Weapon-mounted location-monitoring apparatus

• US 5,834,676 A
• Filed: 08/12/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mititech LLC
• Original Assignee: Sight Unseen
• Inventors: Elliott, Larry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eldred, J. Woodrow
• Application Number:
  US08/689,649
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 89/41.05, 89/1.1, 42/100, 42/101, 42/103
• US Class Current: 89/41.05
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor

Abstract

The apparatus enables a user to aim a weapon from a position of safety relative to a location to be monitored, and monitor the actions of a person at the location. It includes an imager for generating video images of the location and person being monitored, which imager is adapted to be mounted on the weapon. It further includes a viewer for receiving the video images generated by the imager so as to be viewed by the user, which viewer is adapted to be worn by the user. It also includes elements for electronically connecting the imager to the viewer, for receiving the video images of the location generated by the imager, processing the video images, and directly transmitting the processed video images to the viewer for viewing by the user of the location and person being monitored.

Claims

1. An apparatus which includes a portion adapted to be mounted on a weapon, for enabling a user to aim the weapon from a position of safety and monitor the actions of a person at a location proximate the position of the user, comprising:

(a) an imager, adapted to be mounted on the weapon and to generate video images of the location and person being monitored;

(b) a viewer, adapted to be worn by the user and to receive the video images generated by the imager for viewing by the user; and

(c) means for electronically connecting the imager to the viewer, adapted to receive the video images of the location generated by the imager, to process the images, and to directly transmit the processed video images to the viewer for viewing by the user of the location and person being monitored, including means for generating a cross-hair image, and for super-imposing the cross-hair image on the video images of the location generated in the imager, including a pulse generator for generating timing pulses and arranging the timing pulses so as to form horizontal and vertical lines, and in which the cross-hair image comprises the horizontal and vertical lines.

2. An apparatus which includes a portion adapted to be mounted on a weapon, for enabling a user to aim the weapon from a position of safety and monitor the actions of a person at a location proximate the position of the user, comprising:

(a) an imager, adapted to be mounted on the weapon and to generate video images of the location and person being monitored;

(b) a viewer, adapted to be worn by the user and to receive the video images generated by the imager for viewing by the user; and

(c) means for electronically connecting the imager to the viewer, adapted to receive the video images of the location generated by the imager, to process the images, and to directly transmit the processed video images to the viewer for viewing by the user of the location and person being monitored, including means for generating horizontal and vertical lines, including a video synchronization stripper, for extracting horizontal and vertical synchronization pulses from the video images generated by the imager.

4. An apparatus as in claim 2, in which the connecting means further include a pulse generator for creating a series of timing pulses synchronous with the synchronization pulses extracted by the video synchronization stripper.

5. An apparatus as in claim 2, in which the pulse generator is further adapted to enable vertical and horizontal adjustment of the synchronization pulses relative to the video images.

3. An apparatus which includes a portion adapted to be mounted on a weapon, for enabling a user to aim the weapon from a position of safety and monitor the actions of a person at a location proximate the position of the user, comprising:

(a) an imager, adapted to be mounted on the weapon and to generate video images of the location and person being monitored;

(b) a viewer, adapted to be worn by the user and to receive the video images generated by the imager for viewing by the user; and

(c) means for electronically connecting the imager to the viewer, adapted to receive the video images of the location generated by the imager, to process the images, and to directly transmit the processed video images to the viewer for viewing by the user of the location and person being monitored, including means for generating horizontal and vertical lines, including means for arranging video signal timing pulses to generate the horizontal and vertical lines.

6. An apparatus as in claim 3, in which the connecting means further include an image inverter, for creating the negative counterpart of the video image.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6, in which the connecting means further include a video multiplexer, for replacing the video images with their negative counterpart, when the timing pulses occur, and for the length of time the timing pulses occur.