Optical: systems and elements – Compound lens system – Telescope
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-16
2001-05-15
Spyrou, Cassandra (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Compound lens system
Telescope
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233094
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a telescope utilizing a Global Positioning System (GPS).
Conventionally, telescopes have been used as instruments for observing remote objects. A telescope expands a visual angle of a remote object and enables a user to observe the object in a field of view. In this specification, the term telescope refers to an any optical instrument that meets the above definition. Thus, the telescope includes not only a monoscope but a binocular, periscope and the like.
Conventionally, a telescope, for example a binocular, is used for facilitating observation of a remote object. If, however, a user of the binocular (telescope) intends to observe an object remote from the binocular (telescope) and position and/or direction thereof is not known, the user must search in all directions carefully.
If, for example, a member of a certain group such as a hunting or mountaineering group accidentally left the group, and it becomes necessary to find the member with the binocular, it is often difficult to bring the member within the field of view of the binocular as far as the position of the member relative to the group is not known. In such a case, it may likely be difficult for the member to accurately specify the position where the member is. Moreover, even though the lost member can communicate with another member in the group by means of a radiotelephone apparatus or the like, if the communicating members do not know their respective accurate positions and tell the respective positions accurately to each other, it is difficult for them to know their relative position, so that it is extremely difficult to recognize the lost member from a remote position of the binocular.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved telescope that enables each of users of the telescope who cannot specify their respective positions to bring the other into the fields of view.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a telescope that enables each of the users of the telescope capable of viewing each other to accurately know their relative positions, or their positional relationship.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a telescope that enables the user of the telescope to know the accurate position thereof.
According to the invention, there is provided a telescope for expanding a visual angle of a remote object and allowing observation of an object image in a field of view the telescope, comprising: a position determining system which receives a position signal from GPS satellites to calculate a present position of the binocular; a communication system which communicates with an external device which is capable of transmitting information regarding a position of the external device; a relative position determining system which determines a relative position of the external device with respect to the telescope based on the present position obtained by the position determining system and position information received by the external device; and an indication system which indicates information regarding the relative position of the external device relative to the telescope.
In the above telescope, the relative position determining system may obtain, by calculation, a distance, an altitude difference, and an azimuth angle between the telescope and the external device.
Optionally, the relative position determining system may obtain the relative position based on the present position and the position information which have been obtained at the same point of time.
In the telescope above, the indication system may be provided with a displaying device which visually indicates the relative position to a user of the telescope.
In this case, the displaying device displays the relative position in an observation field of view of the telescope.
It should be noted that the telescope includes a binocular.
Optionally, the telescope includes a data transmission system for transmitting the present position obtained by the position determining system, to the external device.
Further optionally, the indication system indicates the present position obtained by the position determining system, in addition to the relative position between the telescope and the external device.
In this case, the indication system comprises a display device which visually indicates the present position.
Still optionally, the indication system further indicates position information of the external equipment received from the external equipment.
Further optionally, the display device displays the present position in an observation view field of the telescope.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4949089 (1990-08-01), Ruszkowski, Jr.
patent: 5579165 (1996-11-01), Michel et al.
patent: 5801866 (1998-09-01), Chan et al.
patent: 5815411 (1998-09-01), Ellenby et al.
patent: 5825480 (1998-10-01), Udagawa
patent: 5224290 (1993-09-01), None
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Robinson Mark A.
Spyrou Cassandra
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