Optical system with cant indication
First Claim
1. A direct, see-through optical system having a main optical axis extending from an ocular end to an objective end of the optical system, the main optical axis of the optical system structured to be fixedly aligned with a long axis of a shooting device, the see-through optical system comprising:
- an electronic inclinometer structured to determine a cant of the shooting device relative to a vertical transverse axis of the main optical axis of the optical system; and
an electronic indicator structured to provide an indicator signal to a user related to the determined cant, including;
a first light indicator disposed adjacent a periphery of the optical system structured to be selectively illuminated to indicate a cant in a first direction; and
a second light indicator disposed adjacent the perimeter of the optical system structured to be selectively illuminated to indicate a cant in a second direction, the first and second light indicators each located on opposite sides of the vertical transverse axis and along a horizontal axis of the optical system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic indicator on a see-through optical scope indicates whether an optical system is canted. The indicator may include illuminable visual indicators positioned on opposite sides of a field of view through the optical scope. The indicator may be visual, haptic, or aural. The visual indicator may include one or more LEDs positioned on the periphery of the field of view, and may be optically coupled to an appropriate position on the face of the reticle using a suitable waveguide. The LEDs are coupled to a microprocessor which is, in turn, coupled to a solid-state electronic inclinometer that is incorporated into the internal structure of the optical system. The microprocessor is configured to selectively illuminate one or more of the visual indicators based on the output of the inclinometer, thereby indicating how the reticle is canted, if at all.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A direct, see-through optical system having a main optical axis extending from an ocular end to an objective end of the optical system, the main optical axis of the optical system structured to be fixedly aligned with a long axis of a shooting device, the see-through optical system comprising:
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an electronic inclinometer structured to determine a cant of the shooting device relative to a vertical transverse axis of the main optical axis of the optical system; and an electronic indicator structured to provide an indicator signal to a user related to the determined cant, including; a first light indicator disposed adjacent a periphery of the optical system structured to be selectively illuminated to indicate a cant in a first direction; and a second light indicator disposed adjacent the perimeter of the optical system structured to be selectively illuminated to indicate a cant in a second direction, the first and second light indicators each located on opposite sides of the vertical transverse axis and along a horizontal axis of the optical system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification