System and method of locating prey

• US 9,068,800 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Talon Precision Optics, LLC
• Original Assignee: TrackingPoint, Inc. (Talon Precision Optics, LLC)
• Inventors: McHale, John Francis, Lupher, John Hancock
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US13/732,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 701/468, 701/530, 701/523, 701/472, 701/514, 701/300, 701/302, 235/404, 235/412, 235/417, 235/414, 434/19, 434/22, 434/27, 421/19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/473 for lead-indicating or range-finding, e.g. for use with rifles or shotguns
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/065 Structural association of sighting-devices with laser telemeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors

Abstract

A method includes receiving location data corresponding to a physical location of a user at a computing device and receiving prey data corresponding to a relative position of an animal at the computing device from a gun scope. The method further includes determining a location of the animal relative to the computing device based on the location data and the prey data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving location data corresponding to a physical location of a user at a computing device;

receiving prey data corresponding to a relative position of an animal at the computing device from a gun scope;

determining a location of the animal relative to the computing device based on the location data and the prey data using the computing device;

generating a digital map depicting the physical location of the computing device and the location of the animal; and

updating the digital map in response to a change in the physical location of the computing device by drawing a line from a first indicator corresponding to the physical location of the computing device to a second indicator corresponding to new physical location of the computing device in response to movement of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prey data includes range data corresponding to a range to the animal and directional data from the gun scope.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the prey data further includes incline data corresponding to an incline of the gun scope when the range data was captured.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the location of the animal comprises calculating a distance and direction of the animal relative to the computing device based on the location data and the prey data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the location data comprises:

retrieving global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates corresponding to the physical location of at least one of the gun scope and the computing device; and

when GPS data are not available, retrieving location data from a wireless communications network.

6. A computing device comprising:

a display;

a processor coupled to the display; and

a memory accessible to the processor and configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine location data corresponding to a physical location of at least one of a gun scope and the computing device;

receive prey data corresponding to a relative position of an animal;

determine a physical location of the animal based on the location data and the prey data;

generate a map indicating the location data and the physical location of the animal;

provide the map to the display; and

selectively update the map to indicate new location data by drawing a line from a first indicator corresponding to the location data to a second indicator corresponding to new location data of the at least one of a gun scope and the computing device in response to movement.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the prey data comprises range data and orientation data.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the orientation data comprises a directional parameter, an incline parameter, and a cant parameter of a firearm coupled to the gun scope.

9. The computing device of claim 6, further comprises a transceiver coupled to the processor and configured to communicate with the gun scope through a wireless communication link.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the prey data is received from the gun scope through the wireless communication link.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the location data is received from the gun scope through the wireless communication link.

12. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the computing device comprises at least one of a smart phone, a laptop, a tablet computer, and an electronic global positioning satellite (GPS) device.

13. A computer-readable storage device configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a processor to:

receive location data associated with a physical location of at least one of a computing device associated with the processor and a gun scope configured to communicate with the computing device;

receive prey data corresponding to a position of a selected target relative to the gun scope;

determine a location of the selected target based on the location data and the prey data;

generate a map including a first indicator corresponding to the location data and a destination indicator corresponding to the location of the selected target;

provide the map to a display; and

selectively update the map to draw a line from the first indicator to a second indicator corresponding to new location data in response to movement of the at least one of the computing device and the gun scope.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further include instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

track the location data over time to determine changes in the location data; and

update the map to depict the changes.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the processor to receive the location data by retrieving global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates from a GPS circuit within the computing device.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the computing device comprises one of a smart phone, a laptop computer, and a tablet computer.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the prey data comprises at least one of:

range data corresponding to a distance between the gun scope and the animal,

cant data corresponding to a cant of a firearm coupled to the gun scope,

incline data corresponding to an incline of the firearm, and

directional data.