Thermal gunsights

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022011074-A1
Application number	US-202117364247-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 30, 2021
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gunsight for aiming a firearm may comprise a display and an eyepiece optic positioned rearward of the display for allowing a user to view the display through the eyepiece optic and a motion sensing module. The eyepiece optic may comprise one or more eyepiece lenses. Circuitry of the gunsight is operatively coupled to the microbolometer and the display. The circuitry may comprise one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more instruction sets. In some embodiments, the one or more instruction sets include instructions configured to be executed by the one or more processors to receive a stream of motion signals from the motion sensing module and display an image to the user in response to the stream of motion signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gunsight for aiming a firearm, the firearm having a barrel defining a bore, the bore extending along a bore axis, the bore axis extending in a forward direction and a rearward direction, the gunsight comprising:
an imaging sensor; an objective optic positioned forward of the imaging sensor for focusing electromagnetic waves on the imaging sensor, the objective optic comprising one or more objective lenses; a display and an eyepiece optic positioned rearward of the display for allowing a user to view the display through the eyepiece optic, the eyepiece optic comprising one or more eyepiece lenses; circuitry operatively coupled to the imaging sensor and the display, wherein the circuitry comprises one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more instruction sets, wherein the one or more instruction sets include instructions configured to be executed by the one or more processors to cause the gunsight to:
capture image signals with the imaging sensor, the image signals corresponding to a first field of view, the first field of view having a first area;
display an image, the image corresponding to a second field of view, the second field of view having a second area, the first area being greater than the second area;
analyze the image signals from the imaging sensor and identify one or more heat signatures located inside the first field of view and outside of the second field of view; and
display an icon superimposed on the first image, the icon being displayed at an icon position, the icon position being selected based on a location of a selected one of the one or more heat signatures located inside the first field of view and outside of the second field of view.

2 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is closer to the first field of view than at least one other of the one or more heat signatures.

3 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is closer to the first field of view than all of the other one or more heat signatures.

4 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the icon position is located in an upper right quadrant of the first image if the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is located forward and starboard of the reference heat signature.

5 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the icon position is located in an upper left quadrant of the first image if the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is located forward and portward of the reference heat signature.

6 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the icon position is located in a lower right quadrant of the first image if the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is located rearward and starboard of the reference heat signature.

7 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the icon position is located in a lower left quadrant of the first image if the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is located rearward and portward of the reference heat signature.

8 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the icon position is located proximate a right edge of the first image if the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is located starboard of the reference heat signature.

9 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the icon position is located proximate a left edge of the first image if the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is located portward of the reference heat signature.

10 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the icon position is located proximate an upper edge of the first image if the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is located forward of the reference heat signature.

11 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the icon position is located proximate a lower edge of the first image if the selected one of the one or more heat signatures is located rearward of the reference heat signature.

12 . The gunsight of claim 1 wherein the icon is a direction indicating shape.

13 . A gunsight for aiming a firearm, the firearm having a barrel defining a bore, the bore extending along a bore axis, the bore axis extending in a forward direction and a rearward direction, the gunsight comprising:
an imaging sensor; an objective optic positioned forward of the imaging sensor for focusing electromagnetic waves on the imaging sensor, the objective optic comprising one or more objective lenses; a display and an eyepiece optic positioned rearward of the display for allowing a user to view the display through the eyepiece optic, the eyepiece optic comprising one or more eyepiece lenses; circuitry operatively coupled to the imaging sensor and the display, wherein the circuitry comprises one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more instruction sets, wherein the one or more instruction sets include instructions configured to be executed by the one or more processors to cause the gunsight to:
capture image signals with the imaging sensor, the image signals corresponding to a first field of view, the first field of view having a first area;
display an image, the image corresponding to a second field of view, the second field of view having a second area, the first area being greater than the second area;
analyze the image signals from the imaging sensor and identify one or more heat signatures located inside the first field of view and outside of the second field of view; and
display an icon superimposed on the first image, the icon providing a directional indication of the location of a selected one of the one or more heat signatures located inside the first field of view and outside of the second field of view.

14 . The gunsight of claim 13 wherein the icon points in the direction of the selected one of the one or more heat signatures located inside the first field of view and outside of the second field of view.

15 . The gunsight of claim 14 , wherein the icon is a direction indicating shape.

16 . The gunsight of claim 15 , wherein the icon is an arrow or a chevron.

17 . The gunsight of claim 13 , wherein the icon is displayed at an icon position, the icon position being selected based on a location of a selected one of the one or more heat signatures located inside the first field of view and outside of the second field of view.

18 . A method comprising:
providing a gunsight comprising a processor, an imaging sensor and a display; receiving, with the processor, image signals from the imaging sensor, the image signals corresponding to a first field of view, the first field of view having a first area; displaying an image on a display, the image corresponding to a second field of view, the second field of view having a second area, the first area being greater than the second area; analyzing the image signals with the processor and identifying one or more heat signatures located inside the first field of view and outside of the second field of view; displaying, on the display, an icon superimposed on the first image, the icon providing a directional indication of a location of a selected one of the one or more heat signatures located inside the first field of view and outside of the second field of view.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the icon providing a directional indication comprises selecting the icon position based on the position of the selected one of the one or more heat signatures relative to the reference heat signature.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the icon pro

Assignees

• Bushnell Inc

Inventors

• Chavez Alejandro

Classifications

• H04N23/23

  from thermal infrared radiation · CPC title

• F41G3/165 Primary

  using a TV-monitor · CPC title

• F41G1/345 Primary

  for illuminating the sights · CPC title

• F41G1/32

  Night sights, e.g. luminescent {(optical aspects of sighting devices G02B23/00, G02B27/00)} · CPC title

• F41G3/08

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