Gunnery practice method and apparatus

Claim 1

A method of simulating a projectile firing operation comprising the steps of: automatically and continuously generating and displaying a trajectory trace corresponding to the trajectory of an imaginary projectile from a given starting point over terrain taking into account an estimated distance between the desired impact point and said starting point, the azimuth angle and elevational angle of firing of said projectile, and the characteristic path of the selected projectile type; training a range finder from a position generally at said starting point through successive points on said trajectory corresponding to instantaneous successive positions of said imaginary projectile thereon and generating first distance signals corresponding to the instantaneous straight-line first distance from said position through said succesive points to locations on said terrain; automatically calculating the instantaneous straight-line second distance between said starting point and said instantaneous successive positions of said imaginary projectile on said trajectory and generating second distance signals corresponding thereto; comparing said first distance signals with respective second distance signals and generating a zero signal when said first and second distances are equal; and stopping generation of said trace on generation of said zero signal.

Claim 2

A method of simulating a projectile firing operation comprising the steps of: automatically and continuously generating and displaying a trajectory trace corresponding to the trajectory of an imaginary projectile from a given starting point over terrain taking into account an estimated distance between the desired impact point and said starting point, the azimuth angle and elevational angle of firing of said projectile, and the characteristic path of the selected projectile type; training a range finder from a position generally at said starting point through successive points on said trajectory corresponding to instantaneous successive positions of said imaginary projectile thereon and generating first distance signals corresponding to the instantaneous straight-line first distance from said position through said succesive points to locations on said terrain; automatically calculating the instantaneous straight-line second distance between said starting point and said instantaneous successive positions of said imaginary projectile on said trajectory and generating second distance signals corresponding thereto; comparing said first distance signals with respective second distance signals and generating a zero signal when said first and second distances are equal; and stopping generation of said trace on generation of said zero signal.

Claim 6

A system for simulating a projectile firing operation comprising: computer means for automatically and continously generating and displaying a trajectory trace corresponding to the trajectory of an imaginary projectile from a given starting point over terrain taking into account an estimated distance between the desired impact point and said starting point, the azimuth angle and elevational angle of firing of said projectile, and the characteristic path of the selected projectile type; range-finder means trainable from a position generally at said starting point through successive points on said trajectory corresponding to instantaneous successive positions of said imaginary projectile thereon for generating first distance signals corresponding to the instantaneous straight-line first distance from said position through said successive points to locations on said terrain; means for automatically calculating the instantaneous straight-line second distance between said starting point and said instantaneous successive positions of said imaginary projectile on said trajectory and generating second distance signals corresponding thereto; comparator means for comparing said first distance signals with respective second distance signals and generating a zero signal when said first and second distances are equal; and means connected between said computer means and said comparator means for stopping generation of said trace on generation of said zero signal.

Claim 7

A system for simulating a projectile firing operation comprising: computer means for automatically and continously generating and displaying a trajectory trace corresponding to the trajectory of an imaginary projectile from a given starting point over terrain taking into account an estimated distance between the desired impact point and said starting point, the azimuth angle and elevational angle of firing of said projectile, and the characteristic path of the selected projectile type; range-finder means trainable from a position generally at said starting point through successive points on said trajectory corresponding to instantaneous successive positions of said imaginary projectile thereon for generating first distance signals corresponding to the instantaneous straight-line first distance from said position through said successive points to locations on said terrain; means for automatically calculating the instantaneous straight-line second distance between said starting point and said instantaneous successive positions of said imaginary projectile on said trajectory and generating second distance signals corresponding thereto; comparator means for comparing said first distance signals with respective second distance signals and generating a zero signal when said first and second distances are equal; and means connected between said computer means and said comparator means for stopping generation of said trace on generation of said zero signal.