IP Library Granted Patent US 11,473,873
Granted Patent B2
US 11,473,873 · App. 16/746,176 · Granted Oct 18, 2022

Viewing optic with round counter system

Inventors: Sam Hamilton (Barneveld, WI); Ian Klemm (Barneveld, WI); Calen Havens (Barneveld, WI); Tom Cody (Barneveld, WI); Craig Schultz (Barneveld, WI); Garrison Bollig (Barneveld, WI); Andy Carlson (Barneveld, WI); William Lowry (Barneveld, WI); Alexander Lewis (Barneveld, WI); Nicholas Laufenberg (Barneveld, WI)
Assignee: SHELTERED WINGS, INC.
F41G1/38F41A9/62F41A9/65G02B23/16G02B27/0101G02B27/0189G02B2027/0141
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,473,873
App. No.
16/746,176
Granted
Oct 18, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to a viewing optic. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a display system for a viewing optic. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a viewing optic having a display system with multiple active displays for generating images that are projected into a first focal plane of an optical system. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a viewing optic with an active display and a round counter system.

Claims (28)

1. A system comprising:

(i) a viewing optic comprising a main tube, an objective system coupled to a first end of the main tube and an ocular system coupled to a second end of the main tube, an erector lens system disposed between the objective system and the ocular system, a first focal plane located between the objective system and the erector lens system, and an active display configured to generate a digital image, and

(ii) a firearm having a round counter configured to track ammunition status and to communicate ammunition status to the active display; wherein the ammunition status is projected into the first focal plane of the viewing optic, and further wherein the round counter comprises a magazine follower with one or more magnets.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the firearm comprises one or more magnetic sensors.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more magnetic sensors are Hall-effect sensors configured to detect a magnetic field from the one or more magnets in the magazine follower.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more Hall-effect sensors are in a magazine well.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more Hall-effect sensors are on a receiver of the firearm.

6. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a processor to correlate position of the magnetic field with ammunition status.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the ammunition status is number of rounds of ammunition in a magazine.

8. A system comprising:

(i) a viewing optic having: (a) a main tube; (b) an objective system coupled to a first end of the main tube that focuses a target image from an outward scene; (c) an ocular system coupled to the second end of the main tube, (d) an erector lens system located between the objective system and the ocular system, (e) a first focal plane located between the objective system and the erector lens system; and (f) an active display configured to generate a digital image; and

(ii) a firearm having a round counter comprising a magazine follower having one or more magnets, and configured to be inserted into a magazine and multiple magnetic sensors placed on a magazine well, wherein an activated magnetic sensor corresponds to a position of the magazine follower, which correlates with ammunition status, wherein the ammunition status is projected into the first focal plane of the viewing optic.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic sensors are Hall-effect sensors.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic sensors on the magazine well are located in a remote control configured to communicate with the viewing optic.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the ammunition status indicates number of rounds of ammunition in the magazine or indicates a round of ammunition in a chamber of the firearm or indicates a round of ammunition in the magazine or an empty chamber of the firearm.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the ammunition status is the number of rounds of ammunition remaining in the magazine.

13. A method comprising:

(a) moving a magazine follower with one or more magnets through a magazine;

(b) activating a magnetic sensor when the magazine follower is in proximity to said magnetic sensor;

(c) determining ammunition status based on position of the magazine follower as indicated by an activated magnetic sensor;

(d) communicating the ammunition status to an active display in a viewing optic, wherein the viewing optic has an objective system coupled to a first end of a main tube and an ocular system coupled to a second end of the main tube, an erector lens system disposed between the objective system and the ocular system, and a first focal plane located between the objective system and the erector lens system;

(e) generating a digital image of the ammunition status using the active display; and

(f) projecting the digital image into the first focal plane of the viewing optic.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the magnetic sensor is located in a magazine well.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the magnetic sensor is located on a remote control configured to communicate with the viewing optic.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall-effect sensor.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ammunition status indicates number of rounds of ammunition in the magazine or indicates a round of ammunition in a chamber of a firearm or indicates a round of ammunition in the magazine or an empty chamber of a firearm.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ammunition status is the number of rounds of ammunition in the magazine.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: SHELTERED WINGS, INC., D/B/A VORTEX OPTICS, A WISCONSIN CORPORATION
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 059364/0670 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 2, 2021
From: LAUFENBERG, NICHOLAS
To: SHELTERED WINGS, INC. D/B/A VORTEX OPTICS
Reel/Frame 057375/0989 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2020
From: HAMILTON, SAM; KLEMM, IAN; HAVENS, CALEN; CODY, TOM; SCHULTZ, CRAIG; BOLLIG, GARRISON; CARLSON, ANDY; LOWRY, WILLIAM; LEWIS, ALEXANDER
To: SHELTERED WINGS, INC. D/B/A VORTEX OPTICS
Reel/Frame 052672/0147 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62794233 · Jan 18, 2019
Provisional Application 62794065 · Jan 18, 2019
Related Publication 20200232762A1 · Jul 23, 2020
Cited By (6)
US 12,366,424 US 12,468,168 US 12,480,743 US 12,535,283 US 12,560,409 US 12,645,783