Rifle Scope with Video Output Stabilized Relative to a Target

• US 20130286239A1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Talon Precision Optics, LLC
• Original Assignee: TrackingPoint, Inc. (Talon Precision Optics, LLC)
• Inventors: Lupher, John Hancock, McHale, John Francis, Scott, Douglas Ainsworth
• Granted Patent: US 9,036,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• 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 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6845 by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/145 Movement estimation for video coding H04N19/51

Abstract

A rifle scope including a display, at least one optical sensor to capture video of a view area, and image processing circuitry coupled to the display and the at least one optical sensor. The image processing circuitry is configured to select visual elements within a sequence of frames of the video and to align the visual elements within adjacent frames of the sequence of frames to produce a video output corresponding to the view area that is stabilized relative to a target. The image processing circuit is configured to provide the video output to the display.

Claims

1. A rifle scope comprising:

a display;

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

image processing circuitry coupled to the display and the at least one optical sensor, the image processing circuitry configured to select visual elements within a sequence of frames of the video and to align the visual elements within adjacent frames of the sequence of frames to produce a video output corresponding to the view area that is stabilized relative to a target, the image processing circuit configured to provide the video output to the display.

2. The rifle scope of claim 1, wherein the image processing circuitry comprises:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to identify the visual elements within a selected video frame in the sequence of frames.

3. The rifle scope of claim 2, wherein at least some of the optical elements correspond to areas of the selected video frame that have detectable differences relative to adjacent areas of the selected video frame.

4. The rifle scope of claim 2, further comprising an interface coupled to the processor and configurable to receive instructions;

and

wherein the instructions in the memory are programmable.

5. The rifle scope of claim 1, wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to generate at least one of a reticle and data for insertion into the video output.

6. The rifle scope of claim 1, wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to:

compress the sequence of frames through one or more compression operations;

align the visual elements within compressed ones of adjacent frames of the sequence of frames to determine alignment information; and

refine the alignment information by realigning the visual elements within the adjacent frames of the sequence of frames to produce the video output.

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

at least one motion sensor coupled to the image processing circuitry and configured to detect movement of the at least one optical sensor; and

wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to determine a motion vector based on an output signal of the at least one motion sensor and to selectively align the visual elements in response to the motion vector.

8. A binocular display device comprising:

a pair of eyepieces;

a display that is optically accessible through the pair of eyepieces;

at least one optical element to capture video of a view area; and

image processing circuitry coupled to the display and the at least one optical element, the image processing circuitry configured to align visual elements within sequential frames of the video to produce a video output that is stabilized relative to a target and to provide the video output to the display.

9. The binocular display device of claim 8, wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to:

compress the sequence of frames through one or more compression operations;

align the visual elements within adjacent frames of the sequence of frames; and

refine the alignment information by realigning the visual elements within the adjacent frames of the sequence of frames to produce the video output.

10. The binocular display device of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one motion sensor configured to produce a sensor output based on movement of the at least one optical sensor; and

wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to compare the sensor output to a threshold and, when the sensor output exceeds a threshold, to determine a motion vector from the sensor output and align the visual elements within the video frame to the motion vector.

11. The binocular display device of claim 10, wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises at least one of an inclinometer, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer.

12. The binocular display device of claim 8, wherein the image processing circuitry automatically identifies the visual elements within the video.

13. The binocular display device of claim 8, wherein the image processing circuitry comprises:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to align the visual elements within sequential frames of the video.

14. The binocular display device of claim 13, further comprising:

an interface configurable to receive a set of instructions; and

wherein the processor is configured to alter or replace the instructions stored in the memory based on receiving the set of instructions.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a video stream including a sequence of frames at a circuit of a telescopic device;

aligning visual elements within adjacent frames of the sequence of frames using the circuit to produce a video output that is stabilized relative to a target; and

providing the video output to a display of the telescopic device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein aligning the visual elements comprises:

automatically identifying the visual elements within the sequence of frames;

compressing frames of the sequence of frames through one or more compression operations;

adjusting compressed frames of the sequence of frames to determine alignment information in adjacent ones of the compressed frames;

adjusting at least one frame of the sequence of frames based on the alignment information; and

further adjusting the at least one frame by aligning the visual elements of the at least one frame to the visual elements of a previous frame to produce the video output.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein automatically identifying the visual elements comprises identifying groups of pixels within a frame of the sequence of frames that have a detectable difference relative to neighboring pixels within the frame.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a set of instructions at an input interface of the circuit; and

altering instructions stored in a memory of the circuit.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving motion data from one or more motion sensors at the circuit; and

selectively aligning the visual elements in response to receiving the motion data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein selectively aligning the visual elements comprises:

aligning the visual elements of a first frame to corresponding visual elements of an adjacent frame in the sequence of frames when the motion data is less than a threshold; and

aligning at least one visual element of the first frame to a motion vector derived from the motion data when the motion data exceeds the threshold.