Optical device including an adaptive life-cycle ballistics system for firearms

1. A method comprising: determining a shot count within an optical device coupled to a firearm, the shot count corresponding to a number of shots taken using the firearm; and determining a muzzle velocity parameter from a life-cycle profile of the firearm based on the shot count; and adjust a ballistics solution according to the determined muzzle velocity.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a user input; and

determining the shot count in response to receiving the user input.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the user input comprises at least one of a user request for an updated ballistics solution and a bolt-cycling event.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a shot; and

incrementing a shock counter that maintains the shot count in response to detecting the shot.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the shot comprises:

generating a signal in response to a shock event; and

detecting the shot when the signal matches a characteristic profile representing discharge of the firearm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the muzzle velocity parameter comprises looking up the muzzle velocity parameter corresponding to the shot count in a look up table storing values corresponding to the life-cycle profile of the firearm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the muzzle velocity parameter comprises calculating the muzzle velocity parameter based on the shot count.

8. An optical device configured to be mounted to a firearm, the optical device comprising: a processor; and a memory accessible to the processor and configured to store a shot count corresponding to a number of times the firearm has been discharged and to store a life-cycle profile corresponding to the firearm, the memory accessible to the processor and including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to determine the shot count and to determine a muzzle velocity parameter of the firearm from the life-cycle profile based on the shot count, and adjust a ballistics solution according to the determined muzzle velocity.

9. The optical device of claim 8 , wherein the life-cycle profile comprises a table including an average muzzle velocity versus number of shots for a type of the firearm.

10. The optical device of claim 9 , wherein the processor determines the muzzle velocity parameter by retrieving the average muzzle velocity from the life-cycle profile that corresponds to the shot count.

11. The optical device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a shot detection sensor coupled to the processor and configured to generate a signal in response to a shock event; and

wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to detect a shot when the signal matches a shot characteristic and to increment the shot count in response to detecting the shot.

12. The optical device of claim 8 , wherein the life-cycle profile comprises a curve-fitting algorithm derived from muzzle velocity versus shot count for at least one firearm of a type corresponding to the firearm.

13. The optical device of claim 8 , further comprising an input/output interface coupled to the processor and configured to receive the life-cycle profile.

14. The optical device of claim 13 , wherein the processor receives the life-cycle profile and stores the life-cycle profile in the memory.

15. A rifle scope comprising: a processor; and a memory accessible to the processor and configured to store a shot count, the memory configured to store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to determine the shot count, determine a muzzle velocity parameter from a life-cycle profile in response to determining the shot count, and adjust a ballistic solution according to the determined muzzle velocity.

16. The rifle scope of claim 15 , further comprising:

a shot detection sensor coupled to the processor and configured to generate a signal in response to a shock event; and

wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to determine when the signal corresponds to a shot and to increment the shot count in response to detecting the shot.

17. The rifle scope of claim 15 , wherein the shot detection sensor comprises a piezoelectric element.

18. The rifle scope of claim 15 , wherein the life-cycle profile comprises a table of muzzle velocities, each of the nui 7 zle velocities corresponding to a number of shots fired.

19. The rifle scope of claim 15 , wherein the life-cycle profile comprises a curve-fitting algorithm, the processor configured to calculate the muzzle velocity based on the shot count using the curve-fitting algorithm.

20. The rifle scope of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to receive a user input and to determine the shot count in response to the user input.