Tilt-compensated laser rangefinder
US6873406B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 13, 2003 |
| Grant date | Mar 29, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 13, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/10
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention is a laser ranging device that incorporates an internal tilt sensor, an internal temperature sensor, and an internal pressure sensor. The tilt sensor is used to measure the target's vertical angle relative to the horizontal reference plane. Digital signal processing circuitry controls the firing of the laser pulse, calculation of time-of-flight range, measurement of the vertical angle of the tilt sensor, measurement of ambient temperature and storage of tilt sensor and temperature sensor calibration data. The digital signal processing circuitry then provides the user temperature corrected ballistic ranging information, including horizontal range. Additionally, an automatic gain control system minimizes the effects of target to target variance in reflectivity and its associated errors. It is also an object of this invention to electronically minimize errors in the measurement of a vertical angle caused by housing vibration and by temperature variance errors.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.