Rifle Scope Including a Circuit Configured to Track a Target

• US 20130286216A1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Talon-Pgf,LLC
• Original Assignee: TrackingPoint, Inc. (Talon Precision Optics, LLC)
• Inventors: Lupher, John Hancock, McHale, John Francis, Scott, Douglas Ainsworth
• Application Number:
  US13/460,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20130286216A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/169
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/38 Telescopic sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance telescopic sights in general G02B; Supports or mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/06 with rangefinder rangefinders per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/08 with means for compensating for speed, direction, temperature, pressure, or humidity of the atmosphere measuring G01
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6845 by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken

Abstract

A rifle scope includes at least one optical sensor configured to capture a video of a view area, a display, a processor coupled to the display and to the at least one optical sensor, and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to receive user input that identifies a target within the video, apply a visual tag to the target within the video, and adjust the visual tag to track the target within a sequence of frames. The memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to provide the video including the visual tag to the display.

Claims

1. A rifle scope comprising:

at least one optical sensor configured to capture a video of a view area;

a display;

a processor coupled to the display and to the at least one optical sensor; and

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory to store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive user input identifying a target within the video;

apply a visual tag to the target within the video;

adjust the visual tag to track the target within a sequence of frames; and

provide the video including the visual tag to the display.

2. The rifle scope of claim 1, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to determine a motion vector of the target relative to visual elements within adjacent frames of the sequence of frames.

3. The rifle scope of claim 1, further comprising:

a user selectable input accessible by a user to select a target within the video; and

wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to differentiate the target from background information in the video.

4. The rifle scope of claim 3, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to detect one or more edges of the target.

5. The rifle scope of claim 3, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to detect textures within the video and to detect the target based on the textures.

6. The rifle scope of claim 1, further comprising:

optics configured to focus light from a view area toward the at least one optical sensor; and

wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to display a magnified view of a portion of the view area corresponding to one of a target area aligned with a center of the optics and a second area including the target that is outside of the target area.

7. The rifle scope of claim 1, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to utilize one or more of an edge detection process, a contrast detection process, and a texture detection process to isolate the target from the background in relatively low contrast environments and to utilize the contrast detection process in relatively high contrast environments.

8. A method comprising:

capturing a video using a circuit of a rifle scope;

receiving a user input at the circuit that identifies a target within the video;

automatically processing the video to track the target, frame-by-frame, within the video; and

providing the video to a display of the rifle scope.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

applying a visual tag to the target within the video; and

adjusting a position of the visual tag, frame-by-frame, based on a position of the target within the video to position the visual tag onto the target.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising applying at least one of an edge detection operation, a contrast detection operation, and a texture detection operation on a portion of a frame of the video including the target to isolate the target in response to receiving the user input.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving motion information from at least one motion sensor; and

selectively adjusting tracking information about the target based on the motion information.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein automatically processing the video to track the target comprises:

selecting a relative high sensitivity detection algorithm for processing low-contrast video; and

selecting a relatively low sensitivity detection algorithm for processing high-contrast video.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the user input at the circuit includes receiving a signal corresponding to user interaction with a button coupled to the circuit.

14. A circuit comprising:

an input interface configured to receive a sequence of frames of a video corresponding to a view area of a rifle scope;

a user interface configured to receive user inputs;

a processor coupled to the input interface and to the user interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a user input to select a target within the video;

automatically apply a visual tag to the target in response to receiving the user input;

adjust the visual tag, frame-by-frame, to track the target; and

provide the video including the visual tag to an output.

15. The circuit of claim 14, further comprising at least one optical sensor coupled to the input interface.

16. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a button and a universal serial bus interface for receiving a user input.

17. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

apply at least one of an edge detection operation, a contrast detection operation, and a texture detection operation on the portion of the frame to isolate the target in response to receiving the user input; and

select between one or more of the operations based on a level of contrast within the video.

18. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the output comprises a display interface coupled to the processor and configurable to couple to a display device, the display interface configured to provide one of the video and a processed version of the video to the display interface.

19. The circuit of claim 14, wherein:

the visual tag comprises a geometric shape; and

the processor automatically applies the visual tag by superimposing the geometric shape on the target.

20. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the circuit is configured for use within the rifle scope comprising at least one of a telescope, a binocular device, a rifle scope, and a spotting scope.