Patent ID: 7319557

Claim:
An aiming sight comprising: an optical gun sight for generating a view of a target scene viewed directly through the optical gun sight without the use of a display screen and for superimposing an aiming reticle on the view of the target scene to generate a direct view image having the aiming reticle superimposed on the view of the target scene; a thermal image sight assembly for generating a thermal image of the target scene, wherein the thermal image sight assembly includes a thermal imager, a liquid crystal display illuminated by a narrow-band light emitting diode (LED), and a long eye relief eyepiece; and a spectral beam combiner assembly positioned behind the optical gun sight and the thermal image sight assembly and positioned in front of an exit pupil, the spectral beam combiner assembly receives and passes the direct view image from the optical gun sight to the exit pupil and receives and reflects the thermal image from the thermal image sight assembly to the exit pupil such that the thermal image is superimposed onto the direct view image of the optical gun sight for an operator to see as a superimposed thermal and direct view image when the operator positions an eye at the exit pupil; wherein the spectral beam combiner assembly includes a folding mirror and a reflector, the folding mirror being generally positioned behind the thermal image sight assembly, the reflector being generally positioned behind the optical gun sight and in front of the exit pupil, wherein the folding mirror receives and reflects the thermal image from the thermal image sight assembly to the reflector, wherein the reflector passes the direct view image from the optical gun sight to the exit pupil and reflects the thermal image from the folding mirror to the exit pupil in order to superimpose the thermal image onto the direct view image of the optical gun sight for the operator to see as a superimposed image composed of a monochromic thermal image and a direct view image of the target scene together with the aiming reticle when the operator positions an eye at the exit pupil; wherein the thermal imager generates the thermal image of the target scene, wherein the LCD displays the thermal image as a monochromic image, and wherein the long eye relief eyepiece provides the thermal image displayed by the LCD to the folding mirror of the spectral beam combiner assembly for the folding mirror to reflect to the reflector.