Firearm Sight Movement Detection for Moving Target Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

In driven hunts, accurately shooting moving targets is challenging due to the difficulty in calculating the lead required, as the distance to the target and the target's speed perpendicular to the direction of fire are often unknown, making it hard to compensate for the target's transverse motion during the projectile's flight.

Innovation Solution

A hunting firearm equipped with a sighting device that includes a movement detection system and a mechanism to adjust the line of sight by a predetermined angular amount (typically between 1.2° and 1.5°) relative to the direction of movement, allowing the shooter to maintain a steady aim without needing to manually adjust for the target's movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sighting device is used to aim at a moving target, then the shooter can maintain a steady aim, but the shooter cannot manually adjust for the target's transverse motion during projectile flight

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of shotVSAvoidmanual aiming adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The firearm system automatically detects its own movement and compensates for target motion without requiring manual intervention from the shooter. The movement detection device senses firearm displacement and the control device automatically adjusts the sight line trajectory, making the system self-correcting and eliminating the need for manual lead calculation by the shooter.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical aiming adjustment with an automated electronic control system. Instead of the shooter manually calculating and adjusting the lead angle based on target speed and distance, electronic sensors detect movement and a control device automatically computes and applies the necessary sight line correction, substituting human calculation with electronic computation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If the shooter manually adjusts the aim point to compensate for target motion, then accuracy can be improved, but the complexity of operation increases due to need for speed and distance calculations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of shotVSAvoidaiming calculation process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs automatic movement detection and compensation without requiring the shooter to calculate target speed, distance, or lead angle. The firearm itself detects its movement and self-corrects the aim, eliminating the complex mental calculations previously required from the shooter.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces intermediate devices (movement detection sensors and control electronics) that mediate between the shooter's aim and the actual projectile trajectory. These intermediaries automatically handle the complex calculations of lead compensation, shielding the shooter from the complexity of ballistics computations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If the line of sight is kept directly on the target, then the shooter can track the target easily, but the shot will miss due to target motion during projectile flight

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetarget trackingVSAvoidhit accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies a preliminary corrective action to the sight line trajectory before the shot is fired. By detecting firearm movement and pre-calculating the lead angle needed to compensate for target motion during flight time, the system counteracts the inevitable miss that would occur if aiming directly at the moving target.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The movement detection and control system performs preliminary adjustment of the sight line trajectory before the projectile is fired. The system anticipates the target's position at impact time and pre-positions the aim point accordingly, allowing the shooter to simply track the target while the system handles the lead compensation in advance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3488174B1Firearm and method for improving accuracy
Publication Date: 2022.08.31 HAHN MICHAEL
  • EP3488174B1 patent drawingFigure 1~1a
  • EP3488174B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3488174B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a firearm (100, 200) and to a method for improving the accuracy that can be achieved with the firearm (100, 200) in firing at a target (5, 105) that is moving transversely to the firing direction with a horizontal motion component, wherein a sighting line (4, 104) is directed at the target (5, 105), wherein, in the event of a movement (P) of the firearm (100, 200) in a horizontal plane, in particular in the event of pivoting in a horizontal plane, the course of the sighting line (4, 104) is changed by a presettable angular magnitude against the direction of motion (P).