System and Method of Controlling Discharge of a Firearm
AssigneeTrackingpoint, Inc.
InventorsJohn Hancock Lupher, John Francis McHale
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes defining a designation point on a target within a view area of a scope coupled to a firearm and determining an angular motion deviation of a muzzle of the firearm from the designation point. The method further includes initiating firing of the firearm when the angular motion deviation is below an acceptable level.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a ballistic device including a muzzle and including a trigger mechanism and a trigger monitor and control (TMC) circuit coupled to the trigger mechanism;
- and
- an optical sighting scope coupled to the TMC circuit and mounted to the ballistic device, the optical sighting scope including a display and including a muzzle-tracking module including:
- a gyroscope;
- an image sensor;
- an inclinometer;
- and
- a microprocessor coupled to the display, the gyroscope, the image sensor, and the inclinometer, the microprocessor configured to track a muzzle position of the muzzle and to provide a reticle within a field of view provided to the display when an orientation of the ballistic device is substantially horizontal.
The apparatus of claim of 4, wherein after determining the range, the microprocessor determines bullet ballistics and muzzle incline/decline and automatically repositions the reticle in the field-of-view based on the range, the bullet ballistics, wind and the muzzle incline/decline.
An apparatus comprising:
- a ballistic device including a muzzle and including a trigger mechanism and a trigger monitor and control (TMC) circuit coupled to the trigger mechanism, the TMC circuit configured to resist a trigger pull with a selected one of a first trigger pull force and a second trigger pull force that is greater than the first trigger pull force;
- and
- an optical sighting scope coupled to the TMC circuit and mounted to the ballistic device, the optical sighting scope including a microprocessor and a muzzle-tracking module, the microprocessor configured to track a deviation of a muzzle position of the muzzle relative to a designated dot on a selected target and to selectively control the TMC circuit to apply:
- the first trigger pull force when the deviation is less than a threshold;
- and
- the second trigger pull force when the deviation is greater than the threshold.
The apparatus of claim of 14, wherein after determining the range, the microprocessor determines bullet ballistics and muzzle incline/decline and automatically repositions the reticle in the field-of-view based on the range, the bullet ballistics, wind and the muzzle incline/decline.
A method comprising:
- capturing, using an image sensor of an optical sighting scope coupled to a ballistic device, optical data of a view area of the optical sighting scope;
- tracking an aim point of a muzzle of the ballistic device using a muzzle-tracking module of the optical sighting scope;
- determining a deviation of the aim point from a designation dot on a target within the view area using a microprocessor of the optical sighting scope;
- and
- selectively communicating a signal from the optical sighting scope to a trigger assembly of the ballistic device to selectively adjust a resistance to a trigger pull based on the deviation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.