Patent Grant
11781834
This application discloses a fire control system for projectile weapons and, more particularly, a fire control system with zoom optics and high-resolution display. The present development is particularly advantageous for use with firearms or artillery that launch or fire projectiles at relatively high elevation angles. The present disclosure will be made herein primarily by way of reference to the preferred embodiment wherein the projectile is a grenade fired by a grenade launcher, such as a stand alone grenade launcher or grenade launcher that is attachable to a military or assault rifle such as an M-16 assault rifle, M-4 Carbine, or the like. However, the present development is not limited to such and can be used with any type of firearm or artillery that launches a projectile with a known trajectory. The terms “firearm” and “artillery” as used herein are intended to encompass all manner of weaponry, which may be handheld weapons, shoulder launched weapons, and crew served weapon platforms, including without limitation, guns such as handguns and rifles, heavy caliber guns, grenade launchers, cannons, howitzers, mortars, rocket launchers, shoulder launched rocket and missile delivery systems, and the like.
In one aspect, a fire control system, comprises a fixed base section having a fastener for providing a rigid connection of the fixed base section to a weapon and a sight assembly rotatably attached to the fixed base section and rotatable about a transverse axis which extends in a direction which is generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of a barrel of the weapon. The sight assembly includes an optical range finder for calculating a distance to a selected target, the optical range finder including an optical emitter for sending an optical signal to the selected target and an optical detector for detecting the signal reflected from the selected target. The sight assembly also includes a camera, the camera including a zoom lens assembly and an optical sensor, the camera configured to generate an image signal representative of a target scene including the selected target. The zoom lens assembly includes a zoom controller and zoom lens optical elements, the zoom controller configured to change a magnification of the zoom lens optical elements. The sight assembly further includes a display configured to receive the image signal representative of the target scene and display a target scene image in human-viewable form. A processor assembly includes a processor and an associated computer readable memory encoded with executable instructions. The processor is configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to receive input representative of the distance to the selected target and calculate a trajectory angle of the weapon based on the distance to the selected target whereby the weapon will launch a projectile a distance that corresponds to the distance to the selected target when the barrel of the weapon is aligned with the trajectory angle. The processor is further configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to operate the zoom controller to change the magnification of the target scene image in proportion to a calculated distance to the selected target.
In a more limited aspect, the processor is configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to operate the zoom controller to change the magnification of the target scene image to a maximum magnification level when the ranged target distance is greater than a first, upper threshold distance and a minimum magnification level when the ranged target distance less than a second, lower threshold distance. The processor is further configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to operate the zoom controller to change the magnification of the target scene image to a magnification level between the maximum and minimum magnification levels in direct proportion to the ranged target distance when the ranged target distance between the first and second threshold distances.
In another more limited aspect, the display is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display.
In yet another more limited aspect, the sight assembly is rotatable between 0 and 45 degrees with respect to the fixed base portion.
In still another more limited aspect, the display is configured to overlay one or more indicia on the target scene image.
In another more limited aspect, the one or more indicia is selected from the group consisting of battery power indicia, range to target indicia, laser status indicia, reticle indicia, cant angle indicia, zoom magnification indicia, and any combination thereof.
In another more limited aspect, the reticle indicia comprises one or both of a bore sight reticle which is bore sighted to the weapon and a disturbed reticle having a variable position which is automatically adjusted based on range and ballistics computations from the processor.
In another more limited aspect, the fastener is selectively attachable to a left side of the fixed base portion and a right side of the fixed base portion.
In another more limited aspect, the processor is configured to selectively store digital still images of the target scene in the memory.
In another more limited aspect, the fire control system further comprises a communications interface.
In another more limited aspect, the communications interface is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth interface, B-Tac interface, and Wi-Fi interface.
In another more limited aspect, a library of target images is stored in the memory and viewable on the display.
In another more limited aspect, facial recognition software is stored in the memory and executable by the processor for recognizing persons appearing in the target scene image.
In another aspect, a method for imaging a target comprises providing a fire control system, the fire control system comprising a fixed base section having a fastener for providing a rigid connection of the fixed base section to a weapon. A sight assembly is rotatably attached to the fixed base section and rotatable about a transverse axis which extends in a direction which is generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of a barrel of the weapon. The sight assembly includes an optical range finder for calculating a distance to a selected target, the optical range finder including an optical emitter for sending an optical signal to the selected target and an optical detector for detecting the signal reflected from the selected target. The sight assembly also includes a camera, the camera including a zoom lens assembly and an optical sensor, the camera configured to generate an image signal representative of a target scene including the selected target. The zoom lens assembly includes a zoom controller and zoom lens optical elements, the zoom controller configured to change a magnification of the zoom lens optical elements. The sight assembly further includes a display configured to receive the image signal representative of the target scene and display a target scene image in human-viewable form. A processor assembly includes a processor and an associated computer readable memory encoded with executable instructions, the processor configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to receive input representative of the distance to the selected target and calculate a trajectory angle of the weapon based on the distance to the selected target whereby the weapon will launch a projectile a distance that corresponds to the distance to the selected target when the barrel of the weapon is aligned with the trajectory angle. The processor is configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to operate the zoom controller to change the magnification of the target scene image in proportion to a calculated distance to the selected target. A distance to the target is calculated using the optical range finder and a target scene image is captured using the camera. A zoom control signal for controlling a position of the zoom optical elements in the zoom lens assembly is generated and the magnification of the target scene image on the display is changed in response to the distance to the target.
In a more limited aspect, the sight assembly is rotated about the transverse axis with respect to the fixed base section by an angle which corresponds to the trajectory angle and an optical axis of the sighting assembly is aligned with the target to align the barrel of the weapon with the trajectory angle.
The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.
Referring to the drawing
As used herein, terms denoting direction or orientation, such as left, right, front, rear, upper, lower, horizontal, vertical, etc., are taken from the perspective of an operator facing a rear or viewing side of the unit 1000 when the unit is mounted on a weapon and in the operational position. A front side 1028 of the unit 1000 is disposed opposite a rear side 1032 thereof. A left side 1036 of the unit 1000 is disposed opposite a right side 1040 thereof. Opposite upper and lower surfaces 1044 and 1048, respectively, are bounded by the generally vertically-extending front, rear, left and right surfaces 1028, 1032, 1036, and 1040, respectively. In operation, the user views the rear side 1032 of the unit 1000. The front side 1028, as best seen in
As illustrated in
A display 1068 is disposed on the rear side 1036 of the main body 1004. The display 1068 is preferably a high-resolution display, more preferably an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. A display window 1072 is disposed over the display 1068 and retained in place with a display window retainer 1076. A mode select rotary switch 1080 is also disposed on the rear surface of the main body 1004 for selecting an operational mode of the unit 1000. The rotary switch 1080 is retained to the housing 1020 with a retainer 1084 and includes a manually actuatable selector knob 1088. The rotary switch 1080 is operably coupled to a data bus 1086 via a circuit substrate 1092.
In certain embodiments, the unit 1000 can be utilized as a control system for Air Bursting Munitions, as follows. When direct line of sight to a target is not possible, a reference object close to the intended target is ranged to get the ballistic solution for airburst distance. This range can be manually increased or decreased as necessary and locked in utilizing a rear-facing three-button keypad assembly 1096 provided on the rear side 1032 of the main body 1004. A five-button activation control keypad assembly 1100 is provided on the upper side 1044 of the main body 1004 for controlling operation of the unit 1000.
As best seen in
An elevation adjustment mechanism 1116 is disposed on the upper side of the main body 1004 for vertically adjusting the pointing direction of a pointing and illumination laser suite 1120 up or down in relation to the housing 1020 to provide an elevation adjustment for bore sighting the unit 1000 to a weapon. As best seen in
A power source 1136 is received within an interior compartment in the base 1008. Removable caps 1140 are disposed in the rear side of the base 1008 to provide access to the battery compartment. In certain embodiments, the power source comprises two batteries, such as two AA batteries or two CR123 COTS lithium batteries. In certain embodiments, the power source 1136 is controlled through a switching circuit to use one battery as a primary source and the other battery a secondary source. The pivot arms 1012, 1016 include pivot assemblies 1142 defining a pivot axis 1144. Pivot covers 1148 are disposed over the pivot assemblies 1142.
Referring now to
By adjusting the zoom level of the zoom lens 1156, based on the distance to the target determined by the rangefinder 1184, the user can engage close targets as well as targets located far away (e.g., two thousand meters away) automatically. In certain embodiments, the zoom level can also be controlled by the operator manually. The ability to engage far away targets is advantageous over the inherent design of conventional grenade launchers which commonly use 1× magnification reflex sights that are typically used out to a distance of 400 meters. At distances beyond 400 meters, the grenadier begins to lose his ability to identify the target and the placement of the round when fired. While standard telescopic weapon scopes can provide greater magnification, the eye relief for such scopes, are typically in the range of 1-2 inches. An advantage of the present development is that the eye relief to the display is relatively large, e.g., up to 18 inches or more, thereby allowing the fire control system in accordance with this disclosure to be employed with a much broader range of weapon platforms.
The front side 1028 of the unit 100 includes the optical range finder 1184 including an optical transmitter 1188 with an optical source, such as a laser and preferably an infrared (IR) laser source, and an optical receiver 1192. In operation, the distance to a target is determined by measuring the time interval between the emission of an optical signal by the transmitter 1188 to the target and detection of the reflected signal by the receiver 1192. The front side 1028 of the main body 1004 includes window 1196 secured to the housing 1020 with a frame 1200. In certain embodiments, the rangefinder 1184 includes an anti-glare member, e.g., formed of a honeycomb or other collimating material to prevent off-angle reflections from reaching the range finder components.
In the depicted preferred embodiment, the laser suite assembly 1120 includes a first pointing laser 1204, a second pointing laser 1208, and an illumination laser 1212. Other numbers or configurations of lasers in the laser suite 1120 are contemplated. The lasers 1204, 1208, and 1212 include laser emitters (e.g., laser diodes) and associated lenses or other optical elements, e.g., focusing optics. In certain embodiments, the first pointing laser 1204 is a visible laser (e.g., red or green) viewable with the naked eye; the second pointing laser 1208 is an infrared laser for use with night vision goggles or other infrared imaging device; and the illuminating laser 1212 is an infrared illuminator, such as vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) laser illuminator. The lasers 1204, 1208, and 1212 are coaligned so that the beams emitted by each are parallel to each other. The lasers 1204, 1208, and 1212 emit through aligned openings 1216 in the housing 1020.
In some embodiments, images acquired by the camera 1152 can be stored in a memory 1180 associated with the processor 1172, e.g., in a digital still image format, such as JPG, PNG, or other image file format. In this manner, still images of the target can be transmitted to other users via a wireless networking interface 1220, e.g., through Bluetooth, B-Tac, Wi-Fi, or another networking system. For example, this allows a team member that may be closer to the target to engage using a less expensive, shorter range munition to achieve the goal, e.g., an M433 HEDP Grenade vs. a “Pike” Missile. The wireless communications interface 1220 is located on the main control circuit board 1176.
The main body 1008 includes an encoder assembly 1224 residing on an encoder circuit board 1228 to generate a signal representative of the degree of rotation of the main body 1004 in relation to the base 1008, e.g., between 0 and 45 degrees. The encoder assembly 1224 may be of the type generating a pulse signal representing rotational movement of the pivot arm 1016 relative to the main body 1004. A rotating ring 1226 on the pivot arm 1016 engages the encoder assembly 1224 which generates a signal representative of relative rotation between the pivot arm 1016 and the main body 1008. In certain embodiments, the main body 1004 is manually rotated about the pivot axis 1144 until the angle is such that aiming the weapon using the display 1068 is equal to the ballistics solution trajectory angle based on distance to target and other ballistics factors.
As best seen in
Alternatively, in certain embodiments an optional servomotor or drive motor 1230 is provided for automatically controlling the degree of rotation of the main body 1008 relative to the base 1008 under programmed control of the processor 1172 to provide the proper attitude of the weapon in accordance with a ballistics solution. An exemplary embodiment motorized embodiment is illustrated in
An environmental sensor module 1240 senses one or more environmental conditions that may affect the ballistic calculation. Exemplary environmental factors include temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, altitude, wind speed, and so forth. The environmental sensor module 1240 is operably coupled to the data bus 1086 via a circuit substrate 1244. In certain embodiments, a connector socket 1248 provides an electrical communication to a remote control unit, such as a remote keypad, for controlling operation of the unit 1000. The environmental sensor module 1240 is retained within the housing via a retainer plate 1250 and threaded fasteners 1254 (see
In operation, the fire control system 1000 is first set at a zero elevation setting (see
In the embodiment appearing in
In certain embodiments, the range of rotation of the main body 1004 in relation to the base module 1008 is a range that allows the use of multiple munitions and ballistic ranges, such as zero to 60 degrees, preferably from zero to 45 degrees.
The distance to the target as determined using the rangefinder 1184 is output to the display 1068, e.g., as range to target indicia 1256 (see
The selector switch 1080 is a rotary switch that allows the selection from among multiple pointing laser modes, e.g., laser selection and power level. The switch 1080 may also contain additional selections for available functions, ammunition type, etc. Indicia representative of the mode may be provided on the display 1068. For example, as shown in
After the distance to the target is calculated by the range finder function, the processor 1172 performs a ballistics calculation to calculate the appropriate angle of trajectory of the weapon relative to the line of sight between the user and the target. The ballistics computation is made based on the trajectory data for the firearm or artillery with which the unit 1000 is being used. In certain embodiments, the trajectory data for the ballistics computer functionality may be provided for a particular type of firearm or artillery. Alternatively, trajectory data may be provided for a plurality of firearms or artilleries, for example stored in the memory 1180. The trajectory data for a desired one or more weapon types may be loaded from a computer based information handling system via the data port 1248. In certain embodiments, the ballistics computation is made based on the distance to the target and one or more environmental factors sensed using the environmental sensor module 1240.
Once the trajectory is calculated, the processor 1172 reads the encoder 1224 to allow rotating the main body 1004 with respect to the base 1008 so that the relative angle between the path of a selected one of the lasers 1204, 1208 (and thus the bore of the barrel of the weapon) is such that aligning an operative one of the lasers 1204, 1208 with the target will cause the weapon to be positioned at the proper angle for firing a projectile so that the path of the projectile will substantially intersect with the position of the target. In embodiments having a motorized drive system, the main body 1004 is rotated under control of the processor to the trajectory angle calculated trajectory angle.
A main reticle indicium 1268 is electronically overlaid on the display 1068 and represents an aim point that is bore sighted to the weapon 1064. A “disturbed” reticle indicium 1272 is also included to place a modified aim point that is calculated and overlaid onto the display 1068 based upon the weapon, munition, and environment. In certain embodiments, the disturbed reticle 1272 is a segmented crosshair reticle such that the right and left segments (1273, 1274) are solid (non-blinking) when the cant angle of the weapon is below an acceptable threshold angle relative to horizontal to indicate a cant angle within an acceptable range and to blink when the cant angle of the weapon exceeds the threshold angle, i.e., where the cant angle will adversely affect the trajectory of a projectile fired by the weapon. In certain embodiments, the cant angle control limits are dependent upon the range to target. In certain embodiments, the cant condition control limits allow a greater degree of cant the closer the target and a lesser degree of cant the further the target. In certain embodiments, the cant angle is determined by an accelerometer (not shown).
In certain embodiments, target recognition and comparison to an internally stored electronic library of targets can be utilized to identify the most advantageous round placement to the operator through an animated overlay on the display. The library of targets can be stored in the memory 1180 and uploaded via the data port 1248.
In certain embodiments, facial recognition of targets in the imaging field of view is provided, and photos transmitted, due to the high definition zoom camera, using the on-board video processor 1164. In certain embodiments, the program instructions stored in the memory 1180 includes facial recognition software which is executable on the processor 1164, and which may work in conjunction with the camera 1152 and/or wirelessly via the wireless interface 1220. The camera 1152 is operable to scan the faces, postures, etc. of persons appearing in the imaged target scene. The image data can be compared to a library of images stored in the memory 1180 and/or the image data can be transmitted via the wireless interface 1220 to a remote database or software application for facial recognition analysis.
Referring now to
Control signals for activating the laser designator 1276 are also provided through the pivot interface assembly 1142 and a pivot drive interface 1284 on the designator. In operation, the laser designator module 1276 includes a laser emitter which emits a laser designator targeting beam for marking or “painting” a target. In certain embodiments, the designator targeting beam is a pulse-encoded beam. In certain embodiments, the laser designator beam is invisible to the naked eye. In certain embodiments, the laser designator beam is selected from a near infrared beam and an ultra violet beam. In certain embodiments, the designator beam has a wavelength of 1064 nm. In certain embodiments, the designator beam has a wavelength in the range of from about 900 nm to about 1000 nm.
In certain embodiments, an optional optically readable indicia 1288 is provided on the unit 1000. The optically readable indicia 1288 may be a 2D bar code or, more preferably, a 3D barcode, such as a QR code, or the like. When the indicia 1288 is scanned with a mobile device such as a smart phone, the mobile device will link to a web site such as the manufacturer's web site to allow the user to download an operator's manual for the fire control system 1000 and other pertinent information.
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/092,998 filed Oct. 16, 2020. The aforementioned application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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