초록 ▼

A test station for testing a laser range finder is disclosed. The test station may be a mobile test station. The test station may include an optical system having a first portion which aligns an eyepiece of the test station to the laser range finder, a second portion which aligns the eyepiece to a f

A test station for testing a laser range finder is disclosed. The test station may be a mobile test station. The test station may include an optical system having a first portion which aligns an eyepiece of the test station to the laser range finder, a second portion which aligns the eyepiece to a first range target spaced apart from the test station, and a third portion which aligns the laser range finder to the first range target.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A test station for testing an ability of a laser range finder to determine a distance to a first range target, the test station comprising: a frame; a holder supported by the frame, the holder supporting a laser range finder being tested, the laser range finder having a

The invention claimed is: 1. A test station for testing an ability of a laser range finder to determine a distance to a first range target, the test station comprising: a frame; a holder supported by the frame, the holder supporting a laser range finder being tested, the laser range finder having an alignment source and a range source aligned to the alignment source; an eyepiece supported by the frame; and an optical system supported by the frame, the optical system including a first reference plane in which the alignment source and the range source are aligned to a first axis, a second reference plane in which the eyepiece is centered on a second axis contained in the second reference plane, and a third reference plane which intersects the first range target along a third axis contained in the third reference plane, the optical system including a first portion which receives light from the alignment source of the laser range finder along the first axis and redirects it from the first reference plane to the eyepiece along the second axis in the second reference plane, a second portion which receives light from the first range target along the third axis in the third reference plane and redirects it to the eyepiece along the second axis in the second reference plane; and a third portion which aligns the range source of the laser range finder along the first axis with the first range target along the third axis. 2. The test station of claim 1, wherein the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are parallel. 3. The test station of claim 1, wherein the holder includes an adapter plate which supports the laser range finder being tested. 4. A test station for testing an ability of a laser range finder to determine a distance to a first range target, the test station comprising: a frame; a holder supported by the frame, the holder supporting a laser range finder being tested, the laser range finder having an alignment source and a range source aligned to the alignment source; an eyepiece supported by the frame; and an optical system supported by the frame, the optical system including a first portion which aligns the eyepiece with the alignment source of the laser range finder; a second portion which aligns the eyepiece with the first range target which is spaced apart from the test station; and a third portion which aligns the range source of the laser range finder with the first range target. 5. The test station of claim 4, wherein the optical system includes a first mirror, the first mirror being included in the first portion and in the second portion. 6. The test station of claim 5, wherein the first mirror is supported by a rotational stand and is in a first position when included in the first portion and is in a second position when included in the second portion, the first mirror being moveable from the first position to the second position through a rotation of the rotational stand. 7. The test station of claim 6, wherein the first mirror is further supported by a flip mount, the flip mount being in a first position to include the first mirror in one of the first portion and the second portion and in a second position to exclude the first mirror from the third portion. 8. The test station of claim 4, wherein the optical system includes a plurality of mirrors, a first group of the plurality of mirrors corresponding to the first portion of the optical system, a second group of the plurality of mirrors corresponding to the second portion of the optical system, a third group of the plurality of mirrors corresponding to the third portion of the optical system. 9. The test station of claim 8, wherein the first group of the plurality of mirrors and the second group of the plurality of mirrors have at least one mirror in common. 10. The test station of claim 9, wherein the first group of the plurality of mirrors are a subset of the second group of the plurality of mirrors. 11. The test station of claim 9, wherein the first group of the plurality of mirrors and the third group of the plurality of mirrors are distinct. 12. The test station of claim 8, wherein the first group of the plurality of mirrors and the third group of the plurality of mirrors are each a respective subset of the second group of the plurality of mirrors and are distinct from each other. 13. A method of testing a laser range finder, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a laser range finder, the laser range finder including an alignment source and a range source, the alignment source and the range source being aligned; aligning the alignment source of the laser range finder to an eyepiece provided on a test station through a first portion of an optical system of the test station, thereby aligning the eyepiece to the range source of the laser range finder; aligning the eyepiece to a first range target spaced apart from the test station through a second portion of the optical system of the testing station; aligning the laser range finder to the first range target through a third portion of the optical system of the test station; and determining a distance from the laser range finder to the first range target with the range source. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of providing a holder for receiving the laser range finder and positioning the laser range finder to be supported by the holder. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of positioning the laser range finder to be supported by the holder includes the step of aligning locators of the laser range finder with locators of the holder. 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the alignment source of the laser range finder and the range source of the laser range finder are aligned to a laser range finder optical axis and wherein the step of aligning the alignment source of the laser range finder to an eyepiece provided on a test station with a first portion of an optical system of the test station includes the step of adjusting an orientation of the laser range finder optical axis. 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the optical system of the test station includes a plurality of mirrors, a first group of the plurality of mirrors corresponding to the first portion, a second group of the plurality of mirrors corresponding to the second portion, a third group of the plurality of mirrors corresponding to the third portion. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of aligning the eyepiece to a first range target spaced apart from the test station with a second portion of the optical system of the test station includes the step of adjusting an orientation of a first mirror of the second portion of the optical system, wherein the first mirror is included in both the second portion of the optical system and the third portion of the optical system. 19. A method of testing a laser range finder, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a laser range finder, the laser range finder including an alignment source and a range source, the alignment source and the range source being aligned; (b) providing a test station including a frame, an eyepiece, a holder which supports the laser range finder, a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, and a fourth mirror; (c) aligning the alignment source of the laser range finder to the eyepiece through the first mirror and the second mirror; (d) aligning the eyepiece to a first range target spaced apart from the test station with the first mirror, the second mirror, the third mirror, and the fourth mirror; (e) aligning the laser range finder to the first range target with the third mirror and the fourth mirror; and (f) determining a distance from the laser range finder to the first range target with the range source. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second mirror is supported on a rotational mount and is at a first rotary position during step (c) and is at a second rotary position during step (d). 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second mirror is further supported on a flip mount and is in a first position during steps (c) and (d) and is in a second position during step (e). 22. The method of claim 19 wherein steps (a) through (f) are performed sequentially. 23. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step positioning the laser range finder to be supported by the holder, wherein the step of positioning the laser range finder to be supported by the holder includes the step of aligning locators of the laser range finder with locators of the holder.