Aiming and alignment system for a shell firing weapon and method therefor

• US 9,829,279 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Mark Sieracki
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Mark Sieracki
• Inventors: Sieracki, Jeffrey Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Klein, Gabriel
• Application Number:
  US14/838,812
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/02 using an independent line of sight
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/16 Sighting devices adapted for indirect laying of fire
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/18 Auxiliary target devices adapted for indirect laying of fire
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers

Abstract

A system and method for aiming and alignment of a shell firing weapon includes a portable aiming unit that may be located in close proximity to the weapon that includes a reference head for emitting and/or receiving at least one energy ray. The portable aiming unit can be aligned to a reference azimuth, either absolute or relative. A sighting unit is also included in the system and removably mounted to the weapon. The sighting unit includes a reference head that is complementary to the reference head of the portable aiming unit. The at least one energy ray established between the portable aiming unit and the sighting unit provides an accurate relative reference of directing the weapons fire and monitoring linear and angular displacement of the weapon as it is fired so that corrections can be made in aiming the weapon in response thereto.

Claims

1. A method of aiming at least one shell firing weapon, comprising:

positioning a portable aiming reference radially from the weapon;

establishing at least one spatial reference at said portable aiming reference;

locating a sighting guide on said weapon;

establishing at least one energy emission between said portable aiming reference and said sighting guide and using said energy emission to determine a relative spatial alignment therebetween;

outputting a visual indication of said relative spatial alignment.

2. The method of claim 1, where the positioning of a portable aiming reference includes positioning the portable aiming reference a distance less than 5 meters from the weapon.

3. The method of claim 2, where the positioning of a portable aiming reference includes positioning the portable aiming reference a distance of 2 meters from the weapon.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising spatially aligning said weapon with target coordinates with respect to said relative spatial alignment with said portable aiming reference.

5. The method of claim 1, where the spatially aligning of said weapon with target coordinates includes compensating said spatial alignment with said target coordinates for parallax based on angular differences between a location of said portable aiming reference and said sighting guide and between said location of said portable aiming reference and a base of said weapon.

6. The method of claim 1, where the establishing of at least one spatial reference at said portable aiming reference includes the providing said portable aiming reference with a compass device for providing at least an azimuth reference.

7. The method of claim 6, where the providing of said portable aiming reference with a compass device includes providing a fluxgate compass.

8. The method of claim 1, where the establishing of at least one spatial reference at said portable aiming reference includes the providing said portable aiming reference with an accelerometer for at least one axis.

9. The method of claim 1, where the establishing of at least one energy emission includes providing a constellation of at least one optical emitter.

10. The method of claim 9, where the providing of a constellation of at least one optical emitter includes providing a constellation of at least one low power infrared source.

11. The method of claim 1, where the establishing of at least one energy emission includes providing said sighting guide with an aiming laser to be directed at said portable aiming reference.

12. The method of claim 1, where the locating of a sighting guide on said weapon includes locating an optical sighting unit on said weapon and capturing an image generated therethrough.

13. The method of claim 12, where the capturing of an image includes coupling an image sensor to an eyepiece of said optical sighting unit.

14. The method of claim 12, where the capturing of an image includes replacing a telescope portion of said optical sighting unit with said image sensor.

15. The method of claim 1, where the establishing of at least one energy emission includes digitally capturing an image generated through said sighting guide.

16. The method of claim 15, where the image generated through said sighting guide is captured with a CCD image sensor.

17. The method of claim 15, where the image generated through said sighting guide is captured with a CMOS image sensor.

18. The method of claim 15, where the image generated through said sighting guide is captured with a digital camera.

19. The method of claim 1, where the outputting of a visual indication of said relative alignment is followed by zeroing said sighting guide to said relative alignment and providing an indication of any subsequent deviation therefrom.

20. The method of claim 1, where the establishing of at least one spatial reference includes establishing an absolute spatial reference.

21. The method of claim 1, where the establishing of an absolute spatial reference includes obtaining global positioning (GPS) coordinates from a GPS receiver included in said portable aiming reference.