JP2020525849A - Sighting scope with illuminating sight and thermal imaging camera - Google Patents

Abstract

A general field of the present invention is the field of aiming or spotting scopes that include the camera (10) and video microdisplay (50) associated with the eyepiece (60) in a single mechanical structure (80). The eyepiece of the scope according to the present invention includes an optical combiner (70) arranged so as to superimpose an image of a video microdisplay on an external landscape. In one variant, the scope is an optical device (90) arranged to overlay the luminescent symbol or dot (95) with the image of the luminescent symbol or dot on the image of the video microdisplay and on an external landscape. ) And. The optical chain consisting of the camera, microdisplay and eyepiece has a magnification of 1 and the image on the microdisplay fits the image on the external landscape.

Description

The field of the invention is that of aiming scopes, including thermal imaging cameras and illuminators.

Infantry use the following to perform their various missions with their weapons:
-Day and night shooting capabilities, which require precise aiming to best use their weapons for effective shooting, ideally over 300 meters.
-Quick aiming in dynamic combat situations,
-Maintaining good situational awareness in response to any threats that may occur on the battlefield during the day and at night. This situational awareness is particularly associated with maintaining a wide field of view encompassing the surrounding space,
-Ability to "decamouflage" or perceive the threat both day and night.
-Separation that is reflected especially at night through the absence of light emission from the aiming member,
There is no muzzle aiming setting action to switch from daytime aiming to nighttime aiming (and vice versa) to save time and ensure aiming reliability;
− Mobility and durability that require the equipment to be as light and compact as possible.

These needs are reflected by the strong demand for aiming members on infantry-provided attack rifles. In fact, these requirements are only partially met and not at all in a single piece of compact, lightweight equipment.

The usual solution for ensuring aiming in an attack rifle is as follows. For daytime aiming, the weapon basically includes an eyepiece-starlight assembly. This assembly is simple, robust and inexpensive, but offers little accuracy.

The weapon may also include the following for daytime aiming:
-Light sights. That is, an optical assembly that allows the light emitting symbols or dots to be superimposed outside the aiming axis. The illuminator can optionally be associated with switchable magnifying optics. As an example, the scaling factor is 3.
-Laser pointer.
-Daytime expansion scope.
For night-time aiming, the weapon may include:
-Laser pointer.
-Aiming scope with a light intensifying aiming scope called the "IL" scope.
An infrared aiming scope called the "IR" scope.
-A light-intensifying or infrared adapter or "clip-on" located upstream of the daytime aiming scope.
-A sighting device including night glasses associated with a sighting device fixed to the weapon.

Each of these known solutions has advantages and disadvantages, but none of them fully address the overall need identified above.

The illuminators solution is particularly well conceived. Because it provides excellent accuracy, while it allows aiming and shooting with both eyes open, and allows a position of the eye relatively far from the sighting optics, the It retains a good perception of the overall situation unless it needs to be nearby. The shooter can keep his eyes open and the sights will convey the landscape without magnification.

Aiming with a laser pointer, which is widely used especially at night, is very advantageous. Because it allows rapid shooting in dynamic combat without the need for the eyes to be aligned behind the sight, or even to carry a weapon in extreme situations. On the other hand, laser pointers remain prudent, especially at night. Even if it is a pointer that emits near-infrared light, it can be easily detected even by certain equipment using night-vision glasses or near-infrared sensitive cameras.

Whether the aiming scope is a daytime scope or a nighttime scope, aiming scopes with heat ray enhancement or thermal infrared generally offer the advantage of accuracy, especially due to their magnification. They present the drawback of requiring that the eye used for aiming be placed close to the eyepiece. Moreover, the user cannot use the other eye for the whole picture. This action takes a certain amount of time, which constitutes a loss of efficiency in dynamic combat. Moreover, the shooter may be momentarily disconnected from his environment, at which time he may not be aware of any new threats. Finally, at night, when wearing night vision glasses, combatants must remove their night vision glasses so that they can accurately place their free eyes behind the sighting scope. It also represents additional delay in combat and decoupling of combatants from the environment.

Infrared or thermal imaging sighting scopes exhibit the same drawbacks, but with a few significant advantages: night vision, including complete darkness, and improved vision in battlefield fog and smoke, and above all any hot target Provides the ability to camouflage.

It is possible to juxtapose several systems within a single piece of equipment to try to provide the proper response. For example, as can be seen in FIG. 1, some aiming equipment items combine an IL or IR aiming scope with an illuminator at the apex. In this case, the scope includes a thermal imaging camera and a viewing device. The thermal imaging camera includes a focusing lens 1 and a photosensitive receiver 2. The visual recognition device includes a micro display 3 and an eyepiece 4. The illuminator sight includes a luminescent symbol 5 and an optical component 6 for collimation and superimposition with a direct view 7.

These solutions result in relatively bulky equipment that provides juxtaposition of features without the features being combined. At any given moment, the user has to choose to use either an illuminator or a scope, and thus does not benefit from the cumulative benefits of both systems. For systems that associate thermal infrared scopes and illuminators, users may benefit from rapid aiming and situational awareness provided by the illuminators, or decamouflage and night vision provided by thermal imaging scopes. You have to choose between getting a profit from.

In summary, existing solutions based on a single principle of sighting, pointer or scope type do not meet all the needs of infantry to fire in any situation. A solution that juxtaposes the two principles in the same equipment, such as an illuminator and a thermal imaging scope, can bring together certain advantages, rather than allowing all of them to benefit simultaneously. To do so. Moreover, these systems are bulky and heavy. They do not meet all of the needs identified above.

The scope according to the invention does not have the drawbacks mentioned above. In fact, several images from different sources are perceived by a single eyepiece of the illuminator sight type. Therefore, some of the requirements for this type of equipment are guaranteed while retaining reduced bulk. More specifically, the subject of the present invention is a sighting or spotting scope that includes a camera and video microdisplay associated with the eyepiece in a single mechanical structure, wherein the eyepiece superimposes the video microdisplay image on an external landscape. The aiming or spotting scope is characterized by using an optical combiner arranged at.

Advantageously, the scope comprises a light emitting symbol or dot and an optical device arranged to overlay the image of the light emitting symbol or dot on the image of the video microdisplay and on the external landscape.

Advantageously, the optical chain consisting of the camera, the microdisplay and the eyepiece has a magnification of 1 and the microdisplay image matches the image of the external landscape.

Advantageously, the light combiner comprises a planar semi-reflective surface tilted at about 45 degrees with respect to the aiming or positioning axis.

Advantageously, the semi-reflective surface is incorporated in a splitter plate comprising two plane and parallel faces.

Advantageously, the semi-reflective surface is incorporated in a splitter cube which comprises two plane and parallel faces. The normal to the plane may be parallel to the aiming or positioning axis.

Advantageously, the splitter prism comprises a reflective concave mirror, the optical axis of the reflective concave mirror being perpendicular to the aiming or positioning axis, the light rays from the video microdisplay being transmitted by the semi-reflective plate and reflected by the concave mirror. , Then reflected by the semi-reflective plate.

Advantageously, the splitter prism comprises a convex input surface, the optical axis of the convex input surface being at right angles to the aiming or locating axis and facing the concave mirror.

Advantageously, the light combiner comprises a concave semi-reflective surface of the "freeform" or diffractive type tilted with respect to the aiming or positioning axis, and the eyepiece comprises a convex mirror associated with the concave semi-reflective surface.

Advantageously, the optical device comprises a splitter plate or splitter cube arranged in front of the video microdisplay, whereby the image of the luminescent symbols or dots is reflected or transmitted by the splitter plate or splitter cube to the video microdisplay. Be combined.

Advantageously, the camera is a thermal infrared or low light level camera.

The invention will be better understood and other advantages will emerge from the following description given in a non-limiting manner and from the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 4 represents a prior art aiming scope-illuminator sighting combination as previously described. Figure 3 represents a perspective view of an aiming or spotting scope according to the invention. 5 represents a manufacturing scheme for an aiming or spotting scope according to the invention. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of an eyepiece according to the present invention. 6 represents a second embodiment of an eyepiece according to the present invention. 6 represents a third embodiment of an eyepiece according to the present invention. 7 represents a variant embodiment of a aiming or spotting scope according to the invention, which comprises the production of collimated luminescent dots. 6 represents a fourth embodiment of an eyepiece according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of an aiming and spotting scope according to the invention. It essentially comprises two main subassemblies, a camera 10 and a viewing device 15 including an eyepiece with a microdisplay and a light combiner. The optical combiner is mounted on the camera. The assembly of optical and electronic components is incorporated into an enclosed structure 80 that protects those components from the external environment and shock.

The structure includes a mechanical locking interface 85 that allows the structure to be locked onto a weapon equipped with a standard interface. This interface is, for example, a "Picatinny" rail or its equivalent.

Its structure provides, among other things, on/off control of different functions of the equipment, video microdisplay brightness settings, electronic and mechanical muzzle aiming settings, electronic settings for the superposition of different images generated with respect to the external landscape. Also included is a set 87 of enabling buttons as well as control members. It can be placed on one of the two side flanks of the scope. By way of example, in FIG. 2, the set comprises three buttons located on the left flank of the scope, the other buttons being located on the left flank of the scope.

FIG. 3 represents a first embodiment of an aiming or spotting scope according to the invention. The following conventions have been adopted for this and subsequent figures. Optical or mechanical elements are represented by thick lines, light rays are represented by thin lines, and optical axes are represented by dotted lines. For clarity, only rays on the optical axis are represented.

The camera is preferentially a thermal imaging camera consisting of an infrared lens 20 operating in the spectral band located between 8 μm and 12 μm and an infrared sensor 25 equipped with a sensitive microbolometer in the same spectral band.

The camera may be a low noise “CMOS” sensor (“CMOS” is an acronym for “complementary metal oxide semiconductor”) or an “EB-CMOS” sensor (“EB-CMOS” is an “electric shock CMOS”). It can also be a low light level camera that implements the acronym). The camera is also a "SWIR" camera ("SWIR" is an acronym for "Short Wave Infrared") that operates in the 1 μm to 2 μm spectral band, senses light from night light, and also provides decamouflage capability. possible.

This camera, as well as the power supply, sensor drive and image processing electronics 30, is a block of several battery cells or rechargeable batteries that can be placed behind the scope on the viewing eye side to ensure camera autonomy. The power supply unit 40 which accommodates is included.

The viewing device includes a microdisplay 50, an eyepiece 60 with an optical combiner 70, and the electronics necessary to power and drive the microdisplay.

This micro-display 50 displays a video aiming reticle, optionally enhanced with a gate-correction element or an optical distance measuring symbol or scale. It also displays a thermal infrared image of the scene from a thermal imaging camera.

This microdisplay is, for example, an "OLED" display ("OLED" is an acronym for "organic light emitting diode"), "LCD" ("LCD" is an acronym for "liquid crystal display"), " LCOS" display ("LCOS" is an acronym for "Liquid Crystal on Silicon").

The optical chain consisting of the camera, the microdisplay and the eyepiece has a magnification of 1 and the microdisplay image matches the image of the external landscape. The optical combiner ensures perfect placement of the microdisplay image on the external landscape.

Eyepieces with a light combiner have different possible embodiments.

In the first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8 representing different optical eyepiece combinations, the light combiner comprises a planar semi-reflective surface tilted at 45 degrees to the aiming or positioning axis. This surface has no optical power.

This surface may belong to a semi-reflective plate with thin plane and parallel planes as seen in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, this plate can advantageously be incorporated into a splitter cube that includes two plane and parallel planes in order to introduce no strain on the outer landscape. The normals to these planes may be parallel to the aiming or positioning axis.

FIG. 4 shows a first eyepiece 61 including focusing optics and an optical combiner 71 with a splitter cube. The focusing optics form an image from the microdisplay 50 to infinity that is overlaid on the external landscape by the optical combiner 71. The light combiner 71 includes a tilted planar semi-reflective plate 711 and two planar and parallel surfaces 712 and 713. As in the example, the focusing optics of FIG. 4 includes three lenses 610, 611 and 612 and a planar return mirror 613 located between the second and third lenses. This mirror 613 allows the bulk of the focusing optics to be reduced. In a variant embodiment, the mirror can be replaced by a total internal reflection prism. In this configuration, shown in FIG. 4, the optical combiner 71 reflects the image directly from the display to the observer's eyes Y.

FIG. 5 depicts a second eyepiece 62 including focusing optics and an optical combiner 72 with a splitter cube. In this configuration, the optical combiner has optical power on the path of the microdisplay. The optical combiner has no optical power on the direct transmission path. Therefore, the number and size of lenses required for collimation is reduced. Eyepieces are simpler and less bulky.

The splitter cube 72 then includes a reflective concave mirror 722, the optical axis of the reflective concave mirror 722 being perpendicular to the aiming axis. The collimation of light rays from the display 50 is ensured by the group of three lenses 620, 621 and 622 and the combiner 72. Light rays from the video microdisplay 50 pass through the group of lenses, are transmitted by the semi-reflective plate 721, are reflected by the concave mirror 722, and then are again reflected by the semi-reflective plate 721 towards the eyes of the observer.

In this optical combination, as in the previous combination, the planar return mirror 623 makes it possible to reduce the optical bulk of the eyepiece. In an alternative embodiment, the splitter cube includes a convex input surface 723, the optical axis of the convex input surface 723 being perpendicular to the aiming or locating axis and facing the concave mirror 722. The function of this convex surface 723 is to avoid the visible total internal reflection that originates from the scene and is reflected by the total internal reflection on this surface of the prism. This convex surface makes it possible to defocus these pseudo-images and push them back into the invisible zone at the shooting position.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the light combiner 73 comprises a concave semi-reflective surface of the “freeform” or diffractive type tilted with respect to the aiming or positioning axis. A “freeform” surface is understood to mean a surface that has no rotational symmetry. It can be defined in various ways.

In this configuration, the semi-reflective surface is tilted with respect to the optical axis at a significant angle, which can be about 40 degrees. In this case, the eyepiece 63 includes a convex mirror 632 that is also tilted to the optical axis associated with the concave semi-reflective surface 73, as can be seen in FIG. This mirror can also be a "freeform" or diffractive type surface. Finally, the eyepiece 63 comprises a group of two lenses 630 and 631, forming a pair, a convex mirror 632 and a concave semi-reflective surface 73. If the group of lenses has a considerable focal length, an optical beam folding device, which can be mirror-based or prism-based, can be placed between the display 50 and this group of lenses to reduce the bulk of the eyepiece. is there.

In an important variant of the aiming and spotting scope according to the invention, the scope is an optical arranged so as to superimpose the image of the luminous symbols or dots on the image of the video microdisplay and on the external landscape. And equipment. The optical device then comprises a splitter plate or splitter cube arranged in front of the video microdisplay, whereby the image of the luminous symbols or dots is combined with the video microdisplay by reflection or transmission by the splitter plate or splitter cube. To be done.

In its basic version, the luminescent dots are produced by a light emitting diode placed in front of the perforations, which are located in the focal plane of the eyepiece so as to be superimposed on the microdisplay image. This dot is generally red. The emitting dot is fixed on a translation adjustment mechanism in the focal plane to allow the user to perform a muzzle aiming adjustment of the aiming axis embodied by the emitting dot with respect to the weapon's firing axis. To be done. The reticle and red dot of the display constitute two alternative solutions for indicating the aiming axis of the weapon, the red dot is a very low consumption simple solution. The video reticle makes it possible, for example, to generate various sophisticatedly shaped patterns, including optical distance measuring symbols of people or vehicles, which guarantee a proper distance measurement.

Thus, the "red" dots constitute an optional supplement to video microdisplays. It also enables a low consumption mode when the microdisplay and thermal image are not operating, for example to save the scope's electrical energy.

A first example of implementation of this variant embodiment is represented in FIG. A splitter cube 90 including a planar semi-reflective plate 91 is placed between the microdisplay 50 and the first lens of the eyepiece. The eyepiece has the configuration of the eyepiece 60 of FIG. The red dots 95 are arranged such that the image is combined with the microdisplay by reflection on the semi-reflective plate 91.

A second exemplary embodiment is represented in FIG. In this example, eyepiece 64 includes optics 640 located between microdisplay 50 and splitter cube 900. The same optical component 640bis is also arranged between the red dot 95 and the splitter cube 900. A splitter cube is an assembly of two prisms 901 and 902, the common surface 910 of which contains a semi-reflective process. In the case of FIG. 7, the prism 902 operates by total internal reflection. Thus, the eyepiece portion includes optics 640 and 640bis, a splitter prism 900, a total reflection prism 641 that ensures beam folding, a semi-reflection plate 73 and a pair 642 in that order.

It should be noted that it is easily possible to adapt the eyepiece with the freeform plate of Figure 6 to effect the production of red dots. For this purpose it is sufficient to place a splitter cube or any other prism assembly between the microdisplay and the lens.

The aiming scope according to the invention can include a complementary modular optical system that allows the perception of the external landscape to be modified. Therefore, it is possible to arrange, for example, a magnifying afocal optical component having a magnification of 3 downstream of the optical combiner. Similarly, it is possible to place an optical module that is invariant with respect to magnification and optical enhancement axis deflection upstream of the combiner. Therefore, the user perceives both the augmented image and the thermal image of the external landscape.

The first advantage of the scope according to the invention is that it adds decamourage capability to the illuminator for daytime aiming while providing a large eye print, not hiding the peripheral vision and keeping both eyes open. It is to maintain the ergonomic quality of the sighting sight that enables it to capture the target. The user has a directional image of the scene in the window of the sight, on which the optical reticle embodying the firing axis of the weapon on the one hand and the other on the other hand is present and potentially threatening to the scene. A video image of a hot target is overlaid. The exclusive display of the human body temperature hot target by eliminating the background of the scene is ensured by conventional algorithms used in thermal imaging, especially in IL/IR fusion systems. These algorithms are well known to those skilled in the art. Thus, the combatant benefits from a combined view between the direct view of the scene and the thermal infrared field of view of the target, and, in addition, the weapon's firing axis when the combatant aims at this target. The optical reticle shown appears.

The second advantage of this scope is that it can be done at night with the ergonomics of a sighting sight, ie a magnification of 1, a large eye print, open eyes, rather than a conventional thermal imaging sighting scope. It is to enable infrared aiming.

A third advantage is that at night, a combatant may be able to see in the light sight by using light-enhanced night-vision glasses that may be provided to the combatant. Is fixed on the combatant's head or his headset and is therefore held in front of the combatant's eyes. Combatants then benefit from the perception of night scenes over a wide field of view, which is the field of view of night-vision glasses. This field of view is typically 40°. In addition, combatants benefit from the infrared vision of the scene around the reticle that defines its aiming axis. Combatants then benefit from both situational awareness through night-vision glasses that provide a wide field of view that they can use with their eyes open, and images of the target that are decamouflaged in thermal infrared.

Thus, combatants are free to use the dual image combining system, direct and thermal infrared vision in the daytime, light enhancement and thermal infrared at night. This works by simply using the night-vision glasses already available in the military, without the addition of specific night-vision glasses. This dual benefit from a single lightweight and compact module has the optics-type ergonomics that allow quick aiming with both eyes open during the day as well as at night, while In addition to the advantage of retaining a good perception of the environment at the moment, this perception being beneficial to the responsiveness allowing it to gain dominance in dynamic combat situations and in combat situations.

Claims (12)

In an aiming or spotting scope that includes a camera (10) associated with an eyepiece (60) and a video microdisplay (50) in a single mechanical structure (80), said eyepiece comprising at least one group of lenses and a return mirror. And a light combiner (70) arranged in this order so as to superimpose the image of the video microdisplay on an external landscape, a sighting or spotting scope. Light emitting symbols or dots (95) and an optical device (90) arranged to overlay the image of the light emitting symbols or dots on the image of the video microdisplay and on the external landscape. The aiming or spotting scope according to claim 1. An optical chain consisting of the camera, the microdisplay and the eyepiece has a magnification of 1 and the image of the microdisplay matches the image of the external landscape. The aiming or spotting scope described in 2. 4. The light combiner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a planar semi-reflective surface (711, 721) inclined at about 45 degrees with respect to the aiming or positioning axis. Aiming or spotting scope. 5. Aiming or spotting scope according to claim 4, characterized in that said semi-reflective surface is incorporated into a splitter plate (73) comprising two plane and parallel surfaces. 5. Aiming or spotting scope according to claim 4, characterized in that the semi-reflective surface is incorporated into a splitter cube (71, 72) comprising two plane and parallel planes. The splitter cube includes a reflective concave mirror (722), the optical axis of the reflective concave mirror (722) is perpendicular to the aiming or positioning axis, and the light rays from the video microdisplay are directed by the semi-reflective plate. 7. The aiming or spotting scope according to claim 6, characterized in that it is transmitted, reflected by the concave mirror and then reflected by the semi-reflecting plate. The splitter cube includes a convex input surface (723), an optical axis of the convex input surface (723) is perpendicular to the aiming or positioning axis, and faces the concave mirror. The aiming or spotting scope according to claim 7. The light combiner includes a concave semi-reflective surface (73) of "freeform" or diffractive type tilted with respect to the aiming or locating axis, and the eyepiece is associated with the concave semi-reflective surface. A sighting or spotting scope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a convex mirror (632). The optical device comprises a splitter plate or splitter cube (90) located in front of the video microdisplay, whereby the image of the light emitting symbols or dots is reflected or transmitted by the splitter plate or splitter cube. 10. The aiming or spotting scope according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that it is associated with the video microdisplay by means of. The aiming or spotting scope according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the camera is a thermal infrared camera. The aiming or spotting scope according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the camera is a low light level camera.

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