Precision Guided Firearm With Hybrid Sensor Fire Control

• US 20140360081A1
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Talon-Pgf,LLC
• Original Assignee: TrackingPoint, Inc. (Talon Precision Optics, LLC)
• Inventors: Lupher, John Hancock, Kwan, Stefanie, Scott, Douglas Ainsworth, Toal, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,222,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/120
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/38 Telescopic sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance telescopic sights in general G02B; Supports or mountings therefor
• 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

Abstract

A precision guided firearm (PGF) includes a trigger assembly and an optical device coupled to the trigger assembly. The optical device includes an optical sensor configured to capture video of a view area and includes at least one motion sensor. The optical device is configured to process video frames of the video to determine a distance between an aim point of the PGF and a selected location on a target and to determine a trajectory of the aim point based on the video frames and motion data from the at least one motion sensor.

Claims

1. A precision guided firearm (PGF) comprising:

a trigger assembly; and

an optical device coupled to the trigger assembly and including an optical sensor configured to capture video of a view area and at least one motion sensor, the optical device configured to process video frames of the video to determine a distance between an aim point of the PGF and a selected location on a target and to determine a trajectory of the aim point based on the video frames and motion data from the at least one motion sensor.

2. The PGF of claim 1, further comprising a trigger assembly coupled to the optical device and responsive to a control signal from the optical device to permit discharge of the firearm.

3. The PGF of claim 2, wherein the optical device provides the control signal to permit discharge of the firearm when the distance is less than a threshold and the trajectory of the aim point is moving away from the selected location.

4. The PGF of claim 1, wherein the at least one motion sensor measures movement between the video frames to determine changes in the trajectory.

5. The PGF of claim 4, wherein the optical device recalibrates the at least one motion sensor optically after processing at least some of the video frames.

6. The PGF of claim 1, wherein the optical device processes the video frames sequentially to determine changes in the distance between the aim point and the selected location on the target from one frame to a next frame.

7. The PGF of claim 1, wherein the optical device predicts the trajectory of the aim point based on the changes in the distance determined optically and refines the trajectory using the motion data.

8. The PGF of claim 1, wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises a micro-electro-mechanical system configured to capture inertial measurements to determine the motion data.

9. A method of controlling discharge of a precision guided firearm (PGF), the method comprising:

processing video frames of a video of an optical scope of the PGF to determine a distance between an aim point of the PGF and a selected location on a target within the video frames;

measuring movement of the PGF using at least one motion sensor of the optical scope; and

determining a shot time when the distance is less than a threshold distance from the selected location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein measuring the movement of the PGF comprises measuring the movement of the PGF during periods of time between video frames using at least one of an accelerometer, an inclinometer, and a gyroscope.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending a control signal to a trigger assembly to enable discharge of the PGF in response to determining the shot time.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the distance threshold corresponds to a minute of angle that is up to one inch of deviation per 100 yards relative to the selected location on the target.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising wherein the threshold distance defines a zone within which a shot taken using the PGF will hit the target.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected location is at a center of the zone.

15. An optical scope comprising:

at least one motion sensor configured to produce motion data corresponding to movement of the optical scope;

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

a processor coupled to the optical sensor and the at least one motion sensor, the processor configured to process video frames of the video and the motion data to determine when an aim point is less than a threshold distance from a selected location on a target.

16. The optical scope of claim 15, wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and an inclinometer.

17. The optical scope of claim 15, wherein the processor determines an initial trajectory of the aim point by processing sequential ones of the data frames to determine changes in the position of the aim point relative to the selected target.

18. The optical scope of claim 17, wherein, during time periods between each of the video frames, the processor uses the motion data from the at least one sensor to determine a change in the distance relative to the selected location on the target.

19. The optical scope of claim 15, further comprising:

an interface configurable to couple to a trigger assembly; and

wherein the processor is configured to provide a firearm discharge control signal to enable the trigger assembly in response to determining when the aim point is less than the threshold distance from the selected location.

20. The optical scope of claim 15, further comprising an input interface configurable to receive a user input, the user input corresponding to at least one of the selected location on the target and the threshold distance.