Laser range finder with target quality display and scan mode

• US 6,023,322 A
• Filed: 01/05/1998
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bushnell Corporation (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bushnell Corporation (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Inventors: Bamberger, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US09/002,938
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 356/5.01-5.08, 356/28.5
• US Class Current: 356/5.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/14 wherein a voltage or current pulse is initiated and terminated in accordance with the pulse transmission and echo reception respectively, e.g. using counters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4873 by deriving and controlling a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/51 Display arrangements

Abstract

A laser range finder includes a circular in-sight field of view which incorporates within it a magnified "TV view" of the target area with the TV view roughly approximating the rectangular shape of a standard television picture. Also within the circular field, over and under the TV view, are a target quality indicator, a range distance display, and other indicators. Within the TV view is a targeting reticle which indicates roughly the footprint of ranging laser pulses such that a target can be selected. The target quality indicator is a bar graph which displays the number of identifiable received reflected laser pulses from a series of such pulses emitted by the range finder. By aiming the range finder at various targets via the footprint reticle, repeatedly firing the range finder and monitoring the target quality graph for each firing, a user can move the range finder to find a surface proximate the target with a reflective quality sufficient to yield an accurate target range reading. Alternatively, with a range finder equipped with Scan mode capability, the range finder can be slowly panned across multiple targets with the range to each target being displayed, in sequence, on the range display.

Claims

1. In a laser range finder, said range finder including a fire switch, a mode switch, a laser transmit section operably emitting a series of laser pulses directed toward a target, a laser receive section receiving laser pulses of said series reflected from said target, a microcontroller programmed to time a flight time for each said pulse from a time of emission of said pulse to a time of reception of the reflected pulse, to operably calculate a range to said target based upon said pulse flight times, and to display the calculated range on a display with a range display portion, said microcontroller being programmed with alternative modes, each of which is alternatively selectable via the mode switch, for the range finder including:

a) a normal mode in which, upon engagement of said fire switch, a single series of pulses is emitted and reflected pulses from said single series are received and a single target range is calculated and displayed; and

b) a Scan mode in which, with continuous engagement of said fire switch, multiple series of pulses are sequentially emitted and reflected pulses of each series are received and a respective target range for each said series is calculated and displayed, in sequence.

2. A laser range finder as in claim 1, and further comprising:

a. a mode display portion of said display which indicates the selected normal or Scan mode.

3. In a laser range finder, said range finder including a fire switch, a mode switch, a laser transmit section operably emitting a series of laser pulses directed toward a target, a laser receive section receiving laser pulses of said series reflected from said target, a microcontroller programmed to time a flight time for each said pulse from a time of emission of said pulse to a time of reception of the reflected pulse, to operably calculate a range to said target based upon said pulse flight times, and to display the calculated range on a display with a range display portion, said microcontroller being programmed with alternative modes for the range finder, with the modes being alternatively selectable via the mode switch, including:

a) a normal mode in which, upon engagement of said fire switch, a single series of pulses is emitted and reflected pulses from said single series received and a single target range calculated and displayed;

b) a Scan mode in which, with continuous engagement of said fire switch, multiple series of pulses are sequentially emitted and reflected pulses of each series received and a respective target range for each said series is calculated and displayed, in sequence.

4. A laser range finder as in claim 3, and further comprising:

a. a mode display portion of said display which indicates the selected normal or Scan mode.

5. In a laser range finder, said range finder including a fire switch, a laser transmit section operably emitting a series of laser pulses directed toward a target, a laser receive section receiving laser pulses of said series reflected from said target, a microcontroller programmed to time a flight time for each said pulse from a time of emission of said pulse to a time of reception of the reflected pulse, to operably calculate a range to said target based upon said pulse flight times, and to display the calculated range on a display with a range display portion, said microcontroller being programmed with alternative modes for the range finder including:

a) a normal mode in which, upon engagement of said fire switch, a single series of pulses is emitted and reflected pulses from said single series received and a single target range calculated and displayed;

b) a Scan mode in which, with continuous engagement of said fire switch, multiple series of pulses are sequentially emitted and reflected pulses of each series received and a respective target range for each said series is calculated and displayed, in sequence, said laser range finder also comprising;

c) a mode switch which is operable to switch said microcontroller between said normal setting and said Scan mode;

d) a mode display portion of said display which indicates the selected normal or Scan mode.