Patent Publication Number: US-2009227372-A1

Title: Aim Assisting Apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The invention relates to aim assisting equipment and more particularly to an aim assisting apparatus including a laser guided image capturing device mounted under a handgun held by one hand, and a video playing device fastened at the other hand so that a police office can easily precisely aim a criminal in a safe operating mode during gun fighting. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     It is not uncommon for a law enforcement officer (e.g., police officer) to engage a gun fight with criminal(s). A police officer may hold a handgun with one or two hands, aim a criminal, and shoot. However, this stance has a disadvantage. That is, the body of the police officer is almost completely exposed. While it can increase the probability of hitting the target (i.e., the criminal), it also risks the possibility of being shot by the criminal. 
     Thus, a police officer may hide his body when shooting for safety reasons. However, the probability of hitting a criminal is decreased significantly due to view blocking in this stance. 
     Therefore, a device for assisting aim by guiding a handgun while decreasing the probability of being shot by a criminal is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an aim assisting apparatus comprising an image capturing device comprising a top mounting member adapted to secure under a barrel of a handgun held by one hand, a front laser guiding unit, a camera and image storage unit, and a wireless transmitting unit; a video playing device comprising an image signal receiving unit, an image signal processing unit, wearing means, a display, and a control panel; and a strap secured to the wearing means and being adapted to fasten around the other hand, wherein the laser guiding unit is adapted to emit a light beam toward a target, the light beam is reflected from the target to be received and stored as an image, the image in the form of signal is sent from the wireless transmitting unit to the image signal receiving unit, the image signal processing unit processes the image signal sent from the image signal receiving unit into an image, and the image is shown on the display; and wherein a reticle shown on the display is adapted to move to superimpose a center of the reticle over the image representing the target by moving the handgun. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an image capturing device as a part of an aim assisting apparatus according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the image capturing device mounted under the barrel of a handgun; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a video playing device as the other part of the aim assisting apparatus according to the invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic environmental view of the aim assisting apparatus where the image capturing device is mounted under the barrel of a handgun which is held by one hand of a police officer, and the video playing device is fastened on the wrist of the other hand. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an aim assisting apparatus in accordance with of the invention is illustrated. The aim assisting apparatus comprises an image capturing device  10  and a video playing device  20 . Each component is discussed in detail below. 
     The substantially parallelepiped image capturing device  10  comprises a top mounting member  11  shaped as grooved rails (note that the mounting member  11  may be shaped as another different size and shape in other embodiments), a front infrared (IR) laser guiding unit  12 , a lens  13  above the IR laser guiding unit  12  wherein the lens  13  together with an image storage store (not shown) forming a camera and image storage unit), a wireless transmitting unit (not shown) for transmitting the stored image signals to the video playing device  20 , an on/off switch  14  on one side for turning on or off the IR laser guiding unit  12 , and a selector  15  below the switch  14  for selecting between visible light and invisible light operating modes. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the substantially parallelepiped video playing device  20  comprises an antenna (not numbered) as a part of an image signal receiving unit (not shown) for receiving image signals sent from the image capturing device  10 , an image signal processing unit (not shown), upper and lower bars (only the upper bar  24  being shown) spaced from the other side (i.e., there is a gap between either bar and the body of the video playing device  20 ), a display (e.g., liquid crystal display (LCD) display)  21  on one side, and a control panel  22  beside the display  21  on the same side. A user may press key(s)  23  on the control panel  22  to adjust parameters (e.g., brightness, hue, etc.) of the display  21 . A strap  30  has one end secured to the upper bar  24  and the other end secured to the lower bar respectively. In one embodiment, both end portions of the strap  30  are implemented as Velcro fasteners. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  in conjunction with  FIGS. 1 to 3 , an assembly of the invention is described below. First, a police officer  50  mount the mounting member  11  under the barrel (not numbered) of a handgun  40  with both the lens  13  and the IR laser guiding unit  12  disposed below the muzzle  41  of the handgun  40 . That is, the muzzle  41 , the lens  13 , and the IR laser guiding unit  12  face forward. The police officer  50  uses one hand to hold the grip of the handgun  40 . Also, the police officer  50  wraps the strap  30  around the other hand and fastens. 
     An operation of the invention is further described below. The image capturing device  10  serves as sight of a conventional handgun. The selector  15  is switched to select a visible light operating mode. The IR laser guiding unit  12  emits a light beam toward a target (e.g., criminal). The light beam is reflected from the target to be received by the image storage store through the lens  13 . The received light beam is converted into an image signal of the target and is stored in the image storage store of the  10 . Next, the image signal is sent to the antenna of the image signal receiving unit of the video playing device  20  from the wireless transmitting unit of the image capturing device  10 . The image signal processing unit of the video playing device  20  processes the image signal sent from the antenna into images which are shown on the display  21 . A reticle is shown on the center of the display  21 . The police officer may move the handgun  40  (i.e., the image capturing device  10 ) for adjustment by viewing the display  21  until the center point of the reticle is superimposed over the target. It is designed that a bullet fired by the handgun  40  right now will precisely hit the target. Thus, this operating mode has the benefits of quickly aiming the target and greatly reducing the body of the police officer being exposed to the criminal (i.e., safety of the police officer being greatly increased) when engaging a gun fight with criminal(s). 
     Alternatively, in the invisible light operating mode (i.e., light beam emitted by the IR laser guiding unit  12  being invisible) the target is not aware of himself being aimed by a police officer. But, the target is clearly shown on the display  21 . This operating mode can be implemented as a preparatory step of the visible light operating mode. 
     Preferably, the wireless transmitting unit of the image capturing device  10  is implemented as an RF (radio frequency) transmitter, a Bluetooth transmitter, a Wi-Fi transmitter, a 3G (third generation) transmitter, or a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) transmitter. 
     Preferably, the image signal receiving unit is implemented as an RF receiver, a Blue-tooth receiver, a Wi-Fi receiver, a 3G receiver, or a GSM receiver. 
     Preferably, the video playing device  20  further comprises indicators for indicating the states of image signals being received. 
     Moreover, a team operation of the invention is also possible. In detail, each member of a police squad is equipped with the aim assisting apparatus of the invention. The aiming condition of each member can be transmitted to the squad leader. Thus, after viewing the display the leader is able to command any members by means of a wireless microphone when such need arises. 
     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.