Abstract:
A combination of a bow and a range finder system. The bow having a body with a draw string. The range finder system having a frame with a mounting bracket secured to one end, the mounting bracket being configured to engage with the body of the bow; a housing secured to the frame; a camera carried by the housing; and a display secured to the frame conductively coupled to the camera.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to compound bow sights, and more specifically, to an integrated camera, display monitor, rangefinder, and bow sight; referred to as a rangefinding bow sight system. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Bow sights are well known in the art and are an effective means of aiming the arrow prior to making a shot. In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a commonly known bow system  101  is shown. The bow system  101  includes a cable  107  which attaches to a bow frame  103  through cams  105 . The cams  105  are pivotably attached to the frame  105 . Therefore, a torsion force is created when the cable  107  is pulled away from the frame  105  which in turn, is used to propel the arrow. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the bow sights are open, requiring the user have great eyesight and judgment in order to direct the arrow toward the target. This is a common problem associated with conventional bow sights. Additionally, the user is responsible for predicting the distance to the target and attempting to self correct the aiming of the arrow in order to compensate for the drop in arrow height. This process requires great skill and practice which can be undesirable for novice and professional bow hunters alike. 
     Although great strides have been made in the area of bow sights, many shortcomings remain. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The novel features believed characteristic of the embodiments of the present application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the embodiments themselves, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a conventional bow sight system; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a conventional bow sight system; 
         FIG. 3  is an oblique view in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present application; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the rangefinding bow sight system of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIGS. 5A &amp; 5B  are oblique views of the rangefinding bow sight system of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIGS. 6A &amp; 6B  are side views of the rangefinding bow sight system of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an oblique view in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present application; and 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the rangefinding bow sight system of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is an oblique view in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present application 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the rangefinding bow sight system of  FIG. 7   
     
    
    
     While the system and method of use of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present application as defined by the appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Illustrative embodiments of the system and method of use of the present application are provided below. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions will be made to achieve the developer&#39;s specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     The system and method of use in accordance with the present application overcomes one or more of the above-discussed problems commonly associated with conventional bow sight systems. Specifically, the system of the present application provides the user with the distance to the target through the use of a rangefinder. Additionally, the system of the present application contains a lighted sight pin which illuminates to notify the user when the target is within range based on the rangefinder distance. These and other unique features of the system and method of use are discussed below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     The system and method of use will be understood, both as to its structure and operation, from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description. Several embodiments of the system are presented herein. It should be understood that various components, parts, and features of the different embodiments may be combined together and/or interchanged with one another, all of which are within the scope of the present application, even though not all variations and particular embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the mixing and matching of features, elements, and/or functions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that the features, elements, and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless described otherwise. 
     The preferred embodiment herein described is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is chosen and described to explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to enable others skilled in the art to follow its teachings. 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several views,  FIGS. 3 and 4  depict a rangefinding bow sight system  301  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present application. It will be appreciated that the rangefinding bow sight system  301  overcomes one of more of the above-listed problems commonly associated with the conventional bow sights. 
     In a preferred embodiment, system  301  includes a display monitor  307 , camera  311  housed in enclosure  309 , and bow sight aperture  315  which are mechanically connected through a frame  303 . A bow mounting bracket  305  is adjustably attached to the frame  303  as depicted in  FIG. 3 . The display monitor  307  is pivotably attached to the frame as will be discussed in further detail later. The enclosure  309  with internal camera  311  is removably attached to the frame  303  as well as the sight aperture  315 . 
     The display monitor  307  is used to provide the user with a means of recording live pictures and videos captured by the camera  311 . It is contemplated that the display monitor  307  is a touchscreen device which will provide a means for the user to interact with the system. Therefore, the display monitor  307  will also allow for all of the programming and calibration functions of the system. 
     The enclosure  309  supplies a protective housing for the camera  311  as well as the additional electrical and mechanical components. The sight aperture  315  aids the user in pin-pointing the shot using a single pin  317  which is centered in the sight aperture  315 . The sight aperture  315  includes range finder lasers  313  with angle compensation capabilities. 
     System  301  measures the distance to a moving target upon activation and displays the distance on the display monitor. The range finder lasers  313  which are calibrated to the center of the sight aperture  315  measure the distance to the target, then send the information to a circuit board which will translate the information to the mechanical components, then automatically adjust the sight aperture  315  to the correct position. Thus, the contemplated embodiment overcomes the problems associated with conventional bow sights. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 4 , system  301  preferably includes a sight pin  317  with an embedded fiber optic cable  401 . One or more concealed micro LED lights are projected through the fiber optic cable  401  to notify the user when it is safe to execute the shot. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5A &amp; 5B , oblique views of system  301  are shown in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present application. In  FIG. 5A , the back of enclosure  309  is shown with battery charging port  501 . Also, the display monitor  307  is shown in the stowed position to give a detailed view of the pivoting attachment.  FIG. 5B  depicts display monitor  307  in the deployed position. 
     In  FIGS. 6A and 6B , side views of a bow  601  with system  301  are given. An activation cord  605  is attached to the aperture sight  315  which is secured to the bow cable  603 . When the shooter draws the bow cable  603  backward, the tension in the activation cord  605  enables all functionality of the system  301 .  FIG. 6A  depicts the bow cable  603  in the balanced position showing the slack in the activation cord  605 . The slack in the activation cord  605  is taken up when the bow cable is retracted as shown in  FIG. 6B . This feature provides a means for the user to preserve battery life as well as limit the light emitted by the display monitor in a hunting environment. Alternatively, system  301 &#39;s functionality can be manually enabled by using the display monitor. 
     In  FIGS. 7 &amp; 8 , an oblique view and front view of rangefinding bow sight system  701  are shown in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present application, respectively. System  701  is substantially similar in function to system  301  and it is contemplated interchanging the features of the different types of the systems discussed herein. 
     In this embodiment, system  701  includes a sight display screen  705  which is removably attached to sight aperture  703 . Additionally, system  701  includes a thermal image camera  707  which is connected to the sight display screen  705 . The camera  707  sends thermal image video and pictures to the sight display screen to provide a means for the user to see objects in the dark. The thermal image video and pictures are projected on the screen surface  801  as depicted in  FIG. 8 . The sight display screen  705  of system  701  can be quickly removed to allow the system to operate as system  301 . It will be appreciated that all features of the systems discussed herein are adapted for use with different types of bows, thus providing a universal means of attachment and should not be limited in scope and protection to the particular embodiments shown herein. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8 and 9  in the drawings, oblique views of the system discussed herein is further provided with one or more of a thermal imaging camera  901  secured to the cap  900  and a cord  903  secured to the camera. In one contemplated embodiment, the thermal imaging cameras are Flir Lepton thermal cameras; however, other types of thermal imagining cameras are also contemplated. 
     The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the embodiments may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified, and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the description. Although the present embodiments are shown above, they are not limited to just these embodiments, but are amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.