Firearm sight having two parallel video cameras

• US 7,810,273 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Franz-Josef Watermann, Peter Veerkamp, Rudolf Koch
• Original Assignee: Franz-Josef Watermann, Peter Veerkamp, Rudolf Koch
• Inventors: Koch, Rudolf, Veerkamp, Peter, Watermann, Franz-Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): David; Michael D
• Application Number:
  US11/908,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 421/11, 421/22, 421/30, 421/42, 89/410.5, 359/399
• US Class Current: 42/111
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/066 having means for recognizing biometric parameters, e.g. voice control, finger print or palm print control
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/473 for lead-indicating or range-finding, e.g. for use with rifles or shotguns
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/06 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 3/165 using a TV-monitor

Abstract

A sighting mechanism for a firearm, including two video cameras, a video screen, a digital sighting distance meter, a sensor for measuring environment, cartridge and/or weapon parameters, a biometric sensor, a memory module for biometric data and/or munitions data and a digital computer. The video cameras are arranged parallel to each other to capture the target sighting field. The computer has video inputs and an image processing unit enabling the video image data to be superimposed in real time in a pixel precise manner in relation to the target field on the screen. The computer includes a ballistic computer which enables the target image to reproduce on the screen. A graticule arranged on the screen can be positioned automatically and in real time according to the incoming data, such that the position of the graticule in the target field corresponds to a real projectile point of impact.

Claims

1. A sighting mechanism for a firearm, comprising:

at least two digital video cameras arranged on a firearm parallel to its barrel and to each other which record a same target sighting field,

a video screen arranged in a sighting field of a marksman operating the firearm and arranged to display a target image that is recorded by the video cameras,

a digital target distance meter,

at least one sensor arranged to detect measurable environmental parameters,

at least one sensor arranged to detect at least one of measurable cartridge and weapon parameters,

at least one memory module, in which ammunition data of ammunition that can be discharged by the firearm is stored; and

a digital computer unit having at least two video input interfaces for digital image data of the video cameras, for the distance meter, for the sensors, and for the memory module, and having an output interface for the video screen, whereby, aside from the target image recorded by the video cameras, the video screen displays an information for the marksman that supports the aiming and is calculated by the computer unit as a function of the data that is incoming by means of the input interfaces,

the digital computer unit comprises an image processing computer that allows at least a selectable image portion of the image data received from the video cameras to be superimposed in a pixel precise fashion and in real-time to form a target image and to be displayed on the screen, and

the digital computer unit comprises a ballistics computer that can be used to position the target image displayed on the screen and a graticule that is either faded into said target image or situated on the screen with respect to each other in an automatic manner and in real time according to the data that is incoming through the input interfaces such that the position of the graticule in the target image coincides with a real point of impact of a projectile from the firearm on the target.

2. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the video cameras each comprise one of a digital and/optical zoom with the zooms being synchronized to each other.

3. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the video cameras are arranged to record video images with one of identical and different spectral ranges.

4. The sighting mechanism according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the video cameras is arranged to record a video image in the visible spectral range.

5. The sighting mechanism according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the video cameras is arranged to record a video image in the infrared range as a thermal image.

6. The sighting mechanism according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the video cameras is arranged to record a night-viewing image via a night-viewing device.

7. The sighting mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the video cameral arranged to permit the spectral ranges to be recorded is at least one of switched and re-fitted.

8. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the sighting mechanism is connected to one of the weapon alone and partly to the weapon and partly to the marksman operating the weapon, wherein the sighting mechanism is also at least one of detachable and replaceable.

9. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the digital distance meter is one of a laser, an infrared and a radar distance meter.

10. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor arranged to detect measurable environmental parameters is a sensor arranged to detect at least one of wind direction, wind velocity, air temperature, air pressure and air humidity.

11. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor arranged to detect at least one of a measurable cartridge and weapon parameter is arranged to detect at least one of a cartridge temperature and a barrel temperature of the weapon.

12. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising an interface for a transmission of data from the computer unit to a “

smart”

projectile, in the form of a guidable rocket or propellant projectile, having a suitable interface.

13. The sighting mechanism according to claim 12, further comprising a transmitter unit arranged to transmit positional data of the target calculated in the computer unit to the “

smart”

projectile via the interface between the computer unit and the projectile.

14. The sighting mechanism according to claim 13, wherein the interface between the computer unit and the projectile is a “

bluetooth”

interface.

15. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a receiver for a satellite-based position determination.

16. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a data and an image recording unit, in which each use of the sighting mechanism and of the corresponding weapon can be stored, and an output interface for one of time-synchronous and time-delayed output of at least one of the data and images to at least one of the video screen of the sighting mechanism and to an external unit for at least one of storage and display of at least one of data and images.

17. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a connection for an external electrical power source and an internal electrical power supply in the form of at least one of a battery, a storage battery, a fuel cell and a solar cell arrangement.

18. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a friend-foe recognition system with a wireless signal transmission.

19. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, comprising one of a vibration-proof design and a vibration-proof bearing rendering the sighting mechanism shot-proof with regard to the shots of its corresponding weapon and ensuing vibrations thus caused.

20. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising an armoring one of taking up and surrounding the parts of the sighting mechanism to render the sighting mechanism shot-proof with regard to projectiles hitting it from outside.

21. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the sighting mechanism is arranged to be used on various types of weapon and weapon systems and is movable from a weapon or weapon system of a first type to a weapon or weapon system of a second type without having to make changes to the sighting mechanism.

22. The sighting mechanism according to claim 1, further including at least one biometric sensor arranged to recognize a marksman handling the firearm and at least one memory module in which encoded biometric data of at least one authorized marksman is stored.

23. The sighting mechanism according to claim 22, wherein the encryption of the biometric data comprises a digital-cryptic encryption.

24. The sighting mechanism according to claim 22 further comprising a locking mechanism that locks at least one function of at least one of the sighting mechanism and weapon that is required for discharging a shot, when the biometric sensor detects that the marksman handling the weapon and the encoded biometric data of at least one authorized marksman stored in the memory module are not identical.

25. The sighting mechanism according to claim 22, wherein the biometric sensor is one of a finger and thumbprint sensor that is arranged on a manually graspable handle portion of the weapon.

26. A sighting mechanism for a firearm, comprising;

at least two digital video cameras arranged on a firearm parallel to its barrel and to each other which record a same target sighting field,

a video screen arranged in a sighting field of a marksman operating the firearm and displaying a target image that is recorded by the video cameras,

a digital target distance meter,

at least one sensor arranged to detect measurable environmental parameters,

at least one sensor arranged to detect at least one of measurable cartridge and weapon parameters,

at least one memory module, in which ammunition data of ammunition that can be discharged by the firearm is stored; and

a digital computer unit having at least two video input interfaces for digital image data of the video cameras, for the distance meter, for the sensors, and for the memory module, and having an output interface for the video screen, whereby, aside from the target image recorded by the video cameras, the video screen displays an information for the marksman that supports the aiming and is calculated by the computer unit as a function of the data that is incoming by means of the input interfaces,

the digital computer unit comprises an image processing computer that allows at least a selectable image portion of the image data received from the video cameras to be superimposed in a pixel precise fashion and in real-time to form a target image and to be displayed on the screen, and

the digital computer unit comprises a ballistics computer that can be used to position the target image displayed on the screen and a graticule that is one of faded into the target image and situated on the screen with respect to each other in an automatic manner and in real time according to the data that is incoming through the input interfaces such that the position of the graticule in the target image coincides with a real point of impact of a projectile from the firearm on the target.

27. The sighting mechanism according to claim 26, further including at least one biometric sensor arranged to recognize a marksman handling the firearm and at least one memory module in which encoded biometric data of at least one authorized marksman is stored.