Patent ID: 7508496

Claim:
A method for driving a stationary laser scanner for performing a 3-D survey, comprising a beam deflection system for a laser beam emitted by a laser light source, wherein the beam deflection system deflects the laser beam through almost 360° with a predetermined deflection velocity and the laser light source has a predetermined maximum laser power P max and a predetermined minimum laser power P min , the method comprising the steps of: calculating a minimum aperture distance D min based on a determined maximum permissible scanning period of a 7 mm measurement aperture for the predetermined minimum laser power P min and the predetermined deflection velocity; comparing an object distance D mess detected during a measurement with the minimum distance D min ; reducing the laser power P out to the minimum laser power P min , if the detected object distance D mess is less than the minimum distance D min ; monitoring the object distance D mess for a predetermined period of time; and increasing the laser power, if the object distance D mess increases during the predetermined period of time, wherein the predetermined minimum laser power P min corresponds to a deactivation of the laser scanner.