Targeting aid system, device, and/or method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to systems, devices, and/or methods that may operate to provide training to a user of a firearm, such as a shotgun, rifle, handgun, or the like, so as to improve the user's performance with respect to hitting targets in flight via projectiles fired or discharged from the firearm.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a targeting aid system to be secured to a firearm, at least in part, wherein the firearm is to be operated by a user, and wherein the targeting aid system comprises:   one or more sensors, wherein at least one sensor of the one or more sensors comprises an image sensor; and   at least one processor to:   obtain one or more signals or signal packets from the at least one sensor;   determine at least a direction and speed of a target based at least in part on the one or more signals or signal packets to-be obtained from the at least one sensor;   determine at least one feedback parameter based at least in part on at least one user action and based at least in part on the direction and speed of the target; and   initiate at least one feedback process to provide at least haptic, audible and/or visual feedback to the user at least in part in accordance with the at least one feedback parameter prior to an actuation of a trigger mechanism of the firearm by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the firearm comprises a barrel and wherein the targeting aid system is to be secured to the barrel. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the firearm further comprises a trigger mechanism, and wherein the user action includes a firearm-handling action or an aiming action, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an inertial motion unit. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is to determine the at least one feedback parameter based at least in part on a movement of the barrel in accordance with one or more signals or signal packets generated by the inertial motion unit. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is to determine the direction and speed of the target based at least in part on one or more signals or signal packets obtained from the image sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is to determine the direction and speed of the target at least in part via analysis of image content representative of the target or one or more background features, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is to determine the direction and speed of the target at least in part via analysis of pixel content of two or more consecutive images obtained from the image sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is to determine the at least one feedback parameter based at least in part on the direction and speed of the target and based at least in part on one or more parameters representative of one or more characteristics of at least one projectile or at least one projectile cloud to be discharged from the firearm. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the targeting aid system further comprises a user interface and wherein the one or more parameters representative of the one or more characteristics of the at least one projectile or the at least one projectile cloud is to be obtained via the user interface. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the one of more parameters representative of the one or more characteristics of the at least one projectile or the at least one projectile cloud includes one or more parameters representative of ammunition type, expected projectile speed, expected drop or expected deviation from a straight-line trajectory, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one feedback process indicates in real-time or near real-time, or any combination thereof, to the user a deviation of the user action relative to the direction and speed of the target. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes a GPS/GNSS sensor, an altimeter, a barometer, a thermometer or a pulsimeter, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is to determine the at least one feedback parameter further based at least in part on wind speed, air pressure, humidity or air temperature, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein one or more parameters specifying wind speed, air pressure, humidity or air temperature, or any combination thereof, is to be obtained via the at least one sensor, via a user interface or via a wireless communication interface, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the targeting aid system further includes at least one memory device, wherein the at least one processor is to initiate storage of at least sensor content or content representative of the at least one user action, or any combination thereof, in the at least one memory device. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the targeting aid system further includes a communication interface, wherein the at least one processor is to initiate communication of one or more signal packets representative, at least in part, of the sensor content between the targeting aid system and an external computing system. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the external computing system comprises a cellular telephone or a tablet device. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback process includes an image display to provide visual feedback to the user based, at least in part, on the at least one user action relative to the direction and speed of the target. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the image display comprises a cellular telephone or a tablet device. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a targeting aid system to be secured to a firearm, wherein the firearm is to be operated by a user, and wherein the targeting aid system comprises:   a plurality of sensors including at least an image sensor and a movement sensor, wherein the movement sensor is to detect acceleration, angular speed or azimuth position, or any combination thereof, of the firearm,   a communication interface to transmit at least one sensor reading to an external computing system, wherein the communication interface is further to obtain at least one feedback parameter from the external computing system, wherein the at least one feedback parameter is to be based at least in part on the sensor content and based at least in part on at least one user action relative to a direction and speed of a particular target; and   at least one feedback process to provide at least haptic, audible and/or visual feedback to the user at least in part in accordance with the at least one feedback parameter prior to an actuation of a trigger mechanism of the firearm by the user.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the direction and speed of the particular target is to be calculated based at least in part on one or more signals and/or signal packets obtained from the image sensor. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one feedback parameter is further to-be based at least in part on one or more parameters representative of one or more characteristics of at least one projectile to be discharged from the firearm. 
     
     
         24 . A method, comprising at a targeting aid system secured to a firearm, wherein the firearm is operated by a user:
 obtaining one or more signals or signal packets from at least one sensor of the targeting aid system;   determining, via at least one processor of the targeting aid system, a direction and speed of a target based at least in part on the one or more signals or signal packets obtained from the at least one sensor;   determining at least one feedback parameter based at least in part on at least one user action relative to the direction and speed of the target; and   providing haptic, audible and/or visual feedback to the user at least in part in accordance with the at least one feedback parameter prior to an actuation of a trigger mechanism of the firearm by the user.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the firearm comprises a barrel and wherein the targeting aid system is secured to the barrel. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the firearm further comprises a trigger mechanism, and wherein the at least one user action includes movement of the barrel or activating the trigger mechanism, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one sensor includes an inertial motion unit. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the determining the at least one feedback parameter is based at least in part on the movement of the barrel in accordance with one or more signals or signal packets generated by the inertial motion unit. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an image sensor. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the determining the direction and speed of the target is based at least in part on one or more signals or signal packets obtained from the image sensor. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the determining the direction and speed of the target comprises analysis of image content representative of the target or one or more background features, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the determining the at least one feedback parameter is further based at least in part on one or more parameters representative of one or more characteristics of at least one projectile or at least one projectile cloud to be discharged from the firearm. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the targeting aid system further comprises a user interface. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising obtaining the one or more parameters representative of the one or more characteristics of the at least one projectile or the at least one projectile cloud via the user interface. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the one of more parameters representative of the one or more characteristics of the at least one projectile or the at least one projectile cloud includes one or more parameters representative of ammunition type, expected projectile speed, expected drop or expected deviation from a straight-line trajectory, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the providing the haptic, audible and/or visual feedback to the user includes providing feedback indicative of a deviation of the user action relative to the direction and speed of the target in real-time or near real-time, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising storing the one or more signals or signal packets obtained from the at least one sensor in at least one memory of the targeting aid system. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 24 , further including transmitting, via a communication interface of the targeting aid system, one or more signal packets representative, at least in part, of the one or more signals or signal packets obtained from the at least one sensor to an external computing system. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the proving feedback to the user includes providing visual feedback via an image display of the targeting aid system based at least in part on the at least one user action relative to the direction and speed of the target.