Firearm trigger pull training system and methods

• US 9,151,564 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Triggermaster, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Triggermaster, Inc.
• Inventors: Baxter, Malcolm
• Primary Examiner(s): Yip, Jack
• Application Number:
  US12/908,420
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 434/11, 434/16, 434/19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/09 Auxiliary trigger devices F41A19/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/10 Triggers; Trigger mountings
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/00 Adaptations for training adaptations of barrels for recoil reinforcement F41A21/26; Gun simulators teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26 ; shooting games A63F9/02; military simulation G09B9/003
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/02 Light- or radiation-emitting guns ; Light- or radiation-sensitive guns; Cartridges carrying light emitting sources, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/57 Electronic or electric systems for feeding or loading F41B11/53 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/71 Electric or electronic control systems, e.g. for safety purposes
• 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 3/26 Teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying shooting games A63F9/02; light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; targets therefor F41J; responders, transponders for radar, sonar, lidar G01S13/767, G01S15/74, G01S17/74
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2605 using a view recording device cosighted with the gun F41G3/2616 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2655 in which the light beam is sent from the weapon to the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/02 Photo-electric hit-detector systems comprising a light-emitting device for simulating the firing of a gun F41G3/2622; detecting by optical means G01V8/10
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/08 Infrared hit-indicating systems

Abstract

A firearm training system provides a firearm body having a trigger and a position input circuit. When the trigger is pulled, the position input circuit emits a two-dimensional trigger position signal that allows monitoring of the actual two-dimensional trigger pull path taken by the trigger during the trigger pull. The trigger pull path can be displayed graphically on an electronic device in real time. In other embodiments, the information associated with the trigger position signal can be stored and can be graphically viewed after the trigger pull is complete. The system provides a way to monitor trigger pull path to determine whether the trigger has been pulled laterally. By repeatedly monitoring trigger pulls using the system, a user can train to improve trigger pull technique. Also, a motion sensing circuit disposed on the firearm body can measure movement of the firearm body during the trigger pull, and a barrel displacement indicator can be graphically and numerically displayed on the electronic device corresponding to the actual barrel displacement. A method of providing firearm user input information to a user is also provided.

Claims

1. A firearm training system for graphically indicating a two-dimensional trigger pull path of a firearm trigger to a user, the system comprising:

a firearm body;

a trigger on the firearm body, the trigger moveable relative to the firearm body along a two-dimensional trigger pull path, the trigger moveable in at least two dimensions including a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis during a trigger pull;

a position input circuit disposed on the firearm body, the position input circuit including at least one position sensor, the position input circuit operative to sense two-dimensional movement of the trigger along the trigger pull path;

the position input circuit configured to generate a trigger position signal representative of the actual two-dimensional trigger pull path taken by the trigger during a trigger pull;

a display in communication with the firearm training system, the display including a first Cartesian coordinate system representative of a physical plane of the firearm training system including the at least two dimensions the trigger is moveable in during a trigger pull; and

a trigger position indicator associated with the trigger position signal graphed on the first Cartesian coordinate system on the display, the trigger position indicator representative of the actual two-dimensional trigger pull path taken by the trigger during a trigger pull.

2. The firearm training system of claim 1, wherein the trigger position indicator is plotted as a line on the display.

3. The firearm training system of claim 2, wherein the trigger position indicator includes a plurality of individual two-dimensional points connected by a line plotted on the display.

4. The firearm training system of claim 1, further comprising a microprocessor disposed on the firearm body, wherein the trigger position signal is input into the microprocessor.

5. The firearm training system of claim 4, further comprising a transceiver disposed on the firearm body, the transceiver operable to transmit a signal wirelessly from the microprocessor to the display.

6. The firearm training system of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensing circuit disposed on the firearm body, the motion sensing circuit configured to detect motion of the firearm body relative to a fixed reference frame.

7. The firearm training system of claim 6, wherein the fixed reference frame is a gravitational vector.

8. The firearm training system of claim 6, wherein the motion sensing circuit emits a firearm motion signal representative of movement of the firearm body.

9. The firearm training system of claim 8, wherein the firearm motion signal corresponds to linear translation of the firearm body.

10. The firearm training system of claim 9, wherein the firearm motion signal also corresponds to rotational motion of the firearm body.

11. The firearm training system of claim 8, further comprising a barrel displacement indicator associated with the firearm motion signal graphed on the display, the barrel displacement indicator representative of actual movement of the firearm body in at least two dimensions relative to the fixed reference frame.

12. The firearm training system of claim 11, further comprising a second Cartesian coordinate system shown on the display, the second Cartesian coordinate system representative of a physical plane of the firearm training system including at least two dimensions along which the firearm body may travel relative to the fixed reference frame.

13. The firearm training system of claim 12, wherein the barrel displacement indicator is graphed on the second Cartesian coordinate system on the display.