Precision engagement system

A weapon control system including:

• an operator station having;
• a first input receiving data from a first camera mounted on a first gimbal mount;
• a second input receiving data from a second camera providing an indication of a direction in which a weapon is aimed, the weapon being mounted on a second gimbal, the second gimbal mount being physically displaced relative to the first gimbal mount in at least one direction;
• a data storage storing a plurality of offset values corresponding to a difference in the orientation of the first camera from the orientation of the weapon that accounts for the physical displacement of the first camera relative to the weapon to permit both the first camera and the weapon to be aimed at a common point, the offset values being dynamic values that differ through a range of possible orientations of the first camera;
• a display showing data feed from the first camera and the second camera;
• an output that communicates instructions to cause motion of the weapon in response to motion of the first camera;
• and
• a correction controller that when acted upon by a user causes data to be communicated to the output to cause movement of the weapon independently of movement of the first camera to alter at least one offset value, the alteration generating a revised offset value such that subsequent movement of the first camera causes motion in the weapon that is at least partially dependent upon the revised offset amount, wherein the revised offset value causes increased alignment of the first and second aim points of the first and second cameras towards a user defined or variably selectable common convergence point target.

A method of operating a weapons system including:

• obtaining a system having:
• an input operable to receive a signal from a first camera on a first gimbal providing an indication of the directional aim of the first camera;
• an input operable to receive a signal from a second camera on a second gimbal providing an indication of the directional aim of the second camera, the second camera being offset from the first camera in at least one direction;
• an input operable to receive a signal descriptive of an orientation of the first gimbal;
• an output operable to supply a control signal to change the orientation of the second gimbal;
• a storage medium storing information regarding a plurality of orientations of the second gimbal that cause the second camera to be aimed at the same location as the first camera for a plurality of respective orientations of the first camera;
• and
• a display showing the signal of the first camera and the signal of the second camera;
• viewing the signals of the first and second camera by a user;
• interacting with an interface, by the user viewing the signals of the first and second camera, to cause the second camera to move its aim to provide a closer convergence point or first and second camera aim point correlation between where the first camera is aimed and where the second camera is aimed to produce an adjusted correlation between the first camera and the second camera;
• and
• saving data regarding the adjusted correlation such that subsequent movement of the first camera causes a movement of the second camera that is at least partially based on the adjusted correlation.

A system including:

• a first camera mounted on a first gimbal mount;
• a first visual feedback mechanism providing feedback regarding the orientation of the first camera on the first gimbal, the first visual feedback mechanism being hardware operable to receive a signal from the first camera and provide the signal to a device proximate a user;
• a projectile launching device mounted on a second gimbal mount, the second gimbal mount being physically displaced relative to the first gimbal mount in at least one direction;
• a second camera providing feedback regarding the orientation of the projectile launching device on the second gimbal mount including providing an indication of where the projectile launching device is aimed;
• the orientation of the first camera differing from the orientation of the projectile launching device by a correction amount, the correction amount being a dynamic value that differs through a range of possible orientations of the first camera;
• a gimbal controller that determines motion of the first camera and communicates instructions to cause motion of the projectile launching device that is responsive to the motion of the first camera;
• a correction controller including a display that displays signals from the first visual feedback mechanism and the second feedback mechanism simultaneously to permit the user to determine a correspondence between the orientation of the first device and the aim of the projectile launching device, the correction controller having an input that when acted upon by the user causes movement of the projectile launching device independently of movement of the first camera to alter the correction amount to a revised correction amount such that subsequent movement of the first camera causes motion in the projectile launching device that is at least partially dependent upon the revised correction amount so as to align aim of the first and second cameras towards a common user selectable common convergence point or target displayed within the display, the correction controller being operable to receive input from the user to cause improved correspondence between the orientation of the first camera and the aim of the projectile launching device;
• and
• a database, the database storing data indicating a correlation between orientations of the first and second cameras.