Combination video and optical sight

1. A sight system configured to provide a bore-sighted optical view and a bore-sighted video view to a user, the sight system comprising:

a housing;

an image sensor supported within the housing;

a display supported within the housing, the display operably coupled to an output of the image sensor to display video acquired with the image sensor;

a front end optical system supported within the housing, the front end optical system configured to generate a real image of a field of view at a front end image location in the housing;

an adjustable reticle positioned at the front end image location in the housing, the adjustable reticle configured to be positionable within the housing;

an eyepiece optical system configured to provide to a user an optical image of the real image of the field of view of the front end optical system;

an optical redirection element configured to be positionable between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system on an image side of the adjustable reticle;

a relay optical system configured to:

relay the real image of the field of view of the front end optical system to the image sensor, and

form an image of the adjustable reticle at the image sensor;

wherein the eyepiece optical system is coaxial with the front end optical system along a single optical axis, wherein, in a direct-view configuration, the optical redirection element is positioned so as to not redirect an optical path between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system thereby providing an optical view of the real image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle so a user can directly see along the optical axis through the eyepiece optical system the real image produced by the front end optics and the eyepiece optical system in combination, without any redirection elements redirecting the optical path, and

wherein, in a display-view configuration, the optical redirection element is positioned to redirect at least a portion of light from the front end optical system to the relay optical system so that the image sensor acquires video of the real image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle.

2. The sight system of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to include a rail system for attaching a peripheral imaging, sensor, pointing, or illuminating module to the sight system.

3. The sight system of claim 2 , wherein the rail system further includes a non-contact optical connector configured to couple optical signals between an attached module and the sight system.

4. The sight system of claim 3 , wherein the display is further configured to display information from a peripheral module attached to the rail system, where information from the attached peripheral module is received through the non-contact optical connector.

5. The sight system of claim 2 , wherein the rail system further includes an electrical connector configured to couple electrical signals between an attached module and the sight system.

6. The sight system of claim 1 , wherein the sight system weighs less than or equal to about 2 lbs.

7. The sight system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to acquire infrared light.

8. The sight system of claim 7 , wherein the image sensor is configured to acquire short wave infrared light.

9. The sight system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a low light level CMOS sensor.

10. The sight system of claim 1 , wherein a field of view of the front end optical system is at least about 2 degrees and less than or equal to about 20 degrees.

11. The sight system of claim 10 , wherein a field of view of the eyepiece optical system is at least about 15 degrees and less than or equal to about 40 degrees.

12. The sight system of claim 1 , wherein the optical redirection element comprises a variable beamsplitter.

13. The sight system of claim 1 , wherein, in the display-view configuration, the optical redirection element is further configured to provide a view of the display through the eyepiece optical system to provide a view of video acquired with the image sensor comprising the real image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle.

14. The sight system of claim 1 , further comprising a reticle adjustment control configured to move the position of the adjustable reticle.

15. The sight system of claim 1 , wherein the optical redirection element is configured to be movable between a first position in the optical path between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system and a second position out of the optical path between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system.

16. The sight system of claim 15 , wherein the optical redirection element is in the first position in the display-view configuration and in the second position in the direct-view configuration.

17. The sight system of claim 1 , configured to provide a polychromatic diffraction modulus transfer function (MTF) greater than 60% for spatial frequency between 0 cycles per mm and 80 cycles per mm in the direct-view configuration.

18. The sight system of claim 1 , configured to provide a polychromatic diffraction modulus transfer function (MTF) greater than 60% for spatial frequency between 0 cycles per mm and 50 cycles per mm in the display-view configuration.

19. A method of providing a bore-sighted optical view and a bore-sighted video to a user, the method comprising:

forming a real image of a field of view at a front end image location in a housing using a front end optical system supported within the housing;

positioning an adjustable reticle at the front end image location in the housing;

forming an optical image of the field of view of the front end optical system using an eyepiece optical system wherein the eyepiece optical system is coaxial with the front end optical system along a single optical axis;

selectively redirecting an optical axis using an optical redirection element configured to be positionable between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system on an image side of the adjustable reticle by:

in a direct-view configuration, adjusting a position of the optical redirection element so as to not redirect an optical path between the front end optical system and the eyepiece optical system thereby providing an optical view of the field of view with the adjustable reticle so a user can directly see along the optical axis through the eyepiece optical system a real image produced by the front end optics and the eyepiece optical system in combination, without any redirection elements redirecting the optical path; and

in a display-view configuration, adjusting a position of the optical redirection element to redirect at least a portion of light from the front end optical system to the relay optical system so that the image sensor acquires video of the optical image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle; and

relaying the optical image of the field of view of the front end optical system to an image sensor using the relay optical system in the display-view configuration.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising, in the display-view configuration, providing an optical path from the display through the eyepiece optical system using the optical redirection element to provide a view of video acquired with the image sensor comprising the real image of the field of view with the adjustable reticle.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising receiving optical signals through a non-contact optical connector configured to couple optical signals between an attached module and the sight system.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising receiving electrical signals through an electrical connector configured to couple electrical signals between an attached module and the sight system.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the image sensor is configured to acquire infrared light.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the image sensor is a focal plane array.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the image sensor is configured to acquire visible light.