Apparatus to Improve Aiming Accuracy for a Firearm

Abstract

The apparatus that improves aiming accuracy with manually operated firearm provides a means to support the front part of the firearm's barrel and moving the barrel in parallel with the movements of the firearm's butt. Small rotations of the firearm's muzzle are measured by high resolution angular position sensors and rectified by moving the muzzle mount of the apparatus in horizontal and vertical directions which result in rotation opposite to the measured deviation from correct aiming direction, thus preserving the orientation of the manually operated rifle parallel to desired aiming direction.

Description

[0001] The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/816,402 filed on Apr. 26, 2013. The current application filed in U.S. on Apr. 28, 2014 while Apr. 26, 2014 was on a weekend.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention generally relates to an apparatus that is used to assist in aiming a firearm. More specifically, the present invention is designed to automatically assess and correct for tremors while holding the firearm.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] When manually operating a rifle achieving high accuracy shooting requires from the marksman to manage several factors simultaneously. FIG. 2 shows those factors acting at the same time on the marksman brain and body. At first stage the shooter needs to identify the target. In real combat scenario this may be difficult if target is far away, under low light, camouflaged, etc. After identification of the target the shooter has to achieve accurate targeting by aligning the direction of the firearm projectile using open sights or optical scope attached to the rifle, red dot finder, laser pointer and so on. That constant visual confirmation that line of aiming is on the target may be also source of stress. The marksman needs to manage breathing and movement of his body and his arm which provides support at the butt of the rifle. If marksman is operating the rifle with two hands, then marksman needs to control the tremor in both hands in order to maintain correct orientation of weapon barrel. A common technique is to provide support at the front part of the weapon barrel by means of tripod or bipod. This releases the marksman from the burden of managing tremor control of the hand that would otherwise be holding the front part of the rifle. During the actual shot pulling the trigger may also introduce short small deviations of the rifle orientation resulting in inaccurate shot. In most of the real scenario timing of the actual shot is also important. As it is natural for the human brain to stay concentrated on one task at the time managing all the enumerate factors may result in significant stress on the marksman and result in inaccurate shooting.

[0004] There are numerous of proposed solutions aiming to help minimize the effect of one or another of the mentioned factors. One solution, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,045, "Active tremor control" aims to minimize the level of tremor in both hands of the person performing the shooting by utilizing inertial sensors mounted on the front part of the weapon which detects rotations of the barrel and actuators to counter react to those small rotations. While such system may minimize the effect of the hands tremor it does not solve the problem of big angular deviation from the correct aiming direction which are result from the fact the marksman holds manually usually a relatively heavy weapon. Another solution, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,157 "Weapon aiming system", utilizes mounting the weapon onto a support frame and measuring changes in orientation of the weapon with respect to the frame using angular position sensors and matching those deviations to shifts of the image of the target which is acquired via a video camera mounted on the weapon. This solution requires sophisticated image processing, which in turn makes the entire weapon assembly more expensive. In addition, targets in real scenarios may come in different forms and not always be easy to reliably identify and track by image processing technologies. A common for the existing different methods to stabilize a weapon with respect to desired orientation involve modification of the original weapon or a system incorporating the weapon and aiming stabilization technique into one device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The object of the described here invention is providing a mean to support front part of the weapon barrel, also known as muzzle, in a way similar to using bipod or tripod but actively moving that muzzle support in parallel with the butt of the weapon, which is hold by the marksman. Thus the system described in the present invention aims to eliminate rotation of the weapon with affixed muzzle due to movement of the other end of the weapon which is hold by the marksman shoulder and hand. Small rotation of the muzzle are detected by means of high resolution angular position sensors and rectified by moving the muzzle support horizontally and vertically in direction which results in rotation opposite to the measured one. The described in the invention systems aims to minimize the effect of breathing and hand tremor on aiming accuracy and thus allowing the shooter to concentrate on the other factors affecting of accurate shooting, mainly target acquisition and timing of the actual shot as illustrated on FIG. 1. The system also provides means to perform manual fine adjustments of the aiming direction. The system described in the present invention does not require modification of the weapon and does not need to be part of the weapon system. Instead a universal muzzle holder is used which can accommodate rifle barrels of different diameters. Further the system can also be used for training purposes by providing a feedback to the person operating the weapon by means of stereo audio signal which balance between two audio channels and sound frequency reflects the deviations of the orientation of the weapon barrel from desired aiming direction. This feedback can be faster to analyze by human and more sensitive than detecting the aiming errors visually even when a high magnification optical scope is used. More over the sensitivity of this audio feedback can be changed as desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle behind correcting the aiming direction of a firearm with the present invention.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the main factors acting on the user's body and brain that can affect their shooting accuracy.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the main factors acting on the user's body and brain that can affect their shooting accuracy while using the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a back perspective view of the present invention with a mounted firearm, wherein the present invention is shown with only the horizontal translation mechanism.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a back perspective view of the present invention without the mounted firearm, wherein the present invention is shown with only the horizontal translation mechanism.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a back perspective view of the present invention shown without the vertical translation mechanism, the control interface, the computer control unit, and the external-devices communication unit.

[0012] FIG. 7 is a back view of the present invention shown without the vertical translation mechanism, the control interface, the computer control unit, and the external-devices communication unit.

[0013] FIG. 8 is a back perspective view of the present invention with a mounted firearm, wherein the present invention is shown with both the horizontal translation mechanism and the vertical translation mechanism.

[0014] FIG. 9 is a back perspective view of the present invention without the mounted firearm, wherein the present invention is shown with both the horizontal translation mechanism and the vertical translation mechanism.

[0015] FIG. 10 is a back perspective view of the present invention shown without the control interface, the computer control unit, and the external-devices communication unit.

[0016] FIG. 11 is a back view of the present invention shown without the control interface, the computer control unit, and the external-devices communication unit.

[0017] FIG. 12 is electronic schematic for the control interface and the computer control unit for the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 13 is an electronic schematic between the computer control unit and the external-devices communication unit for the present invention.

[0019] FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrates the difference between two differently sized muzzles being supported by the muzzle mount for the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 14C illustrates a cone-shaped muzzle being supported by the muzzle mount for the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 15 is a muzzle being supported by the muzzle mount for the present invention, wherein the muzzle mount has rollers to guide the recoil of the firearm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0023] As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the present invention is an apparatus that is used to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm 100. The present invention is also designed to automatically correct for the user's lack of physical steadiness while handling the firearm 100. This is necessary because the firearm 100 needs to be consistently pointed in the same direction for the user to take an accurate shot with the firearm 100. The present invention mainly comprises a muzzle mount 1, a pitch axle 2, a clevis 3, a yaw axle 5, a yaw angular position sensor 6, a base plate 7, a horizontal translation mechanism 8, a computer control unit 24, and a control interface 40. The user places their firearm 100 onto the muzzle mount 1 in order to stably aim their firearm 100 at a target. The muzzle mount 1 assists the user in holding their firearm 100 steady until the user shoots the target with their firearm 100. During this holding period, any small horizontal displacements 6 from the butt 102 of the firearm 100 are detected through the muzzle mount 1 if there is some angular displacement ∝ between the barrel 101 of the firearm 100 and the desired aiming direction. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the present invention will rectify the angular displacement ∝ by moving the muzzle mount 1 to keep the barrel 101 of the firearm 100 parallel to the desired aiming direction. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the muzzle mount 1 has to two V-shaped forks to hold the barrel 101 of the firearm, and these V-shaped forks are offset from each other along the muzzle mount 1 in order to effectively support the barrel 101 of the firearm 100.

[0024] The general configuration of these components allows the present invention to compensate and correct for small horizontal displacements 6 from the butt of the firearm. The base plate 7 is mounted onto the horizontal translation mechanism 8 and is used to support the firearm on the horizontal translation mechanism 8, which allows the horizontal translation mechanism 8 to physically move the firearm and to correct for those small horizontal displacements 6. The yaw axle 5 is positioned normal and is rotatably connected to the base plate 7, which facilitates the proper rotational movement about the yaw axis of the firearm. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the yaw axle 5 is rotatably connected to the base plate 7 by a high precision ball bearing. The yaw angular position sensor 6 is operatively mounted between the yaw axle 5 and the base plate 7 in order to track the rotation of the yaw axle 5 in real time. More specifically, the stator of the yaw angular position sensor 6 is affixed to the base plate 7, and the rotor of yaw angular position sensor 6 is axially connected to the yaw axle 5. In the preferred embodiment, the yaw angular position sensor 6 is a high resolution quadrature incremental rotary pulse encoder. The clevis 3 is a U-shaped axle mount that is used to support the pitch axle 2, which facilitates the proper rotational movement about the pitch axis of the firearm. Thus, the pitch axle 2 is rotatably connected across the clevis 3. In the preferred embodiment, the rotatable connection between the pitch axle 2 and the clevis 3 is made by a set of high precision ball bearings. In addition, the pitch axle 2 is connected through the muzzle mount 1 and is oriented in such a way that the aiming axis for the muzzle mount 1 is positioned perpendicular to the pitch axle 2. The aiming axis is the direction that the firearm will be aiming towards when the barrel of the firearm is placed into the muzzle mount 1. The computer control unit 24 is used to manage the calculations needed to correct for those small horizontal displacements 6. Thus, the control interface 40 and the yaw angular position sensor 6 are communicably coupled to the computer control unit 24 as input devices. The control interface 40 allows a user to input adjustments to the horizontal positioning of the firearm. In addition, a horizontal actuator 12 for the horizontal translation mechanism 8 is communicably coupled to the computer control unit 24 as an output device. The horizontal actuator 12 drives the horizontal translation mechanism 8 to reposition the firearm according the computations provided by the computer control unit 24.

[0025] The horizontal translation mechanism 8 allows the present invention to smoothly and stably move the firearm from side to side, which is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the horizontal translation mechanism 8 further comprises a plurality of horizontal rods 9, a plurality of horizontal linear bearings 10, and a plurality of upright bases 11. The plurality of upright bases 11 is the structural support for the rest of the horizontal translation mechanism 8. Moreover, the plurality of upright bases 11 is offset from each other so that the plurality of horizontal rods 9 can be positioned normal and be connected in between the plurality of upright bases 11. The plurality of horizontal rods 9 is used to restrict the movement of the firearm only along the horizontal direction. The base plate 7 is slidably mounted onto the plurality of horizontal rods 9 by the plurality of horizontal linear bearings 10, which facilitates the movement of the firearm in the horizontal direction. In addition, the plurality of horizontal rods 9 is evenly distributed across the base plate 7 so that the horizontal translation mechanism 8 can evenly support the weight of the firearm and other parts of the present invention. In order to drive the horizontal translation mechanism 8, the horizontal actuator 12 is operatively mounted between the base plate 7 and the pair of upright bases 11, which allows the horizontal actuator 12 to steadily move the base plate 7 along the plurality of horizontal rods 9.

[0026] The horizontal actuator 12 needs to able to steadily move the firearm in the horizontal direction so that the horizontal translation mechanism 8 can make precise movements in order to correct for those small horizontal displacements δ. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the horizontal actuator 12 comprises a horizontal threaded receiver 13, a horizontal threaded shaft 14, and a horizontal motor 15. The horizontal motor 15 provides the mechanical motion that is used by the horizontal actuator 12 to drive the movement of the horizontal translation mechanism 8. In some embodiments of the present invention, the horizontal motor 15 is a stepper motor, which further allows the horizontal actuator 12 to drive the precise movements of the horizontal translation mechanism 8. A stator of the horizontal motor 15 is affixed to the pair of upright bases 11, and a rotor of the horizontal motor 15 axially connects to the horizontal threaded shaft 14. In addition, the horizontal threaded receiver 13 is connected onto the base plate 7 so that the horizontal threaded receiver 13 can be engaged by the horizontal threaded shaft 14. The engagement between the horizontal threaded receiver 13 and the horizontal threaded shaft 14 allows the horizontal actuator 12 to transform the rotational motion of the horizontal motor 15 into precise linear movements. In addition, the horizontal threaded shaft 14 is positioned parallel to the plurality of horizontal rods 9 so that those precise linear movements are made in the same direction along the plurality of horizontal rods 9.

[0027] As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the control interface 40 allows the user to manually control for the present invention. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control interface 40 comprises a horizontal control 41 and a start/stop control 42. The horizontal control 41 allows the user to adjust the horizontal position of the firearm along the plurality of horizontal rods 9. Typically, the horizontal control 41 implements a low resolution rotary encoder in order to detect the desired horizontal position that the user inputs onto the horizontal control 41. For example, the low resolution rotary encoder would detect the rotation of a knob being used as the horizontal control 41 and would send a signal to the computer control unit 24 indicating whether the firearm should be moved in one horizontal direction or the opposite horizontal direction. In addition, the start/stop control 42 allows the user to start and stop the counters that keep track of the angular position for various rotating objects within the present invention.

[0028] The computer control unit 24 requires a set of electronic logic modules in order to receive the information from the yaw angular position sensor 6 and the horizontal control 41, to process that information, to compute positional adjustments, and to output those positional adjustments to the horizontal actuator 12. The computer control unit 24 comprises a yaw angle decoder 25, a yaw counter 26, a yaw comparator 27, a horizontal correction counter 30, a horizontal actuator driver 31, and a yaw counter analog and digital interface (YCADI) unit 32, all of which are shown in FIG. 12. The yaw angle decoder 25 is used to process the signals from the yaw angular position sensor 6, and, thus, the yaw angular position sensor 6 is electronically connected to the yaw angle decoder 25. If the yaw angle decoder 25 analyzes a signal from the yaw angular position sensor 6 that indicates a change in the angular position for the yaw axle 5, then the yaw angle decoder 25 will proportionately increment or decrement the yaw counter 26. Whether the yaw counter 26 is incremented or decremented by the yaw angle decoder 25 depends on the direction of the change in the angular position for the yaw axle 5. Consequently, the yaw angle decoder 25 needs to be electronically connected to the yaw counter 26. The YCADI unit 32 is used to generate a horizontal deviation signal that indicates the yaw axle 5 has been unintentionally rotated, and, thus, the yaw counter 26 is electronically connected to YCADI unit 32.

[0029] In addition, the horizontal control 41 is electronically connected to the horizontal correction counter 30, which is used to keep track of the desired horizontal position that is indicated by the horizontal control 41. The horizontal control 41 proportionately increments or decrements the horizontal correction counter 30 based on the magnitude and the direction of the change for the desired horizontal position. The horizontal correction counter 30 and the yaw counter 26 are electronically junctioned at the yaw comparator 27 so that the yaw comparator 27 can compare the value of the horizontal correction counter 30 to the value of the yaw counter 26. If the yaw comparator 27 determines that the value of the horizontal correction counter 30 is the same as the value of the yaw counter 26, then the computer control unit 24 will not activate the horizontal actuator 12. However, if the yaw comparator 27 determines that the value of the horizontal correction counter 30 is not the same as the value of the yaw counter 26, then the computer control unit 24 will activate the horizontal actuator 12 through the horizontal actuator driver 31. Thus, the yaw comparator 27 is electronically connected to the horizontal actuator driver 31, and the horizontal actuator driver 31 is electronically connected to the horizontal actuator 12, which allows the computer control unit 24 to determine corrections and perform adjustments on the horizontal position of the firearm.

[0030] In some embodiments, the present invention also provides the means to correct any small vertical displacements from the butt of the firearm, which occurs from some angular displacement between the barrel of the firearm and the desired aiming direction. In order to correct for small vertical displacements, the present invention further comprises a pitch angular position sensor 4 and a vertical translation mechanism 16, which are illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. The vertical translation mechanism 16 is used to physically move the firearm and to correct for those small vertical displacements. The horizontal translation mechanism 8 is mounted into the vertical translation mechanism 16, which allows the vertical translation mechanism 16 to adjust the vertical position of the firearm through the rest of the present invention. The pitch angular position sensor 4 is operatively mounted between the pitch axle 2 and the clevis 3 in order to track the rotation of the pitch axle 2 in real time. More specifically, the stator of the pitch angular position sensor 4 is affixed to the clevis 3, and the rotor of pitch angular position sensor 4 is axially connected to the pitch axle 2. In the preferred embodiment, the pitch angular position sensor 4 is a high resolution quadrature incremental rotary pulse encoder. The computer control unit 24 is further used to manage the calculations needed to correct for the small vertical displacements. Thus, the pitch angular position sensor 4 is communicably coupled to the computer control unit 24 as another input device. The control interface 40 can also be designed to allow the user to input adjustments to the vertical positioning of the firearm. In addition, at least one vertical actuator 20 for the vertical translation mechanism 16 is communicably coupled to the computer control unit 24 as an output device. The vertical actuator 20 drives the vertical translation mechanism 16 to reposition the firearm according the computations provided by the computer control unit 24.

[0031] Similar to the horizontal translation mechanism 8, the vertical translation mechanism 16 allows the present invention to smoothly and stably move the firearm up and down, which can be seen in FIGS. 9, 10, and 11. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vertical translation mechanism 16 further comprises a plurality of vertical rods 17, a plurality of vertical linear bearings 18, and a bottom base 19. The bottom base 19 is the structural support for the rest of the vertical translation mechanism 16 and for rest of the present invention. The plurality of vertical rods 17 is connected normal to the bottom base 19 and is used to guide the movement of the firearm only along the vertical direction. The pair of upright bases 11 is slidably mounted onto the plurality of vertical rods 17 by the plurality of vertical linear bearings 18, which facilitates the movement of the firearm in the vertical direction. In addition, the plurality of vertical rods 17 is evenly distributed along the pair of upright bases 11 so that the vertical translation mechanism 16 can evenly support the weight of the firearm and other parts of the present invention. In order to drive the vertical translation mechanism 16, the vertical actuator 20 is operatively mounted between the pair of upright bases 11 and the bottom base 19, which allows the vertical actuator 20 to steadily move the pair of upright bases 11 along the plurality of vertical rods 17. In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the pair of upright bases 11 has its own vertical actuator 20, both of which would have to work in unison to evenly change the vertical position of the firearm.

[0032] Similar to the horizontal actuator 12, the vertical actuator 20 needs to able to steadily move the firearm in the vertical direction so that the vertical translation mechanism 16 can make precise movements in order to correct for those small vertical displacements. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vertical actuator 20 comprises a vertical threaded receiver 21, a vertical threaded shaft 22, and a vertical motor 23, all of which are depicted in FIG. 11. The vertical motor 23 provides the mechanical motion that is used by the vertical actuator 20 to drive the movement of the vertical translation mechanism 16. In some embodiment of the present invention, the vertical motor 23 is a stepper motor, which further allows the vertical actuator 20 to drive the precise movements of the vertical translation mechanism 16. A stator of the vertical motor 23 is affixed to the bottom base 19, and a rotor of the vertical motor 23 axially connects to the vertical threaded shaft 22. Furthermore, the vertical threaded receiver 21 is connected onto the pair of upright bases 11 so that the vertical threaded receiver 21 can be engaged by the vertical threaded shaft 22. The engagement between the vertical threaded receiver 21 and the vertical threaded shaft 22 allows the vertical actuator 20 to transform the rotational motion of the vertical motor 23 into precise linear movements. In addition, the vertical threaded shaft 22 is positioned parallel to the plurality of vertical rods 17 so that those precise linear movements are made in the same direction along the plurality of vertical rods 17.

[0033] As can be seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, the control interface 40 allows the user to manually control for the vertical position of the firearm with the vertical translation mechanism 16. Thus, the control interface 40 further comprises an elevation control 43. Similar to the horizontal control 41, the elevation control 43 allows the user to adjust the vertical position of the firearm along the plurality of vertical rods 17. Typically, the elevation control 43 implements a low resolution rotary encoder in order to detect the desired vertical position that the user inputs onto the elevation control 43. For example, the low resolution rotary encoder would detect the rotation of a knob being used as the elevation control 43 and would send a signal to the computer control unit 24 indicating whether the firearm should be moved in an upward direction or a downward direction.

[0034] The computer control unit 24 requires an additional set of electronic logic modules in order to receive the information from the yaw angular position sensor 6 and the elevation control 43, to process that information, to compute positional adjustments, and to output those positional adjustments to the vertical actuator 23. The computer control unit 24 further comprises a pitch angle decoder 33, a pitch counter 34, a pitch comparator 35, a vertical correction counter 36, a vertical actuator driver 37, and a pitch counter analog and digital interface (PCADI) unit 38. The pitch angle decoder 33 is used to process the signals from the pitch angular position sensor 4, and, thus, the pitch angular position sensor 4 is electronically connected to the pitch angle decoder 33. If the pitch angle decoder 33 analyzes a signal from the pitch angular position sensor 4 that indicates a change in the angular position for the pitch axle 2, then the pitch angle decoder 33 will proportionately increment or decrement the pitch counter 34. Whether the pitch counter 34 is incremented or decremented by the pitch angle decoder 33 depends on the direction of the change in the angular position for the pitch axle 2. Consequently, the pitch angle decoder 33 needs to be electronically connected to the pitch counter 34. The PCADI unit 38 is used to generate a vertical deviation signal that indicates the pitch axle 2 has been unintentionally rotated, and, thus, the pitch counter 34 is electronically connected to PCADI unit 38.

[0035] In addition, the elevation control 43 is electronically connected to the vertical correction counter 36, which is used to keep track of the desired vertical position that is indicated by the elevation control 43. The elevation control 43 proportionately increments or decrements the vertical correction counter 36 based on the magnitude and the direction of the change for the desired vertical position. The vertical correction counter 36 and the pitch counter 34 are electronically junctioned at the pitch comparator 35 so that the pitch comparator 35 can compare the value of the vertical correction counter 36 to the value of the pitch counter 34. If the pitch comparator 35 determines that the value of the vertical correction counter 36 is the same as the value of the pitch counter 34, then the computer control unit 24 will not activate the vertical actuator 20. However, if the pitch comparator 35 determines that the value of the vertical correction counter 36 is not the same as the value of the pitch counter 34, then the computer control unit 24 will activate the vertical actuator 20 through the vertical actuator driver 37. Thus, the pitch comparator 35 is electronically connected to the vertical actuator driver 37, and the vertical actuator driver 37 is electronically connected to the vertical actuator 20, which allows the computer control unit 24 to determine corrections and perform adjustments on the vertical position of the firearm.

[0036] As can be seen in FIG. 13, an external-devices communication unit 44 is used to receive aiming data from the computer control unit 24 and is used to format and output the aiming data to applicable devices. Thus, the external-devices communication unit 44 needs to be communicably coupled to the to the computer control unit 24. If one of these applicable devices is a personal computer, then the external-devices communication unit 44 will include a personal-computer standard communication protocol (PCSCP) module, which serves as a data-exchanging interface between the computer control unit 24 and the personal computer. The personal computer is used to track the user's progress while aiming the firearm, which requires input data from the present invention. Thus, the YCADI unit 32, the PCADI unit 38, and a timer 39 for the computer control unit 24 are electronically connected to the PCSCP module 45. The timer 39 is used to provide time stamps for when a horizontal correction is made with the horizontal actuator 12 and to record when a vertical correction is made with the vertical actuator 20. The horizontal deviation signal, the vertical deviation signal, and the time stamps are received and analyzed by the personal computer through the PCSCP module 45 so that the user can better track their progress while aiming the firearm. In addition, if one of these applicable devices is a pair of headphones 47, the external-devices communication unit 44 will include a stereo audio signal synthesizer 46, which serves as a communication interface between the computer control unit 24 and the pair of headphones 47. The pair of headphones 47 is used to audibly alert the user if the firearm is misaligned in either the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. Consequently, the YCADI unit 32 and the PCADI unit 38 of the computer control unit 24 is electronically connected to the stereo audio signal synthesizer 46, which converts the horizontal deviation signal and the vertical deviation signal into audibly alerts that can be heard by the user through the pair of headphones 47 when the firearm is incorrectly aligned.

[0037] The present invention has a general method of use for improving the aiming accuracy for a firearm. Initially, the user supports the firearm with the muzzle mount 1 and manually points the firearm towards a target. After achieving relatively good aiming, the user starts automatic correction of the present invention from the control interface 40. When the user inputs a start command with the start/stop control 42, the computer control unit 24 resets all counters to zero. Any unintentional rotations of the yaw axle 5 or the pitch axle 2 that are respectively created by a horizontal displacement or a vertical displacement of the firearm's butt will result in the computer control unit respectively instructing the horizontal actuator 12 or the vertical actuator 20 to move the muzzle mount 1 so that the current value of the yaw counter 26 and the pitch counter 27 are kept zero. The user can perform fine adjustments of the aiming direction using the horizontal control 41 and elevation control 43. Those fine adjustments respectively change the current value of the horizontal correction counter 30 and the vertical correction counter 36. The value difference between the current value of the yaw counter 26 and the horizontal correction counter 30 is detected by the yaw comparator 27. The yaw comparator 27 will instruct the horizontal actuator 12 to move the muzzle mount 1 on the horizontal translation mechanism 8 so that the yaw counter 26 achieves same value as the horizontal correction counter 30. Similarly, the value difference between the current value of the pitch counter 34 and the vertical correction counter 36 is detected by the pitch comparator 35. The pitch comparator 35 will instruct the vertical actuator 20 to move the muzzle mount 1 on the vertical translation mechanism 16 so that the pitch counter 34 achieves same value as the vertical correction counter 36. Finally, when the user inputs a stop command with the start/stop control 42, the yaw comparator 27 and the pitch comparator 34 respectively stop sending signals to the horizontal actuator 12 and the vertical actuator 20.

[0038] The computer control unit 24 further sends information about the horizontal and vertical deviations from the initial aiming direction of the firearm and timestamp for each deviation to the external-devices communication unit 44 as shown on FIG. 13. The external-devices communication unit 44 can transmit the data to a personal computer through the PCSCP module 45 such as USB protocol.

[0039] The present invention can further be used for training of accurate aiming with the firearm. The external-devices communication unit 44 synthesizes an audio signal representing aiming deviations and which signal is sent to the pair of headphones 47. When the deviation from initial aiming direction is zero, the strength of the emitted sound from the pair of headphones is near zero and is equal for both the left speaker and the right speaker. If a horizontal aiming error is detected, the strength of the sound is increased in the corresponding channel of the stereo signal. For instance, the left speaker will play a sound if the user's shoulder has moved to the left and if the yaw axle 5 unintentionally rotates in a counter-clockwise direction, and the right speaker will play a sound if the user's shoulder has moved to the right and if the yaw axle 5 unintentionally rotates in a clockwise direction. Using increased sensitivity of the stereo balance with respect to the direction and magnitude of those horizontal deviations, the user may detect horizontal deviations in aiming direction easier than visually using open sights of the firearm or even using targeting optical scope attached to the firearm. Vertical deviations are represented by increasing strength and changing frequency of the sound. When in training mode, the horizontal actuator 12 and vertical actuator 20 do not respond to changes reported by the yaw comparator 27 and the pitch comparator 35. Using the control interface 40, the user can switch the present invention between training mode and shooting mode. When in shooting mode, the horizontal actuator 12 and vertical actuator 20 respectively respond to signals from the yaw comparator 27 and the pitch comparator 35 correcting aiming of the firearm.

[0040] At the moment the actual shot is fired, the firearm recoils jumps back towards the user's shoulder due to the recoil of the firearm, which may cause sudden chaotic change in the readings from the yaw angular position sensor 6 and the pitch angular position sensor 4. As protection from erroneous functioning of the present invention, the yaw comparator 27 and the pitch comparator 35 respectively communicates with the horizontal actuator 12 and vertical actuator 20 only if detected difference does not exceed some predefined threshold. Thus, if the user rapidly moves the firearm away from the initial target, the computer control unit 24 will automatically stop correcting the aiming direction of the firearm. Because the horizontal correction counter 30 and the vertical correction counter 36 remain unchanged until computer control device 24 is initialized again, if the user points the firearm again close to the initial aiming direction, then the present invention will automatically start correcting the firearm's orientation to the initial aiming direction. For the user, the present invention will feel like an intelligent device, which remembers and reacquire the initial target.

[0041] If the user lifts the firearm from the muzzle mount 1 without stopping the present invention, any commands to the horizontal actuator 12 and vertical actuator 20 will not result in change of the counters. This prevents the base plate 7 and the pair of upright bases 11 from hitting the boundaries of the present invention, which may cause mechanical damage to the present invention. To avoid such situations, the computer control unit 44 stops the present invention if commands to the horizontal actuator 12 and vertical actuator 20 do not respectively result in the expected change of the yaw counter 26 or the pitch counter 34 within some interval of time. Such situations may occur if the user holds firmly the firearm close to muzzle, which prevents the present invention from moving the firearm's muzzle.

[0042] FIG. 14 illustrates a universal muzzle mount, which has the two V-shaped forks. Because of the V-shape, the muzzle mount 1 can accommodate rifle barrels with different diameter as shown on FIGS. 14A and 14B. Moreover, the free rotation of the muzzle mount 1 along the yaw axle 5 is perpendicular to the firearm's barrel, which allows the muzzle mount 1 to accommodate barrels with cone shape (which is common for most rifle barrels) as shown on FIG. 14C. If diameter of the barrel is different at the point of first V-shaped fork from diameter at second V-shaped fork, the muzzle mount 1 will rotate so that both V-shaped forks will fit to the barrel diameters.

[0043] At the moment of the shot, the quick move of the firearm's barrel due to the recoil may cause mechanical shock on the present invention's mechanical assembly, mainly the muzzle mount 1 and fork holders. FIG. 15 illustrates an improved universal muzzle holder where the two plates of V-shaped forks are replaced with rollers allowing smoother travel of the firearm's barrel along the muzzle mount 1 and thus decreasing that mechanical shock.

[0044] Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm comprises: a muzzle mount; a pitch axle; a clevis; a yaw axle; a yaw angular position sensor; a base plate; a horizontal translation mechanism; a computer control unit; a control interface; said yaw axle being positioned normal and being rotatably connected to said base plate; said yaw angular position sensor being operatively mounted between said yaw axle and said base plate; said clevis being connected onto said yaw axle, offset from said base plate; said pitch axle being rotatably connected across said clevis; said pitch axle being connected through said muzzle mount; an aiming axis for said muzzle mount being positioned perpendicular to said pitch axle; said base plate being mounted onto said horizontal translation mechanism; and said control interface, said yaw angular position sensor, and a horizontal actuator of said horizontal translation mechanism being communicably coupled to said computer control unit.

2. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 1 comprises: said horizontal translation mechanism further comprises a plurality of horizontal rods, a plurality of horizontal linear bearings, and a pair of upright bases; said plurality of horizontal rods being positioned normal to and being connected in between said pair of upright bases; said base plate being slidably mounted onto said plurality of horizontal rods by said plurality of horizontal linear bearings; said plurality of horizontal rods being evenly distributed across said base plate; and said horizontal actuator being operatively mounted between said base plate and said pair of upright bases.

3. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 2 comprises: said horizontal actuator comprises a horizontal threaded receiver, a horizontal threaded shaft, and a horizontal motor; said horizontal threaded receiver being connected onto said base plate; a stator of said horizontal motor being affixed to said pair of upright bases; said horizontal threaded shaft being positioned parallel to said plurality of horizontal rods; said horizontal threaded shaft being axially connected to a rotor of said horizontal motor; and said horizontal threaded receiver being engaged by said horizontal threaded shaft.

4. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 1 comprises: a pitch angular position sensor; a vertical translation mechanism; said horizontal translation mechanism being mounted into said vertical translation mechanism; said pitch angular position sensor being operatively mounted between said pitch axle and said clevis; and said pitch angular position sensor and an least one vertical actuator from said vertical translation mechanism being communicably coupled to said computer control unit.

5. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 4 comprises: said vertical translation mechanism further comprises a plurality of vertical rods, a plurality of vertical linear bearings, and a bottom base; said plurality of vertical rods being connected normal to said bottom base; a pair of upright bases of said horizontal translation mechanism being slidably mounted onto said plurality of vertical rods by said plurality of vertical linear bearings; said plurality of vertical rods being evenly distributed along said plurality of upright bases; and said at least one vertical actuator being operatively mounted between said base plate and said pair of upright bases.

6. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 5 comprises: said at least one vertical actuator comprises a vertical threaded receiver, a vertical threaded shaft, and vertical motor; a stator of said vertical motor being affixed to said bottom base; said vertical threaded shaft being positioned parallel to said plurality of vertical rods; said vertical threaded shaft being axially connected to a rotor of said vertical motor; and said vertical threaded receiver being engaged by said vertical threaded shaft.

7. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 1 comprises: said computer control unit comprises a yaw angle decoder, a yaw counter, a yaw comparator, a horizontal correction counter, and a horizontal actuator driver; said yaw angular position sensor being electronically connected to said yaw angle decoder; said yaw angle decoder being electronically connected to said yaw counter; a horizontal control of said control interface being electronically connected to said horizontal correction counter; said horizontal correction counter and said yaw counter being electronically junctioned at said yaw comparator; said yaw comparator being electronically connected to said horizontal actuator driver; and said horizontal actuator driver being electronically connected to said horizontal actuator.

8. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 1 comprises: said computer control unit comprises a yaw angle decoder, a yaw counter, and a yaw counter analog and digital interface (YCADI) unit; said yaw angular position sensor being electronically connected to said yaw angle decoder; said yaw angle decoder being electronically connected to said yaw counter; and said yaw counter being electronically connected to said YCADI unit.

9. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 1 comprises: said computer control unit comprises a pitch angle decoder, a pitch counter, a pitch comparator, a vertical correction counter, and a vertical actuator driver; said pitch angular position sensor being electronically connected to said pitch angle decoder; said pitch angle decoder being electronically connected to said pitch counter; an elevation control of said control interface being electronically connected to said vertical correction counter; said vertical correction counter and said pitch counter being electronically junctioned at said pitch comparator; said pitch comparator being electronically connected to said vertical actuator driver; and said vertical actuator driver being electronically connected to said vertical actuator.

10. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 1 comprises: said computer control unit comprises a pitch angle decoder, a pitch counter, and a pitch counter analog and digital interface (PCADI) unit; said pitch angular position sensor being electronically connected to said pitch angle decoder; said pitch angle decoder being electronically connected to said pitch counter; and said pitch counter being electronically connected to said PCADI unit.

11. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 1 comprises: said computer control unit comprises a yaw counter and a horizontal correction counter; and a start/stop control of said control interface being electronically connected to said yaw counter and said horizontal correction counter.

12. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 1 comprises: said computer control unit comprises a pitch counter and a vertical correction counter; and a start/stop control of said control interface being electronically connected to said pitch counter and said vertical correction counter.

13. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 1 comprises: an external-devices communication unit; and said external-devices communication unit being communicably coupled to said computer control unit.

14. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 13 comprises: said external-devices communication unit comprises a personal-computer standard communication protocol (PCSCP) module; and an YCADI unit, a PCADI unit, and a timer of said computer control unit being electronically connected to said PCSCP module.

15. The apparatus to improve aiming accuracy for a firearm as claimed in claim 13 comprises: said external-devices communication unit comprises a stereo audio signal synthesizer; and an YCADI unit and a PCADI unit of said computer control unit being electronically connected to said stereo audio signal synthesizer.

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