FIREARM, AIMING SYSTEM THEREFOR, METHOD OF OPERATING THE FIREARM AND METHOD OF REDUCING THE PROBABILITY OF MISSING A TARGET

• US 20140028856A1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Shooter Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Smart Shooter Ltd.
• Inventors: Ehrlich, Avshalom
• Granted Patent: US 10,097,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/169
• 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 3/06 with rangefinder rangefinders per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/08 with means for compensating for speed, direction, temperature, pressure, or humidity of the atmosphere measuring G01
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/12 with means for compensating for muzzle velocity or powder temperature with means for compensating for gun vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

A firearm aiming system comprising an imaging system comprising an imaging sensor and an image processor; and a user display, wherein the imaging system is adapted to detect a potential target on the user display based on target features. In some embodiments the system includes a firing processor with an epsilon logic module for calculating a target aim-point/area used by the firing processor to make a firing decision.

Claims

1. A firearm aiming system comprising:

an imaging system comprising an imaging sensor and an image processor; and

a user display,

wherein the imaging system is adapted to detect a potential target on the user display based on target features.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging system adapted to use at least one background feature for determining target movement and/or proper aim point.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one background feature includes a static background feature.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising user controls adapted to allow locking on the potential target.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the user controls are adapted to allow locking on the potential target automatically.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the user controls are adapted to allow locking on the potential target manually.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user controls include a target lock-on mechanism consisting of one of the elements selected from the group comprising:

a trigger;

a button; and

a touch screen.

8. The system according to claim 1, adapted to allow locking onto a plurality of targets.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging system detects the target on the basis of edge detection.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the detection is highlighted in the form of a contour at the edges of the target or a portion of the target or in the form of coloration.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein imaging system is adapted so that the target features may include any of the features, including a combination thereof, chosen from the group consisting of:

target movement, target shape, associated enemy muzzle flash, range/distance, IR signature, and “

change detection”

.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a firing processor for predicting/determining if a target will be hit.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the firing processor is adapted to calculate a lead required for proper aim point.

14. The system according to claim 12, further comprising an epsilon logic module for calculating a target aim-point/area used by the firing processor to make a firing decision.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the epsilon logic module is adapted for calculating dynamic epsilon area.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the epsilon logic module includes an algorithm to take into account target, firearm and environmental features.

17. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a firing actuator adapted to enable firing only when the firing processor determines the target will be hit.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the firing actuator is an actuation mechanism for actuating a trigger or a hammer of the firearm.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the actuation mechanism is adapted to release the trigger or the hammer of the firearm.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the actuation mechanism is adapted to actively move the trigger or the hammer of the firearm.

21. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a target tracker processor for tracking potential targets.

22. The system according to claim 1, wherein the image processor includes a target recognition algorithm for identifying the target type.

23. The system according to claim 1, further having a non-lock on mode.

24. The system according to claim 1, further having a “

suppressing fire”

mode.

25. The system according to claim 1, adapted to be activated by a partial depress of the trigger.

26. The system according to claim 1, wherein the aiming system is adapted to allow operation as a “

regular”

firearm, able to shoot mechanically.

27. A method of operating a firearm having a display, the firearm comprising:

pointing the firearm at a target to enable selection of the target, whereby the target is highlighted on the display of the firearm to produce a highlighted target area;

selecting the highlighted target area by locking on any location of the highlighted target area resulting in the firearm locking onto a desired hit point and tracking the selected target; and

aiming the firearm in a direction of the target until the firearm has determined the target will be hit.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein aiming the firearm includes aiming within an epsilon tolerance of the selected target.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein aiming the firearm includes using an aiming guide line/arrow.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein locking onto the target comprises partially depressing a trigger of the firearm.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein locking onto the desired hit point includes locking on a particular part of the selected target or the center of the selected target.

32. The method according to claim 27, wherein locking onto the desired hit point includes locking on a particular location of the target.

33. A method of reducing the probability of missing a target upon firing thereon by a firearm having an imaging system, the method comprising:

detecting a target within a field of view using object background segregation by the imaging system of the firearm;

selecting the target automatically or based on a user command in order to track the target;

predicting movement of the target, if any; and

thus the position, of the target with respect to background features of the field of view;

predicting the aiming of the firearm using background features of the field of view; and

enabling firing at the target when the predicted aim of the firearm coincides with the predicted position of the target.

34. The method according to claim 33, further using epsilon logic to calculate a target area of the target in which the firearm is to be aimed.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein using object background segregation includes using movement detection.

36. The method according to claim 33, further using target range estimation based on background features in the field of view.

37. The method according to claim 33, further using target range estimation based on comparison to objects of familiar size.

38. The method according to claim 33, further using target range estimation based on target size changing.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein target range estimation includes using perspective analysis.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein target range estimation includes using focus for estimating the range.