Patent Application
20210333063
The present invention relates generally to firearm training devices and systems, and more specifically to devices and systems attached to firearms to determine the point of impact of a projectile from the firearm.
There are many types of devices and systems that are utilized to determine impact points of projectiles fired from the projectile in order to improve the accuracy of the individual operating the firearm. Many of these devices and systems employ implements that are spaced from the firearm, such as targets, that provide a direct indication of the point of impact of the projectile fired from the firearm.
However, on many occasions it is undesirable to actually fire the projectile from the firearm for various reasons, including but not limited to safety. In these situations a number of alternative devices and systems have been developed that do not require the firearm to be fired. Most of these devices and systems include a beam-emitting device that is secured to the firearm or utilized as a substitute for the firearm.
The device is operably connected to the trigger of the firearm or other device in order to emit the beam upon operation of the trigger. In this manner, when the trigger is depressed the device emits the beam from the device that contacts the target or other item. The point of contact of the beam with the target as determined by a camera capturing the contact of the beam with the target provides the indication of the accuracy of the simulated shot fired from the firearm.
While these types of devices and systems enable the individual to fire a simulated projectile without actually firing the firearm, they have a number of shortcomings. For example, the device is often attached to the exterior of an actual firearm, such that the path of the beam is not the same as the path of an actual projectile fired from the firearm, thereby lessening the effectiveness of the training provided by the system.
Further, the beam must be sensed in order to determine the contact point of the beam with the target to determine the accuracy of the contact point with the desired location on the target. As such, other devices separate from the beam emitting device must be employed in the system to detect the point of contact of the beam on the target, such as a camera or other suitable device, greatly increasing the complexity of the system.
Other alternative systems that attempt to overcome these shortcomings have also been developed. Some examples of these systems are found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,668,496 entitled Training System (the '496 patent) and U.S. Pat. No. 9,319,842 entitled Mobile Device Configured Point And Shoot Type Weapon (the '842 patent), each of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
In the '496 patent, a mobile device is attached to a firearm. The firearm is operated by an individual to direct a projectile at a target. The mobile device is configured with a number of different types of sensors that enable the mobile device to measure and track a number of attributes of the individual utilizing the firearm including the mobile device secured thereto. However, while the mobile device can sense and record parameters relating to the individual during various training sessions employing the firearm, the data recorded pertains to the status of the individual and not to the shot(s) taken by the individual. Further, the mobile device requires the firearm to be operated in a live condition, such that the system including the mobile device is only applicable in environments where live fire training sessions can be utilized.
With regard to the '842 patent, the system disclosed is a shooting game played utilizing mobile phones as the simulated firearms. The various sensors included with the phone enable the system to determine the location of the phones, as well as the direction in which a phone is pointed. This enables the system to ascertain whether a “shot” taken with a particular phone is sufficiently directed as a separate phone constituting an opposing player to register as a hit. The system includes different stored parameters, such as regarding the simulated accuracy of the phone when taking a shot, to be utilized in determined the success of any shot attempted from a phone.
While capable of utilizing the sensors in the phone to enable the game to be played, there is no adaptation of the system for use with an actual firearm in order to provide training to an individual regarding the use of the firearm.
Thus, it is desirable to develop a device and/or system to provide an individual with training with a firearm that can do so by analyzing the shots taken by the individual using the firearm in a non-live fire or simulated condition by providing data regarding the impact position and trajectory of the shots.
Briefly described, one aspect of the present disclosure provides a system for providing training for the firing of a firearm that incorporates a device on the firearm to measure various parameters regarding the position of the firearm relative to a target when a shot is taken. The system compares the trajectory of the shot based on the determined position of the firearm at the time the simulated or actual round is fired with the known position of a target in order to determine the accuracy of the shot. With that information the system can determine what alterations need to be made to the shot in order to improve the accuracy for subsequent shots.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the system can determine the direction of the shot and the impact point relative to the target without the need for a beam to be emitted from the device or for a camera to be incorporated within the system.
According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the firearm utilized with the system can be an airsoft gun, a paintball gun, a simulated firearm or a real firearm. Further, the device employed on the firearm with the system can be a device secured to the exterior of the particular firearm or can alternatively be incorporated directly within the body of the firearm as well
Numerous other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description together with the drawing figures.
The drawings illustrate the best mode currently contemplated of practicing the present invention.
In the drawings:
Referring now in detail to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, one exemplary embodiment of a beamless firearm training system constructed according to the present disclosure is illustrated generally at 10 in
In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the device 12 is secured to the firearm 14 using a bracket, strap or mount 100 that holds the device 12 on the firearm 14 at a location that does not interfere with the normal operation of the firearm 14. In certain exemplary embodiments, the device 12 can be formed with a housing 40 that includes features (not shown) that are directly engageable in known manners with a mounting rail (not shown) formed on the firearm 14.
In an alternative embodiment, the device 12 can be incorporated within the body of the firearm 14, as opposed to be releasably or permanently secured to the exterior of the firearm 14. Further, in addition to an actual or simulated firearm 14, the firearm 14 can alternatively be an airsoft gun or a paintball gun.
The target 16 includes a number of target images 18 disposed on the target 16 at known locations. The locations of the target images 18 are known distances and elevations from one another on the target 16. The images 18 can be of any variety, and in certain exemplary embodiments can be formed with various portions 200, each portion corresponding to an area of a simulated target represented by the image 18, such as a head, a limb or other body part. The locations of each of these portions 200 are also known distances and elevations from one another on the target 16.
The device 12 is formed with an electronic compass 20, such as one formed from a combination of a 3D accelerometer 22 and a 3D magnetometer 24. An example of one exemplary embodiment of the compass 20 is found in Implementing a Tilt-Compensated eCompass using Accelerometer and Magnetometer Sensors, Rev. 4, www.nxp.com/docs/en/application-note/AN4248.pdf (2015), which is expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety or all purposes. The combination of the accelerometer 22 and the magnetometer 24 enables the compass 20 to determine the exact position and angle of the firearm 14 relative to the target 16 and the target images 18. Thus, when the individual utilizing the firearm 14 depresses the trigger 15 to fire a simulated round at one of the target images 18, the compass 20 can determine the exact position and angle of the firearm 14 at the instant of firing the round, which often can be altered as a result of movement of the individual during firing. This determination can be facilitated in exemplary embodiment by a trigger sensor 26 operably connected between the trigger 15 of the firearm 14 and the device 12 in a known manner to enable the compass 20 to collect the required position data at the instant the trigger sensor 26 senses the depressing of the trigger 15 by the individual.
The data collected by the compass 20 can be directed to a central processing unit (CPU) 28 located within the device 12 and operably connected to the compass 20. The CPU 28 operates to receive the data from the compass 20 and process the data for analysis either within the device 12, or in a computing device 300 separate from the device 12. The device 12 can include an electronic storage unit or database 30 including operating instructions for the CPU 28 in response to receiving data from the compass 20 and other operational data concerning the use of the device 12, and/or a wireless transceiver 32 for transmitting and receiving data from the remote computing device 300.
In operation, as shown in
In alternative exemplary embodiments, the system 10 can also incorporate the environmental conditions, i.e., wind, elevation, etc., into the analysis, such as by obtaining the environmental data from a sensor (not shown) on the device 12, or from an exterior information source that provides the information directly (wirelessly) or indirectly (user-input) to the device 10 for use in the analysis. In these or other exemplary embodiments, the device 12 can also be configured to employ additional data in the analysis regarding the type of firearm 14 being utilized, the type of ammunition for the simulated round, and the effects of gravity on the round resulting from the distance between the firearm 14 and the target 16, such as determined by the use of global positioning (GPS) data. This data can be stored within the device 12, such as within the database 30 for selection on the device 12 by the individual utilizing the system 10, such as through the use of a user input 42 on the device 12, including but not limited to a touch screen (not shown).
In still other exemplary embodiments, the system 10 can accommodate multiple devices 12 on multiple firearms 14, such as in an entertainment and/or competition setting, in which each device 12 provides data for the simulated shots taken by the individual firearms 14 for comparison with one another and/or for determining whether any of the simulated shots have hit other participants, target(s) 18, and/or firearms 14 in the game or other entertainment or training competition.
Various other embodiments of the present disclosure are contemplated as being within the scope of the filed claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.
