Variable reticle for optical sighting devices responsive to optical magnification adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9429745-B2
Application number	US-201213564594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2012
Priority date	Aug 2, 2011
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. 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.

2. The optical sighting device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller continuously adjusts the actual size of at least a portion of the set of multiple marks at the front focal plane in response to the signal indicating continuous adjustments of the optical magnification.

3. The optical sighting device of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic display facing a beam combiner disposed proximate the first focal plane.

4. The optical sighting device of claim 3 , further comprising an aiming dot marked on a surface of the beam combiner.

5. The optical sighting device of claim 3 , wherein the electronic display includes a pixel array for producing the set of multiple marks.

6. The optical sighting device of claim 3 , wherein the electronic display includes an OLED pixel array.

7. The optical sighting device of claim 1 , wherein the display includes a transparent electronic display positioned in an optical path of the sighting device at the front focal plane.

8. The optical sighting device of claim 7 , wherein the transparent electronic display is pixelated.

9. The optical sighting device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an erector assembly located between the front focal plane and the eyepiece, the erector assembly operable to produce an erect image of the set of multiple marks and the distant object at a rear focal plane for viewing via the eyepiece, the erector assembly responsive to the magnification adjustment mechanism to magnify the erect image of the set of multiple marks and the distant object.

10. The optical sighting device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of an electro-mechanical digital encoder, an optical digital encoder, and a potentiometer.

11. The optical sighting device of claim 1 , wherein:
the set of multiple marks includes a plurality of marks and spaces therebetween, the marks and spaces subtending angles in an object space viewable through the eyepiece of the optical sighting device; and
the electronic controller is operable to adjust the actual size of the marks and spaces at the front focal plane such that all of the angles subtended in the object space by the marks and the spaces remain unchanged throughout a range of adjustments in the optical magnification.

12. The optical sighting device of claim 1 , 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.

13. The optical sighting device of claim 1 , wherein the display of the set of multiple marks includes a reticle.

14. The optical sighting device of claim 1 , wherein the set of multiple marks includes numbers or letters.

15. 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.

16. The optical sighting device of claim 15 , wherein the electronic controller adjusts the actual size of the set of multiple marks at the rear focal plane proportional to adjustments of the optical magnification such that the apparent size of the set of multiple marks in the field of view is changed to the same degree as the apparent size of the object in the field of view.

17. The optical sighting device of claim 15 , wherein the electronic controller continuously adjusts the actual size of at least a portion of the set of multiple marks at the rear focal plane in response to the signal indicating continuous adjustments of the optical magnification.

18. 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 ret

Assignees

• Brumfield Richard B
• Leupold & Stevens Inc

Inventors

• Brumfield Richard B

Classifications

• G02B27/36

  adjustable · CPC title

• G02B23/105 Primary

  Sighting devices with light source and collimating reflector (reflecting sights for small arms having light source F41G1/34) · CPC title

• F41G1/38

  Telescopic sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance (telescopic sights in general G02B); Supports or mountings therefor · CPC title