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EP0276099A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Missile aiming sight

Assignee: Recon Optical Inc
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Filing: 1988-01-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-01-15
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Abstract

Abstract A missile aiming sight (17) for use in a man-portable missile launching system (11) which includes an adaptor section (25) for connection between a conventional grip-stock (15) and missile launching tube (13). The aiming sight monitors the electrical communication between the launching tube (13) and grip-stock (15) in order to drive a pair of sighting reticles. The reticles are positioned in the image plane of a telescopic viewing system for providing a visual indication by the intersection of the reticles as to the point of regard of the missile. A separate visual indicator is positioned at the centre of the image plane to indicate that the missile electronics has locked on to a target. Additional indication is provided in the image plane to indicate out-of-tolerance and other sighting conditions to alert the operator to restart the missile firing process.

Inventors

  • 👤 John Guy Lecuyer
  • 👤 James Phillip Smith

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 10:36
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41G; F41G7/00; F41G7/007; F41G3/00; F41G3/06; F41G5/00; F41G5/08

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim 191 words
A missile aiming sight for use in a man-portable missile launching system having a heat seeking missile, a launch tube pointable by an operator with respect to a target and along the tube's point of regard, an electronic control/guidance system including a tracking means for gener­ating an electrical signal indicative of missile tracking head point of regard, and a grip-stock including trigger means manually actuable by an operator for launching the missile, the missile aiming sight comprising: adaptor means connectable to said missile launching system for monitoring said electrical signal generated by said electronic guidance system; a telescopic viewing system for generating a magnified image of a target to be fired upon, said telescopic viewing system having a view area fixed with respect to the point of regard of the launch tube and having an image plane wherein a field of view appears; a reticle movable in said image plane for visually displaying an indication to the operator; and a reticle control means responsive to said electrical signal for moving said reticle within said image plane in accordance with the missile tracking head point of regard indicated by said electrical signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 191 words
A missile aiming sight for use in a man-portable missile launching system having a heat seeking missile, a launch tube pointable by an operator with respect to a target and along the tube's point of regard, an electronic control/guidance system including a tracking means for gener­ating an electrical signal indicative of missile tracking head point of regard, and a grip-stock including trigger means manually actuable by an operator for launching the missile, the missile aiming sight comprising: adaptor means connectable to said missile launching system for monitoring said electrical signal generated by said electronic guidance system; a telescopic viewing system for generating a magnified image of a target to be fired upon, said telescopic viewing system having a view area fixed with respect to the point of regard of the launch tube and having an image plane wherein a field of view appears; a reticle movable in said image plane for visually displaying an indication to the operator; and a reticle control means responsive to said electrical signal for moving said reticle within said image plane in accordance with the missile tracking head point of regard indicated by said electrical signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 55 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 1 wherein the grip-­stock is plug-connectable into the launch tube for communication between the grip-stock and the electronic control/guidance system; and wherein said adaptor means includes plug connection means plug-connectable to the grip-stock and plug connectable to the launch tube for interposing between the grip-stock and launch tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 89 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein said reticle control means includes a lead control means for monitoring the movement of the launch tube and generating a missile lead signal indicative of a desired lead position of the launch tube relative to the point of regard of the missile; and wherein said reticle control means is responsive to said missile lead signal and wherein said indication visually displayed by said reticle represents a lead position with respect to the point of regard of the missile.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 80 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said reticle control means includes an elevation sensor means for generating a super-elevation signal indicative of a desired elevated position of the launch tube relative to the point of regard of the missile; and wherein said reticle control means is responsive to said super­elevation signal and wherein said indication visually displayed by said reticle represents an elevated position with respect to the point of regard of the missile.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 38 words
A missile aiming sight according to any preceding claim and further including fire inhibit means for monitoring the point of regard of the missile relative to said view area of said telescopic viewing system for inhibiting missile launch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 30 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 5 and further including warning indicator means responsive to said fire inhibit means for signaling the operator that missile launch is being inhibited.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 6 wherein said warning indicator means includes a visual indicator in said image plane of said telescopic viewing system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 7 wherein said visual indicator is located at the center of said view area.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 30 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 8 wherein said visual indicator includes a plurality of visual elements located at the center and at the periphery of said view area.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 20 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein said visual indicator comprises a light emitting diode.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 29 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 10 wherein said fire inhibit means generates an electrical inhibit signal, and wherein said light emitting diode repetitively flashes ON and OFF.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 42 words
A missile aiming sight according to any of claims 5 to 11 wherein said fire inhibit means generates an electrical inhibit signal; and wherein said adaptor means includes means for physically preventing the trigger means from being actuated to launch the missile.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 57 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 12 wherein the trigger means includes a trigger manually movable to a physical position for launching the missile; and wherein said means for physically preventing the trigger means from being actuated prevents the trigger from being moved to the physical position whereby the electrical firing of the missile is inhibited.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 75 words
A missile aiming sight according to any preceding claim wherein the electronic control/guidance system searches for and locks on to a heat source of a particular heat magnitude and generates a second electrical signal indicative of lock-on of a heat source; and wherein the missile aiming sight includes lock-on indicator means responsive to the second electrical signal generated by the electronic control/­guidance system, for alerting the operator that lock-on of a heat source has occurred.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 26 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 14 wherein said lock-on indicator means includes a visual indicator in said image plane of said telescopic viewing system.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 21 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 15 wherein said visual indicator is located at the center of said view area.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 17 words
A missile aiming sight according to Claim 16 wherein said visual indicator is a light emitting diode.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 57 words
A missile aiming sight according to any preceding claim wherein said reticle control means includes pattern generator means manually actuable by the operator for generating a pattern electrical signal, said reticle control means moving said reticle in a pre-determined pattern within said image plane in response to said pattern electrical signal generated by said pattern generator means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 28 words
A missile aiming sight according to any preceding claim and further including visual stadia indicator means located in said image plane for visual determination of target in-range condition.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 174 words
A man-portable missile launching system comprising: a heat seeking missile; a launch tube pointable by an operator with respect to a target and along the tube's point of regard; control/guidance means including tracking means for generating an electrical signal indicative of missile tracking head point of regard; a grip-stock including trigger means manually actuable by an operator for launching the missile; adaptor means connectable to said missile launching system for monitoring said electrical signal generated by said electronic guidance system; a telescopic viewing system for generating a magnified image of a target to be fired upon, said telescopic viewing system having a view area fixed with respect to the point of regard of said launch tube and having an image plane wherein a field of view appears; a reticle movable in said image plane for visually displaying an indication to the operator; a reticle control means responsive to said electrical signal for moving said reticle within said image plane in accordance with the missile tracking head point of regard indicated by said electrical signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 174 words
A man-portable missile launching system comprising: a heat seeking missile; a launch tube pointable by an operator with respect to a target and along the tube's point of regard; control/guidance means including tracking means for generating an electrical signal indicative of missile tracking head point of regard; a grip-stock including trigger means manually actuable by an operator for launching the missile; adaptor means connectable to said missile launching system for monitoring said electrical signal generated by said electronic guidance system; a telescopic viewing system for generating a magnified image of a target to be fired upon, said telescopic viewing system having a view area fixed with respect to the point of regard of said launch tube and having an image plane wherein a field of view appears; a reticle movable in said image plane for visually displaying an indication to the operator; a reticle control means responsive to said electrical signal for moving said reticle within said image plane in accordance with the missile tracking head point of regard indicated by said electrical signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 49 words
A man-portable launching system according to Claim 20 wherein said control/guidance means searches for and locks onto a heat source of a particular heat magnitude and wherein said tracking means is actuable by an operator via said grip-stock for tracking a heat source locked onto by said control/guidance means.

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