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US 9,429,745 B2Granted
Variable reticle for optical sighting devices responsive to optical magnification adjustment
AssigneeLeupold & Stevens, Inc.
InventorRichard B. Brumfield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical sighting device includes an electronic controller that is responsive to changes in an optical magnification of the sighting device to resize at least a portion of a reticle produced by an electronic display or other means proximate a focal plane of the sighting device. In some embodiments, the reticle is located proximate a rear focal plane of the sighting device and may be scaled by the electronic controller in concert with changes in optical magnification to simulate a front focal plane reticle. A functional pattern of the reticle may also be automatically changed at different magnification settings to provide different types of reticles, such as CQB and sniper reticles, in a single optical device.
Claims21
A variable power optical sighting device, comprising:
- an objective that produces an image of a distant object at a front focal plane;
- an eyepiece for viewing the image;
- a power-varying lens element;
- a magnification adjustment mechanism coupled to the power-varying lens element for driving the power-varying lens element to adjust an optical magnification of the image of the distant object;
- a sensor operatively associated with the magnification adjustment mechanism to produce a signal indicative of an adjustment of the optical magnification;
- a display of a set of multiple marks disposed proximate the front focal plane of the sighting device and viewable through the eyepiece in a field of view thereof superimposed upon the image of the distant object;
- and
- an electronic controller in communication with the sensor and operable, in response to the signal produced by the sensor, to adjust the actual size of at least a portion of the set of multiple marks at the front focal plane, in inverse relation to changes in optical magnification, such that the apparent size of the set of multiple marks in the field of view is unaffected by changes in the optical magnification.
5 more elements
A variable power optical sighting device, comprising:
- an objective that produces an image of a distant object at a front focal plane;
- an eyepiece for viewing the image;
- a power-varying lens element;
- a magnification adjustment mechanism coupled to the power-varying lens element for driving the power-varying lens element to adjust an optical magnification of the image of the distant object;
- a sensor operatively associated with the magnification adjustment mechanism to produce a signal indicative of an adjustment of the optical magnification;
- an erector assembly disposed between the front focal plane and the eyepiece, the erector assembly operable to produce an erect image of the distant object at a rear focal plane between the erector assembly and the eyepiece;
- and
- a display of a set of multiple marks disposed proximate the rear focal plane and viewable through the eyepiece in a field of view thereof superimposed upon the erect image of the distant object;
- an electronic controller in communication with the sensor and operable, in response to the signal produced by the sensor, to adjust the actual size of at least a portion of the set of multiple marks at the rear focal plane, and
- wherein the erector assembly is responsive to the magnification adjustment mechanism for magnifying the erect image, and the electronic controller is configured to adjust the actual size of the set of multiple marks at the rear focal plane in concert with changes in the optical magnification of the sighting device.
7 more elements
A variable power optical sighting device, comprising:
- an objective that produces an image of a distant object;
- an eyepiece for viewing the image;
- a power-varying lens element;
- a magnification adjustment mechanism coupled to the power-varying lens element for driving the power-varying lens element to adjust an optical magnification of the image of the distant object;
- a sensor operatively associated with the magnification adjustment mechanism to produce a signal indicative of an adjustment of the optical magnification, wherein the signal is indicative of multiple optical magnification settings of the optical sighting device including at least a first magnification setting and a second magnification setting greater than the first magnification setting;
- a display of a set of multiple marks disposed proximate a first focal plane of the sighting device and viewable through the eyepiece in a field of view thereof superimposed upon the image of the distant object;
- an electronic controller in communication with the sensor and operable to adjust size of at least a portion of the set of multiple marks at the first focal plane in response to the signal produced by the sensor;
- wherein the display includes an electronic reticle display in communication with the electronic controller;
- wherein the electronic controller is configured to:
- produce a first set of multiple marks arranged on the electronic reticle display to form a first reticle pattern in response to the signal indicating the first magnification setting, and
- in response to the signal indicating the second magnification setting, remove the first set of multiple marks and to produce a second set of multiple marks on the electronic reticle display to form a second reticle pattern that is distinct from the first reticle pattern.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.