Combination video and optical sight

Abstract

A sight system is provided that includes an optical mode providing an optical image of a field of view and a video display mode providing video of the field of view acquired by an image sensor. The sight system can include optical components configured to present the field of view to the image sensor and to present substantially the field of view to a user through an eyepiece coupled to the sight system. The sight system can include a display configured to display to the user, through the eyepiece, video of the field of view acquired by the image sensor. The sight system can include a user interface feature configured to change from the optical mode to the video display mode when actuated by the user. Thus, the sight system can be configured to provide bore-sighted optical and video data to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sight system configured to provide a bore-sighted optical view and a bore-sighted video view to a user, the sight system comprising:
 a housing;   an image sensor supported within the housing;   a display supported within the housing, the display operably coupled to an output of the image sensor to display video acquired with the image sensor;   a front end optical system supported within the housing, the front end optical system configured to generate a real image of a field of view at a front end image location in the housing;   an adjustable reticle positioned at the front end image location in the housing, the adjustable reticle configured to be positionable within the housing;   an eyepiece optical system configured to provide to a user an optical image of the real image of the field of view of the front end optical system;   an optical redirection element configured to be positionable between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system on an image side of the adjustable reticle;   a relay optical system configured to:
 relay the real image of the field of view of the front end optical system to the image sensor, and 
 form an image of the adjustable reticle at the image sensor; 
   wherein, in a direct-view configuration, the optical redirection element is positioned so as to not redirect an optical path between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system thereby providing an optical view of the real image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle, and   wherein, in a display-view configuration, the optical redirection element is positioned to redirect at least a portion of light from the front end optical system to the relay optical system so that the image sensor acquires video of the real image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle.   
     
     
         2 . The sight system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to include a rail system for attaching a peripheral imaging, sensor, pointing, or illuminating module to the sight system. 
     
     
         3 . The sight system of  claim 2 , wherein the rail system further includes a non-contact optical connector configured to couple optical signals between an attached module and the sight system. 
     
     
         4 . The sight system of  claim 3 , wherein the display is further configured to display information from a peripheral module attached to the rail system, where information from the attached peripheral module is received through the non-contact optical connector. 
     
     
         5 . The sight system of  claim 2 , wherein the rail system further includes an electrical connector configured to couple electrical signals between an attached module and the sight system. 
     
     
         6 . The sight system of  claim 1 , wherein the sight system weighs less than or equal to about 2 lbs. 
     
     
         7 . The sight system of  claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to acquire infrared light. 
     
     
         8 . The sight system of  claim 7 , wherein the image sensor is configured to acquire short wave infrared light. 
     
     
         9 . The sight system of  claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a low light level CMOS sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The sight system of  claim 1 , wherein a field of view of the front end optical system is at least about 2 degrees and less than or equal to about 20 degrees. 
     
     
         11 . The sight system of  claim 10 , wherein a field of view of the eyepiece optical system is at least about 15 degrees and less than or equal to about 40 degrees. 
     
     
         12 . The sight system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical redirection element comprises a variable beamsplitter. 
     
     
         13 . The sight system of  claim 1 , wherein, in the display-view configuration, the optical redirection element is further configured to provide a view of the display through the eyepiece optical system to provide a view of video acquired with the image sensor comprising the real image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle. 
     
     
         14 . A method of providing a bore-sighted optical view and a bore-sighted video to a user, the method comprising:
 forming a real image of a field of view at a front end image location in a housing using a front end optical system supported within the housing;   positioning an adjustable reticle at the front end image location in the housing;   forming an optical image of the field of view of the front end optical system using an eyepiece optical system;   selectively redirecting an optical axis using an optical redirection element configured to be positionable between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system on an image side of the adjustable reticle by:
 in a direct-view configuration, adjusting a position of the optical redirection element so as to not redirect an optical path between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system thereby providing an optical view of the field of view with the adjustable reticle; and 
 in a display-view configuration, adjusting a position of the optical redirection element to redirect at least a portion of light from the front end optical system to the relay optical system so that the image sensor acquires video of the optical image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle; and 
   relaying the optical image of the field of view of the front end optical system to an image sensor using a relay optical system.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising, in the display-view configuration, providing an optical path from the display through the eyepiece optical system using the optical redirection element to provide a view of video acquired with the image sensor comprising the real image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising receiving optical signals through a non-contact optical connector configured to couple optical signals between an attached module and the sight system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising receiving electrical signals through an electrical connector configured to couple electrical signals between an attached module and the sight system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the image sensor is configured to acquire infrared light. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the image sensor is a focal plane array. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the image sensor is configured to acquire visible light.