Patent Application
20140168447
The present disclosure is generally related to small arms firearms, and more particularly to an optical device for use with firearms that includes a precision group shooting mode.
A precision guided firearm (PGF) includes a rifle or other firearm and an intelligent digital optical scope that integrates with, and controls the firing of, the PGF. The PGF allows a user to designate or tag a target prior to actually firing on the target, calculates range to the target, and calculates the proper ballistic solution for accurately impacting the target. Once a target is tagged, the intelligent digital optical scope portion of the PGF tracks the target location relative to the barrel position and is coupled to a trigger assembly to control or delay firing until the PGF's barrel is in the proper position to ensure the PGF fires on target based on the calculated ballistic solution.
Shooters, for a variety of reasons, participate in target shooting. A typical scenario is a gun owner taking his/her firearm to a gun range and shooting at targets at various ranges to hone his/her shooting accuracy. One way to test or measure his/her accuracy is by shooting a certain number of shots (i.e., five shots) at a specific location on a target and attempting to group all of the shots as close together as possible on the impacted target. This practice is often referred to as “group shooting.” A shooter may attempt to use a PGF for group shooting; however, designating or tagging a target with a PGF in the presence of human jitter can be difficult. Moreover, designating or tagging the target in the exact same target location, which is desired by practice shooters, competition shooters, and the like, can be difficult, if not impossible.
In an embodiment, an optical device for use with a firearm includes an image sensor configured to capture video of a view area, and includes a display, and a controller coupled to the image sensor and to the display. The controller is configured to provide the video including a visual marker at a previously selected tag location on a target within the video to a display. The controller is configured to reapply the visual marker to the previously selected tag location on the target within the video, shot after shot, when the controller is in a group shooting mode.
In another embodiment, a method includes receiving a sequence of video frames of a view area from an optical sensor of an optical device coupled to a firearm. The method further includes applying a visual marker to a previously selected tag location on a target within the sequence of video frames provided to a display of the optical device using a controller of the optical device. The method further includes reapplying the visual marker to the previously selected tag location within the sequence of video frames, shot after shot, when the controller is in a group shooting mode.
In still another embodiment, a precision guided firearm system includes a firearm and an optical device mounted to the firearm. The optical device is configured to capture video frame of a view area and to present the video frame including a visual marker representing a previously selected tag location on a target to a display. The optical device is configured to reapply the visual marker on the previously selected tag location within the display, shot after shot, when the optical device is configured for a group shooting mode.
In the following discussion, the same reference numbers are used in the various embodiments to indicate the same or similar elements.
Embodiments of an optical device are described below that can be implemented as a rifle scope configured to mount to a firearm and to interact with a trigger mechanism to provide a PGF system having a group shooting mode. In an example, the optical device is configured to receive a user input (implicit or explicit) to select a location on a target within a view area. The optical device applies a visual tag or marker to a selected location on the target and stores a reference image of the view area including data corresponding to the location of the visual marker in a memory. The optical device then controls a trigger assembly to prevent discharge of the PGF until a center of a reticle displayed within the optical device is aligned to the visual marker. After the user shoots, the optical device determines the location of the visual marker within the reference image, identifies a corresponding location within the current view, and reapplies the visual marker to the corresponding location to assist the user in targeting the same location where the original visual tag or marker was placed.
Various shooting competitions exist for measuring a shooter's skill. One type of shooting competition is called score shooting, where a traditional bulls eye type of target includes scoring rings. In score shooting (accuracy competition), the shooter scores by placing a shot within a particular ring, and the winner is determined based on the shooters' total score results. Another type of competition is a group shooting competition, in which the shooter attempts to place a number of shots on a target as close together as possible, and preferably in exactly the same place on the target. In group shooting, the winning score is determined based on how closely the shots are grouped. Ideally, the user might place multiple shots through a single bullet hole; however, it can be very difficult for the user to demonstrate that level of precision.
Even when a PGF is used, the user may have difficulty in placing the visual marker or tag at the same location on the target as the location of the originally placed visual marker or tag. One example of a sequence of views of a target used for a precision competition is described below with respect to
At target 102, the user has previously applied a visual marker 112 to a center of target 102, and has now aligned a reticle 104 to the visual marker 112. At this point, if the user is pulling the trigger of the PGF, a controller within the optical device will allow the trigger assembly to release, discharging the PGF and launching the bullet toward the target at the location corresponding to the visual marker. In an example, in response to placement of visual marker 112, the optical device may determine a ballistics solution relative to the selected target and may adjust the view area and/or the reticle position to reflect the ballistics solution. In the illustrated example, the reticle 104 is not aligned with the visual marker (either due to the calculated ballistic solution or due to human jitter), so the user will realign the reticle 104 to the visual marker 112 before firing (at 106), which results in target 102A.
On target 102A, a bullet hole 108 is depicted, representing impact of the projectile at or very near the location where visual marker 112 was placed on target 102. Upon discharge, visual marker 112 disappears, and recoil, shooter movement, shooter preference, and/or human jitter cause reticle 104 to shift away from the selected target location.
In a group shooting competition, the user attempts to shoot multiple shots in as close a grouping as possible. In this example, at 110, the user attempts to place visual marker 112 at the same location as bullet hole 108. To place the visual marker 112, the user aligns the reticle 104 to the desired location and either presses or releases a button (or maintains the center of the reticle on the desired location for a period of time, e.g., directed aiming) to place visual marker 112 on target 102B.
At 114, the user placed the visual marker 112. In this example, the visual marker 112 is placed at a location that is offset from bullet hole 108 as shown on target 102C. While the user (shooter) may have wanted to place the visual marker 112 in the same location where it was previously placed, the elements of the shooting event, the distance, human error, and/or human jitter can make it very difficult for the user to re-apply the visual marker to the same location. After placement of visual marker 112, once again, due to human jitter, movement, preference, and/or calculation of the ballistics solution, reticle 104 is shifted relative to the placement location of visual marker 112. To shoot, the user aligns reticle 104 to visual marker 112 and pulls the trigger. This process is repeated multiple times (N times) for a group shooting competition (as indicated by dashed arrow 116), resulting in a target 102N, which has a cluster of closely placed bullet holes generally indicated at 118 and several shots that are spaced from the cluster by a small distance, including bullet hole 120 that corresponds to placement of visual marker 112 on target 102C. Target 102N is intended to depict the difficulty in reacquiring the target location and the effect that this difficulty may have on the desired clustering of the shots.
As discussed above, the optical device can be configured to capture and store a visual image (frame) of a view area including the visual marker in response to target tag selection. After discharge of the PGF, the optical device can use the stored image to determine the location of the visual marker in the stored image and to identify the corresponding location within the current image.
At 210, the optical device captures a reference image 212 of target 202A including the designated position of the visual marker 206, which can be stored in memory. At 214, the user fires a shot at the target. In a particular example, the optical device is part of a PGF, and the optical device controls operation of a trigger assembly to prevent discharge of the PGF until the user has aligned reticle 204 to visual marker 206. Accordingly, as depicted by target 202B, shooting the PGF leaves a bullet hole 216 approximately at the location of visual marker 206.
At 218, the optical device correlates the current view of target 202B to the designated position of the visual marker 206 in the reference image 212 to identify the corresponding location on the target 202B in the current view area. In a particular example, the visual marker or tag is a visual representation of a user-designated location on a target. The user-designated location on the target can be resolved by the optical device to a sub-pixel resolution, i.e., a fraction of a pixel. Accordingly, the visual tag or marker can be reapplied to the tag location, because the tag location can be reacquired based on the sub-pixel resolution. If the aim point of the user changes by as much as a fraction of a pixel (such as a third of a pixel), a processor of the optical device can detect such motion and the same sub-pixel resolution can be used to reacquire the tag location. The visual representation presented on the target within the display is unassociated with the sub-pixel location, but rather is a representation that spans multiple pixels and that generally corresponds to that sub-pixel position.
At 220, the optical device automatically reapplies the visual marker 206 at the corresponding location in the current view as shown on target 202C, exactly where the user previously applied the visual marker 206 (i.e., on target 202A). The user once again aligns the reticle to visual marker 206 on target 202C by adjusting an orientation of the PGF and shoots at the target by pulling the trigger. As represented by dashed line 226, the optical device may reacquire the location of visual marker 206 multiple times and the user may fire the PGF toward the location of the visual marker 206 a corresponding number of times. Thus, shot after shot, the optical device maintains (or reacquires the designated location and reapplies) the visual marker on the same location on the target, and the PGF may be fired multiple times, resulting in target 202N, which has a relatively close cluster of bullet holes, generally indicated at 228.
Unlike the bullet holes 118 and 120 resulting from manual reacquisition of the location of visual marker 112 on target 102 in
Advancing to 304, the user designates a target within a view area of the optical device. Target designation may include the user directing the optical device toward the view area and interacting with at least one button on the optical device or on the grip of the PGF to manually place a visual marker or tag on a selected location on the target (such as visual marker 206 in
At 306, the optical device records a reference frame (such as reference image 212 in
In general, the optical device described above may be implemented in a variety of different shapes and housings. One possible embodiment of an optical device including a competition mode is described below with respect to
Optical device 400 further includes a lens portion 410 including an objective lens for focusing light toward the optical sensors. Optical device 400 further includes a laser rangefinder transmitter 412 and a laser rangefinder receiver 414 for transmitting a laser beam toward the aim-point and for receiving reflections of the laser beam to determine a distance to the target. Additionally, optical device 400 includes one or more ports 416 configurable to couple to an external device, such as a smart phone, laptop or tablet computer, or other computing device to transfer information and/or instructions, bi-directionally. In an example, optical device 400 may receive one or more instructions or upgrades through the one or more ports, which instructions or upgrades can be used for determining the location of the visual marker and/or for reacquiring the visual marker location for reapplication of the visual marker in a current view.
In general, the optical device 400 is an optical device that can be utilized with a variety of different firearms, including, but not limited to rifles and air guns. One possible implementation of the optical device 400 is described below with respect to
Optical device 400 includes circuitry 508 including one or more image sensors 512 configured to capture images of a view area 502. The one or more images sensors 512 are coupled to a processor 510, which is coupled to a display 520 configured to present the image data to a user (for example through lens 402 in
Memory 524 includes group shooting mode instructions 529 that, when executed by processor 510, cause processor 510 to provide a group shooting mode as described above. Memory 524 includes image processing logic 526 that, when executed, causes processor 510 to capture and store a reference frame 536 and to compare current frames to the stored reference frame 536 to reattach a visual marker to the same location on a selected target, shot after shot. Memory 524 further includes a reticle generator 528 that, when executed, causes processor 510 to produce a digital reticle for presentation with the video frames on display 520 (which is viewable by a user through lens 402.
Memory 524 further includes user-input detection logic 530 configured to detect user selection of a target within the view area 502. In one embodiment, the user may interact with an input source 506 to select a location on a target. Memory 524 includes target tagger instructions 532 that, when executed, causes processor 510 to apply a visual marker or tag to the selected location on the target within display 520 and to store an image including the visual marker or tag as a reference frame 536. Memory 524 also includes a precision shot controller 534 that, when executed, causes processor 510 to control timing of discharge of an associated firearm through control signals to trigger assembly interface 514. In an example, the control signals may prevent trigger assembly 504 from discharging the PGF until a center of the reticle is aligned to the visual marker.
In an example, the user may apply a visual tag to a location on a target. Processor 510 stores reference frame 536 including the sub-pixel tag location in memory 524. Processor 510 then controls timing of the discharge to permit discharge when the user intersects the center of the reticle with the sub-pixel tag location represented by the previously set tag or visual marker on the display 520. After the user shoots the PGF when in a group shooting mode, processor 510 executes image processing logic 526 to compare a current video frame to reference frame 536 to identify the tag location of sub-pixel tag location in reference frame 536 and to identify the corresponding location in the current video frame. Once the corresponding location is identified, image processing logic 526 automatically reapplies the visual marker to the corresponding location in the current frame, making it unnecessary for the user to manually re-apply the tag or visual marker to the target.
In an embodiment, after the user shoots the PGF when in the group shooting mode, the user may attempt to reapply the visual marker or tag to the same location on the target. In an example, the user may press a button to initiate a tagging sequence and release the button to apply the visual marker or tag to an object in the view area of the optical device 400. Upon application of the visual marker, processor 510 may execute image processing logic 526 to compare a current location of the visual marker in the current video frame to the location of the visual marker in the reference frame 536 and may refine the current location to align the visual marker or tag to the tag location associated with the reference frame 536. In an example, image processing logic 526 determines a difference between the current designated tag location and the tag location of the reference frame 536 and, if the difference is less than a threshold difference, adjusts or refines the currently designated tag location to match the tag location in reference frame 536. Otherwise, if the difference is greater than a threshold difference, image processing logic 526 may cause processor 510 to retain the currently designated tag location with no adjustment.
In conjunction with the systems, optical devices, and methods described above with respect to
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the invention.
