Marksmanship training aid

RELATED APPLICATIONS

p-0002This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/505,514, which was filed on Aug. 5, 2011, and is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

p-00031. Field of the Disclosure

p-0004This disclosure relates to the field of marksmanship training, and more particularly to systems and techniques for aiding marksmanship training.

p-00052. Description of the Related Art

p-0006Basic marksmanship represents a skill set for safely and accurately operating a firearm and is obtained through training and experience. A firearm operator who has attained basic marksmanship skills will understand how to reduce operator error and ensure minimal barrel movement during weapon firing, which remains a widespread source of poor accuracy and precision, particularly when using a long weapon with a rifled barrel (e.g., a rifle) at greater distances. For example, at a range of 300 meters, a rifle barrel deflection of less than 1 degree is sufficient to miss most targets. Therefore, a relatively high degree of firing control is an important skill that basic marksmanship training can provide.

p-0007While various aspects of firing control may be practiced and perfected, four fundamental skills involving firing control actions by the firearm operator include steady positioning, site picture awareness, breath control, and trigger squeezing. Each of the four fundamental skills may make a contribution to the level of firing control (e.g., accuracy and precision of a firing event) that the firearm operator attains. When poor firing control is observed, at least one of the four fundamental skills will likely be a source of the undesired firing result. And without mastery of the four fundamental skills, the firearm operator will be hindered from attaining basic marksmanship skills. Therefore, one aim of basic marksmanship training is to identify which firing control actions are contributing to each firing event.

SUMMARY

p-0008In particular implementations, systems, devices, and processes for assisting in marksmanship training may include the ability to acquire motion data using a sensor assembly coupled to a firearm during live operation by a firearm operator and detect a firing event based on the acquired motion data. The detection of the firing event may be used to pretrigger recording of the motion data, which may be analyzed to determine firing control operations of a firearm operator, as well as to provide corrective actions for inappropriate firing control actions.

p-0009The systems, devices, and processes may provide an affordable and effective marksmanship training aid. For example, they may provide a firearm operator with detailed data regarding the movement of the firearm just before firing. Additionally, they may interpret the results for the operator. Furthermore, they may provide specific actionable feedback for a firearm operator that links barrel movement during a firing event to firing control actions performed by the firearm operator. Thus, a firearm operator may be able to easily grasp, what is occurring and what needs to be remedied.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

p-0010<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a block diagram of selected elements of an example marksmanship training device.

p-0011<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a drawing illustrating an example marksmanship training device in use.

p-0012<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 3A and 3B</figref> are example user interfaces generated by an example marksmanship training device.

p-0013<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a block diagram of selected elements of an example marksmanship training system.

p-0014<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> is a line drawing illustrating selected elements of another example marksmanship training system.

p-0015<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> is a flowchart illustrating an example process for performing marksmanship training

p-0016<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> is a flowchart illustrating another example process for performing marksmanship training

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)

p-0017The present disclosure pertains to systems, devices, processes, and techniques for use in marksmanship training As will be described in detail herein, an example marksmanship training device may be incorporated into an actual firearm for use with live ammunition in a real-life firing situation and provide specific actionable feedback to the firearm operator about movement of the weapon during firing. In this manner, the marksmanship training device described herein may represent a relatively simple, cost-effective training aid with widespread applicability and improved marksmanship training value.

p-0018In the following description, details are set forth by way of example to facilitate discussion of the disclosed subject matter. It should be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the field, however, that the disclosed implementations are exemplary and not exhaustive of all possible implementations.

p-0019Throughout this disclosure, a hyphenated form of a reference numeral refers to a specific instance of an element and the un-hyphenated form of the reference numeral refers to the element generically or collectively. Thus, for example, widget <b>12</b>-<b>1</b> refers to an instance of a widget class, which may be referred to collectively as widgets <b>12</b> and any one of which may be referred to generically as a widget <b>12</b>.

p-0020Turning now to the figures, <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> illustrates selected elements of an example marksmanship training device <b>100</b>. As shown, marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may include various elements and components, of which certain ones are shown in the example implementation for descriptive clarity. It is noted that in various embodiments of marksmanship training device <b>100</b>, desired elements may be added and/or undesired ones omitted. The description of marksmanship training device <b>100</b> in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is intended as a functional representation, and is not intended to restrict any specific physical implementation to a particular form or dimension. For example, different implementations of marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may be employed with different types of firearms, as is suitable and/or desired. As will be described in further detail, disclosed embodiments of marksmanship training device <b>100</b>, which may be a microdevice or a miniaturized device, maybe immovably attached (or affixed) to a firearm to enable detection of movement of the firearm, and more particularly, movement of a firearm shortly before and during a firing event (i.e., discharge of the firearm). It is further noted that marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may be used during normal operation of the firearm using live ammunition and without any particular constraints for usage of the firearm by the firearm operator. Accordingly, in particular embodiments, marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may be a self-contained, compact device that is readily attached to the firearm and/or include elements that are included in a component attached to the firearm (see also <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>).

p-0021As shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, marksmanship training device <b>100</b> includes a processor <b>102</b> and memory <b>104</b>. Processor <b>102</b> may, for example, be a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit, or any other device that manipulates data in a logical manner. Processor <b>102</b> may represent at least one processing unit and may further include internal memory, such as a cache and/or registers, for storing processor executable instructions. In certain embodiments, processor <b>102</b> serves as a main controller for marksmanship training device <b>100</b>. In various implementations, processor <b>102</b> is operable to perform operations associated with marksmanship training systems, as described herein.

p-0022Memory <b>104</b> is operable to store instructions, data, or both. Memory <b>104</b> as shown includes program instructions <b>120</b>, which may be in the form of sets or sequences of executable instructions, such as applications, routines, or code, for performing marksmanship training (see also <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 6 and 7</figref>). Memory <b>104</b> is further shown including firing event data <b>122</b>, representing measured values for the motion (e.g., linear and/or rotational) of the firearm that have been acquired during marksmanship training (see also <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>), for example. In certain implementations, firing event data <b>122</b> may further include reference values for motion data and/or other parameters that may be used to analyze data acquired for specific firing events, as will be described in further detail below. It is noted that memory <b>104</b> may be available to processor <b>102</b> for storing and retrieving other types of information and/or data (not shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>), as desired. Memory <b>104</b> may include persistent and volatile media, fixed and removable media, magnetic and semiconductor media, a combination thereof, and/or any other device for storing data.

p-0023Also shown included with marksmanship training device <b>100</b> in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is one or more sensors <b>106</b>, which are part of a sensor assembly that includes the mechanisms to attach the sensor(s) to the firearm. Sensor(s) <b>106</b> capture motion of the firearm to which marksmanship training device <b>100</b> is attached. As will be described in detail with respect to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, sensor(s) <b>106</b> may be configured to measure motion associated with the firearm along and/or around a number of different dimensions and/or axes. For example, sensor(s) <b>106</b> may measure individual orthogonal axes of 3-dimensional linear motion corresponding to a Cartesian coordinate system of X, Y, and Z axes or two rotations and a linear motion for a polar coordinate system. In various embodiments, sensor(s) <b>106</b> may also be configured to measure a number of different axes of rotation. The placement (i.e., orientation) of a physical embodiment of sensor(s) <b>106</b> relative to the firearm (or a portion of the firearm, such as the firearm barrel) may, for example, determine an orientation of the coordinate system (see also <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>).

p-0024Sensor(s) <b>106</b> may represent a number of different types of sensors, such as, but not limited to, accelerometers, gyroscopes, Hall-effect sensors, optical sensors, radio-frequency sensors, among others. In certain implementations, sensor(s) <b>106</b> include microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and/or nanoscale components.

p-0025Processor <b>102</b> may be configured to receive motion data from sensor(s) <b>106</b> and store this motion data in memory <b>104</b>, for example, as firing event data <b>122</b>. It is noted that, in some embodiments, sensor(s) <b>106</b> may include functionality for supplying power, signal conditioning, and/or digitization of motion signals to generate motion data, such as amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters, etc.

p-0026Further shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, communication interface <b>114</b> represents a communications transceiver providing an interface for one or more communication links. In certain embodiments, communication interface <b>114</b> supports wireless communication links, such as infrared (IR), radio frequency (RF), and audio, among others. Examples of RF wireless links include the IEEE 802.xx family, such as WiFi® (IEEE 802.11) and Bluetooth® (IEEE 802.15.1). In addition to wireless communication links, communication interface <b>114</b> may further support mechanically connected communication links, such as galvanically wired connections, sensor interface connections, connections to external antennas, network connections, etc., and may accordingly include a physical adapter or receptacle (not shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>) for receiving such connections. Communication interface <b>114</b> may transform an instruction received from processor <b>102</b> into a signal sent via a communication medium (not shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, see <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>), such as a network link. It is noted that communication interface <b>114</b> may be a bidirectional interface, such that responses, such as commands, information, or acknowledgements, may be received.

p-0027Also depicted in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a display device represented by display <b>110</b>. Display <b>110</b> may be implemented as a liquid crystal display screen, light emitting diode display screen, a computer monitor, a television, or any other device for visually presenting data. Display <b>110</b> may comply with a display standard for the corresponding type of display. Standards for computer monitors include analog standards such as video graphics array (VGA), extended graphics array (XGA), etc., or digital standards such as digital visual interface (DVI), high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), among others. A television display may comply with standards such as National Television System Committee (NTSC), Phase Alternating Line (PAL), or another suitable standard. Display <b>110</b> may include additional output devices (not shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>), such as one or more integrated speakers to play audio content, or may include an input device (not shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>), such as a microphone or video camera.

p-0028Control elements <b>112</b> may be physical or virtual controls, such as buttons, knobs, sliders, etc., that may be operated by the firearm operator. In particular embodiments, control elements <b>112</b> may include virtual control elements displayed by display <b>110</b> and operable using a touch sensor (not shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>), which may be a touch screen associated with display <b>110</b>, or other tactile sensor. Accordingly, control elements <b>112</b> may represent static as well as dynamic controls that may be reconfigured for various input and output functions, as desired. Control elements <b>112</b> may generally be any device by which a user can input data/instructions to device <b>100</b>.

p-0029Also shown included with marksmanship training device <b>100</b> in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is power supply <b>108</b>, which may represent a local power source, such as a battery and/or an interface to an external power supply. Power supply <b>108</b> may be configured for DC, AC, or both, and may be configured to convert between various levels of AC and/or DC power. Power supply <b>108</b> may be configured to regulate an output voltage or an output current, as desired. Power supply <b>108</b> may include a switching system for routing power to desired interfaces, such as to sensor(s) <b>106</b>, processor <b>102</b>, display <b>110</b>, communication interface <b>114</b>, etc. Accordingly, power supply <b>108</b> may be configured to route and switch power connections on command or in a pre-programmed manner, such as under control of processor <b>102</b>.

p-0030In certain modes of operation, after mounting marksmanship training device <b>100</b> to the firearm, the firearm operator may be presented with data on display <b>110</b> during normal operation of the firearm. Marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may be configured to autonomously monitor movement of the firearm and to detect firing events, for example, from a lateral motion parallel to the firearm barrel. Upon detection of a firing event, marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may retrieve pretriggered motion data (e.g., horizontal and vertical) of the firearm that were previously collected during monitoring. Marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may present motion data (e.g., horizontal and vertical), which describe a short time period prior to the firing event (0.1-3 seconds), on display <b>110</b>, and may additionally present results of an analysis of the presented data, indicating an evaluation of the firing control actions (good and/or bad) exhibited by the firearm operator during the firing event. In particular implementations, training device <b>100</b> may also suggest corrective actions for the firearm operator for inappropriate firing control actions. This procedure may be repeated for each subsequent firing event. In certain implementations, collective analysis results for a number of firing events may be presented. In a further display mode, marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may provide the firearm operator with an ability to retrieve and display previous motion data for one or more firing events.

p-0031Training device <b>100</b> has a variety of features. For example, the firearm operator may receive specific actionable feedback in real-time and during normal (i.e., live fire) operation of the firearm and is assisted in learning how specific firing control actions affect movement of the firearm during a firing event. Such an analysis and immediate feedback of the firearm operator's firing control actions (e.g., without leaving the firing line) provides a significant training aid that may promote efficient and effective mastery of marksmanship skills. Furthermore, this may be done without having an experienced person (e.g., a trainer or a coach) with the operator and may be independent of whether an operator actually hits the target or not. Fundamentally, whether an operator hits the target or not has nothing to do with their mastery of marksmanship and can often work against that mastery (e.g., the person who is consistently hitting the target while not operating the firearm properly). Training device <b>100</b> may also be used in field situations (e.g., when not on a practice range or using reliably verifiable targets) to assist an operator with determining whether he is operating the firearm appropriately.

p-0032Turning now to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, an application of marksmanship training device <b>100</b> is shown. It is noted that like numbered elements in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> correspond to the same elements in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, such as marksmanship training device <b>100</b> and display <b>110</b>. In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, firearm operator <b>204</b> is shown operating firearm <b>202</b>, which has been equipped with marksmanship training device <b>100</b>-<b>1</b> mounted directly to firearm barrel <b>210</b>. Marksmanship training device <b>100</b>-<b>1</b> is shown with display <b>110</b>-<b>1</b> arranged in direct sight of firearm operator <b>204</b>. It is noted that in other implementations, marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may be configured in various physical forms and mounting variations. In one embodiment, for example, marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may be included in ocular scope <b>206</b> mounted to firearm barrel <b>210</b>, such that results displayed by marksmanship training device <b>100</b> are visible in the same field of view as the target. In various embodiments, marksmanship training device <b>100</b> may be incorporated into other ocular instruments (not shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>) mounted on firearm <b>202</b>.

p-0033In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, coordinate system <b>208</b> defines a <b>3</b>-dimensional Cartesian space, with a lateral Z-axis parallel to firearm barrel <b>210</b>, along with a horizontal X-axis and a vertical Y-axis that are respectively perpendicular to firearm barrel <b>210</b>. Coordinate system <b>208</b> may be used by marksmanship training device <b>100</b> to generate motion data for each individual axis, as described previously.

p-0034<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 3A-3B</figref> illustrate example user interfaces <b>300</b> generated by a marksmanship training device <b>100</b>. The user interfaces may be presented on display <b>110</b>.

p-0035User interface <b>300</b>-<b>1</b> shows one example of an output that device <b>100</b> may generate after detecting and analyzing a firing event, as described herein. The elements shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref> may represent motion data captured prior to the firing event and analysis results for marksmanship training Specifically, vertical Y-axis data <b>302</b>-<b>1</b> represents a motion, either absolute or relative, along Y-axis of coordinate system <b>208</b> (see <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>) that the firearm was subjected to over a time period prior to the firing event. The time period may be fixed or may be subject to modification by the firearm operator, for example, using control elements <b>112</b> (see <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>). In particular implementations, the baseline position is determined by averaging the position over a short time before firing (e.g., 0.5-1.0 seconds), and the displayed results are over the last few milliseconds before firing. Horizontal X-axis data <b>304</b>-<b>1</b> represents a motion, either absolute or relative, along X-axis of coordinate system <b>208</b> over a similar time period prior to the firing event. Training aid <b>306</b>-<b>1</b> provides analysis results for aiding the firearm operator in understanding which actual firing control actions were observed during the previous firing event, along with suggestions for improving firing control actions—proper breathing techniques, in this example.

p-0036User interface <b>300</b>-<b>2</b> depicts another example of an output that device <b>100</b> may generate after a firing event, with vertical Y-axis data <b>302</b>-<b>2</b> and horizontal X-axis data <b>304</b>-<b>2</b> again showing movement of the firearm. Additionally, training aid <b>306</b>-<b>2</b> provides analysis results regarding firing control actions and actionable feedback to the firearm operation.

p-0037Other types of analysis results and feedback are also possible. For example, if the firearm moves to the left without any rise in the barrel during firing, this may indicate that the operator's front hand is tensing. The operator may thus be told to relax his front hand. As another example, if the firearm moves to the right without any rise in the firearm during firing, this may indicate that the operator is not pulling straight back on the trigger. The human hand has a tendency to curl as it contracts the index finger. Thus, the operator may be instructed to pull the trigger straight back. As a further example, a movement of the firearm to the right along with a clockwise rotation of the firearm may indicate that the operator is not swinging the firearm properly. The operator may thus be informed to traverse the firearm cleanly. As an additional example, problems with site picture may be identified. Although site picture is not directly quantifiable by the device, it may be indirectly determined through eliminating measurable data errors. For example, if no unacceptable motion is measured by the training aid and there is a miss, the elimination of trigger and breathing error implies poor site picture (e.g., the operator is not properly lining up the weapon siting mechanisms with the target). Feedback may also be provided for firing control actions that are being executed appropriately (e.g., breathing appears good, trigger pull is good, etc.).

p-0038Furthermore, although immediate feedback may be concise and direct, additional feedback may be available and may take the form of video and/or audio explanations stored and/or streamed to the user interface portion of the marksmanship training system. For example, if the user interface portion is a web-enabled, feedback for an error (e.g., trigger squeeze) may include a link to a video (e.g., on YouTube) where a professional marksman explains trigger squeeze, how it affects firing, and how to improve.

p-0039Additionally, analysis and feedback may be based on the results of shots and/or a series of firings. For example, whether a shot hit or missed and/or which shot(s) missed in a series of firings may be analyzed to identify operator errors. For instance, when zeroing a rifle, three consecutive shots are typically fired at a range of 25 meters, attempting to group all three shots within an area the size of a quarter. Often, two shots will fall within the target area while the third falls significantly outside. By analyzing which shot missed, operator error may be indicated. For instance, two accurate shots followed by improper trigger squeeze, resulting in a shot to the right, on the third round often indicates impatience and loss of focus. As another example, a shot left and high on the first round while the other shots are good may indicate initial anticipation of recoil, which decreases after the first round does not deliver on the initial anticipated violence. Thus, analyzing the results of shots and/or a series of firings may provide further feedback to a firearm operator that they can use when the next try zero the firearm (e.g., fire two rounds as previously and focus on making adjustments on the misfired round).

p-0040<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> illustrates selected elements of an example marksmanship training system <b>400</b>. In marksmanship training system <b>400</b>, marksmanship training device <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> may represent various embodiments, as described herein, and is shown without internal details for descriptive clarity. In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, marksmanship training system <b>400</b> has communication links <b>402</b>-<b>1</b> and <b>402</b>-<b>2</b> between marksmanship training device <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> and external entities, which are shown as exemplary embodiments. For example, marksmanship training device <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> may communicate via communication link <b>402</b>-<b>1</b> with wireless user device <b>408</b>, which may represent a smart phone, a tablet, a personal digital assistant, a laptop, or other mobile communication device with application processing capacity. Wireless user device <b>408</b> may be in possession of the firearm operator or other persons associated with marksmanship training system <b>400</b>, such as a trainer, coach, etc. It is noted that an application executing on wireless user device <b>408</b> may specifically be configured to operate with one or more instances of marksmanship training device <b>100</b>. In one implementation, a message may be sent to wireless user device <b>408</b> via wireless communication link <b>402</b>-<b>1</b> and an acknowledgement of the message may be received from wireless user device <b>408</b> via wireless communication link <b>402</b>-<b>1</b>, such that the message is sent and the acknowledgment is received via communication interface <b>114</b> (see <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>). The message may include firing event data <b>122</b> for display and/or processing by wireless user device <b>408</b>.

p-0041In certain implementations, wireless user device <b>408</b> may receive firing event data/analysis from a number of marksmanship training devices <b>100</b>. Thus, a coach may monitor several trainees at once and be able to identify any who need special assistance. In some implementations, wireless user device <b>408</b> may receive the firing event data and perform the analysis to determine what firing control actions occurred and if any were improper and/or proper.

p-0042Similarly, marksmanship training device <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> may communicate via communication link <b>402</b>-<b>2</b> with wireless network <b>404</b>, which may be linked to a server <b>406</b>. Server <b>406</b> may include one or more processors, short term memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), and long-term memory (e.g., ROM and disk memory), and in particular implementations may be an applicator server. Wireless network <b>404</b> may be a wide-area wireless network, such as a cellular telephony network or a satellite network, for example. Wireless network <b>404</b> may enable marksmanship training device <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> to communicate with server <b>406</b> to exchange application data, commands, measurement data, and firing event data, as desired. In certain embodiments, server <b>406</b> includes, and/or is coupled to, a database system (not shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>) that may serve as a repository for firing event data for different firearms, firearm operators, and marksmanship training devices <b>100</b>, and that is configured to provide marksmanship training services to a number of different users for various purposes, such as training, skills improvement, evaluation, monitoring, analysis, trending, testing, certification to a desired standard, standards development, among others.

p-0043Example reports include after action review reports. For example, trend reports for an individual operator or group of operators may indicate the times of greatest increase or decrease in error. If a general increase in error occurs after the fourth hour of training, that may indicate fatigue and measures may be taken during the next training period to minimize the effect. As another example, alerts may be generated for a coach or a commander when there is an increase in firing error over time for a specific operator indicating a poor grasp of the fundamentals of marksmanship and the need for further basic marksmanship training outside of a live-fire environment.

p-0044<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> illustrates another example marksmanship training system <b>500</b>. System <b>500</b> includes a firearm portion <b>510</b> and a local display device <b>520</b>.

p-0045Firearm portion <b>510</b> includes a mounting assembly <b>512</b> and an electronics housing <b>514</b>. As illustrated, mounting assembly <b>512</b> may couple firearm portion <b>510</b> directly to the barrel of a firearm. Electronics housing <b>514</b> houses the electronics for firearm portion <b>510</b>. For example, electronics housing <b>510</b> may, among other things, house a power supply (e.g., a battery), one or more sensors (e.g., accelerometers), a processor, a communication interface (e.g., an RF interface), and memory (e.g., RAM), which may store instructions and data (e.g., firing event data). Firearm portion <b>510</b> may be made of aluminum, polymer (e.g., a high temperature polymer such as acetal copolymer), or any other appropriate material.

p-0046Local display device <b>520</b> is adapted to process measurement data and visually present it to a user. As illustrated, local display device <b>520</b> includes a display <b>522</b> and control elements <b>524</b>. Inside, local display device <b>520</b> may include, among other things, include a power supply (e.g., a battery), a processor, a communication interface (e.g., an RF interface), and memory (e.g., RAM), which may store instructions and data (e.g., firing event data).

p-0047To set system <b>500</b> up for operation, firearm portion <b>510</b> maybe mounted to a firearm by manipulating mounting assembly <b>512</b>. Additionally local display <b>520</b> may be turned on and the appropriate function selected using control elements <b>524</b>. Local display device <b>520</b> may establish a wireless link between firearm portion <b>510</b> and local display device <b>520</b>.

p-0048As an operator uses the firearm to which firearm portion <b>510</b> is attached, the processor for local firearm portion <b>510</b> may accumulate motion data and send it to local display device <b>520</b> using the communication interface. The processor of local display device <b>520</b> may then analyze the data to determine if a firing event has occurred and pretrigger the storage of data for a short time before the firing event. Local display device <b>520</b> may then generate a user interface to present the pretriggered data to the operator and also analyze the pretriggered data to determine whether inappropriate firing actions occurred (e.g., closing of eyes, incorrect trigger pull, etc.). If an inappropriate firing action occurred, local display <b>520</b> may generate a user interface that presents the results of the analysis and possibly feedback regarding corrections to the inappropriate firing actions. Local display device <b>520</b> may also present analysis results regarding appropriate firing control actions, as well as training audios and/or videos that correspond to detected errors (e.g., breathing, trigger pull, etc.) may be provided to an operator.

p-0049System <b>500</b> has a variety of features. For example, by separating the motion detection functions from the analysis and display functions, the weight and size of the firearm-mounted portion may be reduced (e.g., to a few ounces). A reduction in the weight for the firearm portion may produce a more realistic shooting experience for the operator and reduce aiming errors due to having an additional component mounted to the firearm. Reducing the size of the firearm-mounted portion may also provide less distraction and psychological anxiety for the operator.

p-0050Additionally, having display device <b>520</b> separate may allow the display unit to receive firing event data from multiple firearms. This may, for example, be useful in a military training context when there is approximately one coach per eight trainees. If the firearm portions for several firearms are downloading to a central unit, the coach may be able to identify which trainees require assistance. (The firearm portion could also be downloading to a central computer that is collecting data for every firearm on the range.)

p-0051<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> illustrates an example process <b>600</b> for performing marksmanship training using a marksmanship training system, as described herein. In certain implementations, process <b>600</b> is performed by a processor executing program instructions such as program instructions <b>120</b> (see <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>). It is noted that certain operations described in process <b>600</b> may be optional or may be rearranged in different embodiments. It is also noted that process <b>600</b> may be performed repeatedly for a number of different firing events.

p-0052Process <b>600</b> calls for acquiring (operation <b>602</b>) motion data for a live firearm during normal operation (e.g., on a firing range or in the field) by a firearm operator. The data may, for example, be X-, Y-, Z-axis translation data and/or rotational data. Process <b>600</b> also calls for detecting a firing event (operation <b>604</b>). A firing event may, for example, be detected by a sudden motion along the longitudinal axis indicative of a firing of the firearm. The firing event may be used (operation <b>606</b>) to pretrigger recording of motion data immediately prior to the firing event. The motion data may, for example, be along a lateral axis. The pretriggered recording may involve continuous buffering of motion data and readout of a given time period of motion data prior to the firing event (e.g., 0.1-3 seconds). The pretriggered motion data may be stored (operation <b>608</b>). The motion data may be stored on the marksmanship training device mounted to the firearm and/or may be transmitted to an external device/system for storage.

p-0053Process <b>600</b> also calls for analyzing the pretriggered motion data (operation <b>610</b>) to characterize firing control actions performed by the firearm operator. The pretriggered motion data may be displayed (operation <b>612</b>) to the firearm operator in real-time. As used herein, “real-time” shall refer to operations that occur substantially simultaneously or instantaneously with minimal delay. For example, a real-time display of analysis results of a firing event shall refer to a display shortly following the firing event. Displaying data may include generating (e.g., selecting and/or forming) user interface by a processor and presenting the user interface on a display.

p-0054Process <b>600</b> also calls for displaying the analysis results to the firearm operator in real time (operation <b>614</b>). The results may be displayed with or separate from the motion data. Process <b>600</b> further calls for displaying a corrective action for inappropriate firing control actions (operation <b>616</b>). The corrective action(s) may be displayed with the analysis results. The analysis results and/or the pretriggered motion data may then be transmitted (operation <b>618</b>) to an external device (e.g., a server). The external device may, for example, store a series of results for further analysis.

p-0055Although <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> illustrates an example process for marksmanship training, other processes for marksmanship training may include fewer, additional, and/or a different arrangement of operations. For example, the motion data may be transmitted to a local display device, such as local display <b>520</b>, for analysis and providing the results, along with any corrective actions. As another example, the results and/or the motion data may not be transmitted to an external device. As another example, the results and/or the motion data may be transmitted before or during analysis of the motion data. As a further example, a process may begin by detecting a ready command (e.g., from a user or a device). As an additional example, data from various firing events may be analyzed to establish patterns and/or trends (e.g., consistent actions for certain types of shots, improvement of certain skills, worsening of certain skills, etc.). As another example, corrective action(s) may not be displayed. As another example, information regarding appropriate firing control actions may be displayed (e.g., good, satisfactory, etc.). As a further example, training audios and/or videos that correspond to detected errors (e.g., breathing, trigger pull, etc.) may be provided to an operator.

p-0056Turning now to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>, another example process <b>700</b> for marksmanship training is illustrated in flowchart form. In some implementations, process <b>700</b> is performed by a processor executing program instructions <b>120</b> (see <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>). In other implementations, an application may be configured to perform process <b>700</b> by execution on wireless user device <b>408</b> and/or application server <b>406</b>, in conjunction with wireless network <b>404</b>, for example, by transmitting firing event data <b>122</b> to application server <b>406</b> (see <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1 and 4</figref>). It is noted that certain operations described in process <b>700</b> may be optional or may be rearranged in different embodiments. Process <b>700</b> may be performed using any combination of marksmanship training devices <b>100</b>, <b>200</b>, <b>300</b> and/or marksmanship training system <b>400</b>. It is noted that process <b>700</b> may be performed repeatedly for a number of different firing events.

p-0057Process <b>700</b> calls for receiving analysis results and/or pretriggered motion data that are indicative of a firing event associated with a firearm operator (operation <b>702</b>). The received information is stored under an index to the firearm operator and/or the firing event (operation <b>704</b>). Process <b>700</b> further calls for generating an analysis (e.g., a trend report) for the firearm operator indicative of firing control actions over time (operation <b>706</b>). Other types of reports for a given firearm operator, a given firearm, or according to other parameters, may be generated in various implementations.

p-0058While the subject of this specification has been described in connection with one or more exemplary embodiments, and/or implementations, it is not intended to limit the claims to the particular forms set forth. Additionally, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that various additions, deletions, substitutions, and modifications may be made to the various implementations while still achieving marksmanship training Thus, the scope of protection should be based on the following claims, which may encompass one or more features of one or more implementations.