초록 ▼

A self-aligned aiming system and technique for a laser rangefinder incorporating a retroreflector. In operation, a virtual dot perceived in the laser rangefinder viewing window is inherently aligned with a visible beam projected on the target and has zero parallax by design. Even if there is a sligh

A self-aligned aiming system and technique for a laser rangefinder incorporating a retroreflector. In operation, a virtual dot perceived in the laser rangefinder viewing window is inherently aligned with a visible beam projected on the target and has zero parallax by design. Even if there is a slight offset in the visual pathway of the laser rangefinder, when the virtual dot in the viewing window is placed on a specific point on the target, the visual beam is located at that same specific point.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An aiming system for a laser rangefinder comprising: a visible laser beam source;a partial mirror for allowing a first portion of said visible laser beam to pass through said partial mirror toward a target and directing a second portion of said visible laser beam toward a retroreflector, said ret

1. An aiming system for a laser rangefinder comprising: a visible laser beam source;a partial mirror for allowing a first portion of said visible laser beam to pass through said partial mirror toward a target and directing a second portion of said visible laser beam toward a retroreflector, said retroreflector redirecting said second portion of said visible laser beam back through said partial mirror; andat least one visible laser beam redirecting element for redirecting said second portion of said visible laser beam received from said retroreflector toward a viewing window of said laser rangefinder as a virtual dot. 2. The aiming system of claim 1 wherein said retroreflector is mounted internally to said laser rangefinder. 3. The aiming system of claim 1 wherein said retroreflector is mounted externally to said laser rangefinder. 4. The aiming system of claim 1 wherein said visible laser beam redirecting element comprises a partial mirror. 5. The aiming system of claim 1 wherein said partial mirror is positioned in a viewing tube of said laser rangefinder. 6. The aiming system of claim 5 wherein said viewing tube is substantially straight. 7. The aiming system of claim 1 further comprising: a display for presenting information representing a distance to said target to said user in conjunction with said virtual dot. 8. An aiming system for a distance measuring apparatus comprising: a visible laser beam source for producing a visible laser beam; anda partial mirror having a first surface thereof for directing a first portion of said visible laser beam toward said target and a second portion of said visible laser beam toward a user as a virtual dot viewable with said target in a view port of said apparatus,wherein said second portion of said visible laser beam is directed toward a retroreflector for redirection through a second opposite surface of said partial mirror for further redirection toward said user as said virtual dot. 9. A laser-based rangefinding instrument comprising: a laser transmitting section for directing a distance measuring beam toward a target;a laser receiving section for receiving laser energy reflected from said target in response to said measuring laser beam;a processor for determining a distance to said target based upon a time of flight of said distance measuring laser beam to said target;a visible laser beam source for producing a visible laser beam;a partial mirror for allowing a first portion of said visible laser beam to pass through said partial mirror toward said target and directing a second portion of said visible laser beam toward a retroreflector for redirection back through said partial mirror toward a view port of said instrument viewable as a virtual dot with a view of said target by a user of said instrument. 10. The rangefinding instrument of claim 9 wherein said instrument is contained within a hand-holdable housing. 11. The rangefinding instrument of claim 9 wherein said first portion of said visible laser beam is at least partially coaxial with said distance measuring beam. 12. The rangefinding instrument of claim 9 further comprising: a numeric display of said determined distance to said target viewable with said virtual dot and said target in said view port of said instrument. 13. The aiming system of claim 4 wherein said partial mirror and said mirror present a view of said target in said viewing window in conjunction with said second portion of said visible laser beam. 14. The aiming system of claim 1 wherein said first portion of said visible laser beam is substantially 90% of said visible laser beam and said second portion of said visible laser beam is substantially 10% of said visible laser beam.