Patent ID: 7127822
Filing Date: 2006-10-31
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
1. A surveying instrument, which projects a measuring light to an object to be measured and measures a position based on a reflection light from the object to be measured, comprising a distance measuring unit for emitting the measuring light and for measuring a distance, an image pickup unit for acquiring an image via a light receiving unit, a reflection mirror rotatably mounted in a vertical direction around a horizontal center line and in a horizontal direction around a vertical center line, and used for directing the measuring light toward the object to be measured, for directing the reflected light from the object to be measured toward a light receiving unit, and for directing the image in a projecting direction toward said image pickup unit, rotating means for rotating said reflection mirror in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction, detecting means for detecting a horizontal angle and an elevation angle of said reflection mirror, and a control unit for calculating a direction to the object to be measured based on the detected horizontal angle, the detected elevation angle and a light receiving position of the reflection light on said light receiving unit, and for rotating said reflection mirror, based on the result of said calculation, by controlling said rotating means so as to collimate a reflected measuring light with the object to be measured, for measuring a distance to the object to be measured, and for calculating a position of the object to be measured based on the measured distance to the object to be measured and based on the calculated direction to the object to be measured.