Rifle scope, apparatus, and method including proximity detection and warning system

• US 9,459,076 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Talon-Pgf,LLC
• Original Assignee: TrackingPoint, Inc. (Talon Precision Optics, LLC)
• Inventors: McHale, John Francis, Lupher, John Hancock
• Primary Examiner(s): FREEMAN, JOSHUA E
• Application Number:
  US13/712,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20140157646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 89111-148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/08 for inhibiting firing in a specified direction, e.g. at a friendly person or at a protected area F41A27/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/38 Telescopic sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance telescopic sights in general G02B; Supports or mountings therefor

Abstract

A method of providing proximity detection includes receiving a signal at a rifle scope indicating proximity of a second rifle scope. The method further includes providing a visual alert to a display of the rifle scope based on the proximity.

Claims

1. A rifle scope comprising:

an optical sensor configured to capture video data of a view area;

a display;

a transceiver configured to send a signal including location data associated with the rifle scope and to receive a signal including location data corresponding to a physical location of a second rifle scope; and

a controller coupled to the optical sensor, the transceiver and the display, the controller configured to provide at least a portion of the video data to the display, the controller configured to determine a proximity of the second rifle scope based on the signal and to provide a visual cue to the display that corresponds to the physical location of the second rifle scope within the portion of the video data and that indicates the proximity, the controller configured to determine an aim point of a firearm determined from an orientation of the rifle scope relative to the view area and to selectively change at least one of a color parameter and a size parameter of the visual cue when the aim point approaches or moves away from the physical location of the second rifle scope.

2. The rifle scope of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter coupled to the controller and configured to send a radio frequency signal including location data corresponding to a physical location of the rifle scope.

3. The rifle scope of claim 2, further comprising a communications interface coupled to the controller and configured to communicate with an electronic device to receive the location data, the electronic device including at least one of a smart phone, a computing device, and a global positioning satellite (GPS) device.

4. The rifle scope of claim 3, wherein the communications interface is configured to communicate with the electronic device through a wireless communication channel.

5. The rifle scope of claim 2, further comprising a global positioning satellite (GPS) circuit coupled to the controller and configured to provide the location data to the controller.

6. The rifle scope of claim 1, wherein the signal includes global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates associated with the second rifle scope.

7. The rifle scope of claim 1, wherein the controller selectively alters at least one of the color parameter and the size parameter when the proximity of the second rifle scope changes.

8. A method comprising:

capturing video data of a view area via a sensor of a rifle scope;

transmitting a first signal using a transmitter of the rifle scope, the first signal including first location data corresponding to a physical location of the rifle scope;

receiving a second signal using a receiver of the rifle scope, the second signal including second location data corresponding to a physical location of a second rifle scope;

determining, at a controller of the rifle scope, a proximity of the second rifle scope relative to the first rifle scope based on the first and second location data;

providing at least a portion of the video data to a display of the rifle scope; and

providing a visual indicator corresponding to the physical location of the second rifle scope within the portion of the video data and an alert to one of the display and a speaker, the controller coupled to the display and the speaker and configured to selectively alter an intensity of the alert based on an aim point of the rifle scope relative to the physical location of the second rifle scope.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the alert to the display comprises providing a visual cue representing the proximity to the display of the rifle scope, the visual cue representing the proximity of the second rifle scope by at least one of a color parameter and a size parameter.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising selectively altering at least one of the color parameter and the size parameter of the visual cue when the proximity changes.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the first location data from an external device through a communications interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the communications interface includes a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with the external device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the first location data from a global positioning satellite circuit of the rifle scope.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the alert to the speaker comprises providing an audible signal representing the proximity to the speaker, the audio alert representing the proximity of the second rifle scope by at least one of a volume parameter and a frequency parameter.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising selectively altering at least one of the volume parameter and the frequency parameter of the audible signal when the proximity changes.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency receiver configured to receive a signal including location data corresponding to a physical location of a rifle scope;

a display; and

a controller coupled to the radio frequency receiver and the display, the controller configured to determine a proximity of the rifle scope relative to the apparatus based on the location data and to provide a visual indicator representing the physical location and the proximity to the display, the visual indicator including at least one of a color parameter and a size parameter indicative of the proximity, the controller configured to change one of the color parameter and the size parameter associated with the visual indicator when a aim point of the apparatus changes relative to the physical location of the rifle scope.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a rifle scope, a spotting scope, a pair of binoculars, a smart phone, and a computing device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the visual indicator includes at least one of a text alert and a directional indicator configured to point in a direction of the rifle scope.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a global positioning satellite (GPS) circuit coupled to the controller and configured to provide GPS coordinates to the controller; and

wherein the controller determines the proximity of the rifle scope by comparing the location data to the GPS coordinates.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a communications interface coupled to the controller and configured to receive global positioning satellite coordinates from an electronic device.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a radio frequency transmitter configured to transmit a second signal including second location data corresponding to a physical location of the apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller varies at least one of the color parameter and the size parameter in response to changes in the proximity of the rifle scope relative to the apparatus.