US3752581A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rangefinder
Assignee: BAC AND BRITISH AEROSPACE
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Filing: 1971-10-05
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Granted: 1973-08-14
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Expires: 1991-10-05
Abstract
Abstract A rangefinder which includes a transmitter for transmitting a pulse of electromagnetic energy towards a target, and a receiver for receiving reflections of that pulse, in which means is provided for ensuring that although reflections may be received from light reflecting media located between the transmitter and the target, only the last received reflection, which is from the target, is used to provide the indication of the range of the target.
Inventors
- 👤 F Everest
- 👤 T Veasey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:45
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S7/00; G01S7/02; G01S7/28; G01S7/285; G01S7/292; G01S7/2921; G01S13/00; G01S13/02; G01S13/06; G01S13/08; G01S13/10; G01S13/14; G01S13/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
A rangefinder comprising an emitter for emitting a pulse of electromagnetic energy, a clock pulse generator, a forwardly counting counter for counting pulses from the clock pulse generator, a backwardly-counting counter having a capacity identical to that of the forwardly counting counter for deducting from a full count the pulses from the clock pulse generator, means for stopping the counters when the forwardly counting counter is filled, a receiver for receiving reflections of the said pulse of electromagnetic energy, means for resetting the backwardly counting counter to full each time that a reflection is received by the receiver, means for passing the count existing in the backwardly counting counter to a store when the forwardly counting counter fills up, and means for presenting a visual display of the number received by the store.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
133 words
A rangefinder comprising an emitter for emitting a pulse of electromagnetic energy, a clock pulse generator, a forwardly counting counter for counting pulses from the clock pulse generator, a backwardly-counting counter having a capacity identical to that of the forwardly counting counter for deducting from a full count the pulses from the clock pulse generator, means for stopping the counters when the forwardly counting counter is filled, a receiver for receiving reflections of the said pulse of electromagnetic energy, means for resetting the backwardly counting counter to full each time that a reflection is received by the receiver, means for passing the count existing in the backwardly counting counter to a store when the forwardly counting counter fills up, and means for presenting a visual display of the number received by the store.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
132 words
A rangefinder comprisIng a laser for emitting a pulse of laser light, a clock pulse generator, a forwardly counting counter for counting pulses from the clock pulse generator, a backwardly-counting counter having a capacity identical to that of the forwardly counting counter for detecting from a full count the pulses from the clock pulse generator, means for stopping the counters when the forwardly counting counter is filled, a receiver for receiving reflections of the said pulse of light, means for resetting the backwardly counting counter to full each time that a reflection is received by the receiver, means for passing the count existing in the backwardly counting counter to a store when the forwardly counting counter fills up and means for presenting a visual display of the number received by the store.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
132 words
A rangefinder comprisIng a laser for emitting a pulse of laser light, a clock pulse generator, a forwardly counting counter for counting pulses from the clock pulse generator, a backwardly-counting counter having a capacity identical to that of the forwardly counting counter for detecting from a full count the pulses from the clock pulse generator, means for stopping the counters when the forwardly counting counter is filled, a receiver for receiving reflections of the said pulse of light, means for resetting the backwardly counting counter to full each time that a reflection is received by the receiver, means for passing the count existing in the backwardly counting counter to a store when the forwardly counting counter fills up and means for presenting a visual display of the number received by the store.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A rangefinder as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for stopping the counters when the forwardly counting counter is filled comprises a gating circuit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
A rangefinder as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for resetting the backwardly counting counter to full each time that a reflection is received by the receiver comprises a threshold detector which detects the trailing edge of a signal from the receiver and drives a resetting device and an OR gate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
A rangefinder as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for passing the count existing in the backwardly counting counter to the store when the forwardly counting counter fills up comprises a plurality of gating circuits actuated by the forwardly counting counter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A rangefinder as claimed in claim 2 in which the means for stopping the counters when the forwardly counting counter is filled comprises a gating circuit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
53 words
A rangefinder as claimed in claim 2, in which the means for resetting the backwardly counting counter to full each time that a reflection is received by the receiver comprises a threshold detector which detects the trailing edge of a signal from the receiver and drives a resetting device and an OR gate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
A rangefinder as claimed in claim 2, in which the means for passing the count existing in the backwardly counting counter to the store when the forwardly counting counter fills up comprises a plurality of gating circuits actuated by the forwardly counting counter.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3315258A
Cited
US3666367A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-13 | 1977-02-12 | 1977-08-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-13 | 1981-02-12 | 1981-08-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-13 | 1985-02-12 | 1985-08-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |