Raytheon Company

James Allen McIntosh

James M Florence

Robert B Chipper

John Richard Staley, Iii

Brent L Sisney

Robert P Francis

Michael Waterman

Gilbert J Islas

Bryan K Hawk

A direct view optical sight including an integrated laser rangefinder. One example of the sight includes an eyepiece, an objective providing an optical aperture and configured to direct electromagnetic radiation from a viewed scene to the eyepiece, an erector tube assembly coupled between the eyepiece and the objective, the laser rangefinder configured to transmit and receive laser radiation, and a beam combiner assembly mounted to the erector tube assembly and positioned between the erector tube assembly and the objective, the beam combiner assembly configured to combine the laser radiation and the electromagnetic radiation to allow the laser rangefinder to transmit and receive the laser radiation via the optical aperture of the objective, and to maintain optical alignment of the laser rangefinder and the viewed scene during movement of the erector tube assembly.

Direct view optical sight with integrated laser system

Using a hand-held range finding device to range an object in a field of view is difficult due to user-induced jitter. In particular, user-induced jitter introduces uncertainty as to which object in a field of view is actually ranged. Current approaches attempt to mitigate user-induced jitter by requiring a user to mount the hand-held range finding device onto a stabilizing device (e.g., a tripod). However, such approaches require the user to carry additional equipment. Embodiments of the present disclosure enable the user to visually confirm which object in a field of view is actually ranged during a range finding event by generating a composite image that includes a visual representation of a laser pulse emitted by the range finding device reflecting off an object in the field of view. Advantageously, disclosed embodiments provide true hand-held range finding capabilities without requiring the use of stabilization assistance techniques.

Laser range finding

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Sunnyvale, TX, United States of America

James Allen McIntosh