Patent ID: 8024144

Claim:
A surveying instrument comprising: a distance-measuring unit to produce distance data representing a distance between the distance-measuring unit and an object to be surveyed along a measuring direction of the distance measuring unit, the distance-measuring unit being mounted for rotation about a horizontal and a vertical axis; orientation sensors to produce orientation data representing an orientation of the distance-measuring unit about the horizontal and vertical axes; a telescope unit to generate image data pertaining to a two-dimensional image of the object, the telescope unit having a defined spatial relation with respect to the distance-measuring unit; and a processing unit configured to: control the telescope unit to produce image data; control the distance-measuring unit to produce distance data for at least three different locations at the object, the distance data being received by the processing unit together with corresponding orientation data; obtain surface data representing a surface defined by the distance data and orientation data associated with the at least three different locations at the object; and transform the image data into projected image data representing a projection of the image to the surface based on the surface data.