Shot tracking and feedback system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10746512-B2
Application number	US-201715849005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A shot tracking and feedback system is disclosed that uses a camera to track a shot fired from a weapon and a moving target, such as a clay target. Radar may be used in conjunction with the camera to track the shot and the moving target. Tracking the moving target and the shot allows for determination of the paths of the shot and the target to determine and provide performance feedback, such as whether the shot was above or below the target and/or to the left or right of the target. The performance feedback and additional information may be provided on a display of the system or a user device having a display (e.g., watch, smartphone, etc.). A user may utilize the presented information to improve shooting accuracy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shot tracking and feedback system comprising:
a display;
a radar transmitter configured to output radar signals in a radar sensor field, and a plurality of radar receivers each configured to receive reflected radar signals from the radar sensor field;
a camera configured to collect images of a moving target in a field of view;
a memory configured to store a plurality of images received from the camera;
a processing system communicatively coupled with the memory, the processing system configured to:
determine a location of the shot at a plurality of instants of time based on the reflected radar signals received by the radar receivers,
determine a location of the moving target at the plurality of instants of time based on the stored images, and
control the display to present a shot image including the determined locations of the shot and the moving target.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined locations of the shot and the moving target included in the shot image correspond to one of the plurality of instant of time when the shot and the moving target are substantially equal distances from the camera.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine whether the moving target breaks into at least two pieces based on the stored images, and identify a successful strike for the shot when the moving target is determined to break into at least two pieces.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shot comprises a plurality of pellets, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a plurality of locations of the plurality of pellets, and wherein the shot image further includes the plurality of locations of the pellets.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a first distance from the shot to a radar transmitter, and determine a second distance from the moving target to the camera, wherein the determined locations of the shot and the moving target included in the shot image correspond to an instant of time when the first distance is substantially equal to the second distance.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a trajectory of the moving target based on the determined locations of the moving target at the plurality of instants of time, and to determine a trajectory of the shot based on the determined locations of the shot at the plurality of instants of time.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processing system is further configured to identify an intersecting point of the trajectory of the shot and the trajectory of the moving target, determine a first instant of time when the trajectory of the shot is located at the intersecting point, determine a second instant of time when the trajectory of the moving target is located at the intersecting point, and identify a successful strike for the shot when the first instant of time is substantially equal to the second instant of time.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of radar antenna elements, each radar antenna element electrically coupled to the radar transmitter or one of the plurality of radar receivers.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an inertial measurement unit (IMU) wirelessly coupled to the processing system and secured to a gun from which the shot is fired, wherein the IMU comprises a motion sensor configured to collect motion data corresponding to movement of the IMU and transmit the motion data to the processing system, and
wherein the processing system is further configured to identify movements associated with the shot based on the received motion data.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store a width of the moving target, a velocity of the moving target, a color of the moving target, and a distance to a location from which the moving target originated.

11. A shot tracking and feedback system comprising:
an optical subsystem comprising a camera configured to collect images of a moving target in a field of view;
a radar subsystem comprising a radar transmitter configured to output radar signals in a radar sensor field, and a plurality of receivers configured to collect reflected radar signals from the radar sensor field;
a processing system communicatively coupled with the optical subsystem and the radar subsystem, the processing system configured to:
receive the images and the reflected radar signals,
determine a location of the shot based on the reflected radar signals at a plurality of instants of time,
determine a location of the moving target based on the images at the plurality of instances of time,
determine a trajectory of the shot and a trajectory of the moving target based on the determined locations of the shot and the moving target at the plurality of instants of time, respectively, and
determine whether the shot strikes the moving target based on the determined trajectories of the shot and the moving target.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a display, and wherein the processing system is further configured to control the display to present a shot image including the determined location of the shot and the moving target.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the shot comprises a plurality of pellets, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a plurality of locations of the plurality of pellets, and wherein the shot image further includes the plurality of locations of the pellets.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a first distance from the shot to the radar transmitter, and determine a second distance from the moving target to the camera, wherein the determined locations of the shot and the moving target included in the shot image correspond to an instant of time when the first distance is substantially equal to the second distance.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing system is further configured to identify a successful strike for the shot based on the first distance and the second distance.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing system is further configured to identify an intersecting point of the trajectory of the shot and the trajectory of the moving target, determine a first instant of time when the trajectory of the shot is located at the intersecting point, determine a second instant of time when the trajectory of the moving target is located at the intersecting point, and identify a successful strike for the shot when the first instant of time is substantially equal to the second instant of time.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing system comprises a first processor associated with the optical subsystem and a second processor associated with the radar subsystem, wherein the first processor is coupled to the second processor.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first processor determines the location and the trajectory of the moving target based on the reflected radar signals and the second processor determines the location and the trajectory of the shot based on the images.

19. The system of claim 11 , further comprising an inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to collect data corresponding to movement of the weapon and wirelessly communicate with the processing system, wherein the processing system is further configured to identify movements associated with the shot based on the received motion data.

Assignees

• Garmin Switzerland Gmbh

Inventors

• Howe Jason D

Classifications

• F41G3/26

  Teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying {(shooting games A63F9/02; light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; targets therefor F41J; responders, transponders for radar, sonar, lidar G01S13/767, G01S15/74, G01S17/74)} · CPC title

• F41G3/08

  with means for compensating for speed, direction, temperature, pressure, or humidity of the atmosphere (measuring G01) · CPC title

• F41G3/06

  with rangefinder (rangefinders per se G01C) · CPC title

• F41A33/00

  Adaptations for training (adaptations of barrels for recoil reinforcement F41A21/26); Gun simulators (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26 {; shooting games A63F9/02; military simulation G09B9/003}) · CPC title

• G09B9/006 Primary

  for locating or ranging of objects · CPC title