Firearm laser training system and method facilitating firearm training for extended range targets with feedback of firearm control

• US 7,329,127 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Clark, John, Kendir, Tansel, Shechter, Motti
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Utama; Robert J
• Application Number:
  US10/167,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20020197584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 434 11- 27
• US Class Current: 434/21
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/02 Light- or radiation-emitting guns ; Light- or radiation-sensitive guns; Cartridges carrying light emitting sources, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2633 using a TV type screen, e.g. a CRT, displaying a simulated target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2655 in which the light beam is sent from the weapon to the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/28 Small-scale apparatus relief models or maps G09B
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/10 Cinematographic hit-indicating systems cinematographic targets F41J9/14
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 9/14 Cinematographic targets, e.g. moving-picture targets F41G3/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A firearm laser training system of the present invention includes a target assembly, a laser transmitter assembly that attaches to a firearm, a detection device and a processor in communication with the detection device. The system simulates targets at extended ranges and accounts for various environmental and other conditions. The target may be in the form of a target image or a display screen. The detection device captures images of the target for processing by the processor to determine beam impact locations. The processor applies various offsets to the beam impact locations to account for the various conditions and determine the impact locations relative to the target. The processor displays an image of the target including the determined impact locations and scoring and/or other information that is based on those impact locations. An electronic laser filter may be employed by the system to minimize false impact detections.

Claims

1. A firearm laser training system enabling a user to project a laser beam from a laser transmitter assembly secured to a firearm toward an intended site on a target to simulate firearm operation, wherein said firearm includes a sight that is adjusted by a user in accordance with at least one condition, thereby displacing a firearm point of aim relative to said intended target site, said system comprising:

a target;

a sensing device to detect impact locations of said laser beam on said target resulting from said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm and to produce impact information; and

a processor to receive and process said impact information from said sensing device to display simulated target impact locations under said at least one condition, wherein said processor includes;

an impact module to determine coordinates of beam impact locations on said target from said impact information, wherein said determined beam impact locations are displaced relative to said intended target site in accordance with said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm; and

a projectile simulation module to compensate for said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm by adjusting said determined coordinates of said beam impact locations in accordance with said at least one condition to determine simulated impact locations relative to said intended site on said target, wherein said at least one condition includes at least one environmental condition, and wherein said projectile simulation module includes;

an offset module to apply coordinate offsets to said determined coordinates of said beam impact locations to produce said simulated target impact locations, wherein said offsets represent projectile trajectory adjustments in accordance with particular conditions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said target is scaled to simulate a range of at least twenty-five meters.

3. The system of claim 2 further including a range measuring device employing energy signals to determine a location appropriately distanced from said target to simulate training at said range.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said environmental condition includes at least one of:

temperature, elevation, barometric pressure and humidity.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes an offset generation module to determine said trajectory adjustment offsets in accordance with said at least one condition.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes an entry module to enable entry of information measured for a firearm during actual firing, wherein said entered information corresponds to said offsets.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said target includes a stationary target image.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said target includes a display screen.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said display screen displays at least one of a target image, a video including a moving target, a video including a target scenario and a video indicating said conditions.

10. The system of claim 8 further including a screen controller to control said display screen to display a target for training, wherein said screen controller is in communication with said processor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said screen controller and said processor communicate via a network.

12. The system of claim 10 further including an administrator system in communication with at least one of said screen controller and said processor to control said training and provide information relating to user performance to a training administrator.

13. The system of claim 10 further including an observer system in communication with at least one of said screen controller and said processor to provide information relating to user performance to a training observer.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said target includes an actuable target assembly to adjust a target location between a plurality of positions.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes a communication module to communicate with at least one other firearm training system via a network to conduct a joint training session with that other system.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes an evaluation module to process said impact information to evaluate user performance and to display information relating to said evaluation and an image of said target with indicia indicating said simulated target impact locations.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said processor further includes an overlay module to display a MilDot overlay on said target image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said processor further includes a trace module to track movement of said firearm based on said impact information, wherein said trace module adjusts said MilDot overlay on said target image in accordance with said firearm movement.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said processor further includes an overlay module to display a minutes of angle overlay on said target image.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said target includes at least one zone each associated with performance information and said evaluation module includes a performance module to evaluate user performance based on said performance information of zones associated with said simulated target impact locations.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said performance module includes a scoring module to access a target file associated with said target including score values associated with each of said zones and to determine an aggregate score for a user by accumulating score values of zones associated with said simulated target impact locations.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes a calibration module to correlate a target space associated with said target with a target space associated with said sensing device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said calibration module includes an overlay module to display an overlay on an image of a calibration target to facilitate alignment of said target spaces of said target and said sensing device.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes a trace module to track and display movement of said firearm based on said impact information.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said trace module graphically displays said firearm movement in the form of a plot of firearm fluctuation.

26. The system of claim 1 further including a case to secure and transport at least said target and said sensing device.

27. The system of claim 1 further including a bar code reader to retrieve a target identifier and identify said target to said processor.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes a report module to generate a report for printing indicating user performance and including an image of said target with indicia indicating said simulated target impact locations.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes a zeroing adjustment module to examine at least two beam impacts and to determine a zeroing offset between a characteristic of said at least two beam impacts and a reference target site, wherein said zeroing offset is utilized to determine said simulated target impact locations and to zero said laser transmitter assembly.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further includes an impact verification module to verify beam impacts within said impact information, wherein said impact verification module verifies that a beam impact within said impact information is within a predetermined range from prior verified impact locations.

31. The system of claim 1, further including an actuation detection unit coupled to said laser transmitter assembly and said processor to detect actuation of said firearm and transmit an actuation signal to said processor in response to said detection, wherein said impact module processes said impact information in response to said actuation signal to reduce false detections.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said processor further includes a trace module to track and display movement of said firearm based on said impact information, wherein said trace module tracks said firearm movement for a predetermined time interval relative to receipt of said actuation signal.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said trace module graphically displays said firearm movement in the form of a plot of firearm fluctuation for said predetermined time interval.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein said actuation detection unit includes:

a regulator to supply power to said laser transmitter assembly;

a comparator to compare a ground signal from said laser transmitter assembly with a reference potential from said regulator, wherein said laser transmitter assembly produces a deviation between these signals in response to detecting firearm actuation and said comparator produces an output signal indicating the presence of said deviation;

a pulse condition timer to adapt said comparator output for compatibility with said processor to produce said actuation signal; and

a buffer to store said actuation signal for transmission to said processor.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensing device scans said target to produce said impact information in the form of scanned images.

77. The system of claim 1, wherein said firearm includes a sniper weapon.

36. A firearm laser training system enabling a user to project a laser beam from a laser transmitter assembly secured to a firearm toward an intended site on a target to simulate firearm operation, wherein said firearm includes a sight that is adjusted by a user in accordance with at least one condition, thereby displacing a firearm point of aim relative to said intended target site, said system comprising:

a target;

a sensing device to detect impact locations of said laser beam on said target resulting from said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm and to produce impact information; and

a processor to receive and process said impact information from said sensing device to display simulated target impact locations under said at least one condition, wherein said processor includes;

an impact module to determine coordinates of beam impact locations on said target from said impact information, wherein said determined beam impact locations are displaced relative to said intended target site in accordance with said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm, and to determine simulated impact locations relative to said intended target site by adjusting said determined coordinates of said beam impact locations in accordance with said at least one condition to compensate for said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm, wherein said at least one condition includes at least one environmental condition, and wherein said impact module includes;

an offset module to apply coordinate offsets to said determined coordinates of said beam impact locations to produce said simulated target impact locations, wherein said offsets represent projectile trajectory adjustments in accordance with particular conditions; and

an actuation detection unit coupled to said laser transmitter assembly and said processor to detect actuation of said firearm and transmit an actuation signal to said processor in response to said detection, wherein said impact module processes said impact information in response to said actuation signal to correlate determined impact locations with firearm actuation to reduce false detections.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said actuation detection unit includes:

a regulator to supply power to said laser transmitter assembly;

a comparator to compare a ground signal from said laser transmitter assembly with a reference potential from said regulator, wherein said laser transmitter assembly produces a deviation between these signals in response to detecting firearm actuation and said comparator produces an output signal indicating the presence of said deviation;

a pulse condition timer to adapt said comparator output signal for compatibility with said processor to produce said actuation signal; and

a buffer to store said actuation signal for transmission to said processor.

78. The system of claim 36, wherein said firearm includes a sniper weapon.

38. A firearm laser training system enabling a user to project a laser beam from a laser transmitter assembly secured to a firearm toward an intended site on an extended range target to simulate firearm operation within a confined area having dimensions less than the extended range, wherein said firearm includes a sight that is adjusted by a user in accordance with said extended range, thereby displacing a firearm point of aim relative to said intended target site, said system comprising:

a target scaled to simulate said extended range of at least twenty-five meters;

a sensing device to detect impact locations of said laser beam on said target resulting from said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm and to produce impact information; and

a processor to receive and process said impact information from said sensing device to display simulated target impact locations at said extended range, wherein said processor includes;

an impact module to determine coordinates of beam impact locations on said target from said impact information, wherein said determined beam impact locations are displaced relative to said intended target site in accordance with said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm; and

a projectile simulation module to adjust said determined coordinates of said beam impact locations in accordance with said extended range to compensate for said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm and determine simulated impact locations at said extended range and relative to said intended site on said target, wherein said projectile simulation module includes;

an offset module to apply coordinate offsets to said determined coordinates of said beam impact locations to produce said simulated target impact locations, wherein said offsets represent projectile trajectory adjustments in accordance with particular conditions including said extended range and at least one of;

temperature, elevation, barometric pressure and humidity.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said processor further includes an offset generation module to determine said trajectory adjustment offsets in accordance with said conditions.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein said processor further includes an entry module to enable entry of information measured for a firearm during actual firing, wherein said entered information corresponds to said offsets.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein said target includes a display screen that displays at least one of a target image, a video including a moving target, a video including a target scenario and a video indicating at least one of said conditions.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein said sensing device scans said target to produce said impact information in the form of scanned images.

79. The system of claim 38, wherein said firearm includes a sniper weapon.

43. In a firearm simulation system enabling a user to project a laser beam from a laser transmitter assembly secured to a firearm toward an intended site on a target and including a sensing device and a processor, wherein said firearm includes a sight that is adjusted by a user in accordance with at least one condition, thereby displacing a firearm point of aim relative to said intended target site, a method of simulating firearm operation comprising:

(a) detecting impact locations of said laser beam on said target resulting from said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm via said sensing device and producing impact information for transmission to said processor;

(b) determining coordinates of beam impact locations on said target from said impact information, wherein said determined beam impact locations are displaced relative to said intended target site in accordance with said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm; and

(c) compensating for said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm by adjusting said determined coordinates of said beam impact locations in accordance with said at least one condition to determine simulated impact locations relative to said intended site on said target, wherein said at least one condition includes at least one environmental condition, and wherein step (c) further includes;

(c.1) applying coordinate offsets to said determined coordinates of beam impact locations to produce said simulated target impact locations, wherein said offsets represent projectile trajectory adjustments in accordance with particular conditions.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said target is scaled to simulate a range of at least twenty-five meters.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein said environmental condition includes at least one of:

temperature, elevation, barometric pressure and humidity.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein step (c.1) further includes:

(c.1.1) determining said trajectory adjustment offsets in accordance with said at least one condition.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein step (c.1) further includes:

(c.1.1) facilitating entry of information measured for a firearm during actual firing, wherein said entered information corresponds to said offsets.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein said target includes a stationary target image.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein said target includes a display screen, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) displaying at least one of a target image, a video including a moving target, a video including a target scenario and a video indicating said conditions on said display screen.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein said firearm simulation system further includes an administrator system, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) facilitating control of said simulation by a training administrator via said administrator system;

and step (c) further includes;

(c.2) providing information relating to user performance to said training administrator.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein said firearm simulation system further includes an observer system, and step (c) further includes:

(c.2) providing information relating to user performance to a training observer via said observer system.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein step (a) further includes:

(a.1) facilitating communication with at least one other firearm simulation system via a network to conduct a joint training session with that other system.

53. The method of claim 43, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.2) evaluating user performance based on said impact information and displaying information relating to said evaluation and an image of said target with indicia indicating said simulated target impact locations.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein step (c.2) further includes:

(c.2.1) displaying a MilDot overlay on said target image.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein step (c.2.1) further includes:

(c.2.1.1) tracking movement of said firearm based on said impact information and adjusting said MilDot overlay on said target image in accordance with said firearm movement.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein step (c.2) further includes:

(c.2.1) displaying a minutes of angle overlay on said target image.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein said target includes at least one zone each associated with performance information, and step (c.2) further includes:

(c.2.1) evaluating user performance based on said performance information of zones associated with said simulated target impact locations.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein step (c.2.1) further includes:

(c.2.1.1) accessing a target file associated with said target including score values associated with each of said zones to determine an aggregate score for a user by accumulating score values of zones associated with said simulated target impact locations.

59. The method of claim 43, wherein step (a) further includes:

(a.1) correlating a target space associated with said target with a target space associated with said sensing device.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein step (a.1) further includes:

(a.1.1) displaying an overlay on an image of a calibration target to facilitate alignment of said target spaces of said target and said sensing device.

61. The method of claim 43, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.2) tracking and displaying movement of said firearm based on said impact information.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein step (c.2) further includes:

(c.2.1) graphically displaying said firearm movement in the form of a plot of firearm fluctuation.

63. The method of claim 43, wherein said firearm simulation system further includes a bar code reader, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) retrieving a target identifier via said bar code reader and identifying said target to said processor.

64. The method of claim 43, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.2) generating a report for printing indicating user performance and including an image of said target with indicia indicating said simulated target impact locations.

65. The method of claim 43, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.2) examining at least two beam impacts to determine a zeroing offset between a characteristic of said at least two beam impacts and a reference target site, wherein said zeroing offset is utilized to determine said simulated target impact locations and to zero said laser transmitter assembly.

66. The method of claim 43, wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.1) verifying beam impacts within said impact information by verifying that a beam impact within said impact information is within a predetermined range from prior verified impact locations.

67. The method of claim 43, wherein said firearm simulation system further includes an actuation detection unit coupled to said laser transmitter assembly and said processor to detect actuation of said firearm and transmit an actuation signal to said processor in response to said detection, and step (b) further includes:

(b.1) processing said impact information in response to said actuation signal to reduce false detections.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.2) tracking and displaying movement of said firearm based on said impact information, wherein said firearm movement is tracked for a predetermined time interval relative to receipt of said actuation signal.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein step (c.2) further includes:

(c.2.1) graphically displaying said firearm movement in the form of a plot of firearm fluctuation for said predetermined time interval.

70. The method of claim 43, wherein step (a) further includes:

(a.1) scanning said target via said sensing device to produce said impact information in the form of scanned images.

80. The method of claim 43, wherein said firearm includes a sniper weapon.

71. In a firearm simulation system enabling a user to project a laser beam from a laser transmitter assembly secured to a firearm toward an intended site on a target and including a sensing device, a processor and an actuation detection unit coupled to said laser transmitter assembly and said processor to detect actuation of said firearm, wherein said firearm includes a sight that is adjusted by a user in accordance with at least one condition, thereby displacing a firearm point of aim relative to said intended target site, a method of simulating fireman operation comprising:

(a) detecting impact locations of said laser beam on said target resulting from said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm via said sensing device and producing impact information for transmission to said processor;

(b) detecting actuation of said firearm via said actuation detection unit and transmitting an actuation signal to said processor in response to said detection; and

(c) determining coordinates of beam impact locations on said target from said impact information, wherein said determined beam impact locations are displaced relative to said intended target site in accordance with said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm, and determining simulated impact locations relative to said intended target site by adjusting said determined coordinates of beam impact locations in accordance with said at least one condition to compensate for said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm, wherein step (c) further includes;

(c.1) applying coordinate offsets to said determined coordinates of beam impact locations to produce said simulated target impact locations, wherein said offsets represent projectile trajectory adjustments in accordance with particular conditions;

wherein said at least one condition includes at least one environmental condition, and wherein said impact information is processed in response to said actuation signal to correlate determined beam impact locations with firearm actuation to reduce false detections.

81. The method of claim 71, wherein said firearm includes a sniper weapon.

72. In a firearm simulation system enabling a user to project a laser beam from a laser transmitter assembly secured to a firearm toward an intended site on an extended range target and including a sensing device and a processor, wherein said firearm includes a sight that is adjusted by a user in accordance with said extended range, thereby displacing a firearm point of aim relative to said intended target site, a method of simulating firearm operation within a confined area having dimensions less than the extended range comprising:

(a) presenting a target scaled to simulate said extended range of at least twenty-five meters;

(b) detecting impact locations of said laser beam on said target resulting from said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm via said sensing device and producing impact information for transmission to said processor;

(c) determining coordinates of beam impact locations on said target from said impact information, wherein said determined beam impact locations are displaced relative to said intended target site in accordance with said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm; and

(d) adjusting said determined coordinates of said beam impact locations in accordance with said extended range to compensate for said adjusted sight and displaced point of aim of said firearm and determine simulated impact locations at said extended range and relative to said intended site on said target, wherein step (d) further includes;

(d.1) applying coordinate offsets to said determined coordinates of said beam impact locations to produce said simulated target impact locations, wherein said offsets represent projectile trajectory adjustments in accordance with particular conditions including said extended range and at least one of;

temperature, elevation, barometric pressure and humidity.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein step (d.1) further includes:

(d.1.1) determining said trajectory adjustment offsets in accordance with said conditions.

74. The method of claim 72, wherein step (d.1) further includes:

(d.1.1) facilitating entry of information measured for a firearm during actual firing, wherein said entered information corresponds to said offsets.

75. The method of claim 72, wherein said target includes a display screen and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) displaying at least one of a target image, a video including a moving target, a video including a target scenario and a video indicating at least one of said conditions on said display screen.

76. The method of claim 72, wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.1) scanning said target via said sensing device to produce said impact information in the form of scanned images.

82. The method of claim 72, wherein said firearm includes a sniper weapon.