Interpolation using digital means for range findings in a total station

摘要

A distance interpolator incorporated into a total station and a method for digitally interpolating a distance measurement from the total station to a target, such that the distance interpolator measures the distance from the total station to the target using primarily digital electronics and statistical analysis. In one embodiment, the total station transmits an energy pulse from the electronic distance measuring portion of the total station, with the energy pulse directed at the target. This embodiment then receives at the electronic distance measuring portion the energy pulse reflected from the target. This embodiment also contains a reference oscillator and digital counter, which counts the number of reference oscillator clock pulses that elapse from the time the energy pulse is transmitted to the time the reflection of the energy pulse is received. This embodiment further accumulates counts for a number of additional energy pulses, and then calculates the average value of the counts over all energy pulses transmitted. This embodiment then calculates the distance between the total station and the target using the average value of the counts, the frequency of the reference oscillator, and the speed of light in the environment in which the counts were obtained.