Patent ID: 7030969

Claim:
A distance measuring instrument having a sighting device, comprising: a transmitter for emitting an optical radiation in the visible wavelength spectrum; a receiving lens for receiving optical measurement radiation remitted or scattered by an object being measured; a receiver, located behind the receiving lens, for converting the optical measurement radiation into electrical measurement signals; and a signal processing system for comparing the measurement signals with reference signals to determine a distance from the object being measured and to make a distance result available to a user, wherein the transmitter is configured for creating a visible measurement spot directly on the object to be measured, and wherein the sighting device includes: a photoelectric picture-taking system capable of taking pictures of the object with and without the measurement spot, which is connected to an electronic display device for taking pictures of the measurement spot on the object; and an evaluation unit for forming a differential value for pictures taken, the photoelectric picture-taking system of the sighting device and the electronic display device being disposed in a common housing which is equipped with a separate viewfinder lens for the photoelectric picture-taking system, the distance measurement instrument being a handheld device.