Fire control system

A method for imaging a target, comprising:

• providing a fire control system, the fire control system comprising:
• a fixed base section having a fastener for providing a rigid connection of the fixed base section to a weapon;
• a sight assembly rotatably attached to the fixed base section and rotatable about a transverse axis which extends in a direction which is generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of a barrel of the weapon;
• the sight assembly including an optical range finder for calculating a distance to a selected target, the 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;
• the sight assembly including a camera, the camera including a zoom lens assembly and an optical sensor, the camera configured to generate an image signal representative of a target scene including the selected target;
• 2vthe zoom lens assembly including a zoom controller and zoom lens optical elements, the zoom controller configured to change a magnification of the zoom lens optical elements;
• the sight assembly including a display configured to receive the image signal representative of the target scene and display a target scene image in human-viewable form;
• a processor assembly including a processor and an associated computer readable memory encoded with executable instructions, the processor configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to receive input representative of the distance to the selected target and calculate a trajectory angle of the weapon based on the distance to the selected target whereby the weapon will launch a projectile a distance that corresponds to the distance to the selected target when the barrel of the weapon is aligned with the trajectory angle;
• the processor configured, upon execution of the executable instructions, to operate the zoom controller to change the magnification of the target scene image in proportion to a calculated distance to the selected target;
• calculating a distance to the target using the optical range finder;
• capturing a target scene image using the camera;
• generating a zoom control signal;
• and
• changing the magnification of the target scene image on the display in response to the distance to the target by controlling a position of the zoom optical elements in the zoom lens assembly.