1. Field of the Disclosure
The present teachings generally relate to systems and methods for optical sighting of firearms and, in various embodiments, to a system and method for adjusting a point of aim of a rifle scope without having to significantly disturb the shooter's scope sight picture and the shooting posture.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many firearms such as rifles are equipped with optical scopes to aid in accurate positioning of the firearm's point of aim (POA). When shot, a bullet's point of impact (POI) at a target varies depending on various ballistic parameters associated with the bullet and the shooting environment. Some of the common ballistic parameters include, for example, the bullet type, distance to the target, and wind speed.
In order to place the bullet where the rifle is aimed at, the POA needs to coincide sufficiently close to the POI. If it is not, the POA needs to be “sighted in” such that the POA is moved towards the POI. Typically, a shooter “zeroes” the POA such that the POA coincides with the POI at a given distance. The shooter then relies on a ballistic table or prior experience to estimate either a rise or drop of the bullet at other varying distances.
Such sighting-in methods and procedures typically involves repetition of shots with manual manipulations of the elevation and/or windage adjustment mechanisms. Each manipulation of the scope adjustment usually requires the shooter to disturb the scope sight picture. After each adjustment is made, the shooter has to re-assume the proper shooting posture and re-acquire the target through the scope. Furthermore, subsequent shots at targets at non-zeroed distances may be subject to shooter's estimate errors.
The continuous repetition of this process results in potential errors in the sighting in of the firearm. Specifically, with higher power firearms, the recoil of the firearm can be substantial. As such, a shooter who is repeatedly firing the firearm to sight it in may begin to flinch prior to firing the rifle in anticipation of the recoil. Flinching can then result in the shooter introducing error into the shooting process thereby increasing the difficulty in sighting in the firearm. Flinching is generally observed to increase with each additional shot fired. Hence, there is a need for a system and process that allows the firearm to be sighted-in in a more efficient fashion.
A further difficulty with firearms is that the shooter must often have to estimate the deviation between the point of aim and the point of impact due to distance. As discussed above, most shooters sight the firearm such that the point of aim and point of impact coincide at a given distance. However, when shooting at a distance other than the given distance, the shooter must estimate the range and then estimate the change in bullet drop due to the range. Naturally, estimating the range can be very difficult, particularly when it must be done very quickly as is common in hunting or combat situations. Hence, there is further a need for a system that allows the shooter to more easily shoot at targets at ranges varying other than the sighted in range.
Thus, there is an ongoing need to improve the manner in which rifle scopes are adjusted. There is a need for a scope adjustment system and method that allows a shooter to place the bullet at the desired target location in an improved manner. There is also a need for system and method that facilitates target range determination and improved use of such information in shooting application.
In one embodiment, a sight system for a projectile weapon comprises a ballistic parameter detector that measures one or more parameters that affect the ballistic flight of a projectile fired by the weapon, an adjustable aiming device that defines a point of aim of the device, wherein the point of aim can be adjusted so that the point of aim coincides with the point of impact for a projectile fired by the weapon for a given set of parameters measured by the ballistic parameter detector, a memory wherein empirical point of aim adjustment data and correlated empirical ballistic parameters are stored, wherein the stored aim adjustment data and correlated ballistic parameters comprise data capture for successive firings of projectiles from the weapon, and a processor that, upon receiving new sensed ballistic parameters from the ballistic parameter detector, determines new aim adjustment data based at least in part upon the stored empirical point of aim adjustment data and correlated empirical ballistic parameters and provides the new aim adjustment data to the adjustable aiming device to adjust the point of aim for the new sensed ballistic parameters.
In one embodiment, a sight system for a firearm comprises an optical assembly having a point of aim indicator, wherein the point of aim indicator is configured to be movable relative to an optical axis of the optical assembly, an adjustment mechanism coupled to the point of aim indicator and configured to adjust the point of aim indicator relative to the optical axis, a ballistic parameter detector configured to detect one or more current ballistic parameters, and a memory. The sight system further comprises a processor configured to initiate storage in the memory of an empirical zero data point indicating a first position of the point of aim indicator and one or more first ballistic parameters associated with the first position, initiate storage in the memory of one or more empirical secondary data points, wherein each secondary data point indicates a secondary position of the point of aim indicator and one or more secondary ballistic parameters associated with the respective secondary position, receive one or more current ballistic parameters associated with a target, determine a point of aim adjustment increment between a current position of the point of aim indicator and an adjusted position of the point of aim indicator based on the zero data point, the one or more secondary data points, and the one or more current ballistic parameters, and signal the adjustment mechanism to adjust the position of the point of aim indicator according to the determined point of aim adjustment increment.
In one embodiment, a method for adjusting a point of aim of an optical assembly configured to be attached to a firearm comprises storing a first data point indicating a first position of a point of aim indicator of an optical assembly and first one or more ballistic parameters associated with the first position of the point of aim indicator in a computer memory, wherein the first position of the point of aim indicator indicates a point of aim that coincides with a first point of impact of a projectile fired by a firearm subject to the first one or more ballistic parameters, and storing one or more secondary data point indicating a respective secondary position of the point of aim indicator and secondary one or more ballistic parameters associated with the secondary position of the point of aim indicator in a computer memory, wherein the secondary position of the point of aim indicator indicates a point of aim that coincides with a point of impact of a projectile filed by the firearm subject to the respective secondary one or more ballistic parameters. The method further comprises receiving one or more target ballistic parameters from one or more sensor devices, determining with a computing device an adjusted position of the point of aim indicator based on the one or more target ballistic parameters, the first data, and the second data, and initiating adjustment by an actuator device of the point of aim indicator to the adjusted position.
These and other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the present teachings will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, similar elements have similar reference numerals.
It will be appreciated that the remote controller (110 in
For example, the remote controller may comprise a single joystick-type device having a stubby stick manipulator adapted for easy manipulation by a trigger finger. Such a device may include internal switching mechanisms that provide either on-off functions for controlling the exemplary elevation and windage adjustments. Alternatively, the internal switching mechanism may allow proportional type response to the shooter's manipulation of the switch, such that a hard push results in a greater response than a slight push of the joystick.
Furthermore, although the remote controller is depicted to be located adjacent the trigger in the description, it will be appreciated that it could be located at other locations without departing from the spirit of the present teachings. For example, the shooter's thumb frequently manipulates functions such as a safety. Thus, the remote controller could be adapted to be located within reach of the thumb, and be manipulated by the thumb instead of the trigger finger. It should be apparent that any number of configurations of the remote controller (location and type) may be employed so as to be adaptable to various types of firearms or any other projectile launching devices.
The scope adjustment system is described herein in context of bolt-action and lever-action rifles. It will be understood, however, that the scope adjustment system may be adapted to work in any scoped firearms, including but not limited to, a semi-auto rifle, a selective-fire rifle, shotguns of different action types, handguns, and the like. The scope adjustment system may also be applicable in other projectile-launching devices having optical sights, such as various types of bows. Thus, it will be appreciated that the novel concepts of the scope adjustment system may be utilized on different platforms without departing from the spirit of the present teachings.
In a rifle scope, a point of aim (POA) is typically indicated by some form of a reticle. Common reticle configurations include a cross-hair type, a dot type, or some combination thereof. In a cross-hair reticle, the POA is typically at the intersection of two or more lines. In a dot reticle, the POA is the dot itself. For the purpose of description herein, the POA is indicated by a simple dot or a simple cross-hair. It will be appreciated, however, that the scope adjustment system may be employed with any number of reticle configurations without departing from the spirit of the present teachings.
Typically, the POA in a rifle scope can be adjusted for “elevation” to account for rise and fall of the bullet at its point of impact (POI). The POA can also be adjusted for “windage” to account for influences on the bullet that affect the horizontal displacement of the bullet at the POI. An elevation adjustment assembly is typically disposed at the top portion of the scope, and the windage adjustment assembly is typically disposed at one of the sides of the scope.
As shown in
The motion of the adjustment tube 152 along the first direction 156 causes a POA 162 in a scope field of view 160 to move along a direction 164 that is generally parallel to the first direction 156. It will be understood that the first direction 156 in
One aspect of the present teachings relates to a scope adjustment system that allows a shooter to remotely control the actuator motion, thereby allowing the shooter to change the POA without having to take the sighting eye off the scope or significantly altering the shooting posture. Various embodiments of the scope adjustment system are described below.
The scope adjustment system 170 in
The remote controller 184 in
The adjustment mechanism 174 couples to the existing structure 218 by the collar 180. The threaded actuator 192 is turned by a flat head 196 of a driver member 200. The driver member 200 defines a recess 202 on the opposite end from the flat head 196, and the recess 202 is dimensioned to receive a motor shaft 204 therein, thereby providing a coupling 208 between the driver member 200 and a motor 210. Thus, when the motor shaft 204 turns, the flat head 196 turns in response, thereby causing motion of the threaded actuator 192 along a direction generally perpendicular to the optical axis of the scope. In one embodiment, the recess 202 is deep enough to accommodate the travel range of the driver member 200 with respect to the driver shaft 204. The coupling 208 between the motor 210 and the driver member 200 may also include a spring 206 that constantly urges the flat head 196 of the driver member 200 against the slot 194 of the threaded actuator 192.
In the embodiment 174 of the adjustment mechanism, the motor 210 is powered by a battery. The motor 210 rotates in response to a motor signal from a control unit 216 that results from a signal from the remote controller (not shown). A housing 214 houses the battery 212, motor 210, control unit 216, and the driver member 200.
It should be apparent that the motor 210 and the battery 212 can be selected from a wide variety of possible types, depending on the performance criteria. It will be appreciated that the motor 210 may be powered by a power source other than a battery without departing from the spirit of the present teachings. For example, the adjustment mechanism may be adapted to be powered by an external source, such as a battery adapter.
It will also be appreciated that the adjustment mechanism may be adapted to couple to numerous other types of scopes. For example, some scopes may have knobs (instead of slots) for turning the threaded actuators therein. In such scopes, coupling may, for example, be achieved by removing the knob(s) from the scope, and appropriately attaching the adjustment mechanism so as to couple the motor to the threaded actuator. Such attachment may utilize structures on the scope that allow the knobs to be attached thereon. It will also be appreciated that an independent adjustment mechanism may be incorporated into the housing and design of a rifle scope 13A. Such self-contained adjustment mechanism features could be fully integrated into the scope's internal housing at the time of manufacturing and is thus not be reliant on being “adapted” or “retrofitted” to a previously manufactured scope.
One aspect of the present teachings relates to an adjustment mechanism having a motor shaft oriented generally parallel to the optical axis of the scope. It will be seen from the description below that such orientation of the motor shaft, along with its coupling to the actuator (that extends generally perpendicular to the motor shaft), provides certain advantageous features.
The scope adjustment system 220 in
The remote controller 234 in
The adjustment mechanism 224 further comprises a transfer mechanism 242 that facilitates transfer of motion along the X-axis to motion along the Y-axis in a manner described below. The motor shaft being oriented along the X-axis further allows the motor angular displacement (proportional to the X-motion and the Y-motion) to be visually monitored by a dial indicator 260. Such dial may face the shooter, and be calibrated with indicator marks to indicate commonly used POA displacement units. For example, many POA adjustment dials and knobs are calibrated in units of ¼ MOA (minute of angle). The dial indicator 260 may provide additional visual feedback to proper functioning of the scope adjustment system 224. It will be appreciated that the X-axis orientation of the motor shaft allows easier implementation of the indicator dial without complex coupling mechanisms.
In
One aspect of the present teachings relates to transferring the motion of a driven bolt along a first direction to the motion of an actuator along a second direction. In
The first end 308a of the actuator 286 is positioned within the housing 262 through the output portion 266 of the housing 262 and engages the bolt 270 in a manner described below. The second end 308b of the actuator 286 is positioned within the scope (226 in
As also seen in
The housing 262 further defines an output aperture 324 that extends generally along the Y-axis. The output aperture 324 is dimensioned to receive the actuator 286 and allow Y-motion of the actuator 286 as a result of the engagements of the angled surface 282 and the adjustment tube engagement surface 284 with the engagement surface 274 of the bolt 270 and the adjustment tube (240 in
Because the orientation of the angled surface 282 with respect to the bolt 270 (the angle between the bolt's axis and angled surface's normal line) affects the manner in which motion is transferred, it is preferable to maintain such an orientation angle substantially fixed. One way of maintaining such a fixed orientation angle is to inhibit the actuator 286 from rotating about its own axis with respect to the bolt 270. In one embodiment, the actuator 286 includes guiding tabs 288. The housing 262 further defines guiding slots 326 adjacent the output aperture 324. The guiding tabs 288 and the guiding slots 326 are dimensioned so as to inhibit rotational movement of the actuator 286 about its axis, while allowing Y-motion of the actuator 286.
With such a transfer mechanism configuration, rotation of the bolt 270 by the shaft 278 causes the bolt 270 to move along the X-axis. If the bolt 270 moves towards the angled surface 282, the transferred motion causes the actuator 286 to move away from the bolt 270. Such a motion of the actuator 286 causes the adjustment tube engagement surface 284 to push against the adjustment tube. As previously described, the adjustment tube may be biased (by some spring, for example) towards the actuator. Thus, if the bolt 270 moves away from the angled surface 282 (via the counter-rotation of the bolt), the actuator 286 is able to move towards the bolt 270, and the bias on the adjustment tube facilitates such movement of the actuator 286. Thus, it will be appreciated that the Y-motion of the actuator 286 is induced by the X-motion of the bolt 270.
As previously described, the bolt 270 motion is substantially restricted along the X-axis (as shown by an arrow 332), and the actuator 286 motion is substantially restricted along the Y-axis (as shown by an arrow 334). As such, two exemplary engagement positions, 330a and 330b, of the engagement surface 274 are depicted as solid and dotted lines, respectively. The X-displacement between the two positions of the bolt 270 is denoted as ΔX. The corresponding positions of the actuator 286 are depicted respectively as solid and dotted lines. The corresponding Y-displacement of the actuator 286 is denoted as ΔY. From the geometry of the engagement configuration, one can see that ΔX and obey a simple relationship
ΔY=ΔX tan θ. (1)
One can see that tan θ is effectively a “reduction” (or an “increasing”) term. For θ between 0 and 45 degrees, the value of tan θ ranges from 0 to 1. For θ between 45 and 90 degrees, the value of tan θ ranges from 1 to a large number. In the scope application, a fine control of ΔY is usually desired. Thus, by selecting an appropriate angle θ, one can achieve the desired ΔY resolution without having to rely on a fine resolution motor.
As an example, an angle of 20 degrees yields a reduction factor of approximately 0.364. If one selects an exemplary thread count of 32 (threads per inch) for the bolt threads, one rotation of the bolt results in ΔX of approximately 0.03125″, and the resulting ΔY would be approximately 0.03125″×0.364=0.0114″. It should be understood that any number of other thread pitches of the bolt and angles of the angled surface may be utilized without departing from the spirit of the present teachings.
It will be appreciated that the X-Y motion transfer performed in a foregoing manner using an angled surface benefits from advantageous features. One such advantage is that because any value of the angle of the angled surface can be selected during fabrication of the actuator, the reduction factor comprises a continuum of values, unlike discrete values associated with reduction gear systems. Another advantage is that for a given reduction value (i.e., given angle), the substantially smooth angled engagement surface allows a substantially continuous motion transfer having a substantially linear response.
It will be appreciated that the novel concept of transferring motion via the angled engagement surface can be implemented in any number of ways. In the description above in reference to
It will also be appreciated that in certain embodiments, the motion transfer between a driving shaft and an actuator is achieved by other means. For example, a cam device may be attached to the driving shaft, and one end of the actuator may be adapted to engage the cam so as to provide a variable actuator position depending on the cam's (thus driving shaft's) orientation with respect to the actuator. In another example, a driving shaft may be oriented generally parallel (but offset) to an actuator. The end of the shaft may comprise a curved surface such that an end of the actuator engages the curved surface of the shaft. When the shaft is made to rotate, the curved and offset surface causes the actuator to change its position.
The scope adjustment system described above allows a shooter to adjust the POA to coincide with the bullet's POI while maintaining the scope sight picture and not significantly altering the shooting posture.
The process 340 begins at a start state 342, and in state 344 that follows, the shooter shoots a first round at a target. After the first shot is made, a scope sight picture 360 shows that a POI 372 of the first round is displaced from a POA 370. Such POA-POI discrepancy is depicted for the purpose of describing the adjustment process. The POA may coincide with the POI sufficiently, in which case, adjustment is not necessary. In a decision state 346, the shooter determines whether the POA should be adjusted. If the answer is “No,” then the scope adjustment is not performed, and the shooter can either shoot a second round in state 352, or simply stop shooting in state 354.
If the answer to the decision state 346 is “Yes,” then the shooter remotely induces adjustment of the POA in state 350 such that the POA 370 is moved to the POI 372. One possible movement sequence of the POA 370 is depicted in a scope sight picture 362, as a horizontal (windage) correction 374 followed by a vertical (elevation) correction 376. It will be appreciated that the movement of the POA to the POI may comprise any number of sequences. For example, the vertical movement may be performed before the horizontal movement without departing from the spirit of the present teachings. Furthermore, the POA movement sequence depicted in
Once the POA is adjusted in state 350, the shooter, in state 352, may shoot a second round to confirm the adjustment. A scope sight picture 364 depicts such a confirmation, where the POA 370 coincides with the POI 372.
The portion of the process 340 described above may be repeated if the shooter determines in a decision state 354 to do so. If the adjustment is to be repeated, the process 340 loops back to state 350 where another remotely induced adjustment is made. If the adjustment is not to be made (“no” in decision state 354), the process 340 ends in state 356.
It will be understood that the meaning of “POA coinciding with POI” does not necessarily mean that a particular given bullet's POI coincides precisely with the POA. As is generally understood in the art, the intrinsic accuracy of a given rifle may cause several POIs to “group” at the target, regardless of the shooter's skill. Thus, the POA preferably should be positioned at the center of the group of POIs. In certain situations, the shooter may decide that even if the second shot does not place the POA precisely on the POI, the adjustment is good enough for the intended shooting application. Thus, it will be appreciated that whether or not the adjusted POA coincides precisely with the POI in no way affects the novel concept of scope adjustment described herein.
It will also be appreciated that the quick and efficient POA adjustment described above does not depend on the shooter's knowledge of the ballistic parameters such as target distance, wind speed, or bullet properties, provided that these parameters do not change significantly during the adjustment. The POA adjustment is simply performed based on the initial empirical POA-POI discrepancy. If one or more parameters change, the POA may be re-adjusted in a similar manner, again in a quick and efficient manner. For example, a change in the ammunition may change the bullet type and the ballistics of the bullet's trajectory, thereby changing the POI. A target distance change may cause the POI to change from that of the previous distance. A change in wind speed or direction also may cause the POI to change.
It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the rifle scope described herein allows a shooter to adjust the POA with respect to the POI without having to disturb the shooting posture or the scope sight picture. Such an advantage is provided by various embodiments of the remote controller disposed at an appropriate location (such as adjacent to the trigger for the trigger finger manipulation or adjacent a thumb-operated safety for thumb manipulation), and various embodiments of the adjustment mechanism that responds to the manipulation of the remote controller. As is known in the art, maintaining a proper shooting posture greatly improves the shooter's ability to deliver the bullet to a desired target location.
It will also be appreciated that the aforementioned advantageous features can naturally be extended to other forms of hand-held firearms (such as handguns) and other projectile launching devices (such as bows) equipped with optical sighting devices. As is also known, a proper “shooting” posture and maintaining of such posture in these non-rifle applications also improve the “shooter's” ability to deliver the projectile to its intended target location in an accurate manner.
The adjustment system 384 may use any of the previously described adjustment mechanisms without departing from the spirit of the present teachings. The system 384 in
The rifles illustrated in
The adjustment system 564, 564 A in
It will also be appreciated that although the detached ballistic parameter device 562 in
It will also be appreciated that by having a detached ballistic parameter, such device could be used in conjunction with an existing adjustment system without having to retrofit or replace the scope/adjustment assembly. Some of the possible functionalities of the detached ballistic parameter device 562 are described below in greater detail.
The scope system further comprises a ballistic parameter input 404 that inputs one or more parameters to the processor 402. Such ballistic parameters may include, but are not limited by, target range, wind velocity, ammunition type, or rifle's shooting angle. The processor 402 determines a POA adjustment based on the input of the ballistic parameter(s). Some possible methods of determining the POA adjustment are described below in greater detail.
In general, it will be appreciated that the processors comprise, by way of example, computers, program logic, or other substrate configurations representing data and instructions, which operate as described herein. In other embodiments, the processors can comprise controller circuitry, processor circuitry, processors, general purpose single-chip or multi-chip microprocessors, digital signal processors, embedded microprocessors, microcontrollers and the like.
Furthermore, it will be appreciated that in one embodiment, the program logic may advantageously be implemented as one or more components. The components may advantageously be configured to execute on one or more processors. The components include, but are not limited to, software or hardware components, modules such as software modules, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes methods, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.
The ballistic parameter device 580 is depicted as having exemplary ballistic parameter detectors such as a rangefinder 610, a wind velocity detector 612, and an inclinometer 614. It will be understood that these detectors are exemplary only, and in no way intended to limit the scope of the present teachings. A ballistic parameter device may have one or more of the aforementioned devices, one or more other ballistic parameter detecting devices not described above, or any combination thereof.
The exemplary rangefinder 610 may be configured to determine the range along a ranging axis 620. Preferably, the ranging axis 620 has a known orientation relative to an optical axis 622 of the scope 584.
The exemplary wind velocity and direction detector 612 may comprise a mechanically driven operating system (for example, a windmill-type device or a deflection device that responds to both the velocity and direction of the wind relative to the flight path and direction of the bullet), an electrical-based system (such as a pressure differential device), or any combination thereof. In certain embodiments, such wind velocity and direction detector system may be configured to respond to both wind velocity and wind direction along the lateral direction with respect to the optical axis 622.
The exemplary inclinometer 614 may comprise a commercially available device configured for use as described herein. Alternatively, the inclinometer may simply comprise means for inputting the rifle's shooting angle, determined either by an independent device or by an estimate.
In addition, the ballistic parameter device may receive ballistic parameters from one or more other ballistic parameter detectors 670A and 670B. Though only two other ballistic parameter detectors are illustrated, the system may include any number of ballistic parameter detectors. Ballistic parameter detectors 670A and 670B may sense one or more of temperature, altitude, air pressure, humidity, and wind velocity and wind direction, in a manner known in the art. The ballistic parameter device 580 is further depicted as having an exemplary transmitting and receiving (TX/RX) device 600. The ballistic parameter detectors 670A and 670B may provide detected ballistic parameters to the ballistic parameter device 580 via the TX/RX device 600 using links 671A and 671B, which may be wired or wireless links. In some embodiments, ballistic parameter detectors 670A and 670B may be integrated into the ballistic parameter device 580 or the scope 584.
The ballistic parameter device 580 is further depicted as having an exemplary computing device 590. The computing device 590 is depicted as including a processor 592, a storage 594, and an input/output (I/O) device 596. The computing device 590 is shown to receive ballistic parameters from the rangefinder 610 (via line 642), wind velocity and wind direction detector 612 (via line 644), and the inclinometer 614 (via line 646). The ballistic parameter input(s) from such exemplary detectors may be processed by the processor 592 to determine the POA adjustment as described herein. The storage 594 may be configured to store a variety of information associated with, for example, the ballistic parameter determination and the POA adjustment determination. The storage 594 may store a record 594A of a plurality of data points. Each data point may indicate a position of a POA indicator or a POA indicator adjustment and one or more ballistic parameters associated with the POA, such that the POA substantially coincides with the POI when a bullet is fired subject to the one or more ballistic parameters while the POA indicator indicates the POA.
The I/O device 596 may allow a user to either input information into the computing device 590, or output information from the computing device 590. Such device may comprise a drive adapted to receive a memory storage device such as a magnetic disk device, scan disk (SD) card, micro SD card, flash drive stick, blue tooth or a memory card. Alternatively, the I/O device may comprise a port adapted to allow the computing device to communicate with an external computer, for example via wireless link, blue tooth, or cable. One possible use of the I/O comprises transferring of a ballistic table for a given ammunition type from the external computer. The use of ballistic tables is described below in greater detail.
The TX/RX device 600 may receive a signal representative of a POA adjustment determined and sent (via line 640) by the computing device 590. The device 600 may then transmit the adjustment signal to the adjustment system 598. The adjustment system 598 is depicted as comprising an exemplary elevation adjustment mechanism 586 and an exemplary windage adjustment mechanism 588. Line 632 denotes a link (wire-based or wireless) between the TX/RX device 600 and the elevation adjustment mechanism 586, and line 634 denotes a link between the device 600 and the windage adjustment mechanism 588. It will be appreciated that the adjustment system 598 may comprise either of the elevation 586 or the windage adjustment mechanism 588 alone, or together as shown, without departing from the spirit of the present teachings.
The ballistic parameter device 580 is further depicted as having an exemplary built-in control unit 602. Such unit may be configured to allow a user to manually send a POA adjustment signal to the adjustment system 598, via the TX/RX device 600 (as shown by line 636). The built-in control unit 602 may also be configured to allow the user to manipulate the various functions of the ballistic parameter device 580.
Alternatively, the functionality of the built-in control unit 602 may be replaced, supplemented, or duplicated by a remote controller 582. The remote controller 582 may be similar to the other controllers described herein (for example, 570 in
The ballistic parameter device 580 is further depicted as having an exemplary power supply 604. In certain embodiments, the power supply 604 comprises a battery (or batteries) which may have recharging capabilities. Such recharging capabilities may be utilized by plugging a commercially available ac/dc transformer power adapter “plug” into a receptacle of the power supply 604.
The processor 592 may access the stored empirical data points 696A-D in the record 594A to determine a POA adjustment for new sensed ballistic parameters received from one of more of ballistic parameter detectors 670A and 670B, rangefinder 610, wind velocity detector 612, and/or the inclinometer 614. The processor may first determine if the ballistic parameters corresponding to the stored data points 696A-D are substantially identical to the new sensed parameters. For example, if a new sensed parameter is a range of 250 meters, the processor may access the record 594A to determine if any data point 696A-D corresponds to a substantially identical range. The processor may then determine that data point 696D has a range that is substantially identical with the new sensed parameter, and may then use part or all of the corresponding POA adjustment information to determine a POA indicator adjustment. For example, the processor may use the Y offset of −0.5 MOA as the POA adjustment in response to receiving the new sensed parameter of the range of 250 meters.
The processor may also interpolate the POA adjustment from the data points 696A-D. For example, if the processor receives new sensed parameters including a range of 296 meters and a 7 mph crosswind on the x-axis, the processor may determine that no data point 696A-D has ballistic parameters that are substantially identical to the new sensed parameters. The processor may then use some of all of the data points 696A-D to interpolate the POA adjustment information for the new sensed parameters. The processor may interpolate the data by developing a ballistic equation for one or more of the ballistic parameters that models the affect of the one or more ballistic parameters on the trajectory of a projectile, for example a ballistic curve (described below). It will be appreciated that a greater number of empirical data points increases the accuracy of the POA adjustment, both by increasing the likelihood that new sensed parameters will be identical to stored parameters and by increasing the accuracy of the interpolation. The processor may use a combination of using adjustment information from data points that have parameters that are substantially identical to new sensed parameters and interpolation of other parameters. For example, the processor may determine a Y adjustment by determining a data point has a substantially identical range and then using the corresponding Y offset information and may determine an X adjustment by interpolating wind information from a plurality of data points.
In another embodiment 440 shown in
In yet another embodiment 450 shown in
It will be appreciated that any number of ballistic parameters may be passed onto the processor in any number of ways without departing from the spirit of the present teachings. For example, the load information about the ammunition may be entered into the processor by the shooter in any number of ways.
To make the relative POA-POI displacement reduce to an acceptable value (referred to as “coincide” above) by the process 460, the rifle needs to be sufficiently stable, at least until the POI is determined. Otherwise, a shifting POA does not provide an accurate reference point for determination of the POI. In one embodiment, the processor may make the POI determination and “freeze” the relative POA-POI positions. Thus, fast processing of POI determination (relative to time scale associated with rifle pointing instability) may allow accurate POI determination even with a physically unstable aiming platform. In such an embodiment, the subsequent instability of the rifle during the POA adjustment generally does not affect the POI accuracy.
In another embodiment, the processor may continuously update the relative POA-POI positions and adjust the POA accordingly. It will be appreciated that the various adjustment mechanisms described above, in conjunction with the POI determination process, facilitate fast adjustment of the POA so as to reduce the effects of the rifle instability. Such an embodiment of the scope system is particularly useful in situations where the rifle is moving and/or the ballistic parameter is changing during acquisition of the target (for example, a moving target).
In
Alternatively, a curve can be fit based on the data points. As is generally understood, the trajectory of a projectile under gravitational influence typically has a parabolic shape that can be characterized as
y=a+bx+cx2. (2)
where x and y respectively represent horizontal and vertical positions of the projectile, and a, b, and c are constants for a given load being calibrated and used. The constant a is usually taken to be approximately zero if the rifle's barrel is considered to be at the reference zero elevation. Given the exemplary data points 496a-d, the processor may be configured to fit Equation (2) to obtain the values of the constants b and c. Such determined values of a, b, and c may be stored in a memory location on the processor or some other location accessible by the processor. Subsequent determination of y based on input values of x may be performed in any number of ways, including but not limited to, formation of lookup tables or an algorithm programmed into the processor.
Once such fit parameters of Equation (2) are obtained and stored, the shooter can acquire a target, from which a rangefinder determines the distance D. The processor may then automatically input the value of D as x in Equation (2), and determines (calculates) the corresponding value of y (H). The POA is then automatically adjusted based on the value of H in a manner similar to that described above. These automatic vertical and windage adjustments to the POA are performed in a manner wherein the marksman simply has to look through the scope at the target and place the POA on the target. The range finder automatically determines the distance to the target and then transmits such yardage data to the processor which in turn calculates the total amount of vertical and windage adjustments necessary to move the reticle from the POA to the anticipated POI. These automatic adjustments are made in response to and in combination with the other current environmental conditions. Such environmental conditions may include slope angle, wind velocity, wind speed, temperature etc. Thus, no matter what the distance or environmental condition the marksman is faced with in the field or at the range; the marksman only has to concentrate on holding the POA on the target and pulling the trigger. The adjustments made to the vertical and windage mechanisms via the internal controller are automatically made via the data provided to the controller by the processor. The data information provided by the processor to the internal controller may be automatically and instantaneously retrieved from one or more of the data storage areas in response to the environmental conditions at hand. These pieces of previously recorded and stored data are then processed in such a way as to accurately predict the exact incremental adjustment necessary in moving the POA to the anticipated POI. It will be appreciated that the elevation/distance calibration method described above in reference to
As previously described, the scope system may be configured to integrate and utilize other (than elevation) ballistic parameters without departing from the spirit of the present teachings.
Moving to block 1840, after a second shot is fired a secondary position of the POA indicator is set so the POA coincides with the POI of the second shot. In block 1850 ballistic parameters associated with the second shot are acquired, and in block 1860, the secondary position of the POA indicator and the associated ballistic parameters are saved. The secondary position of the POA indicator may be indicated as an adjustment relative to the position of the POA indicator associated with the zero baseline data point. For example, the secondary position of the POA indicator may indicate a number of MOA increments relative to the position of the POA indicator of the zero baseline data point. This may allow all the data points to be recalibrated by setting a new zero baseline data point. In block 1870, it is determined if another secondary data point is to be acquired. If not, the method proceeds to block 1880, where it stops. Otherwise, the method returns to block 1840 and another secondary data point is acquired and saved. Any number of data points may be acquired and saved. As more data points are saved, a massive record of data points may be created with the information from hundreds or thousands of shots. The data points may contain empirical data that indicates the POA position for many different ranges, wind velocities, atmospheric conditions, projectile dimensions, altitudes, slopes, etc. As the number of data points increases, the accuracy of POA adjustment improves because it is more likely that there is a data point with ballistic parameters substantially identical to currently sensed ballistic parameters, and because the greater number of data points may increase the accuracy of interpolation performed by the processor by providing the processor more detailed information about the affect of ballistic parameters on the trajectory of a projectile.
The use of empirical data points advantageously allows for custom data points to be acquired for a firearm that indicate the actual performance of the firearm, and reduces or eliminates reliance on a generic ballistic table that only includes general information. The custom data points may account for parameters unique to each firearm, such as the distance between the scope and the firing plane and variations in the barrel, performance differences of the firearm in different conditions, wear of the firearm, and performances differences when using different ammunition. Also, increasing the number of data points may increase the accuracy of the interpolation of a POA indicator adjustment by providing the processor more data to use when calculating the POA indicator adjustment for a given set of ballistic parameters.
One aspect of the present teachings relates to integrating and utilizing a terrain-related ballistic parameter to adjust for the effect of shooting a rifle either downhill or uphill.
Similarly in
Both of the “shooting high” effects illustrated in
One exemplary shooting situation and resulting POA adjustments are as follows: If a hill is at an angle of 20 degrees with respect to the horizon, and the target is 300 yards away from the shooter, φ=20 degrees and R=300 yards. To determine the POA adjustment, a range of R cos φ=300 cos(20)=300×0.94=282 yards would be used instead of 300 yards.
Based on the foregoing description of the various embodiments of the scope adjustment system, it should be apparent that similar systems and methods can be adapted to be used in any optical sighting devices attached any projectile launching devices. The optical sight does not necessarily have to magnify the image of the target. As an example, some optical sights simply project an illuminated dot as a POA, and the shooter simply places the POA at the target. Such non-magnified or low-power magnified devices are sometimes used, for example, in handguns and bows where the POA adjustment principles generally remain valid.
In one embodiment, various embodiments of the remote controller and the corresponding adjustment mechanism described herein can be integrated, configured, or manufactured to allow remote or automatic adjustment of magnification and optical focus of the scope. Some scopes have variable magnification that can be adjusted by, for example, turning the eyepiece end of the scope. A movement mechanism can be configured to couple to such an adjustment mechanism, so that the remote controller can induce the movement that changes the magnification of the scope.
For example, a target located only 100 yards away may require the scope to have a different magnification and focus setting than a target located at say 400 yards. In one embodiment, the marksman can first adjust his optical zoom and focus parameters to the 100 yard target and then “record” and store these settings in his adjustment system 384. The marksman can then proceed to repeat the same adjustment and storage procedures for a target located at 400 yards. Once these new optical parameters are stored for the 400 yard setting, the adjustment system 384 may then be able to automatically make the optical adjustments to the field of view 388 so that the field of view is more easily decipherable. Such adjustments may be automatically performed in the field or at the range whenever the marksman were to aim at a target located at a distance of similar yardage parameters. This optical adjustment procedure can be programmed and controlled to adjust in-synch with the scope's stored ballistic parameters so that the vertical, windage, magnification and focus adjustments can all be made automatically and in combination with each other.
In one embodiment as shown in
In one embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 1006 can be any of the various embodiments described above, or any other devices that provide similar functionalities. For example, as shown in
In one embodiment, the light projection device 1112 is adjustable so that the direction of the beam 1114 can be adjusted with respect to an optical axis of the scope 1004. Such adjustment can be achieved in a number of known ways, either manually or via some powered component(s). In one embodiment, the adjustment can be made so that the beam 1114 can move along directions having two orthogonal transverse components. In one embodiment, such adjustment of the beam 1114 can be achieved by a remote controller similar to the controller 1110. In one embodiment, the controller can be configured to toggle between adjustments of the scope 1004 and the light projection device 1112.
The foregoing feature—where the beam spot 1026 provides a visual reference with respect to the reticle—can aid a shooter to re-establish a desired field of view after the first shot. For example, suppose that the shooter's attention is interrupted while the reticle 1024 is in the process of being moved. The shooter can re-establish the “original” field of view by positioning the beam spot 1026 at or near the original POA on the target 1028. Such positioning of the beam spot 1026 on the target can be facilitated by, for example, identifiable features on or about the target 1028 that the shooter can recall. A desired angular orientation of the field of view with respect to the target 1028 can be facilitated by the reticle 1024. Once the beam spot 1026 is positioned at or near the original POA, the reticle 1024 should be at or near the position (between the original POA and the POI 1032) before the shooter was interrupted. The shooter can then resume the movement of the reticle 1024 to the POI 1032 made by the first shot.
Some scope devices have a secondary visual indicator (such as a second reticle) in the scope itself. Use of such an indicator as a reference point on the target can depend on the shooter's viewing eye with respect to the scope. Use of a projected beam, however, provides a reference indicator at the target itself, and the reference beam spot at the target does not depend on the shooter's viewing angle. However, the use of a secondary visual indicator located within the scope itself can be used in place of or in conjunction with a projected beam of light without departing from the spirit of the present teachings. Such internal secondary visual indicators can be an illuminated dot, a traditional cross-hair or any other commercially available reticle design. Furthermore, the use of a light projection on a target may be illegal in some government territories when used in conjunction with hunting. In this situation, the option to use an internal secondary visual indicator would be preferable over a projected beam of light. Furthermore, a projected beam of light on a target may be hard to decipher when the target is in direct sunlight. In such cases, the use of a projected beam of light may be limited in distance during daylight hours. In this example, the use of an internal secondary indicator may be preferable to a projected beam of light.
In one embodiment as shown in
In one embodiment, the remote sensor 1064 transmits the ballistic information to the scope assembly in a wireless manner. In another embodiment, such transmission is achieved in a wire-based manner.
As one can appreciate, having one or more of the foregoing remote sensors 1064 positioned generally along the projectile's intended trajectory can provide accurate and relevant ballistic information. Usefulness of such information “from the field” can be appreciated in an example situation where the environmental condition about the shooter is significantly different than that along the substantial portion of the trajectory.
In one embodiment shown in
As further shown in
Although the above-disclosed embodiments of the present invention have shown, described, and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the above-disclosed embodiments, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the detail of the devices, systems, and/or methods illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Consequently, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the foregoing description, but should be defined by the appended claims.
All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/120,701, filed on May 3, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,624,528, entitled “SCOPE ADJUSTMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS”, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/441,422, filed on May 19, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,287, entitled “SCOPE ADJUSTMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS,” which claims priority from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/381,922, filed on May 18, 2002.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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60381922 | May 2002 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11120701 | May 2005 | US |
Child | 12607822 | US | |
Parent | 10441422 | May 2003 | US |
Child | 11120701 | US |