Microcontroller-controlled device for surveying, rangefinding and trajectory compensation

• US 4,965,439 A
• Filed: 09/14/1988
• Issued: 10/23/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sidney D. Moore
• Original Assignee: Sidney D. Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Sidney D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/245,860
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 235/404, 364/516, 364/561, 356/4, 356/21, 356/252, 350/562, 350/566, 33/246, 33/247, 89/41.03, 89/41.17
• US Class Current: 235/404
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/06 with rangefinder rangefinders per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/22 using a parallactic triangle with variable angles and a base of fixed length at, near, or formed by the object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes

Abstract

A microcomputer-controlled optical instrument comprises an objective lens, an ocular lens, and an erector lens assembly mounted to pivot between the objective lens and the ocular lens. A first image plane is defined by the objective lens, and a second plane of focus is located between the ocular lens and the erector lens assembly. A microcontroller is carried on the instrument, and a spanning reference is in focus on the first image plane. The erector lens assembly pivots by appropriate adjustments so the image of the spanning reference can be viewed on the first image plane in relation to a reference indicator focused on the second image plane, to thereby adjust the apparent spacing between the spanning reference and the reference indicator in response to the user'"'"'s viewing the target through the instrument spanning the size of the target. A first control signal is produced and sent to the microcontroller to represent the pre-set size of the target. A second control signal is produced and sent to the microcontroller to represent the set spacing between the spanning reference and the reference indicator. A range-measuring system is responsive to the first and second control signals for automatically producing a third control signal representative of the range from the instrument to the target as determined from the set spacing and the pre-selected size of the target. Once the actual range measurement has been determined by the microcontroller, this value is used to compute a holdover value for use in aiming a firearm to compensate for the normal trajectory of a projectile fired at the target over the measured range.

Claims

1. An optical apparatus for use in rangefinding and the aiming of firearms for determining the distance to an object of interest of known or estimable size, the apparatus having a housing defining an optical axis therethrough and supporting objective and ocular lenses spaced apart and aligned along the optical axis, the objective lens defining a first plane of focus within the housing upon which an image of the object is focused for viewing by an operator, the housing pivotably supporting a secondary housing containing an image erecting lens, the secondary housing disposed essentially upon the optical axis for controlled pivotable movement thereon only, the image erecting lens and the ocular lens defining a second plane of focus therebetween for viewing by an operator simultaneously with the image of an object formed by the objective lens on the first plane of focus, and a sighting reference disposed within the housing on the second plane of focus for viewing by an operator simultaneously with the image of the object, the apparatus comprising:

a microcontroller programmed for performing rangefinding operations and calculations related thereto and for receiving and producing a variety of input and output control signals related to the rangefinding operations and calculations performed by the microcontroller, including first memory means for storage of permanent instructions and data pertinent to the rangefinding operations and calculations made thereby, and second memory means for storage of temporary instructions and data pertaining to the rangefinding operations and calculations made thereby;

controllably movable indicator means movably mounted within the housing and controllable by an operator and arranged so that an image of the movable indicator means is focused for viewing by an operator in relation to the image of the sighting reference and the image of an object of known or estimable size for spanning an image of an object;

drive means for selectably pivoting the secondary housing to controllably alter the relative positions of the combined images of the movable indicator means and an object of known or estimable size with respect to the image of the sighting reference;

positional transducer means associated with the drive means and responsive to variations in the position thereof and connected to the microcontroller for conveying to the microcontroller an indicator position signal relating to the position of the secondary housing, the secondary housing position signal being utilized by the microcontroller to affect subsequent rangefinding operations and calculations made thereby;

input means, selectively controllable by the operator, for producing input control signals for use by the microcontroller for affecting rangefinding operations and calculations performed thereby; and

compensation means associated with the microcontroller for producing a signal in response to a setting of the positional transducer means and in response to data in the first and second memory means, the signal being utilized by the operator for producing a corrective second controlled movement of the pivotable secondary housing.

2. An electronic range measuring apparatus comprising:

a viewing device through which a target of preselected size can be viewed;

means for displaying an upper target image spanning reference and a lower target image spanning reference in the viewing device, the spanning references having a controllably variable space therebetween;

calibration means for producing a first space between the upper and lower target image spanning references representative of the size of a preselected target at a known distance;

adjustment means for changing relative spacing between the upper and lower target image spanning references in response to an input from a manually operated control to produce a second space between said target image spanning references in response to the user'"'"'s visually viewing the target image through the viewing device to thereby span the size of the target image;

means for producing an electrical control signal representative of the changes in the relative spacing between the upper and lower target image spanning references; and

range measuring means responsive to the electrical control signal for automatically producing a second electrical control signal representative of the range from the viewing device to the target as determined from the set relative spacing between said target image spanning references.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, and further comprising:

a digital display associated with the range measuring means and responsive to the second electrical control signal for displaying a digital readout of the range measurement.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the target image is focused on a first image plane and at least one of the spanning references is movable on the same image plane.

5. An aiming compensating system for a weapon which fires a projectile, comprising:

an optical device for mounting on the weapon and through which a target can be viewed;

a microcontroller for mounting on the weapon;

ballistic data input means for producing a first control signal representative of data characteristic of the trajectory of the projectile fired by the weapon;

range measuring means for producing a second control signal representative of the distance from the weapon to the target, said distance being determined in response to relative spacing between first and second spanning references viewable on a plane of focus on which the image of the target appears;

an aiming compensation indicator within the field of view of the optical device; and

computing means within the microcontroller for receiving the first and second control signals and, in response thereto, producing a third control signal for controlling the aiming compensation indicator as a function of the previously determined distance and ballistic information.

6. An optical instrument through which a target of preselected size can be viewed, comprising:

an objective lens;

an ocular lens;

an erector lens mounted to pivot between the objective lens and the ocular lens;

a first image plane of focus defined by the objective lens;

a second plane of focus between the ocular lens and the erector lens;

a microcontroller carried on the optical instrument;

a spanning reference viewable on the first image plane;

means for pivoting the erector lens to view the images of the spanning reference and target on the first image plane in relation to a reference indicator on the second image plane viewable on the first image plane to thereby adjust the apparent spacing between the spanning reference and the reference indicator in response to the user'"'"'s viewing the target through the instrument to span the size of the target;

means for producing a first control signal sent to the microcontroller representative of the preselected size of the target;

means for producing a second control signal sent to the microcontroller representative of the set spacing between the spanning reference and the reference indicator; and

range measuring means responsive to the second control signal for automatically producing a third control signal representative of the range from the instrument to the target as determined from the set spacing and said preselected size of the target.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the spanning reference is mechanically movable relative to the image of the reference indicator to preset said apparent spacing to represent the preselected size of the target.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the means for pivoting the erector lens comprises a control knob external to the optical instrument and an encoder for sensing movement of the control knob and inputting a measurement of its movement to the microcontroller for use in calculating the range measurement.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the microcontroller includes means for calculating a holdover value in response to the calculated range measurement, and means for indicating the holdover value as an indication of further movement of the control knob necessary to display aiming compensation in relation to the target on the first image plane.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the means for indicating aiming compensation comprises indicators visible on the first or second plane of focus to indicate the direction in which the control knob is to be moved to obtain the calculated holdover value.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the display means display the holdover value as a measured distance on the first plane of focus.

12. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the microcontroller includes means for calculating a holdover value in response to the calculated range measurement, and means for indicating the calculated holdover value.

13. A range measuring apparatus comprising:

a viewing device through which an object of preselected size may be viewed;

means for displaying image spanning references in the viewing device, the spanning references being selectably controllable to span the size of the image of the object therebetween;

means for producing a first electrical control signal representative of changes in the setting of the spanning references; and

range measuring means responsive to the first electrical control signal for automatically producing a second electrical control signal representative of the range from the viewing device to the object as determined from the setting of said image spanning references.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, and further comprising:

a digital display associated with the range measuring means and responsive to the second electrical control signal for displaying a digital readout of the range measurement.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13, and further comprising:

adjustment means for producing a first setting of the spanning references representative of the size of a preselected object of known size at a known distance for calibrating the apparatus.

16. A range measuring system comprising:

an optical apparatus for viewing an object of known, or estimable, size for use in rangefinding to determine the distance of the object;

a microcontroller programmed to perform mathematical operations and calculations pertinent to rangefinding operations and to produce and receive electrical signals relating thereto;

variable spanning reference means within a field of view of the optical apparatus for spanning the image of the object to produce a variable spanning reference indication of the size of the image;

means for communicating the variable spanning reference indication to the microcontroller for rangefinding operations; and

range readout means connected to the microcontroller to display a numeric indication of the range to the object in response to said rangefinding operations.

17. An optical instrument for viewing an object of preselected size at an unknown distance, comprising:

an objective lens;

an ocular lens;

an image plane within the instrument defined by the lenses;

a microcontroller carried on the optical instrument;

a spanning reference viewable on the image plane;

an indicator viewable on the image plane along with the spanning reference for spanning therewith the size of the image of the object; and

range measuring means associated with the microcontroller, the spanning reference, and the indicator to produce a range measurement representative of the distance from the instrument to the object.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 and further comprising:

digital readout means for displaying the range measurement for viewing by an operator.