Optics: measuring and testing – Range or remote distance finding – Base line instrument
Patent
1991-09-10
1993-11-16
Rosenberger, Richard A.
Optics: measuring and testing
Range or remote distance finding
Base line instrument
356 19, 359431, G01C 308
Patent
active
052628388
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention is directed to an optical apparatus which may be used to measure the range, magnetic bearing or vertical distance between the apparatus and a single target objective, and which may also be used to measure range, vertical or horizontal distances; vertical or horizontal angles between two or more target objectives as viewed from the perspective of the apparatus or the relative speed of a remote objective. The apparatus may also be used to measure the surface area or volume of a target objective. The invention is also directed to a coincidence type optical rangefinder, and means for conversion to or from a stereoscopic binocular.
Optical measuring devices, such as rangefinders, are known. Conventional rangefinders (e.g. of the type shown in Canadian patent nos. 456,703; 452,835; 580,335; 452,827; 460,869 and 478,857) feature a pair of windows through which light rays from an objective enter the range-finder. The light rays are reflected through a system of prisms or lenses so that duplicate images of the objective are realized in the observer's field of vision. The observer then causes the two images to be brought into coincidence by manipulating deviating means so as to cause refraction of the light comprising one of the images, thereby aligning it with the light comprising the other image and bringing the two images into coincidence. The deviating means are mechanically associated with a linear scale which is calibrated such that the amount of displacement or rotation of the deviating means sufficient to cause coincidence of the dual images is a function of the range of the objective, which can be read from the scale.
Conventional rangefinders have the disadvantage of limited mechanical and thermal stability and limited ranging accuracy. Factors which influence this include the length of the base line between the windows through which light rays from an objective enter the rangefinder, the magnification of the image, the angular acuity of the human eye or photosensitive component used to align images into coincidence, the type of deviating element used and the precision of the associated mechanical linkage to the ranging scale. The accuracy of conventional optical range-finders also depends upon proper calibration between the scale and deviating element which may be upset by jarring of the instrument, or by changes in ambient temperature. As a result of these sensitivities, conventional optical rangefinders must be frequently recalibrated to maintain accuracy.
Rangefinders of the type shown in Canadian patents nos. 549,248; 456,703 and 452,835 are monocular devices, which generally are more difficult to use for an extended period of time than binocular devices. Stereoscopic binocular optical rangefinders are known (e.g. Canadian patents nos. 889,411 and 931,345). However, such devices are not coincidence-type binocular optical rangefinders which provide coincident images to both eyepieces. Coincidence type optical rangefinders are generally considered to be more accurate and easier to use than stereoscopic optical rangefinders. However, conventional coincidence type optical rangefinders may not be converted for stereoscopic binocular viewing without significant light loss occurring at the beamsplitter.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an optical apparatus or instrument which can be used as a conventional monocular or binocular viewing instrument for measuring and calculating a variety of parameters pertaining to one or more target objectives.
Such parameters may be selected from, but not limited to, the following: range, height, magnetic bearing, speed, surface area, geographic coordinates, or spatial distances between two points, (such as vertical or horizontal distances or angles between two or more remote points with vertical/horizontal separation as viewed through the eyepiece(s) of the instrument).
Conventional optical rangefinding systems employ mechanical means such as cams, levers and gears to transmit and translate the displacemen
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Rosenberger Richard A.
VX Optronics Corp.
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