US12650280 - Method of and apparatus for adding digital functionality to a scope
This patent describes a method for integrating digital functionality into a firearm scope by aligning a virtual reticle displayed on an electronic device with the scope’s reticle. The system allows for adjustments between two coordinate spaces, enabling the operator to switch from a configuration mode to an operational mode while enhancing aiming capabilities.
Claim 1
1 . A method of adding digital functionality to a scope, the method comprising: coupling a digital camera of an electronic display device to an ocular lens of the scope; outputting an image output at the ocular lens of the scope that is received by the camera, the scope adding a scope reticle to the image, wherein the scope reticle is a stadiametric reticle comprising stadiametric markings; displaying the image on an electronic display of the electronic display device for an operator to view, the image being displayed in a first coordinate space; generating a digital overlay for the electronic display that includes a virtual reticle which is visible to the operator in a configure mode, the digital overlay being displayed in a second coordinate space, wherein the virtual reticle is a stadiametric reticle comprising stadiametric markings; combining on the electronic display the digital overlay in the second coordinate space with the image output from the scope in the first coordinate space; allowing dimensional and positional adjustment of the first coordinate space relative to the second coordinate space to align the scope reticle with the virtual reticle in the digital overlay, so that the stadiametric markings of the virtual reticle become aligned with and overlay the stadiametric markings of the scope reticle in x-and y-directions in the configure mode; locking the first coordinate space of the image output from the scope to the second coordinate space of the digital overlay upon switching the electronic display device from the configure mode to an operate mode, wherein locking the first coordinate space to the second coordinate space comprises digitally linking coordinates from the first coordinate space to coordinates from the second coordinate space, such that a scaling factor becomes set for mapping the coordinates of the first coordinate space onto the coordinates of the second coordinate space; and reducing visibility of the virtual reticle in the digital overlay with respect to the image output from the scope in the operate mode in order to reveal the scope reticle on the electronic display for the operator. coupling a digital camera of an electronic display device to an ocular lens of the scope; outputting an image output at the ocular lens of the scope that is received by the camera, the scope adding a scope reticle to the image, wherein the scope reticle is a stadiametric reticle comprising stadiametric markings; displaying the image on an electronic display of the electronic display device for an operator to view, the image being displayed in a first coordinate space; generating a digital overlay for the electronic display that includes a virtual reticle which is visible to the operator in a configure mode, the digital overlay being displayed in a second coordinate space, wherein the virtual reticle is a stadiametric reticle comprising stadiametric markings; combining on the electronic display the digital overlay in the second coordinate space with the image output from the scope in the first coordinate space; allowing dimensional and positional adjustment of the first coordinate space relative to the second coordinate space to align the scope reticle with the virtual reticle in the digital overlay, so that the stadiametric markings of the virtual reticle become aligned with and overlay the stadiametric markings of the scope reticle in x-and y-directions in the configure mode; locking the first coordinate space of the image output from the scope to the second coordinate space of the digital overlay upon switching the electronic display device from the configure mode to an operate mode, wherein locking the first coordinate space to the second coordinate space comprises digitally linking coordinates from the first coordinate space to coordinates from the second coordinate space, such that a scaling factor becomes set for mapping the coordinates of the first coordinate space onto the coordinates of the second coordinate space; and reducing visibility of the virtual reticle in the digital overlay with respect to the image output from the scope in the operate mode in order to reveal the scope reticle on the electronic display for the operator.
Google Patents
https://patents.google.com/patent/US12650280
USPTO PDF
https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12650280