Apparatus and method for calculating aiming point information
The present invention relates to target acquisition and related devices, and more particularly to telescopic gunsights and associated equipment used to achieve shooting accuracy at, for example, close ranges, medium ranges and extreme ranges at stationary and moving targets.
1. A ballistics calculator system for computing targeting information to hit a target, comprising a processor, said processor comprising: a ballistics computer program for analyzing information needed to accurately aim a firearm at a target using a target acquisition device with a reticle, said program using information regarding:
a) the target acquisition device with a reticle being used wherein said reticle comprises:
1) a first horizontal cross-hair;
2) a first vertical cross-hair that intersects said first horizontal cross-hair;
3) two or more evenly spaced horizontal cross-hairs on said first vertical cross-hair below said first horizontal cross-hair;
4) two or more vertical markings on said evenly spaced horizontal cross hairs; and
5) one or more slanted non-perpendicular wind lines;
b) a directional sensor being used;
one or more of:
c) one or more of date, time, temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, target image resolution, wind-speed, wind direction, hemisphere, latitude, longitude and altitude;
d) the firearm being used;
e) a projectile being used;
f) the shooter;
g) one or more of the distance between the shooter and target, the speed, acceleration and direction of movement of the target relative to the shooter, the angle formed between the barrel and an axis perpendicular to the force of gravity, and the direction of fire from true North; and
h) the ballistics drag model and retardation coefficient being used.
2. A method for using a ballistics calculator system, comprising: a) providing the ballistics calculator system of claim 1 ; b) inputting information regarding one or more of date, time, temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, target image resolution, wind-speed, wind direction, hemisphere, latitude, longitude and altitude, the firearm being used, the projectile being used, the target acquisition device and reticle being used, the shooter, one or more of the distance between the shooter and target, the speed, acceleration and direction of movement of the target relative to the shooter, the angle formed between the barrel and an axis perpendicular to the force of gravity, azimuth and the inclination of the projectile flight path, and the direction of fire from true North; and the ballistics drag model and retardation coefficient being used; c) selecting one or more aiming points provided by said ballistics calculator system; and d) using the aiming point information displayed by the said ballistics calculator system to aim the firearm so as to hit the target.
3. A method for shooting a target, comprising providing: a) a target acquisition device, comprising: 1) a housing; 2) an objective lens mounted in one end of the housing; 3) an ocular lens mounted in the opposite end of the housing; and 4) a reticle, comprising: i) a first horizontal cross-hair; ii) a first vertical cross-hair that intersects said first horizontal cross-hair; iii) two or more evenly spaced horizontal cross-hairs on said first vertical cross-hair below said first horizontal cross-hair; iv) two or more vertical markings on said evenly spaced horizontal cross hairs; and v) one or more slanted non-perpendicular wind lines; b) the ballistics calculator system of claim 1 ; c) selecting an aiming point provided by said target acquisition device that accounts for the relation of the shooter to the target; and d) using the aiming point information displayed by the said ballistics calculator system to aim the firearm so as to hit the target.
4. The method of shooting a target of claim 3 , wherein said processor is further configured to display information on a display screen.
5. The method of shooting a target of claim 3 , wherein the information displayed is an image of a reticle on said display screen showing a position of said aiming point.
6. The method of shooting a target of claim 3 , wherein the information displayed is a projected image on a reticle showing a position of said aiming point.
7. The method of shooting a target of claim 3 , wherein the information displayed is a virtual image on a reticle showing a position of said aiming point.
8. The method of shooting a target of claim 3 , wherein said target is hit by tracking said target with said aiming point.
9. The method of shooting a target of claim 3 , wherein said ballistics calculator system projects a reticle specific for information regarding one or more of: a) the firearm being used; b) the projectile being used; and c) the target acquisition device being used.
10. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , wherein said information regarding the firearm being used is selected from one or more of the rate and direction of the barrel twist, barrel length, vibrational analysis, internal barrel caliber and internal barrel diameter.
11. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , wherein said ballistics computer program includes automatic input of firearm information by selecting stored rate and direction of barrel twist, barrel length, vibrational analysis, internal barrel caliber, and internal barrel diameter.
12. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , wherein said information regarding the projectile being used is selected from one or more of projectile weight, projectile caliber, projectile configuration, propellant type, propellant amount, propellant potential force, powder, primer, one or more ballistic coefficients of the projectile, and the muzzle velocity of the projectile.
13. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , wherein said ballistics computer program includes automatic input of projectile information by selecting stored projectile information.
14. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , wherein said information regarding the target acquisition device with a reticle being used is selected from one or more of type of reticle, power of magnification, plane of function, the positional relationship between the target acquisition device and the firearm, and the range at which the said target acquisition device was zeroed using said firearm and said projectile.
15. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , wherein said information regarding the shooter is selected from one or more of the shooter's heart rate and rhythm, visual acuity, visual idiosyncrasies, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, muscle activity, brain wave activity, and number and positional coordinates of spotters assisting the shooter.
16. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , wherein said information regarding the ballistics drag model and retardation coefficient being used is selected from one or more of G1, G5, G6, G7, GI, GS (Round ball), GL, RA, and custom drag models based upon the actual bullet being used, the Siacci analytical method of solution, numerical integration solutions using the drag models developed by Maievski, Ingalls, the Gavr s Commission, the British 1909 Commission, point-mass numerical integration using standard reference projectiles, point-mass numerical integration using the McDrag algorithm, modified point-mass models, and 6-Degrees -Of-Freedom (6DOF) models.
17. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , further comprising a substantially transparent disc having an optical center and an edge for mounting said disc, and one or more rings positioned optically between said optical center and said edge, said one or more rings spaced from said edge and circumscribing said optical center and one or more aiming points, whereby said one or more rings can be visually centered in a field of view for aiding users in aligning their line of sight through said target acquisition device.
18. The ballistics calculator system of claim 17 , wherein one or more of said rings is a partial ring.
19. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of said one or more slanted non-perpendicular wind lines is a dashed line.
20. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more lines slanted to match the intercept point for an object at a specific rate of travel.
21. The ballistics calculator system of claim 1 , wherein said information regarding the directional sensor being used is selected from the azimuth and the inclination of the projectile flight path.