Integrated laser range finder and sighting assembly and method therefor

• US 8,100,044 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
• Original Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
• Inventors: Teetzel, James W., Lemire, Gary M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US12/506,161
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 421/14, 421/15, 421/17, 421/42, 89/411.7, 235/414, 235/417
• US Class Current: 89/41.17
• 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

Abstract

An integrated laser range finder and sighting assembly includes a range finder for determining a distance to a target and an onboard ballistics computer for calculating a trajectory and automatically rotating a pointing laser to the proper angle for aligning with a target for firing the weapon.

Claims

1. A combined range finder and sighting apparatus for a firearm having a barrel having an axis, said combined range finder and sighting apparatus comprising:

an optical range finder for calculating a distance to a selected target, said optical range finder including an optical emitter for sending an optical signal to the selected target and an optical detector for detecting the signal reflected from the selected target;

a sight assembly rotatably mounted on said optical range finder;

a computer readable memory encoded with executable instructions;

a processor coupled to the computer readable memory, said processor configured to, upon execution of the executable instructions, to calculate a trajectory angle of the firearm based on the calculated distance to the selected target so that the firearm will launch a projectile a distance that corresponds to a calculated distance to the selected target;

a controller coupled to said sight assembly and said processor; and

said processor configured to, upon execution of the executable instructions, to operate said controller to rotate the sight assembly relative to the axis of the barrel of the firearm, such that the barrel of the firearm is aligned with the trajectory angle when the sight assembly is aligned with the selected target.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sight assembly includes one or both of:

a laser sight including at least one pointing laser for selectively pointing a laser spot at the selected target; and

an auxiliary sight selected from a mechanical sight and an optical sight.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the auxiliary sight is selected from a reflex sight and a telescopic sight.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein an optical axis of the auxiliary sight is substantially horizontally aligned with an optical axis of the laser sight.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein an optical axis of the auxiliary sight is substantially vertically offset with respect to an optical axis of the laser sight.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

said laser sight including a visible pointing laser and an infrared pointing laser.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rail interface member for attaching said apparatus to a firearm.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rail interface member for attaching said apparatus directly to a firearm.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying a numerical indication of the distance to the selected target.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the numerical indication of the distance to the selected target is selected from one or both of an actual distance to the selected target and an effective ballistic distance to the selected target.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing having a plurality of distance indicia thereon; and

said sight assembly being manually rotatable with respect to said optical range finder, said sight assembly including a pointer, wherein the firearm will launch a projectile at a trajectory which corresponds to a distance indicated by a selected one of said distance indicia that is aligned with said pointer when the sight assembly is aligned with the selected target.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote control unit for selectively operating said sight assembly and said optical rangefinder.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a windage adjustment and an elevation adjustment for boresighting said sight assembly to the firearm.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an anti-cant indicator for providing a visual indication of the degree of rotation of said apparatus about an optical axis of said sight assembly.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the firearm is a grenade launcher.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

said computer readable memory storing trajectory data associated with a plurality of firearm types for use by the processor in calculating the trajectory angle; and

a user interface allowing selection of a selected one of the firearm types to be used by the processor in calculating the trajectory angle.

17. A method of aligning a barrel of a firearm with a trajectory angle relative to a line of sight to a selected target so that the firearm will launch a projectile a distance that corresponds to a calculated distance to the selected target, said method comprising:

using an optical range finder to determine a calculated distance to the selected target, said optical range finder including an optical emitter for sending an optical signal to the selected target and an optical detector for detecting the signal reflected from the selected target;

calculating, using a computer-based processor, the trajectory angle based on the calculated distance; and

automatically, using the computer-based processor, rotating a sight rotatably mounted on said optical range finder so that the barrel of the firearm is aligned with the trajectory angle when the sight is directed toward the selected target.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing trajectory data associated with a plurality of firearm types for use by the computer based processor in calculating the trajectory angle;

receiving user input to select one of a selected one of the firearm types to be used by the processor in calculating the trajectory angle; and

calculating, using the computer based processor, the trajectory angle using the trajectory data associated with the selected one of the firearm types.

19. A method of manually aligning a barrel of a firearm with a trajectory angle relative to a line of sight to a selected target so that the firearm will launch a projectile a distance that corresponds to a calculated distance to the selected target, said method comprising:

using an optical range finder to determine a calculated distance to the selected target, said optical range finder including an optical emitter for sending an optical signal to the selected target and an optical detector for detecting the signal reflected from the selected target;

calculating, using a computer based processor, the trajectory angle based on the calculated distance;

displaying in human viewable form the calculated distance; and

displaying in human viewable form in response to manual rotation of a sight rotatably mounted on said optical range finder a ballistics distance corresponding to a degree of rotation of said sight with respect to said optical range finder so that the barrel of the firearm is aligned with the trajectory angle when the ballistics distance displayed is equal to the calculated distance displayed and the sight is directed toward the selected target.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing trajectory data associated with a plurality of firearm types for use by the computer based processor in calculating the trajectory angle;

receiving user input to select one of a selected one of the firearm types to be used by the processor in calculating the trajectory angle; and

calculating, using the computer based processor, the trajectory angle using the trajectory data associated with the selected one of the firearm types.