to a distance measurement apparatus for measuring the time of flight of electromagnetic signals, having at least: a transmitter for transmitting coded transmission signals according to a pattern specified by a coder, a receiver for detecting the signals reflected by at least one object as receive signals, a counter unit having a time counter for writing time counter values, which are generated in each case with the transmission of the transmission signals and the receipt of the receive signals, into at least one register, and a control and evaluation unit for calculating the time of flight on the basis of decoding the receive signals and reading the register of the counter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Jürg Hinderling, Reto Stutz, Julien Singer, Rainer Wohlgenannt, Simon Bestler
  • Publication number: 20190162825
    Abstract: An optical distance meter configured to carry out a distance measurement in a first measuring mode, in which the distance meter is set for distance measurement on a retroreflective target, and a second measuring mode, in which the distance meter is set for distance measurement on a diffusely scattering target. In this case, a first aperture of the receiving channel is set in the first measuring mode, which is smaller than an aperture set in the second measuring mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Simon BESTLER, Rainer WOHLGENANNT, Jürg HINDERLING