Patent ID: 7760335

Claim:
A hand-held device for optically measuring distance, with a transmission unit ( 12 ) that includes a light source ( 17 , 18 ) for emitting optical measurement radiation ( 13 , 20 , 22 ) in a wavelength range visible to a human eye towards a target object ( 15 ), and with a receiving unit ( 14 ) that is located a distance to an optical axis ( 38 ) of the transmission unit ( 12 ) and includes at least one optical detector ( 54 ) for receiving optical radiation ( 16 , 49 , 50 ) reflected by the target object ( 15 ), wherein the detector ( 54 ) of the receiving unit ( 14 ) includes a plurality of photosensitive surfaces ( 70 , 72 , 74 ; 170 , 172 , 174 ; 270 , 272 , 274 ; 370 , 372 ; 470 , 472 ; 570 , 572 ), which are separated from each other and may be activated separately, and wherein the photosensitive surfaces ( 170 , 172 , 174 ; 270 , 272 , 274 ; 370 , 372 ) of the detector ( 54 ) are formed and/or positioned such that an envelope ( 165 , 265 , 365 ) of these surfaces ( 170 , 172 , 174 ; 270 , 272 , 274 ; 370 , 372 ) tapers in the direction ( 61 ) of a beam displacement as the target object distances ( 48 ) decrease.