Automatic Target Acquisition for a Firearm

Abstract

A precision guided firearm includes a sensor configured to capture data associated with at least one of a view area and a firearm. The precision guided firearm further includes a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to detect an aiming event. The controller is configured to automatically acquire a target location within location based on the orientation data in response to detecting the aiming event.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A precision guided firearm comprising:
 a sensor configured to capture orientation data associated with a firearm; and   a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to detect an aiming event and to automatically acquire a target location within location based on the orientation data in response to detecting the aiming event.   
     
     
         2 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sensor comprises an orientation/motion sensor configured to capture the orientation data to determine an aim path of the firearm over time; and   the controller is configured to determine an average aim point of the firearm and to automatically select the target location based on the average aim point.   
     
     
         3 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a trigger assembly coupled to the controller; and   wherein the controller is configured to control the trigger assembly to selectively enable discharge when an aim point of the firearm is aligned to the target location.   
     
     
         4 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the controller defines a threshold error relative to the average aim point; and   the controller selectively discharge when a difference between the aim point of the firearm and the target location is less than the threshold error.   
     
     
         5 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the controller detects a trigger pull based on signals received from the trigger assembly; and   the controller processes the orientation data in response to detecting the trigger pull.   
     
     
         6 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the controller detects the aiming event when variation of the aim point is less than a threshold variation for a period of time. 
     
     
         7 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an optical sensor coupled to the controller and configured to capture optical data associated with a field of view including the aim point; and   wherein the controller is configured to determine boundaries of an object in the optical data that corresponds to the average aim point and to refine the target location to an adjusted location within the boundaries of the object.   
     
     
         8 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 7 , wherein the optical sensor comprises a single pixel camera configured to capture image data corresponding to the view area. 
     
     
         9 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a thermal sensor coupled to the controller and configured to capture thermal data corresponding to the view area of the firearm; and   wherein the controller is configured to process the thermal data to detect a foreground object corresponding to the average aim point and to refine the target location to an adjusted location at a center of the foreground object.   
     
     
         10 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flash light detection and ranging circuit coupled to the controller and configured to illuminate a view area and to detect foreground objects within the view area based on reflected light; and   wherein the controller is configured to refine the target location to an adjusted location at a center of one of the foreground objects that corresponds to the target location.   
     
     
         11 . The precision guided firearm of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one camera configured to capture two different views of a view area of the firearm; and   a controller configured to process the two different views to detect at least one foreground object within the view area based on relative displacement of the object within the images and to automatically refine the target location to a center of the foreground object.   
     
     
         12 . A firearm comprising:
 a sensor circuit configured to capture orientation data corresponding to an orientation of a firearm;   a controller coupled to the sensor circuit, the controller configured to automatically select a target location in response to the orientation data.   
     
     
         13 . The firearm of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to detect an aiming event based on the orientation data over time. 
     
     
         14 . The firearm of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an average aim point from the orientation data and to automatically select the average aim point as the target location in response to detecting the aiming event. 
     
     
         15 . The firearm of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a trigger assembly coupled to the controller; and   wherein the controller is configured to determine an aim point of the firearm based on the orientation data and to control the trigger assembly to selectively enable discharge when the aim point is aligned to the target location.   
     
     
         16 . The firearm of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the sensor circuit further includes at least one of a camera and an optical ranging circuit configured to capture light associated with a view area of the firearm, and   the controller is configured to adjust the target location based on the captured light.   
     
     
         17 . A method of automatically acquiring a target for a firearm, the method comprising:
 receiving orientation data from a sensor circuit corresponding to an orientation of the firearm; and   automatically selecting a target location based on the orientation data using a controller.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein automatically selecting the target location comprises:
 processing the orientation data to determine an average aim point of the firearm over a period of time; and   selecting the target within the view area in response to determining the average aim point.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising detecting an aiming event when the orientation data changes by less than a threshold amount for a period of time that exceeds a time threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 detecting a trigger pull event; and   selectively enabling a trigger assembly of a firearm in response to the trigger pull event when the orientation data indicates that a difference between the aim point and the target location is less than a threshold error.