Precision engagement system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10101125-B2
Application number	US-201615395741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2016
Priority date	Jun 15, 2016
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A system and method having a first device mounted on a first gimbal mount; a first visual feedback associated with the first gimbal; a second device mounted on a second gimbal mount physically displaced relative to the first gimbal mount; a second visual feedback mechanism associated with the second device. The orientation of the first device differs from the orientation of the second device by a dynamic correction amount. A correction controller having input that when acted upon by a user causes movement of the second device independently of movement of the first device to alter the correction amount to a revised correction amount such that subsequent movement of the first device causes motion in the second device that is at least partially dependent upon the revised correction amount.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system including:
a first device mounted on a first gimbal mount, wherein the first device comprises a first camera that generates a video or image output having a first field of view with a first aim point defining a first axis passing through and out of the first camera within the first field of view;
a first visual feedback mechanism providing feedback regarding orientation of the first device's field of view and said aim point;
a second device formed with an interface aperture oriented along a second axis and a second camera having a second field of view and a second aim point along a third axis from the second camera, wherein the second device and the second camera are 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 visual feedback mechanism providing feedback regarding orientation of the second aim point of the second device on the second gimbal mount;
wherein the orientation of the first device's first aim point differing from the orientation of the second device's second aim point by a correction amount, the correction amount being a dynamic value that differs through a range of possible orientations of the first device;
a gimbal controller that determines motion of the first device and communicates instructions to cause motion of the second device that is responsive to the motion of the first device; and
a correction controller having input that when acted upon by a user causes movement of the second device independently of movement of the first device to alter the correction amount to a revised correction amount such that subsequent movement of the first device causes motion in the second device that is at least partially dependent upon the revised correction amount so as to align the first and second aim points of the respective first and second cameras at a user defined or variably selectable common convergence point or target within the first and second fields of view.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first visual feedback mechanism comprises hardware operable to receive a signal from the first camera and provide the signal to a device proximate the user displaying the first aim point.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises a projectile launching device.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second visual feedback mechanism comprises a display that receives and displays images from the second camera.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second visual feedback mechanism provides an indication of where the projectile launching device is aimed comprising said second aim point.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the correction controller includes 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.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the correction controller is operable to receive input from the user to cause improved correspondence between the orientation of the first device and the aim of the projectile launching device.

8. The system of claim 1 , further including a database, the database storing data indicating a correlation between orientations of the first and second devices.

9. 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.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the correction controller causes movement of the second camera allowing the user to verify that the first camera and second camera are aimed at a common element.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the data feed from the second camera displayed on the display includes a target reticle.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first camera is at least partially isolated from the weapon such that forces experienced by and generated by the weapon are at least partially isolated from the first camera.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first camera has greater resolution than the second camera.

14. 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.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the adjusted correlation produces a linked pair of positions of the first and second gimbals.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the adjusted correlation causes an adjustment in a dynamic positioning function that has an orientation o

Assignees

• Us Navy
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Conklin Scott A

Classifications

• F41G3/165

  using a TV-monitor · CPC title

• F41G3/323

  for checking the angle between the muzzle axis of the gun and a reference axis, e.g. the axis of the associated sighting device (testing alignment of axes in general G01B11/27) · CPC title

• F41G5/14 Primary

  for vehicle-borne guns · CPC title

• F41G5/26

  Apparatus for testing or checking · CPC title