Joint Firearm Training Systems and Methods

Abstract

At least one shooter-side image sensor captures images of a plurality of shooters and a plurality of respective firearms periodically fired by the shooters. At least one target-side sensor collects data indicative of projectile strikes on a target area associated with at least one target. A processing unit analyzes images captured by the shooter-side image sensor and detects projectile discharges in response to firing of the firearms, and uniquely identifies each of the shooters associated with the detected projectile discharges. The processing unit detections of projectile strikes, based on the data collected by the target-side sensor, and the detected projectile discharges and identifies, for each detected projectile strike on the target area, the correspondingly fired firearm associated with the uniquely identified shooter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for jointly training a plurality of shooters periodically firing a plurality of respective firearms, the system comprising:
 at least one shooter-side sensor arrangement including at least one shooter-side image sensor configured to capture images of the shooters;   at least one target-side sensor arrangement including at least one target-side sensor configured to collect data indicative of projectile strikes on a virtual target;   at least one image projecting unit configured to display a virtual environment on a background, the virtual environment including the virtual target; and   at least one processing unit including at least one processor operatively coupled to the image projecting unit and the sensor arrangements, at least one of the target-side sensor arrangement and the processing unit configured to detect projectile strikes on the virtual target based on the data collected by the at least one target-side sensor, and the processing unit configured to:
 analyze one or more of the images captured by the at least one shooter-side image sensor to detect projectile discharges in response to firing of the firearms by the shooters, and 
 translate detections of projectile strikes on the virtual target and the detected projectile discharges into virtual actions in the virtual environment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one image projecting unit includes a plurality of image projecting units, and wherein the at least one shooter-side sensor arrangement includes a plurality of shooter-side sensor arrangements, and wherein the at least one target-side sensor arrangement includes a plurality of target-side sensor arrangement, and wherein the at least one processing unit includes a plurality of processing units, and wherein each of the processing units is linked to a server via a wired or wireless network. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein a first one of the image projecting units, a first one of the shooter-side sensor arrangements, a first one of the target-side sensor arrangements, and a first one of the processing units are deployed together in a first geographic location, and wherein a second one of the image projecting units, a second one of the shooter-side sensor arrangements, a second one of the target-side sensor arrangements, and a second one of the processing units are deployed together in a second geographic location different from the first geographic location. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the virtual environment further includes a plurality of virtual entities, each virtual entity representing a respective shooter, and wherein the virtual actions include virtual firing actions performed by the virtual entity and virtual strikes on the virtual target. 
     
     
         5 . A system for jointly training a plurality of shooters periodically firing a plurality of respective firearms, the system comprising:
 a plurality of shooter-side image sensors including at least a first and a second shooter-side image sensor, the first shooter-side image sensor configured to capture images of a first subset of the shooters, and the second shooter-side image sensor configured to capture images of a second subset of the shooters, the first and second shooter-side image sensors being located in different geographic locations;   a plurality of target-side sensors including at least a first and a second target-side sensor, the first target-side sensor configured to collect data indicative of projectile strikes on at least one target projected as part of a shared virtual environment on a first background, the second target-side sensor configured to collect data indicative of projectile strikes on at least one target projected as part of the shared virtual environment on a second background, the first and second target-side sensors collocated with the first and second shooter-side image sensors, respectively;   a plurality of image projecting units including at least a first and a second image projecting unit, the first image projecting unit configured to display the shared virtual environment on the first background, and the second image projecting unit configured to display the shared virtual environment on the second background, and the shared virtual environment including a plurality of virtual entities, each virtual entity representing a respective shooter based on one or more images captured by the shooter-side image sensors;   a plurality of processing units including at least a first and a second processing unit, each of the processing units including at least one processor coupled to a storage medium, at least one of the first target-side sensor arrangement and the first processing unit configured to detect projectile strikes on the at least one target projected as part of the shared virtual environment on the first background based on the data collected by the first target-side sensor, at least one of the second target-side sensor arrangement and the second processing unit configured to detect projectile strikes on the at least one target projected as part of the shared virtual environment on the second background based on the data collected by the second target-side sensor, the first processing unit configured to analyze one or more of the images captured by the first shooter-side image sensor to detect projectiles discharges in response to firing of the firearms by the first subset of shooters, and the second processing unit configured to analyze one or more of the images captured by the second shooter-side image sensor to detect projectiles discharges in response to firing of the firearms by the second subset of shooter; and   a server linked to at least the first and second processing units over a wired or wireless network and configured to process the detected projectile discharges and the detections of projectile strikes on the at least one target projected as part of the shared virtual environment on the first and second backgrounds to translate the projectile discharges and the projectile strikes into shared virtual actions in the shared virtual environment.