Target-Correlated Electronic Rangefinder

• US 20130329211A1
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Talon Precision Optics, LLC
• Original Assignee: TrackingPoint, Inc. (Talon Precision Optics, LLC)
• Inventors: McHale, John Francis, Lupher, John Hancock
• Granted Patent: US 9,612,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/065 Structural association of sighting-devices with laser telemeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105

Abstract

A viewing device includes a laser rangefinder circuit configured to capture range data associated with a target within a view area and at least one sensor configured to capture orientation data associated with an aim-point of the laser rangefinder circuit concurrently with capturing the range data. The viewing device further includes a controller coupled to the laser rangefinder and to the at least one sensor and configured to automatically determine a range to the target from the range data based on the orientation data and a target location within the view area.

Claims

1. A viewing device comprising:

a laser rangefinder circuit configured to capture range data associated with a target within a view area;

at least one sensor configured to capture orientation data associated with an aim-point of the laser rangefinder circuit concurrently with capturing the range data; and

a controller coupled to the laser rangefinder and to the at least one sensor and configured to automatically determine a range to the target from the range data based on the orientation data and a target location within the view area.

2. The viewing device of claim 1, wherein the controller receives a target selection signal and controls the laser rangefinder circuit to capture the range data corresponding to the target in response to receiving the target location.

3. The viewing device of claim 2, wherein:

the controller includes a target acquisition module configured to automatically select the target location from a plurality of objects within the view area; and

the target acquisition module provides the target location to the laser rangefinder circuit.

4. The viewing device of claim 2, wherein the controller receives the target location from a user input interface accessible by a user.

5. The viewing device of claim 1, wherein the controller automatically calculates a target location based on an average aim-point of the viewing device.

6. The viewing device of claim 2, wherein:

the laser rangefinder circuit captures a plurality of range data associated with the view area including the range data associated with the target; and

the controller maps the plurality of range data to the orientation data, receives a target selection location, and automatically determines the range to the target by selecting the range data correlated to the target location from the plurality of range data in response to the target location.

7. The viewing device of claim 1, wherein the laser rangefinder circuit comprises:

a light source configured to provide a laser beam;

an optical sensor configured to receive a reflected version of the laser beam; and

logic circuitry coupled to the light source and the optical sensor and configured to determine a distance between the light source and an object based on timing between providing the laser beam and receiving the reflected version to produce the range data.

8. The viewing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a gyroscope, an inclinometer, an accelerometer and an image sensor.

9. A telescopic device comprising:

a laser rangefinder circuit configured to capture range data associated with a target within a view area;

at least one sensor configured to capture orientation data associated with an aim-point of the laser rangefinder circuit concurrently with capturing the range data; and

a controller coupled to the laser rangefinder circuit and to the at least one sensor and configured to automatically determine a range to the target from the range data based on the orientation data and a target location within the view area.

10. The telescopic device of claim 9, wherein the controller receives a target selection signal indicating a target location within the view area and controls the laser rangefinder circuit to capture the range data corresponding to the target location.

11. The telescopic device of claim 10, wherein the controller receives the target selection signal from a user input interface accessible by a user.

12. The telescopic device of claim 10, wherein:

the controller includes a target acquisition module configured to automatically select the target from a plurality of objects within the view area; and

the target acquisition module provides the target selection signal.

13. The telescopic device of claim 12, wherein:

the laser rangefinder circuit captures a plurality of range data associated with the view area including the range data associated with the target; and

the controller correlates the plurality of range data to the orientation data and to a time parameter, receives the target selection signal, automatically determines the range to the target by selecting the range data correlated to the target from the plurality of range data in response to the target selection signal.

14. The telescopic device of claim 9, wherein the laser rangefinder circuit comprises:

a light source configured to provide a laser beam;

an optical sensor configured to receive a reflected version of the laser beam; and

logic circuitry coupled to the light source and the optical sensor and configured to determine a distance between the light source and an object based on timing between providing the laser beam and receiving the reflected version to produce the range data.

15. The telescopic device of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a gyroscope, an inclinometer, an accelerometer, and an image sensor.

16. A method comprising:

capturing range data associated with a target within a view area of a viewing device using a laser rangefinder circuit;

concurrently capturing orientation data of the viewing device for each range value of the range data using at least one sensor; and

automatically determining a range to the target from the range data based on the orientation data and a position of the target within the view area.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein capturing the range data comprises:

capturing a plurality of range data associated with a plurality of objects within the view area including the range data associated with the target;

and

correlating orientation data to the plurality of range data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein automatically determining the range comprises selecting the range data from the plurality of range data corresponding to the target based on a target selection signal indicating the position of the target.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a target selection signal indicating the position of the target within the view area; and

wherein at least one of capturing the range data and automatically determining the range is performed in response to receiving the target selection signal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising wherein receiving the target selection signal comprises receiving at least one of a user input selecting the target and an automatically generated target selection signal.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein concurrently capturing the orientation data comprises receiving the orientation data from one or more sensors selected from a group consisting of an inclinometer, a gyroscopic sensor, an accelerometer, and an image sensor.