JPH0249184A - Light wave distance measuring instrument for automatic tracking system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize a light wave distance measuring instrument which can execute exactly positioning and measurement of a building berth by providing a tracking use scanning body and a light wave distance body on the building berth side and providing two corner cube prisms on the land side. CONSTITUTION:By using a collimation telescope provided on a light wave distance body 2 of a tracking and measuring instrument A on a work building berth, a corner cube prism 24 which is installed on the land side is caught, and set to a state that a reflected light of a light beam projected from the light wave distance body 2 returnes to the light wave distance body 2. Thereafter, automatic tracking is started. A tracking use scanning body 1 irradiates a corner cube prism 25 installed on the land side by an infrared laser light, receives its reflected light, and detects a shift in the horizontal and vertical directions from a reference position of this light receiving signal. Subsequently, based on this shift detecting signal, motors 3, 6 for a horizontal rotation and vertical driving of said tracking and measuring instrument A are controlled so that the azimuth of the light wave distance body 2 stands face to face exactly with the corner cube prism 24.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an automatic tracking type optical distance measuring device used for measuring and setting the position of a work platform on the sea.

(Prior art) Generally, the positioning of a slipway on a offshore work vessel is performed due to swells,
Because the target reference point is constantly moving due to natural disturbances such as tidal currents and wind, as well as ship maneuvering, it is necessary to perform measurements with high precision, in a short time, and in a labor-saving manner under such conditions.

As such a measuring device, an automatic tracking type optical distance measuring device has been proposed.

As described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-8221, this automatic tracking type light wave distance measuring device has a light wave distance meter body supported rotatably in the horizontal direction and vertically. Attach a reference telescope at the top or bottom of the center with its optical axis parallel to the optical axis of the optical distance meter,
A 4-split light receiving element is fixed near the focal point of the objective lens of the telescope, and light from a light emitting source disposed on land is imaged at the center of the 4-split light receiving element, and the received light image due to the deviation of the standard is divided into the 4-split parts. Amplifying the differential output of two sets of light receiving elements facing each other perpendicularly to the horizontal and vertical directions of the light receiving elements and supplying the amplified signal to the horizontal and vertical rotation drive motors of the light wave distance meter support mechanism for automatic tracking in the direction of the light receiving source. A reference optical distance meter placed on a moving body such as a ship's platform to serve as a guide, and an objective lens or a cylindrical lens in front of a light source to increase luminous flux utilization and illuminate a wide horizontal area, either singly or in combination. A corner prism is installed as a terrestrial light source, and the signal beam of the light source is distinguished from natural light as blinking light by a chopper installed in front of the light source. The structure of an automatic tracking type optical distance measuring device is known, which includes a combination of a reference light source device fixed in accordance with the distance between the optical distance meter main body and a reference telescope.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the above-mentioned conventional automatic tracking type optical distance measuring device has a standard optical distance meter installed on the ship's platform, and also has a system for discriminating the signal light flux of the light source from natural light. Since the standard light source device with a chopper is installed on land, a battery is required to power the standard light source device, and maintenance and inspection of the battery light source and chopper must be carried out periodically. Furthermore, since an objective lens or cylindrical lens is installed in front of the light source, either alone or in combination, to illuminate a wide horizontal area, the intensity of the light beam decreases, making tracking impossible at long distances. There were problems such as.

Furthermore, the light from the light emitting source disposed on land is imaged at the center of the four-split light receiving element, and the received light images due to the deviation of the reference are divided into two groups facing each other perpendicularly to the horizontal and vertical directions of the four-split light receiving element. Since the differential output of the light-receiving element is amplified, continuous tracking is possible in a narrow range where the image of the light from the light source does not deviate from the center of the four-part light-receiving element. In some cases, automatic tracking is no longer possible, so 1. Depending on the degree of natural disturbance, there is also the problem that the operator has to frequently set standards.

The present invention solves the problems of the conventional device described above, eliminates the need for maintenance and inspection of the device installed on land, the installation of batteries, and the chopper means for distinguishing from natural light.
To provide a tracking type optical distance measuring device capable of accurately tracking the positioning of a ship's platform in a wide range even if the device installed on the ship's platform is far away from the device installed on land. The purpose is

(Means for Solving the Problems) The tracking-type optical distance measuring device of the present invention has a tracking scanning main body and an optical distance meter main body that are vertically spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval, and whose optical axes are parallel to each other. and a tracking measuring device which is integrally supported to be rotatable in the horizontal direction and rotatable in the vertical direction, and two corner cube prisms arranged vertically at the predetermined intervals above and below. , a reflecting mirror device whose optical axes are parallel to each other; scanner means for irradiating a surface with a light spot controlled by a control signal; and a light reception sensor for condensing and sensing the reflected light reflected by the reflecting mirror device by a condensing means and converting it into horizontal and vertical control signals. and a drive means for horizontal rotation and vertical rotation of the tracking measuring device is controlled by a signal obtained by comparing a control signal of the scanner means and a control signal from the light receiving and sensing means. It is characterized by

(Function) The optical tracking type optical distance measuring device having the above configuration has two reflecting mirror devices installed at predetermined intervals on predetermined positions on land along the coast, with the reflecting surface oriented in the direction of the sea setting position. Two tracking measurement devices consisting of a tracking scanning main body and a light wave rangefinder main body are arranged on a boat floating near the position at a predetermined interval and with the direction of light irradiation as the orientation of the reflecting mirror device.

Next, when the reference telescope installed on the optical distance meter body of each tracking measurement device on the ship's platform captures the corresponding reflector device installed on land, the reflected light from the optical distance meter body is captured. It will return to the main body of the light wave distance meter. After setting the scanner means control signal at this time as a reference, automatic tracking is started.

For automatic tracking, infrared laser light is irradiated by the light emitting means of each tracking scanning body.

The laser beam is changed into surface irradiation by a scanner means and is irradiated in a direction onto the reflecting mirror device.

When the infrared laser beam irradiated in this way catches each reflecting mirror device within its irradiation area, it is reflected by the corner cube prism in the same direction as the incident light.

This reflected light is collected by a condensing means, received by a light receiving and sensing means, and converted into horizontal and vertical control signals. Detecting horizontal and vertical deviations, thereby controlling horizontal rotation and vertical rotation drive means of the tracking measurement device, and azimuth of the light wave distance measurement main body to accurately face the corner cube prism of the reflecting mirror device. will now match.

This kind of operation is carried out automatically and continuously, and the light wave distance measuring body and the reflector device always face each other, and the respective distances are continuously measured.Based on this, the position of the boat platform is moved and the It performs positioning.

(Example) Next, an example of the tracking type optical distance measuring device of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall structure of a tracking type optical distance measuring device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an infrared laser beam irradiation and reflection receiving means installed in the tracking scanning main body of FIG. 1. FIG.

In the figure, A is a tracking measurement device, and B is a reflecting mirror device.

The tracking measurement device A includes a tracking scanning main body 1, and is integrally formed with the tracking scanning main body 1, having a predetermined interval vertically below the tracking scanning main body 1, and with the respective optical axes a and b parallel to each other. The light wave distance meter main body 2 is fixed, and the light wave range meter main body 2 is rotatably supported by a horizontal shaft 5 to which a vertical rotation gear 4 that meshes with a worm 3a driven by a vertical drive motor 3 is fixed. , a pedestal 9 on which a vertical shaft 8 to which a horizontal rotating gear 7 that meshes with a small gear 6a driven by a horizontal drive motor 6 is fixed is fixed;
The vertical shaft 8 is pivoted so as to be fixed by a clamp lOa, and the adjustment table 10b is horizontally adjusted and fixed on the boat platform.The vertical drive motor 3 and the horizontal drive motor 6 are controlled by a tracking control signal to perform tracking. Scanning body for
and the light wave distance meter main body 2 are integrated, vertically! &8, and around the horizontal axis 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tracking scanning main body 1 includes a light emitting source 11 consisting of a semiconductor light emitting element, such as an LD, which emits infrared laser light modulated by a semiconductor laser, and a collimating lens for improving the spread of the light source. 12
and a vertical scanner 15 that vertically scans the light spot.
and a horizontal scanner 16 that scans the light spot horizontally.
and (1) an objective lens 13 which is a condensing means for condensing the reflected light reflected by the reflecting mirror device B; and (1) a semiconductor light receiving element which is a light receiving and sensing means which senses the reflected light and converts it into control signals in the horizontal and vertical directions. 14 is arranged, and the infrared laser beam from the light emitting source 11 passes through the collimating lens 1.
2, the reflected light is changed to surface irradiation by the vertical and horizontal scanners 15 and 6, and is irradiated in the direction to the reflecting mirror device B, and the reflected light reflected by the reflecting mirror device B is a condensing means. The objective lens 13 collects the light beam, and the semiconductor light receiving element 1
It is designed to be detected by 4.

In the above embodiment, the surface irradiation position of the laser beam and the condensing position of the reflected light are on different axes, but in order to make both positions the same, the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may be used. .

That is, FIG. 3 shows a case where a parabolic mirror 13b with an irradiation hole is used as a condensing means, and the laser beam changed to surface irradiation by the vertical and horizontal scanners 15 and 16 is applied to the parabolic surface. While irradiating from the irradiation hole of the mirror 13b,
The reflected light is collected and sensed by the semiconductor light receiving element 14.

Further, FIG. 4 shows a case where an objective lens 13a having an irradiation hole in the center is used as a light condensing means, and the laser beam changed to surface irradiation by the vertical and horizontal scanners 15.16 is transmitted to the prism 17.18. Objective lens 13 using
The light is irradiated through the irradiation hole a, and the reflected light is collected and sensed by the semiconductor light receiving element 14.

Note that the light wave range finder main body 2 is a commonly available commercially available one, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

Reflector device B includes an adjustment table 21 that is horizontally adjusted and fixed on land.
A support pedestal 23 is supported by a clamp 21a to adjust and fix the support column 22, and two corner cube prisms 2425 are attached to the respective optical axes c,
d are fixed to the pillars 22 so as to be parallel to each other at predetermined intervals.

The tracking-type optical distance measuring device with the above configuration is configured so that a reference telescope (not shown) installed in the optical distance meter body 2 of each tracking measuring device A on the ship's platform is connected to a corresponding reflecting mirror installed on land. Corner cube prism 24 of device B
After setting the state in which the reflected light emitted from the light-wave distance meter main body I returns to the light-wave range meter main body I, it automatically tracks the reflector device B and continuously adjusts the berth to the reflector device B. Distance will now be measured.

That is, when the reflected light emitted from the light wave distance meter main body 1 returns to the light wave range meter main body 1, the infrared laser beam irradiated by the vertical and horizontal scanners 15 and 16 also reaches the corner cube prism 2 at a certain point.
5, and the reflected light is detected by the semiconductor light receiving element 14, so that the vertical, horizontal, and horizontal scanners 15 at this point
．． The control voltage controlling 16 is the horizontal reference voltage Via
, is set in a control device (not shown) as a vertical reference voltage V2o.

The control voltage v1 of the vertical and horizontal scanner 1516 when the semiconductor light-receiving element 14 detects reflected light in a state where the boat platform is rocking or moving due to natural disturbance etc.
V2 is detected and compared with the horizontal reference voltage Via and vertical reference voltage V2o, and the vertical drive motor 3 and the horizontal drive motor 6 are controlled so that the difference becomes zero, and the tracking scanning main body 1 and the optical distance meter main body are connected. 2 and the vertical axis 8
The light wave distance measurement main body 1 is made to face the corner cube prism 24 of the reflecting mirror device B by rotating it around the horizontal axis 5.

Such an operation is automatically and continuously carried out, and the light wave distance measurement main body 1 and the reflector device B are always facing each other 12, and the distance is continuously measured, and based on this, the position of the ship's platform is moved,
That positioning is then performed.

(Effects of the Invention) The tracking type optical distance measuring device of the present invention described above has the following features:
The tracking measuring device installed on the ship's platform is composed of a tracking scanning main body having a light emitting means for tracking and a light wave distance meter main body, and a reflecting mirror device installed on land is arranged vertically at the predetermined intervals above and below. Since the configuration is such that two corner cube prisms are arranged and supported, there is no need to equip the reflecting mirror device on the land side with a light emitting means.

In addition, the tracking scanning body of the tracking measurement device installed on the ship's platform is equipped with a built-in light emitting means consisting of a semiconductor light emitting element that emits infrared laser light modulated by a semiconductor laser, and a scanner means that illuminates the surface of the light spot. from,
There is no need to flicker the light with a chopper like in the past, and the light can be scanned continuously over a two-dimensional wide area without spreading the light beam, making it possible to reliably capture the reflected light. Automatic tracking can be performed without setting standards.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is no need to equip a device installed on land with a power source such as a battery, and there is no need for a light filter for distinguishing from natural light, so the device structure is simple and inexpensive. This eliminates the need to go to the location where the reflector device is installed for maintenance and inspection of power supplies such as batteries and light emitting means. This makes it possible to provide a tracking-type optical distance measuring device that can accurately measure the position of a ship's platform while tracking and widening the action range of a work boat in the horizontal direction.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the entire configuration of a tracking type optical distance measuring device according to the present invention, and FIGS. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a reflected light receiving means. A...Tracking measurement device B...Reflector device D.
...Predetermined intervals a, b... Optical axes c, d
...Optical axis 1...Scanning body for tracking 2...Light wave distance meter body 3...Vertical drive motor 3
a... Worm 4... Vertical rotation gear 5.
...Horizontal axis 6...Horizontal drive motor 6
a... Small gear 7... Horizontal rotating gear 8.
...Vertical axis 9... Frame Oa...
・Clamp 10b...Adjustment stand 1...Light emission [
12...Collimating lens 3.13a...Objective lens 3b...Parabolic mirror 14...Semiconductor light receiving element 5...Vertical scanner 6...Horizontal scanner 7 .18...Prism...Adjustment stand 21a...Clamp 2...
...Support 23...Support frame 4.25...
... Corner Cube Prism No. 1 Fig. I

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The tracking scanning body and the optical distance meter body are arranged vertically at a predetermined interval with their respective optical axes parallel to each other, and they are integrally rotatable horizontally and vertically. The tracking measurement device comprises a tracking measurement device rotatably supported, and a reflecting mirror device supporting two corner cube prisms vertically up and down at the predetermined intervals with their respective optical axes parallel to each other. The tracking scanning main body of the device includes a light emitting means made of a semiconductor light emitting element that emits infrared laser light modulated by a semiconductor laser, a scanner means that illuminates a surface with a light spot controlled by a predetermined control signal, and the reflecting mirror device. and a light-receiving sensing means for condensing and sensing the reflected light by a condensing means and converting the reflected light into horizontal and vertical control signals, the control signal of the scanner means and the light-receiving sensing means The signal by comparison with the control signal of
An automatic tracking type optical distance measuring device, characterized in that driving means for horizontal rotation and vertical rotation of the tracking measuring device is controlled.