Remotely operated machine gun assembly mounted to a vehicle

Abstract

A machine gun assembly that is mounted to a vehicle and operated remotely is described. The assembly uses a cradle design that mounts to a frame and allows the machine gun to tilt or rotate in up to six degrees of freedom. The cradle may include a recoil suspension system and one or more rear-facing cameras. The machine gun assembly includes a drawer mechanism at or near the front of the frame that houses several or all of the electronics for operating the machine gun assembly. The machine gun assembly includes an ammo feed mechanism that is designed to reliably feed different calibers of ammunition with the same set of rollers. A portable computing device allows an operator to remotely control the operations of the machine gun assembly. The portable device employs various targeting and tracking procedures to predict a moving target's location, aim, and fire the machine gun assembly.

Description

REMOTELY OPERATED MACHINE GUN ASSEMBLY MOUNTED TO A VEHICLEInventors: Ehud Gal Shahar Gal Adi Ingel Asaf Shefi Inon Yagolnizer Shachar Ganach Tom Gonen Idan Chalfon Daniel ShikhmanBACKGROUND

[0001] Firearms, such as automatic rifles, semi-automatic rifles, and machine guns, are often used by military squads. Such firearms may be mounted to a vehicle to provide greater mobility in and around various types of combat zones. The intended use and configuration can also determine the type of ammunition used with the firearm, the overall size and weight of the firearm, and options for accessories.SUMMARY

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a machine gun assembly that is mounted to a vehicle and operated remotely. Aspects of the present disclosure include a cradle design for the machine gun that mounts to a frame and allows the machine gun to tilt or rotate in up to six degrees of freedom. The cradle may also be designed with a recoil suspension system to improve the accuracy and performance of the machine gun while maintaining a relatively light weight build. The cradle may also include one or more rear-facing cameras that provide a view of different regions of the machine gun assembly, such as the ammo feed and the charging mechanism. Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a drawer mechanism at or near the front of the frame that houses several or all of the electronics for operating the machine gun assembly. According to some embodiments, the drawer mechanism is designed to be easily removed as a single unit (e.g., like pulling out a drawer) in order to be replaced with another drawer mechanism or with the same drawer mechanism following maintenance. Another aspect of the present disclosure includes an ammo feedmechanism that is designed to reliably feed different calibers of ammunition with the same set of rollers. According to some embodiments, a main roller of the ammo feed mechanism includes two truncated conical segments coupled end-to-end with a shoulder between the two segments. Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a portable computing device that allows an operator to remotely control the operations of the machine gun assembly. According to some embodiments, the portable device employs various targeting and tracking procedures to reliably aim the machine gun assembly quickly and at high precision. The portable device may include a touchscreen interface to allow a user to touch a desired target on the screen followed by the machine gun assembly automatically moving itself to aim at the selected target.

[0003] According to an embodiment, a smart weapon station (SWS) includes a frame having opposing walls and a central structure extending between the opposing walls, and a weapon assembly. The weapon assembly includes a machine gun and a cradle configured to support the machine gun. The cradle is coupled to one or both of the opposing walls of the frame such that the weapon assembly is pivotable about an axis passing orthogonally through both opposing walls of the frame.

[0004] According to an embodiment, a smart weapon station (SWS) includes a frame having opposing walls and a central structure extending between the opposing walls, and a weapon assembly mounted to the frame and pivotable about an axis passing orthogonally through both opposing walls of the frame. The SWS also includes a removable unit coupled to the central structure and that has one or more electrical components.

[0005] According to an embodiment, an ammo feed mechanism configured for use with a machine gun includes a bottom plate, a backplate coupled to a first end of the bottom plate, a front plate coupled to a second end of the bottom plate, a first roller extending parallel with and spaced from the backplate, and a second roller extending parallel with and spaced from the front plate. The first roller includes a first roller segment having a tapering width, a second roller segment having a tapering width, and a shoulder coupled directly between the first roller segment and the second roller segment.

[0006] According to an embodiment, a method of tracking a target using a smart weapon station (SWS) includes moving the SWS to look in a particular direction; providing a visual scene in front of the SWS on a touchscreen of a portable device; receiving an input on the portable device to identify a given target; activating a range finder on the SWS and determining a range to the target using the range finder; determining a total drop of a given round fired from a weapon mounted in the SWS and an angle of the drop of the given round; and adjusting aposition of the SWS to aim at a ballistic point to hit the target based at least on the range to the target, total drop of the given round, and angle of the drop.

[0007] Additional aspects of the present disclosure exist and will be described herein and which will form the subject matter of the attached claims. These and various other advantages, features, and aspects of the embodiments will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0008] The features and advantages described herein are not all-inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been selected principally for readability and instructional purposes and not to limit the scope of the disclosed subject matter.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIGs. 1 A - IE are various views of a machine gun assembly, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a view of a bridge structure having one or more rearward facing cameras for use on the machine gun assembly, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIGs. 3 A - 3C are different views of an ammo feed structure for use on the machine gun assembly, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 4A is a view of a portable computing device designed to remotely interface with the machine gun assembly, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 4B is an example graphical user interface that may be shown on a display of the portable computing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method of tracking and aiming towards a desired target utilized by the machine gun assembly, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIGs. 6A and 6B are different views of another structural design for the machine gun assembly, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 7 is an illustration of the machine gun assembly mounted on a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] These and other features of the present embodiments will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the Figures herein described. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. Furthermore, as will be appreciated, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale or intended to limit the present disclosure to the specific configurations shown. In short, the Figures are provided merely to show example structures.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] It is becoming increasingly more beneficial to have modem warfare systems be compact and have low power consumption, with weight playing a critical role. Furthermore, remotely controlled systems, such as remotely controlled weapons, provide greater protection for the user who can remain at a safe distance and / or within a safe environment while operating the weapon exposed in an unsafe environment. End users understand that saving weight goes far beyond the flexibility of transferring and mounting remotely controlled weapon stations (RCWS). While special forces must maintain mobility, many of their light armored vehicles simply cannot carry heavy RCWS systems. Even armies and navies equipped with fleets of heavy vehicles and vessels that can carry heavy systems understand the benefit of mounting light systems and saving weight and power.

[0019] Accordingly, there is a need for lighter RCW S systems that can provide high accuracy and a sufficient degree of stopping power. Some embodiments of a RCWS are described herein that address the noted difficulties. The system is referred to herein as a smart weapon station (SWS) for clarity. In some examples, the SWS is remotely controlled to allow for the gun’s safe operation from inside a vehicle or from a safe remote location. In addition to operator safety, the SWS may be configured to enhance situational awareness, resulting in faster response times and the enhancement of other operational capabilities, both static and mobile. The SWS includes a frame with a cradle design that is capable of mounting and firing a variety of automatic weapons. In some embodiments, cameras installed on or around the frame and cradle provide constant 360° vision, which together with an operating interface, allow any operator to become a reliable professional.

[0020] Figures 1A - ID illustrate various views of a smart weapon station (SWS) 100, according to some embodiments. SWS 100 includes a frame 101 mounted onto a base 102. According to some embodiments, base 102 includes a baseplate 104 that is designed to mount onto the top of a vehicle or any moveable platform. Base 102 may also include a column 106 that is configured to swivel or twist, or that includes a bearing (e.g., a slipring) between itselfand frame 101, thus allowing frame 101 to swivel or twist with respect to column 106. Accordingly, frame 101 may be able to rotate up to 360° about an axis passing coaxially through a center of column 106.

[0021] Frame 101 may generally have a ‘U’ shape with opposite side walls connected by a central structure 110. According to some embodiments, central structure 110 houses electronics used to operate SWS 100, such as wireless receivers / transmitters for interaction with a remote computing device, and one or more processors for performing targeting, tracking, and moving functions. Such operational features will be discussed in more detail herein. One or more power supplies may also be provided within central structure 110. According to some embodiments, the electronics and / or power supplies may be housed within a removable unit that is installed into or on central structure 110. Thus, the unit may be removed and replaced with a similar unit in a single action. In another example, the entire unit may be removed, repaired, and replaced back into or on central structure 110 with minimal effort. In yet another example, the unit installed in or on central structure 110 may be a first unit that is configured to operate SWS 100 in a first state or with a first set of procedures, and this first unit may be removed and replaced with a second unit that is configured to operate SWS 100 in a second state or with a second set of procedures different from the first set of procedures. The ability to quickly remove or swap out the electronics of SWS 100 drastically reduces the weapon downtime and provides any user with the ability to interface with the electronics unit with minimal knowledge or effort. Furthermore, the location of the electronics within central structure 110 reduces signal latency when aiming the gun for tracking fast moving targets such as drones or other unmanned automated vehicles (UAVs). Some examples of electronics that can be housed within the removable unit include wireless transceivers, processors, graphics processors (e.g., GPUs), orientation and / or movement sensors, environmental sensors, and electromechanical actuators. In some embodiments, all electronics associated with wireless communication, graphical processing, and movement control are housed in the removable unit installed within or on central structure 110.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the average power consumption of SWS 100 is less than 80 W / hr. In an example, the energy capacity of SWS 100 allows it to be energy independent from a host vehicle or from any other external energy source for a full day of continuous operation. In some examples, a small external rechargeable battery may be coupled to the system for extended missions.

[0023] According to some embodiments, a weapon assembly 112 is coupled to frame 101 and is configured to rotate relative to frame 101 to tilt the weapon up and down. Weaponassembly 112 includes a cradle 114 and a machine gun 116. According to some embodiments, machine gun 116 is mechanically coupled to cradle 114, and cradle 114 is arranged to pivot downwards and upwards between frame 101. In some examples, frame 101 is designed to interface with many different types of cradles and machine guns, such that cradle 114 is removable (along with its machine gun 116) to be replaced by another cradle and machine gun. In some embodiments, SWS 100 may be designed to support machine guns with multiple caliber ammunitions, such as 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, 8.58 mm, 12.7 mm, or 40 mm, to name a few examples.

[0024] According to some embodiments, cradle 114 includes several sensors or actuators to improve the performance of SWS 100. For example, cradle 114 may include an electromechanical cocking or charging mechanism to remotely handle misfires or other types of ammunition jamming. Cradle 114 may include a trigger mechanism for firing machine gun 116 that can allow single, semi-automatic, or fully automatic operation. The trigger mechanism may also be capable of adjusting the firing rate of machine gun 116 based on remote input from a user. Cradle 114 may include one or more dampeners and / or suspension systems to reduce the recoil forces of machine gun 116 acting on the frame 101 and / or base 102. By mitigating recoil forces on these components, the overall size and weight of the frame can be significantly reduced and the lifetime of these components can be extended without adversely affecting the accuracy of the machine gun 116.. The SWS also includes stabilization mechanisms that enable effective shooting from a moving vehicle, the stabilization mechanism may also include one or more zero backlash gears having a rotational torque of less than 1 arc / min, one or more absolute load encoders, and / or one or more incremental encoders on the motors. In some embodiments, the stabilization mechanism can be activated from a remote computing device. In other examples, the stabilization mechanism is always active, although this may cause the power supply to deplete more quickly. Movement of cradle 114 may be determined using any number of accelerometers or gyroscopes. Cradle 114 may also include an optical or electromechanical sensor arranged to count the number of bullets that have been fired or that are remaining.

[0025] According to some embodiments, cradle 114 includes a bridge 118 that extends over the top of machine gun 116 and may include any number of other sensors or cameras. For example, bridge 118 may include one or more rearward-facing cameras as discussed in more detail with reference to Figure 2.

[0026] According to some embodiments, an optics module 120 is coupled to a side of one of the walls of frame 101 or to cradle 114. Optics module 120 may include any number of cameras and / or optical sources to provide a visual in front of SWS 100 and ranging capabilities to atarget. In some examples, optics module 120 includes both a visual camera 122 and an infrared camera 124. Visual camera 122 may be any suitable camera device capable of taking video using the ambient visual light. In some examples, visual camera 122 is a ruggedized camera with a 1280 X 720 resolution. Visual camera 122 may be equipped with a powerful lens providing continuous optical zoom (e.g., magnification up to 3 OX) and an additional digital zoom (e.g., magnification up to 12X). When zoomed out, the wide angle of visual camera 122 may be around 65° for general situational awareness and a view of surrounding areas. When completely zoomed in, the field of vision can narrow to less than 1°, less than 0.5°, or less than 0.2° to evaluate distant threats.

[0027] Infrared camera 124 may be any suitable camera operating in any of the short-wave, mid-wave, or long-wave portion of the IR spectrum. In some examples, infrared camera 124 is ruggedized and offers up to a 640 X 480 resolution and a 26-105 mm continuous optical zoom with an additional digital zoom (e.g., magnification up to 4X). When zoomed out, the wide angle may be up to 25.3° and, when zoomed in, the angle may be as low as 1.5°.

[0028] According to some embodiments, optics module 120 also includes a range finder 126. Range finder 126 may be located close to visual camera 122 (e.g., adjacent to visual camera 122 as seen in Figure 1 A). Range finder 126 may be an eye-safe laser range finder that operates at the near-infrared spectrum (e.g., between 700 nm and 2500 nm), such as at 1550 nm. Range finder 126 may have an effective measurable range of up to around 3.3 km.

[0029] The compact size of SWS 100 makes it ideal for use in several different combat scenarios. As seen in Figures IB and 1C, SWS 100 may have a width (di) between about 70 cm and about 90 cm, such as around 79 cm. SWS 100 may have a total length (d?) when including machine gun 116 between about 160 cm and about 200 cm, such as around 180 cm. Without taking the extension of machine gun 116 into account, SWS 100 includes a dimension ds between about 100 cm and about 120 cm, such as around 107 cm. An ammo box 128 may be provided adjacent to a rear portion of frame 101. Ammo box 128 may hold the rounds in a belted configuration, which may be fed from ammo box 128 to machine gun 116. In some examples, ammo box 128 is designed to extend directly rearward of frame 101, as seen in Figure IB, such that ammo box 128 does not greatly contribute to the overall width (di) of SWS 100.

[0030] Figure IE illustrates the tilting range of SWS 100, according to some embodiments. Weapon assembly 112 may pivot about an axis passing orthogonally through the sides of frame 101 to tilt the weapon up or down. In some embodiments, weapon assembly 112 is designed to tilt upwards (above 0°) up to a first angle 0i between about 50° and 70°, such as around 60°,and is designed to tilt downwards (below 0°) up to a second angle 02 between about 20° and 40°, such as around 30°.

[0031] Figure 2 is a closer view of bridge 118 that includes any number of rear-facing cameras and / or light sources. According to some embodiments, bridge 118 may include a visible light source 202 to provide additional illumination for inspection of areas on SWS 100 that are prone to jamming. An IR source 204 may also be included to provide a nighttime visual on the areas on SWS 100 that are prone to jamming. For example, visible light source 202 and IR source 204 may be directed towards an ammo feed mechanism or the charge-bolt mechanism of machine gun 116. First and second cameras 206 and 208 may be included to take pictures or video of the aforementioned areas on SWS 100 that are prone to jamming. In some examples, any of cameras 206 and 208 may be used to provide a visual of the amount of ammunition left in an ammo box coupled to the system.

[0032] As noted above, the ammunition may be fed from an ammo box to machine gun 116 using an ammo feed mechanism. Figures 3A - 3C illustrate different views of an example ammo feed mechanism 300 for use with SWS 100. In some examples, ammo feed mechanism 300 allows for the installation of ammo box 128 adjacent to frame 101 by feeding the rounds at about a 90-degree angle from ammo box 128 to machine gun 116 to minimize the profile of SWS 100, as can be seen in Figure IB . Ammo feed mechanism 300 may include a bottom plate 302 coupled between a backplate 304 and a front plate 306. A first wall 308 is coupled to one side of bottom plate 302 and a second wall 310 is coupled to an opposite side of bottom plate 302, such that first wall 308 and second wall 310 are substantially parallel to each other. According to some embodiments, backplate 304 is bent upwards with respect to bottom plate 302 while front plate 306 is bent downwards with respect to bottom plate 302, as observed most clearly in Figure 3A. According to some embodiments, backplate 304 is arranged at an angle 4> with respect to the front face of front plate 306, as seen most clearly in Figure 3C. For example, angle 4> may be between 30° and 60°, such as around 45°.

[0033] According to some embodiments, ammo feed mechanism 300 includes a first ammo roller 311 having a first roller segment 312 and a second roller segment 314 with a shoulder 316 between first roller segment 312 and second roller segment 314. In some embodiments, one or both of first roller segment 312 and second roller segment 314 have a truncated conical shape with second roller segment 314 coupled to the tapered end of first roller segment 312. First ammo roller 311 may be angled with respect to the front face of front plate 306 at the same angle 4> as backplate 304, such that the first ammo roller 311 may extend lengthwisealong a direction that is substantially parallel to backplate 304. A second ammo roller 318 may be included in front of, and offset from, front plate 306, such that second ammo roller 318 extends lengthwise along a direction that is substantially parallel to front plate 306. Second ammo roller 318 may have a substantially cylindrical or conical shape.

[0034] According to some embodiments, belted ammunition is fed from an ammo box over the outside edge of first wall 308 and around first roller 311, such that the belted ammunition is fed between first roller 311 and backplate 304. The ammunition continues under first roller 311 across the top of base plate 302 towards second roller 318, and between front plate 306 and second roller 318 on its way towards machine gun 116. The belted ammunition may be prevented from laterally sliding off of base plate 302 due to the presence of first wall 308 and second wall 310. According to some embodiments, the shape of first roller 311 allows it to feed ammunition of varying sizes while maintaining its lateral position along the roller. For example, the tapered neck of the ammunition casing is pressed against shoulder 316 while the ammunition is being fed around first roller 311, such that the casing is adjacent to first roller segment 312 and the bullet extends beyond shoulder 316 and is adjacent to second roller segment 314. Thus, according to some embodiments, ammo feed mechanism 300 can feed various ammunition calibers, such as 0.30, 0.338, 0.50, or generally any caliber size up to 0.50 without having to exchange out any parts.

[0035] According to some embodiments, a protruding wall 320 is present at a comer of backplate 304. In an example, protruding wall 320 extends upwards from the backplate corner adjacent to first roller segment 312. Protruding wall 320 may extend further above the top of backplate 304 by, for example, an additional 5 mm - 20 mm. Protruding wall 320 may be included to prevent the final rounds of the belted ammunition from catching on backplate 311 as they are pulled around first roller 311.

[0036] According to some embodiments, a portable computing system is used to remotely interface with SWS 100 and is capable of controlling many of its functions. Figure 4 A illustrates an example of a portable device 400 that wirelessly communicates with SWS 100, according to an embodiment. Portable device 400 may have the general profile of a tablet, smartphone, laptop, or smartwatch, to name a few examples, although the illustration provides an example of a tablet profile.

[0037] According to some embodiments, portable device 400 includes a display 402 and a frame 404 around the perimeter of display 402. In some embodiments, display 402 is a touchscreen display that is arranged to receive touch input from a user’s finger or from a stylus. Any suitable touchscreen technology may be used, such as those that utilize capacitive orresistive touch inputs. The screen itself may use any suitable display technology, such as liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED), or active-matrix organic lightemitting diode (AMOLED). Display 402 may provide video or still images taken from any of visual camera 122, infrared camera 124, camera 206, or camera 208 on SWS 100. The video or still images may be displayed across the entire area of display 402, or may be displayed in only a portion of display 402. In some embodiments, video or still images from more than one camera may be displayed simultaneously in different portions of display 402, or overlaid on one another (e.g., picture-in-picture). Any number of physical buttons 405 may be present on frame 404 to receive input from a user. Although not visible from the front view, one or more triggers or buttons may be present on the back of portable device 400 for firing machine gun 116. In some examples two trigger buttons may be present on either side of the back of portable device 400, such that both trigger buttons are pressed simultaneously to fire machine gun 116.

[0038] According to some embodiments, a jacket 406 may be arranged around outside edges of frame 404. Jacket 406 may include a hard plastic material, or a compliant rubber-like material. According to some embodiments, jacket 406 is shaped on the left and right edges to include handles 408 to allow a user to grip either or both sides of portable device 400 with relative ease.

[0039] According to some embodiments, jacket 406 includes several different buttons, levers, and / or joysticks to provide different ways for a user to interact with what is shown on display 402 or to interact with any of the elements of SWS 100. For example, jacket 406 may include a first joystick 410 and a second joystick 412 arranged on opposite ends of jacket 406. First joystick 410 may provide motion control for SWS 100 while second joystick 412 may provide a soft aiming function. Each of first joystick 410 and second joystick 412 may be sized small enough to be manipulated with the right and left thumbs of a user, respectively.

[0040] According to some embodiments, jacket 406 also includes a first button 414 and a second button 416 on opposite ends of jacket 406. First button 414 may be used to active a Point& Shoot™ mode where a touch input received on a portion of display 402 will automatically cause SWS 100 to aim towards the object or location that was touched on display 402 and\or automatically track that object. Second button 416 may activate zoom capability of whatever camera feed is currently being shown on display 402. Jacket 406 may also include a first covered switch 418 and a second covered switch 420 on opposite ends of jacket 406. Each of first covered switch 418 and second covered switch 420 may include a plastic cover or overhang that must first be flipped up or away to expose the switch beneath it. First covered switch 418 may act as a safety switch for SWS 100, such that the safety switch must bedisengaged in order to fire SWS 100. In some examples, second covered switch 420 activates the range finder 126 to determine an accurate distance to a target or other object in front of SWS 100. Jacket 406 may also include a first lower button 422 and a second lower button 424 on opposite ends of jacket 406 and beneath handles 408. First lower button 422 may activate a manual cocking or charging of machine gun 116. Second lower button 424 may bring up a menu on display 402 that allows a user to select between different weapon handling options. For example, the menu may include options such as cocking or charging the weapon, loading ammunition into ammo box 128 or through ammo feeder mechanism 300, unloading ammunition from ammo box 128 or from ammo feeder mechanism 300, or performing an electronic bow sight procedure. According to some embodiments, the electronic bow sight procedure allows the user to indicate on the touchscreen a location where the weapon is actually firing (away from the ballistic reticle) so that SWS 100 can automatically readjust its aim at the location of the ballistic reticle.

[0041] According to some embodiments, any number of buttons or switches may also be arranged along a top edge of either jacket 406 or frame 404. For example, a first toggle switch 426 may be used to change the role of the present portable device 400, as discussed in more detail herein. In another example, a second toggle switch 428 may be used to change between enabling or disabling movement of SWS 100. In another example, a third toggle switch 430 may be used to change between an automatic or a semi-automatic firing mode for machine gun 116. In some embodiments, portable device 400 includes an emergency stop button 432 that overrides all other processes and immediately ceases any firing action being performed by SWS 100.

[0042] According to some embodiments, portable device 400 includes antenna structures 434 for dedicated wireless communication with SWS 100. In some examples, portable device 400 communicates with SWS 100 using orthogonal frequency -division multiplexing (OFDM) or long-term evolution (LTE) technology, although any other suitable wireless communication architecture could be used as well, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, or satellite. The wireless communication between portable device 400 and SWS 100 may be encrypted using, for example, 256-bit encryption with a line of sight (LOS) range of up to 500 meters or satellite\LTE with an unlimited communication distance

[0043] According to some embodiments, display 402 uses any number of different layers to intuitively display information from radars, fire source detectors (FSDs), bullet counters, etc. Video motion detection (VMD) can be used to automatically detect moving targets within the field of view and to provide alerts to a user, according to some embodiments. Portable device400 may include up to 20 GB of recording space to record the camera feed from any of the aforementioned cameras of SWS 100. Recordings may be preset or activated manually.

[0044] In some embodiments, a single portable device 400 may be configured to interface with multiple different SWS systems and can display video or still recordings from each of the systems simultaneously on display 402, or by selecting which system to receive the video or still recordings from. In some embodiments, more than one portable device 400 is configured to interface with the same SWS, with one device being designated a “master” role and the other device(s) being designated as “slave” roles. The roles of each portable device 400 may be selected or toggled using first toggle switch 426, as discussed above. In such a configuration, the master portable device 400 may have full control over the mechanical operations of SWS 100 and the firing operations of SWS 100, while both master and slave portable devices 400 can receive video or still images from SWS 100, according to some embodiments. Any other operations may be prohibited on the slave devices, while the master device has access to all operations involving SWS 100.

[0045] Figure 4B illustrates an example of a scene provided on display 402, according to an embodiment. The majority of display 402 may show a feed received from the front-facing visual camera 122, while a nested video feed or still image from IR camera 124 or from any of rear-facing cameras 206 and 206 is provided in a portion of display 402. A target reticle may be shown in the center of display 402 to indicate exactly where the weapon on SWS 100 is currently aiming. According to some embodiments, diagnostic data and / or environmental information may be provided at various locations around display 402. For example, the currently available ammunition may be provided as shown in the bottom left comer. Other information may be provided along the top of display 402, such as the temperature, windspeed, angle of the weapon, status of the power level for both portable device 400 and SWS 100, etc.

[0046] According to some embodiments, portable device 400 includes one or more processors that execute various routines to target and track potential threats shown on display 402 and / or in response to user input from display 402. For example, a user may touch display 402 at the location of a desired target when in a “Point & Shoot™” mode, and in response, the one or more processors present within portable device 400 execute one or more routines to calculate the relative location of the target with respect to the current position of SWS 100, and to adjust the aim of machine gun 116 on SWS 100 to move or place the ballistic crosshair reticle at the required location to hit the target, all in the matter of milliseconds. In some embodiments, once a target has been selected, the one or more processors may execute one or more routines to track the target and maintain a lock on the target, moving SWS 100 to maintainthe ballistic target reticle at the correct location to hit the moving target. Thus, the ballistic target reticle may not be centered on the actual target depending on various factors, such as the range to the target, the speed of the target, and the direction of travel of the target. According to some embodiments, the target tracking algorithms can consider other factors such as the bullet drop distance, the latency between pressing the fire trigger and the bullet being fired from the weapon, wind speed and direction, etc. when determining the location for the ballistic target reticle. Other routines that may be executed by the one or more processors of portable device 400 can include target recognition algorithms, such as facial recognition, to help differentiate between hostile targets and friendly targets.

[0047] According to some embodiments, one or more fire inhibition zones (FIZ) may be programmed or otherwise predetermined to prevent the weapon from firing when aimed at a target that would not normally be chosen by a user. Some examples of FIZs include civilian targets, certain types of structures, or antennas placed on a vehicle. If one of these predetermined FIZs is selected by a user, portable device 400 may respond by automatically activating the weapon safety and informing the user that the weapon is aiming in the direction of a FIZ.

[0048] According to some embodiments, a user may define a “kill zone” or region on display 402, such that the weapon is configured to fire automatically when aimed within the designated kill zone. Thus, according to some embodiments, the weapon does not fire if aimed outside of the designated kill zone, but fires automatically once moved within the designated kill zone. For example, the trigger(s) on portable device 400 may be pressed by the user, yet the weapon will not fire if aimed outside of the designated kill zone. However, while keeping the trigger(s) depressed, if the weapon is moved into the designated kill zone, the weapon will automatically begin firing. The kill zone region may be set manually by the user by drawing the outline of the region on display 402, or using any of the joysticks to move a cursor to outline the region on display 402, or by entering coordinates on display 402. In some other examples, the kill zone region may be designated automatically by the one or more processors of portable device 400 at a given radius or area around a specified target.

[0049] According to some embodiments, the one or more processors of portable device 400 may be configured to execute one or more routines that allow a user to predefine areas where the rotation of SWS 100 may impact areas of the vehicle it is mounted to or of the surrounding environment. These predefined areas may then be used to provide boundary conditions on the extent of allowed movement for SWS 100.

[0050] According to some embodiments, the one or more processors of portable device 400 may be configured to execute one or more tracking routines to predict the movement of fastmoving targets, thus increasing the likelihood of hitting the targets. While tracking a moving target, the one or more tracking routines predict the target’s progress and location, the future distance to the target, bullet arrival time and other parameters. The combination of such calculations may be displayed on display 402 as a graphical representation of a Target Prediction Algorithm (TP A) and may be constantly updated in real time. The one or more tracking routines also enable the active designation of the weapon towards the TPA point (e.g., the ballistic point at which a shot is fired to reliably hit the target) and automatic release of a bullet only when the weapon is accurately aimed at the TPA point. As the TPA point is being calculated onboard the electronics of SWS 100, after the operator presses the fire button the exact timing to release the bullet is calculated via one or more processors onboard SWS 100 thereby eliminating the latency of transferring the video input and calculations to the remote device 400 and increasing the hit probability. Such tracking routines can increase the accuracy of hitting fast-moving targets by more than tenfold compared to shooting without the tracking routines.

[0051] Figure 5 is a flowchart of an example method 500 of tracking a target using portable device 400 and SWS 100, according to some embodiments. Some operations of method 500 may be performed in a different order than that illustrated or simultaneously with other operations.

[0052] Method 500 begins with operation 502 where the SWS is moved to look for potential targets. During operation 502, a user may use one or more joysticks present on a portable device to adjust the position of the SWS (e.g., left, right, up, down, to look for targets). Once one or more targets are observed within the display of the portable device, the user may proceed to operation 504.

[0053] Method 500 continues with operation 504 where a touchscreen input is received for a given target. A user may use their finger or a stylus to select a desired target shown on the touchscreen. The touchscreen may be part of the same portable device in the hands of the user and remote from the SWS. In some examples, a touchscreen input is not needed if a target reticle associated with the direction of the laser range finder has been placed over a desired target (e.g., through using a joystick to move the reticle).

[0054] Method 500 continues with operation 506 where the weapon safety is opened by the user on the portable device.

[0055] Method 500 continues with operation 508 where the range finder on the SWS is activated to determine a range to the selected target. In the situation where a touchscreen input was received for the location of the target, the SWS system is first moved to aim the range finder at the selected target, according to some embodiments. As noted above, the range finder may use an infrared laser to determine a range between the target and the SWS.

[0056] Method 500 continues with operation 510 where the target height difference and horizontal difference with respect to the SWS are determined. According to some embodiments, the height difference and horizontal difference may be determined based on the measured range to the target and the current angle of the weapon (e.g., measured using one or more gyroscopes).

[0057] Method 500 continues with operation 512 where the drop of the round and the angle of the drop (e.g., relative to the horizon) are determined. According to some embodiments, the drop of the round may be determined based on the caliber of the round and by using a linear interpolation according to a predefined ballistic table for various calibers, exit velocities, and the distance to the target. The angle of the drop may be geometrically determined based on the total drop of the round over the distance to the target, according to some embodiments.

[0058] Method 500 continues with operation 514 where the position of the SWS is adjusted to the correct ballistic point to hit the selected target. The ballistic point takes into account the round drop and any other factors considered by the tracking algorithm(s), according to some embodiments. The ballistic point may be considered to be the location that the weapon needs to be aimed at for a round fired from the weapon to successfully hit the target. One or more targeting routines may be performed by the portable device to quickly determine the magnitude and direction of movement of the SWS in order to aim the weapon at the target. During operation 514, a ballistic point crosshair or graphic may be displayed on the portable device to indicate where the weapon will be fired in order to hit the target. As noted above, the ballistic point may not be directly centered on the target depending on any number of different factors, such as for example, distance to the target, the speed the target it moving, the direction the target is moving, latency in firing the round, the caliber being fired, environmental conditions, etc. The computation of the ballistic point may be performed using one or more processors on board the SWS (e.g., within central structure 110), to eliminate any communication latency between the SWS and the portable device. A message, alert, or graphic may be provided to the user on the display of the portable device to indicate that the ballistic point has been determined and that the weapon is ready to fire upon the target. In some other examples, the weapon mayautomatically fire after determining the ballistic point and adjusting the aim of the weapon towards the ballistic point.

[0059] Figures 6 A and 6B illustrate examples of another SWS 600, according to some embodiments. SWS 600 may have the same functions as SWS 100, but with some structural differences. For example, SWS 600 may have a frame 602 with a central structure 604 that extends forward. In some embodiments, the opposing walls of frame 602 are angled with respect to central structure 604 by an angle 0 that is greater than 90°. In some examples, angle 0 is between 120° and 150°. Central structure 604 may include a removable unit 606, such as a drawer, with electronics and / or the power supply for SW S 600, and may be similar in function to the removable unit of central structure 110 as discussed above for SWS 100. According to some embodiments, removable unit 606 may detach from a front-facing portion of central structure 604. Removable unit 606 may be held in place using one or more screws on the sides of central structure 604. One or more electrical ports on the back of removable unit 606 may align with corresponding one or more electrical ports on the front of central structure 604, such that the ports connect together when removable unit 606 is pushed into place against central structure 604. A seal may be present at least around the electrical ports that prevents moisture or liquid from accessing the electrical ports when removable unit 606 is pushed into place against central structure 604. According to some embodiments, the sealed removable unit 606 is protected from rain or seawater and may be compliant with at least the IP 65 standard.

[0060] According to some embodiments, SWS 600 includes an ammunition box 608 that holds the rounds (e.g., belted ammunition) for the machine gun. The rounds may be fed from ammunition box 608 and through an ammo feed mechanism 610 towards the machine gun mounted within frame 602. In some examples, ammunition box 608 includes a door on its bottom surface that can be opened to quickly swap in or swap out any number of ammunition cans. SWS 600 includes an optics module 612 that may be substantially similar to optics module 120 described above in SWS 100.

[0061] Figure 7 illustrates an example of SWS 100 / 600 mounted on the top of a vehicle 700, according to some embodiments. Vehicle 700 may be any land vehicle, such as an automobile, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), a tank, a Humvee, etc. In some embodiments, vehicle 700 may be any aquatic vessel. In the case of aquatic vessels, SWS 100 / 600 may incorporate dedicated stabilizing algorithms to account for the movement of the water.

[0062] According to some embodiments, portable device 400 may be used by an operator within the same vehicle that SWS 100 / 600 is mounted to. In other examples, portable device400 is at another location away from vehicle 700, such as up to 500 meters away while maintaining wireless communication with SWS 100 / 600 or unlimited wireless communication distance using satellite or LTE. SWS 100 / 600 may be mounted on any portion of vehicle 700.

[0063] The embodiments of the disclosure and the various features thereof are discussed with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of certain components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the disclosure. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the disclosure can be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings unless otherwise noted.

[0064] It is understood that the disclosure is not limited to the particular methodology, devices, apparatus, materials, applications, etc., described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0065] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Preferred methods, devices, and materials are described, although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the disclosure.

[0066] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many modifications to the embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, it is possible to use some of the features of the embodiments described without the corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments is provided for the purpose of illustrating the principle of the disclosure, and not in limitation thereof, since the scope of the disclosure is defined solely by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A smart weapon station (SWS), comprising: a frame having opposing walls and a central structure extending between the opposing walls; and a weapon assembly comprising a machine gun, and a cradle configured to support the machine gun, wherein the cradle is coupled to one or both of the opposing walls of the frame such that the weapon assembly is pivotable about an axis passing orthogonally through both opposing walls of the frame.

2. The SWS of claim 1, wherein the cradle comprises one or more dampeners and / or suspension systems.

3. The SWS of claim 1, comprising a stabilization system having one or more zero backlash gears.

4. The SWS of claim 1, wherein the cradle comprises a bridge that extends over a top portion of the machine gun.

5. The SWS of claim 4, wherein the bridge comprises one or more rear-facing cameras.

6. The SWS of claim 5, wherein the one or more rear-facing cameras include at least one visible light camera and at least on infrared camera.

7. The SWS of claim 5, wherein the one or more rear-facing cameras are arranged to view an ammo feed mechanism.

8. The SWS of claim 4, wherein the bridge comprises one or more rear-facing optical sources.

9. A smart weapon station (SWS), comprising: a frame having opposing walls and a central structure extending between the opposing walls; and a weapon assembly mounted to the frame and pivotable about an axis passing orthogonally through both opposing walls of the frame; and a removable unit coupled to the central structure, the removable unit comprising one or more electrical components.

10. The SWS of claim 9, wherein the removable unit is configured to slide away from the central structure.

11. The SWS of claim 9, wherein the one or more electrical components comprise one or more graphical processors.

12. The SWS of claim 11, wherein the one or more graphical processors are configured to perform target tracking calculations.

13. The SWS of claim 9, wherein the removable unit is sealed to the central structure to maintain at least IP 65 standard.

14. The SWS of claim 9, wherein the one or more electrical components comprise one or more orientation or movement sensors.

15. The SWS of claim 9, wherein the one or more electrical components comprise one or more wireless transceivers.

16. The SWS of claim 9, wherein the removable unit further comprises one or more power supplies.

17. The SWS of claim 9, further comprising a column coupled to a bottom of the frame, such that the frame is configured to rotate about an axis passing coaxially through a center of the column.

18. The SWS of claim 17, wherein the central structure is positioned above the column.

19. An ammo feed mechanism configured for use with a machine gun, the ammo feed mechanism comprising: a bottom plate; a backplate coupled to a first end of the bottom plate; a front plate coupled to a second end of the bottom plate; a first roller extending parallel with and spaced from the backplate; and a second roller extending parallel with and spaced from the front plate, wherein the first roller comprises a first roller segment having a tapering width, a second roller segment having a tapering width, anda shoulder coupled directly between the first roller segment and the second roller segment.

20. The ammo feed mechanism of claim 19, wherein the first roller segment has a truncated cone shape and the second roller segment has a truncated cone shape.

21. The ammo feed mechanism of claim 19, wherein the first roller segment is longer than the second roller segment.

22. The ammo feed mechanism of claim 19, wherein the backplate extends upwards from first end of the bottom plate and the front plate extends downwards from the second end of the bottom plate.

23. The ammo feed mechanism of claim 19, wherein the backplate is angled at an angle 4> with respect to a plane parallel to a front-facing surface of the front plate.

24. The ammo feed mechanism of claim 23, wherein the angle 4> is between about 30° and about 60°.

25. The ammo feed mechanism of claim 19, wherein the second roller has a cylindrical shape.

26. The ammo feed mechanism of claim 19, further comprising a first wall coupled to a first side of the bottom plate and a second wall coupled to a second side of the bottom plate opposite from and parallel to the first side.

27. The ammo feed mechanism of claim 19, further comprising a protruding wall extending above a corner of the backplate adjacent to the first roller segment.

28. A method of tracking a target using a smart weapon station (SWS), the method comprising: moving the SWS to look in a particular direction; providing a visual scene in front of the SWS on a touchscreen of a portable device; receiving an input from the portable device to identify a given target; moving the SWS towards the target if not already pointed towards the target; activating a range finder on the SWS and determining a range to the target using the range finder; determining a total drop of a given round from a weapon mounted in the SWS and an angle of the drop of the given round; andadjusting a position of the SWS to aim at a ballistic point to hit the target based at least on the range to the target, total drop of the given round, and angle of the drop.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the moving comprises moving the SWS based on an input received from the portable device.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising determining a target height difference and a target horizontal distance based on the range to the target and a current angle of the weapon.

31. The method of claim 28, where the visual scene is a first visual scene, and the method further comprises providing a second visual scene from behind the SWS on the touchscreen.

32. The method of claim 28, where the visual scene is a first visual scene using visible light, and the method further comprises providing a second visual scene using infrared light on the touchscreen.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising automatically firing the weapon after adjusting the position of the SWS to aim at the ballistic point.

Images