Editing Laser level (section)

==Development==
The concept of a laser level has been around since at least the early 1970s,<ref>{{cite patent|country=US|number=3897637|status=patent}}</ref> the original spinning-mirror design laser plane and line level was patented by the late 1980s,<ref>{{cite patent|country=US|number=4973158|status=patent}}</ref> and the compact lens-based laser line level (as produced by many tool manufacturers today) was patented in the late 1990s. It was invented by Oscar Soliz in the late 1960s, who later sold the rights to it.<ref>{{Cite patent | country = US | number = 5836081 | status = patent | title = Light beam leveling means and method | pubdate = | gdate = 1998-11-17 | fdate = 1996-05-29 | pridate = | inventor = Steven J. Orosz Jr. | invent1 = Orosz, Steven J. Jr. | invent2 = | assign1 = Schroeder, Charles F.}}</ref>