Optics: measuring and testing – Range or remote distance finding – With photodetection
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-19
2001-01-09
Buczinski, Stephen C. (Department: 3662)
Optics: measuring and testing
Range or remote distance finding
With photodetection
C356S003090, C356S141400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172742
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates a reference beam detecting apparatus for detecting a reference laser beam emitted from a laser unit to determine the height of construction. It also relates to a reference beam detecting apparatus comprising a data display section for displaying its angular displacement relative to a laser unit and a data display section for displaying the distance between itself and the laser unit.
2. Prior Art
Transits and levels are conventionally used on building sites and other construction sites to determine a reference plane or a reference height. Recently, laser levels designed to emit laser beams in the form of a sector to define a reference plane are getting popular along with rotary laser units designed to emit a rotating laser beam to define a reference plane. Such a laser unit is typically used in combination with a reference beam detecting apparatus for receiving the emitted laser beam to define a reference plane or a reference height. The construction personnel puts a mark at each appropriate reference position to reflect the indication displayed on the display section of the reference beam detecting apparatus for that position.
Thus, known reference beam detecting apparatus are replacing transits, levels and other surveying apparatus to determine or select a reference height. However, actual construction works, if simple, involve a number of different surveying operations including determining the distance of a spot from a reference position, seeing the angle of a bent wall, finding the gradient of a ditch or a drain pipe and so on, that require the use of transits and levels in addition to the reference beam detecting apparatus to make such operations more cumbersome than before.
In view of the above identified problem of known reference beam detecting apparatus, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved reference beam detecting apparatus that can carry out various surveying operations including determining the distance of a pot from a reference position, seeing the angle of a bent wall and so on to significantly reduce the time required for a construction work.
Another object of the invention is to provide a reference beam detecting apparatus that can determine the gradation of a ditch, a drain pipe or some other object of construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention, the above objects and other objects are achieved by providing a reference beam detecting apparatus comprising a first light receiving section for receiving the laser beam emitted from a laser unit adapted to emit a laser beam onto a reference plane, a second light receiving section adapted to receive the laser beam with an angle of incidence different from that of the first light receiving section, an angular displacement computing circuit for determining by computation the angular displacement relative to the laser unit on the basis of the output signals from the first and second light receiving sections, a distance computing circuit for determining by computation the distance between the apparatus and the laser unit on the basis of the output signals of the first and second light receiving sections and the output signal of the angular displacement computing circuit and a light receiving position display section for displaying the position of receiving the incident laser beam on the basis of the output signals of the first and second light receiving sections.
With a reference beam detecting apparatus according to the invention and having a configuration as described above, the distance between the apparatus and a reference position or the angle of a bent wall can be detected effectively and efficiently to improve the efficiency of the current construction work.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is also provided a reference beam detecting apparatus comprising a reference beam detecting apparatus comprising a first light receiving section for receiving the laser beam emitted from a laser unit adapted to emit a laser beam onto a reference plane, a second light receiving section adapted to receive the laser beam with an angle of incidence different from that of the first light receiving section, an angular displacement computing circuit for determining by computation the angular displacement of the apparatus relative to the laser unit on the basis of the output signals from the first and second light receiving sections, a distance computing circuit for determining by computation the distance between the apparatus and the laser unit on the basis of the output signals of the first and second light receiving sections and the output signal of the angular displacement computing circuit and a display section for displaying the outcome of the incidence of the laser beam on the basis of the output signals of the first and second light receiving sections.
With a reference beam detecting apparatus according to the invention and having a configuration as described above, the position of the apparatus can be aligned with the incident laser beam and hence the error of measurement that arises when the reference beam detecting apparatus is angularly displaced relative to the laser beam can be accurately corrected.
Preferably, a reference beam detecting apparatus according to the invention further comprises a data display section for displaying the angular displacement of the apparatus relative to the laser unit on the basis of the output signal of the angular displacement computing circuit.
Preferably, a reference beam detecting apparatus according to the invention further comprises a data display section for displaying the distance between the apparatus and the laser unit on the basis of the output signal of the distance computing circuit.
With such an arrangement, the angular displacement of the apparatus relative to the laser unit and the distance between the apparatus and the laser unit can be displayed in a simple manner to the operator of the reference beam detecting apparatus.
Still preferably, a reference beam detecting apparatus according to the invention further comprises a selected value of inclination input means for inputting a value of inclination to be use for the construction work into the laser unit, a height computing circuit for determining by computation the height to be used for the construction work on the basis of the selected value of inclination input by the selected value of inclination input means and the output signal of the distance computing circuit and a data display section for displaying the height to be used for the construction work on the basis of the output signal of the height computing circuit.
With such an arrangement, a value of inclination to be used for the construction work can be selected with ease.
Still preferably, a reference beam detecting apparatus according to the invention further comprises an external output means for externally output at least part of the data displayed on the data display section.
With such an arrangement, the data displayed on the data display section can be processed and displayed with ease by means of a display apparatus or a data processing apparatus external to the reference beam detecting apparatus.
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Buczinski Stephen C.
Jacobson Price Holman & Stern PLLC
Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
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