Aiming system for weapon capable of superelevation

• US 6,499,382 B1
• Filed: 08/23/1999
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Dynamics Canada Limited (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Lougheed, James Hugh, Green, David Norman, Bottomley, Thomas Mark Walter, Shaw, Stephen David
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US09/378,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 89/410.5, 89/410.6, 89/411.7, 89/411.8
• US Class Current: 89/41.05
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/06 with rangefinder rangefinders per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor

Abstract

A grenade machine gun or other weapon which employs superelevation of the barrel comprises a barrel unit and an aiming system mounted upon a support. The aiming system is mounted to the weapon and the support by a coupling unit. The aiming system comprises an imaging and display unit for displaying an image of a scene including a target, angle encoders for providing a signal representing displacement of the imaging unit in elevation relative to the support, and a control unit, e.g. a computer, for selecting either of two states for the coupling unit. The first state entrains the imaging unit to move with the barrel. The second state secures the imaging unit to the support and allows the barrel to move relative to both, i.e. during superelevation of the barrel. The coupling unit may comprise a first part connected to the weapon for rotation in elevation with the barrel unit and a second part connected to the imaging unit. The control unit may comprise a computer for superimposing upon the image an aiming reticle and a rangefinder reticle, the former representing an aiming point of the imaging unit and the latter representing an aiming point of the rangefinder, and may adjust the position of the aiming reticle in dependence upon the elevation signal, and stores coordinates for selected positions. The control computer may offset the displacement signal to displace the aiming reticle relative to the field of view in a direction opposite to the required superelevation angle.

Claims

1. A weapon system comprising a weapon and an aiming system both mounted upon a support, the weapon having a barrel unit and the aiming system comprising:

(i) an imaging unit for providing an image of a scene within a field of view of the imaging unit;

(ii) a display unit for displaying the image;

(iii) a coupling unit having a first part connected to the weapon for rotation in elevation with the barrel unit, a second part connected to the imaging unit and a third part connected to the support;

the coupling unit having a first operational state in which the coupling unit fixes the imaging unit relative to the support while allowing elevation of the barrel unit relative thereto and a second, alternative state in which the coupling unit entrains the imaging unit to move with the barrel unit relative to the support,

(iv) angle encoding means for providing a displacement signal representing displacement of the imaging unit in elevation relative to said first part; and

(v) control means comprising means for controlling the coupling unit to select the first state and the second state alternatively and means responsive to the displacement signal for determining when a required change in elevation of the barrel unit relative to the support with the coupling unit in the first operational state has been effected and causing the display to provide an indication thereof.

2. A weapon system according to claim 1, further comprising a rangefinder for providing a range of a target in the field of view of the imaging unit, and wherein the control means comprises:

a control computer unit comprising means for providing upon said image displayed by the display unit an aiming reticle representing an aiming point of the barrel once the imaging unit has been boresighted to the barrel unit and a ranging reticle representing an aiming point of the rangefinder, means for controlling the reticle providing means to adjust the position of the aiming reticle in dependence upon the displacement signal, and means for computing a required change in elevation of the barrel unit in dependence upon a range measured by the rangefinder and applying a corresponding offset to the displacement signal so as to displace the aiming reticle relative to the field of view in a direction opposite the required elevation change.

3. A weapon system according to claim 2, wherein the control computer is operable to detect that the offset would displace the aiming reticle beyond limits in the displayed scene, apply a part of the offset to maintain the aiming reticle at a position adjacent a corresponding edge of the field of view and monitor the remaining offset, restoring movement of the aiming reticle with the weapon barrel unit once the barrel unit has been displaced by an elevation angle greater than that corresponding to said remaining offset.

4. A weapon system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is operable to change the appearance of the aiming reticle while the aiming point is outside the field of view.

5. A weapon system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is operable to change the appearance of the aiming reticle while the aiming point is outside the field of view.

6. A weapon system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit is mounted alongside the barrel unit and is coupled to a separate display unit mounted immediately above a rear portion of the barrel unit.

7. A weapon system according to claim 2, wherein the control computer comprises means for storing coordinates of at least one predesignated target, together with an associated range, and displaying an icon at the corresponding position in said image when the line of sight of the imaging unit is coincident with or near the predesignated target.

8. A weapon system according to claim 1, wherein the weapon barrel unit and the coupling unit are rotatable in elevation about a common axis.

9. A weapon system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling unit comprises a first clutch unit acting between the first part and the second part and engageable to entrain the imaging unit to move with the barrel unit in elevation relative to the support, a second clutch unit acting between the second part and third part and engageable to secure the imaging unit to the support, and switch means for engaging the first clutch unit while simultaneously disengaging the second clutch unit and vice versa.

10. A weapon system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling unit comprises a first clutch unit acting between the first part and the second part and engageable to entrain the imaging unit to move in elevation with the barrel unit, and a slip clutch acting continuously between the second part and the third part with sufficient force to retain the imaging unit in fixed elevational relationship with the support, providing the first clutch unit is disengaged, but insufficient force to prevent said movement of the imaging unit when the first clutch unit is engaged.

11. A weapon system according to claim 1, wherein the means for controlling the coupling unit comprises a user-operable switch.

12. An aiming system for use mounted to a weapon having a barrel unit and a support, the barrel unit being rotatable in elevation relative to the support, the aiming system comprising an imaging unit, a display unit, a coupling unit, angle encoding means and control means, wherein:

(i) the imaging unit comprises means for providing an image of a scene within a field of view of the imaging unit;

(ii) the display unit is for displaying the image,

(iii) the coupling unit has a first part adapted for connection fixedly to the barrel unit, a second part fixedly connected to the imaging unit and a third part for connection to the support;

the coupling unit having a first operational state in which the coupling unit fixes the second part relative to the third part while allowing movement of the first part relative thereto and a second, alternative state in which the coupling unit entrains the Second part to move with the first part relative to the third part,

(iv) the angle encoding means being operable to provide a displacement signal representing displacement of the second part relative to said first part; and

(v) the control means comprising means for controlling the coupling unit to select the first state and second state alternatively and means responsive to the displacement signal for determining when a required displacement of the first part relative to the third part with the coupling unit in the first operational state has been effected and causing the display unit to provide an indication thereof.

13. An aiming system according to claim 12, further comprising a rangefinder for providing the range of a target in the field of view of the imaging unit, and wherein the control means comprises:

computer unit comprising means for overlaying upon said image displayed by the display unit an aiming reticle movable relative to said image in dependence upon relative displacement between the first part and the second part, and a ranging reticle representing an aiming point of the rangefinder, means for adjusting the position of the aiming reticle in dependence upon the displacement signal and means for computing a desired change in said relative displacement according to a range measured by the rangefinder and applying a corresponding offset to the displacement signal so as to displace the aiming reticle relative to the field of view in a direction opposite to that corresponding to said desired change.

14. An aiming system according to claim 13, wherein the computer unit is operable to detect that the offset would displace the aiming reticle beyond limits in the displayed scene, apply a part of the offset to maintain the aiming reticle at a position adjacent a corresponding edge of the field of view and monitor the remaining offset, restoring movement of the aiming reticle with the first part once the first part has been displaced by an amount greater than that corresponding to said remaining offset.

15. An aiming system according to claim 13, wherein the computer unit is operable to change the appearance of the aiming reticle while the aiming point is outside the field of view.

16. An aiming system according to claim 14, wherein the control computer unit is operable to change the appearance of the aiming reticle while the aiming point is outside the field of view.

17. An aiming system according to claim 13, wherein the computer unit comprises means for storing coordinates corresponding to at least one predesignated position of the aiming reticle in the image, together with an associated range, and displaying an icon at said predesignated position in said image when the line of sight of the imaging unit is coincident with or near the predesignated position.

18. An aiming system according to claim 12, wherein the barrel unit and the coupling unit are rotatable in elevation about a common axis.

19. An aiming system according to claim 12, wherein the coupling unit comprises a first clutch unit acting between the first part and the second part and engageable to entrain the imaging unit to move with the first part relative to the third part, a second clutch unit acting between the second part and the third part and engageable to secure the imaging unit to the third part, and switch means for engaging the first clutch unit while simultaneously disengaging the second clutch unit;

and vice versa.

20. An aiming system according to claim 12, wherein the coupling unit comprises a first clutch unit acting between the first part and the second part and engageable to entrain the imaging unit to move with the first part relative to the third part, a second clutch unit acting between the second part and the third part and engageable to secure the imaging unit to the third part, and switch means for engaging the first clutch unit while simultaneously disengaging the second clutch unit;

and vice versa.

21. An aiming system according to claim 12, wherein the means for controlling the coupling unit comprises a user-operable switch.