Combined laser range finder and sighting apparatus having dual function laser and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10012474-B2
Application number	US-201314055084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2013
Priority date	Oct 22, 2012
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A combined range finding and sighting apparatus for a weapon includes a housing therein supporting one or more laser emitters, an optical detector for detecting an optical signal reflected from the target, and a processor. The one or more laser emitters includes a first laser emitter operable in a first mode for emitting an optical signal toward the target a second mode for projecting a first beam onto the target. The processor is coupled to a computer readable memory encoded with executable instructions and is configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to calculate a distance to the target based on a time of flight of the optical signal. In a further aspect, a method of using a combined range finding and sighting apparatus is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A combined range finding and sighting apparatus for a weapon, comprising:
a housing therein supporting one or more laser emitters, an optical detector, and a processor;
said one or more laser emitters including a first laser emitter operable in a first mode for emitting an optical signal toward the target and said optical detector for detecting the optical signal reflected from the target;
said processor coupled to a computer readable memory encoded with executable instructions, the processor configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to calculate a distance to the target based on a time of flight of the optical signal;
said first laser emitter operable in a second mode for projecting a first beam onto the target, wherein the first beam is selected from the group consisting of one or both of a target aiming beam and a target designating beam;
a first actuator switch on the housing configured to cause the first laser emitter to operate in the first mode of operation;
a second laser emitter supported within said housing and configured to project a second beam substantially in alignment with a trajectory of a projectile fired from the weapon;
a selector for selecting one of the first laser emitter and the second laser emitter; and
a second actuator switch on the housing configured to cause the first laser emitter to operate in the second mode of operation when the first laser emitter is selected and to actuate the second laser emitter when the second laser emitter is selected.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first beam is substantially in alignment with a trajectory of a projectile fired from the weapon.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first laser emitter is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength which is visible to a night vision system employing a short wave infrared imaging system.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the short wave infrared imaging system is of the type having an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second laser emitter is selected from a visible laser emitter and an infrared laser emitter.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second laser emitter is a near-infrared laser emitter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third laser emitter supported within said housing and configured to project a third beam substantially in alignment with the trajectory of the projectile fired from the weapon, wherein the second laser emitter is an infrared laser emitter and the third laser emitter is a visible laser emitter.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
said selector for selecting one of the first laser emitter, the second laser emitter, and the third laser emitter; and
said second actuator switch on the housing configured to cause the first laser emitter to operate in the second mode of operation when the first laser emitter is selected, to actuate the second laser emitter when the second laser emitter is selected, and to actuate the third laser emitter when the third laser emitter is selected.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
an illuminator supported within said housing, said illuminator including a light emitting element for illuminating the target.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the light emitting element is a fourth laser emitter.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the fourth laser emitter is an IR laser emitter.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
adjustable optics for adjusting a beam angle of light emitted by the illuminator.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
said selector for selecting one of the first laser emitter, the second laser emitter, the second laser emitter in combination with the illuminator, and the third laser emitter; and
said second actuator switch on the housing configured to cause the first laser emitter to operate in the second mode of operation when the first laser emitter is selected, to actuate the second laser emitter when the second laser emitter is selected, to actuate the second laser emitter in combination with the illuminator when the second laser emitter in combination with the illuminator is selected, and to actuate the third laser emitter when the third laser emitter is selected.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
the selector further including a “range” selection, wherein the second actuator switch is disabled when the selector is in the “range” selection.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the selector is a rotary switch.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a human viewable display, wherein the selector is a user operable display screen interface displayed on the human viewable display.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an illuminator supported within said housing, said illuminator including a light emitting element for illuminating the target.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a fastener for attaching said apparatus to a firearm.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the fastener is a clamping member configured to attach to a firearm rail interface.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more mechanical sights on the housing.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical signal has a duration in the range of about 10 milliseconds to about 1000 milliseconds.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical signal comprises a plurality of optical pulses.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first beam is selected from:
a continuous beam; and
a pulsed beam having a pulse frequency that is sufficiently high to allow the pulsed beam to appear as a substantially continuous beam.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the pulsed beam has a pulse frequency in the range of about 5 Hertz to about 60 Hertz.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display for displaying a numerical indication of the distance to the target.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the numerical indication of the distance to the selected target is selected from one or both of an actual distance to the selected target and an effective ballistic distance to the selected target.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply supported within the housing.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first adjustment means for changing an alignment of the apparatus to effect windage changes in a trajectory of a laser beam generated by the first laser emitter; and
a second adjustment means for changing the alignment of the apparatus to effect elevation changes in the trajectory of the laser beam generated by the first laser emitter.

29. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more laser emitters are removably supported in the housing.

30. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a laser module removably supported in the housing;
said laser module including said first laser emitter and at least one additional laser emitter, wherein each of said at least one additional laser emitter is affixed in co-aligned relation with said first laser emitter.

31. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises two or more replaceable housing sections.

32. The app

Assignees

• Wilcox Ind Corp

Inventors

• Teetzel James W
• Lemire Gary M

Classifications

• F41G1/36

  with infrared light source · CPC title

• F41G3/065 Primary

  Structural association of sighting-devices with laser telemeters · CPC title

• G01S7/4813

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01S17/86

  Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders · CPC title

• F41G3/145

  using a target illuminator · CPC title