Patents by Inventor Thomas Ammer

Thomas Ammer 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: 11397245
    Abstract: Surveying device comprising a base defining a base axis (A), a support structure arranged to be rotatable around the base axis (A) and defining a rotation axis (B), a light emitting unit for emitting measuring signal and a light receiving unit comprising a detector for detecting reflected measuring signal. A rotation unit is mounted on the support structure for providing emission and reception of measuring light in defined directions, wherein the rotation unit comprises a rotation body which is mounted rotatable around the rotation axis (B) and the rotation body comprises a scanning mirror which is arranged tilted relative to the rotation axis (B). The device comprises at least one projector fixedly arranged with the support structure, defining a particular optical axis and configured to direct a light pattern at a scene, wherein position and shape of the pattern are controllable by the controlling and processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Ammer, Thomas Jensen, Jürg Hinderling
  • Patent number: 11112242
    Abstract: A light receiver designed to determine a position or orientation relative to a reference light wherein the light receiver comprises an elongated rod-shaped light receptor with two ends, a light coupler, a light guide, and light detection means at both ends and a signal processor to process the electric signals of the detection means and to determine the relative position and/or orientation by a comparative evaluation of the electric signals. The light guide serves as a light propagation path of defined length for light coupled into the light guide by the light coupler and the signal processor determines the position and/or orientation based on light propagation speed of the reference light propagating in the light guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Peter Seitz, Thomas Ammer, Jürg Hinderling
  • Patent number: 11092438
    Abstract: A light receiver designed to determine a position or orientation relative to a reference light wherein the light receiver comprises an elongated rod-shaped light receptor with two ends, a light coupler, a light guide, and light detection means at one or both ends for detection of guided reference light and a signal processor to process the at least one detection signal of the detection means and to determine the position by an evaluation of the detection signal. The light coupler comprises light absorbing and emitting material like fluorescent or phosphorescent material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Peter Seitz, Thomas Ammer, Martin Winistörfer
  • Patent number: 11087036
    Abstract: A method, device and system for automatically deriving stationing zones for an electronic measuring or marking device in a worksite environment. The method includes querying a database (DB) for a construction plan information for the worksite environment and acquiring a worksite-task-information of a worksite-task to be executed. The worksite-task-information includes spatial points in the construction plan which have to be measured and/or marked to accomplish the worksite-task. It also comprises an acquiring of at least coarse 3D-data of the actual real world worksite environment, and a merging of the at least coarse 3D-data and the construction plan information to form an actual state model of the worksite environment. An automatic calculating of at least one stationing zone within the actual state model is established, the stationing zone including at least one stationing location from which the measuring or marking of the spatial points are accessible by the device without obstructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Bernd Möller, Thomas Ammer
  • Patent number: 10877468
    Abstract: A Self-monitoring manufacturing system adapted to produce at least one object. The system includes at least a first processing facility adapted to perform a respective first processing step with the object, and a production control unit, wherein the production data comprises nominal pre-processing object data. A production monitoring unit for checking a pre-processing object state of the object is arranged, such unit being adapted to obtain actual property data of the object in-line of the production in-advance of applying the first processing step, to generate deviation data by comparing the actual property data with the production data for the first processing step, and to provide the deviation data for performing the first production step with the first processing facility in deviation-adjusted manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Claudio Iseli, Thomas Ammer
  • Publication number: 20200065432
    Abstract: A method, device and system for automatically deriving stationing zones for an electronic measuring or marking device in a worksite environment. The method includes querying a database (DB) for a construction plan information for the worksite environment and acquiring a worksite-task-information of a worksite-task to be executed. The worksite-task-information includes spatial points in the construction plan which have to be measured and/or marked to accomplish the worksite-task. It also comprises an acquiring of at least coarse 3D-data of the actual real world worksite environment, and a merging of the at least coarse 3D-data and the construction plan information to form an actual state model of the worksite environment. An automatic calculating of at least one stationing zone within the actual state model is established, the stationing zone including at least one stationing location from which the measuring or marking of the spatial points are accessible by the device without obstructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Bernd MÖLLER, Thomas AMMER
  • Publication number: 20190064328
    Abstract: Surveying device comprising a base defining a base axis (A), a support structure arranged to be rotatable around the base axis (A) and defining a rotation axis (B), a light emitting unit for emitting measuring signal and a light receiving unit comprising a detector for detecting reflected measuring signal. A rotation unit is mounted on the support structure for providing emission and reception of measuring light in defined directions, wherein the rotation unit comprises a rotation body which is mounted rotatable around the rotation axis (B) and the rotation body comprises a scanning mirror which is arranged tilted relative to the rotation axis (B). The device comprises at least one projector fixedly arranged with the support structure, defining a particular optical axis and configured to direct a light pattern at a scene, wherein position and shape of the pattern are controllable by the controlling and processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas AMMER, Thomas JENSEN, Jürg HINDERLING
  • Patent number: 10140756
    Abstract: Method for creating a spatial model of a target object with a hand-held distance measuring device, the device comprising a laser distance meter, a camera, a computing unit and a data storage device, the method comprising measuring with the laser distance meter one or more distances to the target object from different positions, storing the measured distances in the data storage device, capturing with the camera a plurality of images of the target object, wherein each of the measured distances is associated with one of the captured images, determining with the computing unit relative camera poses for the plurality of images, and calculating with the computing unit based on the plurality of images and on the determined relative camera poses a three-dimensional geometry of the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Elmar Vincent Van Der Zwan, Bernhard Metzler, Thomas Ammer, Nicolas Boehrer, Michael Helmberger
  • Publication number: 20180335305
    Abstract: A light receiver designed to determine a position or orientation relative to a reference light wherein the light receiver comprises an elongated rod-shaped light receptor with two ends, a light coupler, a light guide, and light detection means at both ends and a signal processor to process the electric signals of the detection means and to determine the relative position and/or orientation by a comparative evaluation of the electric signals. The light guide serves as a light propagation path of defined length for light coupled into the light guide by the light coupler and the signal processor determines the position and/or orientation based on light propagation speed of the reference light propagating in the light guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Peter SEITZ, Thomas AMMER, Jürg HINDERLING
  • Publication number: 20180335304
    Abstract: A light receiver designed to determine a position or orientation relative to a reference light wherein the light receiver comprises an elongated rod-shaped light receptor with two ends, a light coupler, a light guide, and light detection means at one or both ends for detection of guided reference light and a signal processor to process the at least one detection signal of the detection means and to determine the position by an evaluation of the detection signal. The light coupler comprises light absorbing and emitting material like fluorescent or phosphorescent material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Peter SEITZ, Thomas AMMER, Martin WINISTÖRFER
  • Publication number: 20180173209
    Abstract: A Self-monitoring manufacturing system adapted to produce at least one object. The system includes at least a first processing facility adapted to perform a respective first processing step with the object, and a production control unit, wherein the production data comprises nominal pre-processing object data. A production monitoring unit for checking a pre-processing object state of the object is arranged, such unit being adapted to obtain actual property data of the object in-line of the production in-advance of applying the first processing step, to generate deviation data by comparing the actual property data with the production data for the first processing step, and to provide the deviation data for performing the first production step with the first processing facility in deviation-adjusted manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Claudio Iseli, Thomas Ammer
  • Patent number: 9866322
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser system comprising a laser receiver collaborating with a laser emitter. The laser emitter is designed to provide a laser light plane and includes a control unit connected to a communication signal receiver in order to process and compute incoming communication signals from the laser receiver. The laser receiver comprising a communication signal transmitter for communicating with the laser emitter, a linear laser light photo sensor and an acceleration sensor both connected to a circuitry, which is designed to derive a movement of the laser receiver with respect to the detected laser beam of the laser emitter from computing and correlating the signals of the acceleration senor and the laser light photo sensor. The control unit includes an adjustment unit and adjustment is carried out by the adjustment unit in dependence of the processed and computed incoming communication signals of the laser receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Charles Leopold Elisabeth Dumoulin, Anton Kehl, Martin Winistörfer, Thomas Ammer
  • Publication number: 20170169604
    Abstract: Method for creating a spatial model of a target object with a hand-held distance measuring device, the device comprising a laser distance meter, a camera, a computing unit and a data storage device, the method comprising measuring with the laser distance meter one or more distances to the target object from different positions, storing the measured distances in the data storage device, capturing with the camera a plurality of images of the target object, wherein each of the measured distances is associated with one of the captured images, determining with the computing unit relative camera poses for the plurality of images, and calculating with the computing unit based on the plurality of images and on the determined relative camera poses a three-dimensional geometry of the target object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Elmar Vincent VAN DER ZWAN, Bernhard METZLER, Thomas AMMER, Nicolas BOEHRER, Michael HELMBERGER
  • Publication number: 20160315703
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser system comprising a laser receiver collaborating with a laser emitter. The laser emitter is designed to provide a laser light plane and includes a control unit connected to a communication signal receiver in order to process and compute incoming communication signals from the laser receiver. The laser receiver comprising a communication signal transmitter for communicating with the laser emitter, a linear laser light photo sensor and an acceleration sensor both connected to a circuitry, which is designed to derive a movement of the laser receiver with respect to the detected laser beam of the laser emitter from computing and correlating the signals of the acceleration senor and the laser light photo sensor. The control unit includes an adjustment unit and adjustment is carried out by the adjustment unit in dependence of the processed and computed incoming communication signals of the laser receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Charles Leopold Elisabeth DUMOULIN, Anton KEHL, Martin WINISTÖRFER, Thomas AMMER
  • Patent number: 9222773
    Abstract: Rotating construction laser device with a grade mechanism, including a code element and a position detection device for providing and detecting a feedback position information, and a leveling mechanism, which supports a lens barrel tiltably and is designed to tilt the lens barrel in order to have the level position detected by a tilt sensor and therewith to level the grade arm, the code element or the position detection device is arranged directly on the grade arm, and the feedback position information directly depends on the position of a reference point on the grade arm, the reference point being defined by the code element or the position detection device, respectively, thus allowing to deduce a position of the grade arm directly from the feedback position information, and/or to calculate a tilting angle of the grade arm with respect to the lens barrel directly from the feedback position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Martin Winistörfer, Thomas Ammer
  • Patent number: 9200900
    Abstract: A construction laser system includes a rotating laser with self-leveling and a laser receiver. The system performs a self-leveling recalibration process by which-the self-leveling is checked automatically for quality and the related calibration data is updated automatically. A sequence of N calibration measurements is defined, where N is greater than or equal to three. The calibration measurements are obtained by the rotating laser and the laser receiver with a respective azimuthal alignment of the stand while the position of the laser receiver remains unchanged. As part of each calibration measurement, one output signal dependent on the laser beam impingement position is detected. The respective output signals or specified impingement positions are evaluated in pairs correlated with the respective I-th azimuthal alignments. The quality of the beam leveling functionality is thereby checked. If the requirements are not met, the previously stored calibration data can then be updated automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Thilo Fessler, Bernd Stöckel, Thomas Ammer
  • Publication number: 20140283399
    Abstract: A construction laser system includes a rotating laser with self-leveling and a laser receiver. The system performs a self-leveling recalibration process by which-the self-leveling is checked automatically for quality and the related calibration data is updated automatically. A sequence of N calibration measurements is defined, where N is greater than or equal to three. The calibration measurements are obtained by the rotating laser and the laser receiver with a respective azimuthal alignment of the stand while the position of the laser receiver remains unchanged. As part of each calibration measurement, one output signal dependent on the laser beam impingement position is detected. The respective output signals or specified impingement positions are evaluated in pairs correlated with the respective I-th azimuthal alignments. The quality of the beam leveling functionality is thereby checked. If the requirements are not met, the previously stored calibration data can then be updated automatically.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: Leica Geosystems AG
    Inventors: Thilo FESSLER, Bernd STÖCKEL, Thomas AMMER
  • Publication number: 20140047724
    Abstract: Rotating construction laser device with a grade mechanism, including a code element and a position detection device for providing and detecting a feedback position information, and a leveling mechanism, which supports a lens barrel tiltably and is designed to tilt the lens barrel in order to have the level position detected by a tilt sensor and therewith to level the grade arm, the code element or the position detection device is arranged directly on the grade arm, and the feedback position information directly depends on the position of a reference point on the grade arm, the reference point being defined by the code element or the position detection device, respectively, thus allowing to deduce a position of the grade arm directly from the feedback position information, and/or to calculate a tilting angle of the grade arm with respect to the lens barrel directly from the feedback position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Martin Winistörfer, Thomas Ammer
  • Patent number: 8360659
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical pin-and-socket connector for the detachable connection of a plurality of optical cores (115) having an insert (112, 112?), in which the cores (115) are inserted on a first side, the cores (115) ending in said connector with the optical fibers (119, 120) thereof, and said connector having an expansion device (117, 118) on a second side, on which the beams exit the fibers (119, 120) in an expanded manner. A simplification of the assembly and installation is achieved in that the insert (112, 112?) comprises two separate partial elements (113, 117, 118) that can be assembled, one of which is configured as an expansion device (117, 118) and the other is configured as a retaining block (113) for receiving the ends of the optical cores (115).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Huber+Suhner AG
    Inventors: Roger Krähenbühl, Thomas Ammer
  • Publication number: 20100284651
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical pin-and-socket connector for the detachable connection of a plurality of optical cores (115) having an insert (112, 112?), in which the cores (115) are inserted on a first side, the cores (115) ending in said connector with the optical fibers (119, 120) thereof, and said connector having an expansion device (117, 118) on a second side, on which the beams exit the fibers (119, 120) in an expanded manner. A simplification of the assembly and installation is achieved in that the insert (112, 112?) comprises two separate partial elements (113, 117, 118) that can be assembled, one of which is configured as an expansion device (117, 118) and the other is configured as a retaining block (113) for receiving the ends of the optical cores (115).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: HUBER+SUHNER AG
    Inventors: Roger Krähenbühl, Thomas Ammer