Embodiments of the present invention relate to weapon simulator systems and more specifically to gun active recoil simulators.
Previous weapon simulator systems replicate recoil cue and fail to replicate near actual recoil forces. One aspect of one embodiment of the present invention over other stimulated recoil solutions provides an electronic solution and does not wear the internal gun mechanism. Previous recoil systems used pneumatics to provide simulated recoil. The pneumatic solution requires air hoses and a separate air compressor to provide power for the pneumatic mechanisms. Also, the pneumatic systems use a mechanism that is inserted into the gun and activates the internal gun mechanism when it provides recoil. This action adds wear and stress to mechanisms that the embodiments of the present invention avoid.
One embodiment of the present invention actuates the gun mount instead of the internal gun mechanism to provide simulated recoil. In this embodiment, a gun is attached to the mount as it moves with the actuated mount. Embodiments of the present invention do not require any device to be mounted internal to an actual gun and do not add any wear to the gun. Embodiments of the present invention also do not require any bolt action. The present invention also permits the operator to use either an actual gun or a simulated gun (replica look and feel without any internal mechanisms).
One embodiment of the present invention comprises a weapon simulator. The weapon simulator preferably comprises a gun active recoil unit comprising a slide tray and at least one motor, a gun mounted to said gun active recoil unit, said gun comprising a trigger, and a host computer in communication with said gun active recoil unit. The gun is preferably mounted to the slide tray. The gun active recoil unit preferably comprises a plurality of mounting pintles and a plurality of adjustable stops. The adjustable stops preferably adjust elevation and azimuth. The gun active recoil unit of this embodiment preferably comprises an electronic chassis. The gun of this embodiment of the present invention can be either a replica weapon or an actual weapon. The gun can optionally comprise a safety. The host computer preferably comprises a plurality of malfunction capabilities for the weapon simulator. The trigger on the gun preferably comprises a hard stop to limit an amount of travel while the weapon simulator is activating. The weapon simulator of this embodiment preferably comprises a muzzle flash and/or simulated ammunition.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a method of simulating weapon recoil with a weapon simulator. This embodiment preferably comprises providing a gun mounted to a gun active recoil unit, squeezing a trigger on the gun to generate a signal, transmitting the signal from the gun to a host computer in communication with the gun active recoil unit, the gun active recoil unit responding to the signal from the host computer, and simulating recoil via a slide tray disposed on the gun active recoil unit. The method of this embodiment preferably further comprises the gun active recoil unit initiating electromechanical motions. The transmitting step preferably comprises processing the signal via an onboard computer. This method preferably further comprises the host computer initiating one or more malfunctions. These malfunctions can be selected from the group consisting of: a runaway recoil, weapon misfire, weapon sluggishness and round cook-off. The method of this embodiment can optionally comprise signaling a cease fire and/or activating a safety wherein the trigger will not depress and/or adjusting the weapon simulator using azimuth and elevation. The host computer can optionally override the safety to simulate cook-off rounds. The maximum rate of fire is preferably between approximately 750-1000 rounds per minutes. In this embodiment, an instructor can optionally initiate gun active recoil unit and/or gun activity through the host computer.
Objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating one or more preferred embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:
As used throughout the specification and claims, “gun” is defined as any type of projectile weapon whether real or simulated or a replica. As used throughout the specification and claims, “a” means one or more.
One embodiment of the present invention is a weapon simulator comprising a gun active recoil unit that is designed for training with realistic recoil when firing simulated projectile weapons. Training with realistic recoil enables a trainee that is operating weapon having recoil a gun to anticipate and adapt to the recoil forces in order to keep the aiming point of the weapon on target just as is required in the real world. The weapon simulator of this embodiment replicates near actual recoil forces, and not just recoil cue indicating the firing of a weapon. Further, the weapon simulator realistically replicates recoil motion, frequency and intensity. The weapon simulator is adaptable to any small arms weapon or trainer and works directly with existing weapon system trainers and/or simulator firing signals. This embodiment further supports instructor-inserted motion malfunctions, jams, duds and out of ammunition. The weapon simulator preferably comprises electric motors that eliminate the need to use expensive blank rounds and maintain intensive pneumatic systems. The weapon simulator preferably includes variable intensity to fine tune recoil, easy access to system components for maintenance and tuning, and ruggedized systems that can adapt actual weapons for field use.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a gun active recoil unit is tailored to actuate an entire weapon. In an alternative embodiment, a gun active recoil unit can be designed to actuate on the weapon handles for use in virtual reality systems where the weapon body is presented as a computer image.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a weapon simulator preferably comprises a gun, a gun active recoil unit and associated mounting and electronics components. In this embodiment, the weapon simulator can be used with any gun on any type of mount.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the weapon simulator comprises a XM218 weapon simulator. The weapon simulator further comprises simulated .50 caliber machine gun (the Gun) 10, as illustrated in
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a XM218 weapon simulator comprises high fidelity replication of the external features of an actual XM218. The simulator further comprises a weapon charging handle and a trigger with a firing signal switch that has accurate force feedback and feel. This embodiment further comprises a weapon safety with signal switch and articulated weapon top cover assembly. There is also preferably a weapon mounting system.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the weapon simulator comprises a replica weapon or an actual weapon (gun 10), gun active recoil unit 50 and a host computer. The host computer can be either remote from the weapon simulator or can be located on the weapon simulator. The host computer can also comprise an onboard computer.
The Gun
In one embodiment of the present invention and as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In one embodiment of the present invention, and as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In this embodiment, gun (simulated, de-militarized or functional) 10 mounts to slide tray 40 via attachment 52, see
Gun 10 can be attached to gun active recoil unit 50 by using hardware, such as but not limited to bolts, nuts, washers, screws, combinations thereof and the like and/or quick release pins or any other method known in the art. Preferably, gun 10 is attached to gun active recoil unit 50 at two or more locations, one on each end of gun active recoil unit 50. The arrangement of the hardware or pin holes can be exactly like gun 10 allowing an actual unmodified gun to be mounted to gun active recoil unit 50.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the weapon simulator responds to user input on the trigger. The weapon simulator also responds to electromechanical stimuli from gun active recoil unit 50. In this embodiment, and as illustrated in
In another embodiment of the present invention, gun active recoil unit 50 and gun 10 are reactive devices. They operate in response to signals sent from the host computer. In this embodiment, a user depresses trigger 24 that sends a signal through a gun active recoil unit 50 to the host computer. A gun active recoil unit 50 then responds to the signal from the host computer and begins simulating recoil forces upon gun 10. The host computer is preferably the controlling device regun active recoil unitdless of the source of the “initiate” signal. In this embodiment, nothing happens until the host computer sends the recoil signal to gun active recoil unit 50. The instructor can also initiate gun active recoil unit 50 and/or gun 10 activities through the host computer without any input from a user.
The host computer of the present invention may be implemented in any of a variety of hardware implementations. For example, the data processing can be performed by an appropriately programmed microprocessor, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or the like, in conjunction with appropriate memory and bus elements. The methods of the invention can be implemented by appropriate software (embodied on a computer-readable medium, such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drives, Universal Serial Bus (USB) keys, and the like) coded in C++, Java, microcode, etc., as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the weapon simulator achieves maximum peak and sustains rates of fire required by a user. Varying rates of fire below the maximums required can be input into the host computer by the instructor. In this embodiment of the present invention, maximum rates of fire are approximately 750-1500 rounds per minute and are more approximately preferably 850-1000 rounds per minute and are most preferably approximately 950 rounds per minutes. In this embodiment, the recoil rate preferably matches the firing rate.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a cease fire signal. This signal is initiated by the host computer, regardless of whether or not the operator has ceased “firing” gun 10.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises malfunctions controlled by the host computer. The types of malfunctions include but are not limited to:
In a preferred embodiment, the range of motion of the simulated weapon can be adjusted using azimuth and elevation, see
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the weapon simulator comprises a replica of a XM218 weapon mount, preferably a mount for helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. In this embodiment, and as illustrated in
An embodiment of the present invention can be delivered as a complete weapon system comprising a recoil unit, a simulated/demilitarized weapon, an Ethernet interface, and an input/output (I/O) system. In a further embodiment of the present invention, a weapon system can comprise additional features for the simulated/demilitarized weapon as well as the recoil assembly. The following features are additional and optional capabilities of a weapon system in accordance to an embodiment of the present invention:
Although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to these preferred embodiments, other embodiments can achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/429,954, entitled “Apparatus and Method for a Weapon Simulator”, filed on Feb. 10, 2017, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/930,245, entitled “Apparatus and Method for a Weapon Simulator”, filed on Nov. 2, 2015, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,568,268 on Feb. 14, 2017, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/247,585, entitled “Apparatus and Method for a Weapon Simulator”, filed on Apr. 8, 2014, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,175,922 on Nov. 3, 2015, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/611,420, entitled “Apparatus and Method for a Weapon Simulator”, filed on Nov. 3, 2009, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,690,575 on Apr. 8, 2014, which claims priority to and the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/110,753, entitled “Apparatus and Method for a Weapon Simulator”, filed on Nov. 3, 2008, and the specification thereof is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2398813 | Swisher | Apr 1946 | A |
2508577 | Maeser | May 1950 | A |
2520281 | Heide | Aug 1950 | A |
2729975 | Hawthorne et al. | Jan 1956 | A |
2991781 | Ayala | Jul 1961 | A |
3237002 | Patmore | Feb 1966 | A |
3403669 | Crosman | Oct 1968 | A |
3704530 | Arenson | Dec 1972 | A |
4007934 | Ochi | Feb 1977 | A |
4050166 | Swiatosz et al. | Sep 1977 | A |
4079525 | Linton et al. | Mar 1978 | A |
4235103 | Carter et al. | Nov 1980 | A |
4321043 | Grimmer et al. | Mar 1982 | A |
4365959 | Caurant et al. | Dec 1982 | A |
4398889 | Lam et al. | Aug 1983 | A |
4439156 | Marshall et al. | Mar 1984 | A |
4480999 | Witherell et al. | Nov 1984 | A |
4591342 | Lipp | May 1986 | A |
H000186 | Marshall et al. | Jan 1987 | H |
4654008 | Elmore | Mar 1987 | A |
4725235 | Schroeder et al. | Feb 1988 | A |
4804325 | Willits et al. | Feb 1989 | A |
4923401 | Marshall et al. | May 1990 | A |
4923402 | Marshall et al. | May 1990 | A |
4955812 | Hill | Sep 1990 | A |
5176518 | Hordijk et al. | Jan 1993 | A |
5201658 | Taylor et al. | Apr 1993 | A |
5410815 | Parikh | May 1995 | A |
5569085 | Igarashi et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
5988645 | Downing | Nov 1999 | A |
5993215 | Kotsiopoulos et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
6005551 | Osborne et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6019681 | Oishi et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
6147674 | Rosenberg et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6269730 | Hawkes et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6271833 | Rosenberg et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6305941 | Kotsiopoulos et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6328651 | Lebensfeld et al. | Dec 2001 | B1 |
6604064 | Wolff et al. | Aug 2003 | B1 |
6820608 | Schavone | Nov 2004 | B2 |
7039866 | Rosenberg et al. | May 2006 | B1 |
7192282 | Cederwall | Mar 2007 | B2 |
7299321 | Braun et al. | Nov 2007 | B2 |
7415790 | Ruhland | Aug 2008 | B1 |
7510477 | Argentar | Mar 2009 | B2 |
8123526 | Hoover et al. | Feb 2012 | B2 |
8123623 | Kitami et al. | Feb 2012 | B2 |
8356995 | Lvovskiy et al. | Jan 2013 | B2 |
8496480 | Guissin | Jul 2013 | B2 |
8690575 | Gurule et al. | Apr 2014 | B1 |
8777619 | Schubert et al. | Jul 2014 | B2 |
9011151 | Jones et al. | Apr 2015 | B1 |
10001338 | Gurule et al. | Jun 2018 | B1 |
20030073056 | Kim | Apr 2003 | A1 |
20030184519 | Liu | Oct 2003 | A1 |
20060204935 | McAfee et al. | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20070067138 | Rabin et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
20070077539 | Tzidon et al. | Apr 2007 | A1 |
20080187888 | Jones et al. | Aug 2008 | A1 |
20090253103 | Hogan, Jr. | Oct 2009 | A1 |
20100099059 | Burford | Apr 2010 | A1 |
20120148989 | Lvovskiy | Jun 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1125825 | Aug 2001 | EP |
2 268 252 | Jan 1994 | GB |
20000042244 | Feb 2000 | JP |
2009025891 | Feb 2009 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61110753 | Nov 2008 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 15429954 | Feb 2017 | US |
Child | 16011411 | US | |
Parent | 14930245 | Nov 2015 | US |
Child | 15429954 | US | |
Parent | 14247585 | Apr 2014 | US |
Child | 14930245 | US | |
Parent | 12611420 | Nov 2009 | US |
Child | 14247585 | US |