Aiming device for weapon and fitted-out weapon

• US 5,675,112 A
• Filed: 04/07/1995
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson - Csf
• Original Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Inventors: Giry, Philippe, Michel, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US08/418,291
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 89/41.17, 89/41.19, 89/41.22, 89/41.05, 89/41.06, 33/237
• US Class Current: 89/41.06
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/16 Sighting devices adapted for indirect laying of fire
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49

Abstract

A device for the localizing and restoring of a line of fire of a weapon carried by a shooter equipped with a helmet, the device comprising two cameras, a first camera and a second camera, each having an objective and at least one sensor sensitive to light radiation, the first camera being mounted on the helmet and the second camera being mounted on the weapon, a computer receiving digitized information from each of the cameras and, on the basis of this digitized information, computing and controlling a display system to bring about the appearance thereon of a symbology providing a real-time depiction of the axis of fire of the weapon, wherein at least three distinctive optical reference marks in the range of sensitivity of the sensor and/or of the sensors are distributed between the weapon and the helmet and wherein, in the firing positions, the reference marks of the helmet are in the fields of the camera of the weapon and the reference marks of the weapon are in the fields of the camera of the helmet.

Claims

1. A device for the localizing and restoring of a line of fire of a weapon carried by a shooter equipped with a helmet, the device comprising two cameras, a first camera and a second camera, each having an objective and at least one sensor sensitive to light radiation, the first camera being mounted on the helmet and the second camera being mounted on the weapon, a computer receiving digitized information from each of the cameras and, on the basis of this digitized information, computing and controlling a display system to bring about the appearance thereon of a symbology providing a real-time depiction of the axis of fire of the weapon, wherein at least three distinctive optical reference marks in the range of sensitivity of the at least one sensor are distributed between the weapon and the helmet and wherein, in the firing positions, the reference marks of the helmet are in the fields of the camera of the weapon and the reference marks of the weapon are in the fields of the camera of the helmet.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the distinctive reference marks are passive catadiopters.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the distinctive reference marks are constituted by an electroluminescent screen covered with a layer of transflexive materials.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein certain of the distinctive reference marks are positioned about the objective of one camera or the other.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

6. A device according to claim 3, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

7. A device according to claim 2, wherein certain of the distinctive reference marks are positioned about the objective of one camera or the other.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

9. A device according to claim 2, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the distinctive reference marks are active.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein certain of the distinctive reference marks are positioned about the objective of one camera or the other.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

13. A device according to claim 10, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

18. A device according to claim 1, wherein certain of the distinctive reference marks are positioned about the objective of one camera or the other.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

20. A device according to claim 1, wherein the objectives of the cameras are provided with light filters.

21. A device according to claim 20, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

22. A device according to claim 1, wherein the weapon is provided with two distinctive reference marks.

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

24. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

14. A device according to FIG. 1, wherein the reference marks are constituted by juxtaposed surfaces, two adjacent surfaces having coefficients of reflection of different values with respect to each other.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein certain of the distinctive reference marks are positioned about the objective of one camera or the other.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.

17. A device according to claim 14, wherein each of the cameras has an image-processing means enabling the extraction of the position, in the image, of the distinctive reference marks.