METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ADDING DIGITAL FUNCTIONALITY TO A SCOPE

Abstract

A method of adding digital functionality to a scope. A scope reticle from the scope is aligned with a virtual reticle from a digital overlay of an electronic display device coupled to the scope. The scope reticle is present in a first coordinate space of the scope image and the virtual reticle is present in a second coordinate space. The alignment of the reticles maps the first coordinate space to the second coordinate space. The coordinate spaces are then locked and the virtual reticle is made invisible, switching from a configure mode to an operate mode. Digital functionality can then be provided to the scope via the digital overlay. This may include an aiming indicator which works with the scope reticle.

Claims

1. A method of adding digital functionality to a scope, the method comprising aligning a scope reticle from the scope with a virtual reticle from an electronic display device, wherein an image from the scope is displayed on an electronic display of the electronic display device for an operator to view, the electronic display device having a digital camera that has been coupled to an ocular lens of the scope, the method comprising: directing the scope to produce an image output at the ocular lens of the scope that is received by the camera, the scope adding a scope reticle to the image, wherein the scope reticle is a stadiametric reticle comprising stadiametric markings; displaying the image on the electronic display, the image being displayed in a first coordinate space; generating a digital overlay for the electronic display that includes a virtual reticle which is visible to the operator in a configure mode, the digital overlay being displayed in a second coordinate space, wherein the virtual reticle is a stadiametric reticle comprising stadiametric markings; combining on the electronic display the digital overlay in its second coordinate space with the image output from the scope in its first coordinate space; allowing dimensional and positional adjustment of the first coordinate space relative to the second coordinate space to align the scope reticle with the virtual reticle in the digital overlay, so that the virtual reticle becomes aligned with the scope reticle in the configure mode; locking the first coordinate space of the image output from the scope to the second coordinate space of the digital overlay, wherein locking the first coordinate space to the second coordinate space comprises digitally linking coordinates from the first coordinate space to coordinates from the second coordinate space, such that a scaling factor becomes set for mapping the coordinates of the first coordinate space onto coordinates of the second coordinate space; and reducing visibility of the virtual reticle in the digital overlay with respect to the image output from the scope in an operate mode in order to reveal the scope reticle on the electronic display for the operator.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises: integrating information in the digital overlay that is visible to the operator in at least the operate mode, when the first coordinate space is locked with the second coordinate space, the information being provided to assist the operator in targeting determination and/or range determination, wherein the information comprises providing an aiming indicator in the second coordinate space of the digital overlay that becomes mapped to the first coordinate space through the locking of the first and second coordinate spaces, such that the aiming indicator moves with the first coordinate space in common with changes at the scope in order to provide a virtual aim point for the scope reticle.

3. (canceled)

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a position for the aiming indicator in the second coordinate space is determined based on a current target position of the scope and on parameters input to the electronic display device which alter the aim point for the operator.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the method includes inputting parameters which are indicative of weather conditions and/or atmospheric conditions between the scope and a target, and/or of ballistic properties of a projectile to be fired at the target, these parameters being used to determine a position of the aim point in the second coordinate space.

6. The method as claimed in any claim 2, wherein the information comprises a virtual tool for assisting with range determination, the virtual tool allowing dimensions to be measured in the first coordinate space via the second coordinate space and specifying the measured dimensions on the electronic display in units relevant to the first coordinate space, and optionally wherein the virtual tool uses a software product which is configured to recognise an object selected in the image, look up one or more dimensions for the recognised object, apply the one or more dimensions in the second coordinate space when determining a range in the first coordinate space, and specifying the one or more dimensions on the electronic display in units relevant to the first coordinate space.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the virtual tool is represented in the second coordinate space as a virtual caliper tool, and optionally wherein, the virtual caliper tool is used to measure a dimension of a physical object of known size which is visible in the image, and wherein a distance to the object is determined from the measured dimension using the known size of the physical object and a scaling factor used for mapping dimensions in the first coordinate space to the second coordinate space.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reducing visibility of the virtual reticle is performed by switching off or switching out the virtual reticle from an overlay signal so that it no longer appears in the digital overlay.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reducing visibility of the virtual reticle is performed by transforming the virtual reticle from an opaque reticle to a transparent reticle in the overlay signal, by reducing an opacity percentage assigned to the virtual reticle to less than one, or at least to an extent that the virtual reticle is no longer visible to the operator.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reducing visibility of the virtual reticle is performed by reducing a line thickness of the virtual reticle relative to the scope reticle, such that the virtual reticle fits entirely within an outline of the scope reticle, and changing a colour of the virtual reticle from a contrasting colour to a matching colour of the scope reticle so that the operator only sees the scope reticle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method includes a step of selecting a virtual reticle from a database of virtual reticles, wherein the virtual reticle is selected on the basis of it matching a format of the scope reticle for at least 75% of the scope reticle.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the virtual reticle is selected on the basis of it being identical in format to the scope reticle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the selecting is performed automatically following one of: determining a make and model of the scope from data stored in an operator profile file; using an image recognition routine on the scope reticle in the image output from the scope; using an image recognition routine on an image of the scope seen through the digital camera before coupling the electronic display device to the scope; or scanning a barcode, QR code or other mark using the digital camera of the electronic display device to identify the scope.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digital overlay is configured to provide a camera viewscreen with a live feed from the digital camera in a region of the electronic display showing the image of the scope reticle captured from the ocular lens of the scope.

15.-17. (canceled)

18. Apparatus for adding digital functionality to a scope, the apparatus comprising: a scope having an ocular lens, the scope being provided with a scope reticle such that an output from the ocular lens of the scope comprises an image with the scope reticle, wherein the scope reticle is a stadiametric reticle comprising stadiametric markings; an electronic display device comprising a digital camera and an electronic display for an operator to view, the electronic display device being mountable on the scope to capture the output from the scope to display on the electronic display in a first coordinate space; and a computer program product configured to be run by the electronic display device, the computer program product being configured to add digital functionality to the scope output observed on the electronic display through generating a digital overlay for the electronic display device that includes a virtual reticle which is visible to the operator in a configure mode of the electronic display device, the digital overlay being displayed in a second coordinate space, wherein the virtual reticle comprises matching stadiametric markings, the computer program product being configured to combine the digital overlay with the output from the scope in the electronic display on the electronic display device, wherein the computer program product is configured to allow dimensional and/or positional adjustment of the first coordinate space relative to the second dimensional space so that the scope reticle becomes aligned with the virtual reticle in the digital overlay in the configure mode, wherein the computer program product is configured to lock the first coordinate space of the image output from the scope to the second coordinate space of the digital overlay, wherein locking the first coordinate space to the second coordinate space comprises digitally linking coordinates from the first coordinate space to coordinates from the second coordinate space, such that a scaling factor becomes set for mapping the coordinates of the first coordinate space onto coordinates of the second coordinate space; and wherein the computer program product is configured to reduce visibility of the virtual reticle in the digital overlay with respect to the image output from the scope in an operate mode of the electronic display device in order to reveal the scope reticle on the electronic display for the operator.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein information incorporated in the digital overlay is visible to the operator in at least the operate mode, when the first coordinate space is locked with the second coordinate space, the information being provided to assist the operator in targeting determination and range determination.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein in at least the operate mode an aiming indicator is provided for the operator by the digital overlay for use with the scope reticle.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the computer program product is provided with a database of a virtual reticles and is configured to enable a virtual reticle to be selected from the database of virtual reticles which matches the scope reticle of the scope.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the virtual reticle comprises an image model of a scope reticle which is added into an overlay signal by the computer program product for producing the digital overlay during the configure mode, and which is switched off or out of the overlay signal in the operate mode so that the virtual reticle is no longer visible to the operator.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the computer program product is configured to display a camera viewscreen in a first region of the electronic display and ballistics information in a second region of the digital overlay, the camera viewscreen displaying the image that is output from the scope that includes the scope reticle.

24. (canceled)

25. A computer program product which when run on a programable electronic display device is configured to add digital functionality to a scope, the computer program product being configured to align a scope reticle from the scope with a virtual reticle from the electronic display device, wherein an image from the scope is displayed on an electronic display of the electronic display device for an operator to view, the electronic display device having a digital camera that has been coupled to an ocular lens of the scope, wherein the scope has been arranged to produce an image output at the ocular lens of the scope that is received by the camera, the scope adding a scope reticle to the image, wherein the scope reticle is a stadiametric reticle comprising stadiametric markings, wherein the computer program product is configured to: display the image on the electronic display, the image being displayed in a first coordinate space; generate a digital overlay for the electronic display that includes a virtual reticle which is visible to the operator in a configure mode, the overlay signal being displayed in a second coordinate space wherein the virtual reticle comprises matching stadiametric markings; combine on the electronic display the digital overlay in its second coordinate space with the image output from the scope in its first coordinate space; allow dimensional and positional adjustment of the first coordinate space relative to the second coordinate space to align the scope reticle with the virtual reticle in the digital overlay, so that the virtual reticle becomes aligned with the scope reticle in the configure mode; lock the first coordinate space of the image output from the scope to the second coordinate space of the digital overlay, wherein locking the first coordinate space to the second coordinate space comprises digitally linking coordinates from the first coordinate space to coordinates from the second coordinate space, such that a scaling factor becomes set for mapping the coordinates of the first coordinate space onto coordinates of the second coordinate space; and reduce visibility of the virtual reticle in the digital overlay with respect to the image output from the scope in an operate mode in order to reveal the scope reticle on the electronic display for the operator.

Description

FIGURES

[0061] Certain preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0062] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an exemplary view of a stadiametric reticle, e.g., in the form of a Mildot reticle;

[0063] FIG. 2 is an illustration of the exemplary stadiametric reticle of FIG. 1 with an overlay of an aiming indicator incorporated within an area of the telescope's reticle;

[0064] FIG. 3 is an exemplary illustration of a layout for a screen display on a smartphone running an embodiment of a ballistics and/or range finding application showing a first region for displaying ballistics and/or range information and a second region for providing a camera viewscreen where an image from the smartphone's camera can be displayed;

[0065] FIG. 4 is an exemplary illustration of the screen display of FIG. 3 when fitted to a telescope with the scope's ocular view and telescope reticle visible in the camera viewscreen;

[0066] FIG. 5 is an exemplary illustration of the screen display illustrating a virtual reticle overlaid on the image in the camera viewscreen showing the telescope's ocular lens view and telescope reticle in a configure mode;

[0067] FIG. 6 is an exemplary illustration of the screen display illustrating configuring the relative positions and dimensions of the telescope's ocular lens view and telescope reticle with the virtual reticle displayed in the camera viewscreen of the screen display;

[0068] FIG. 7 is an exemplary illustration of the screen display illustrating the near alignment of the reticles and near completion of the configuration process (a slight misalignment of the telescope reticle and virtual reticle can still be seen);

[0069] FIG. 8 is an exemplary illustration of the screen display showing the telescope reticle fully aligned with the virtual reticle and the smartphone application switched to an operate mode where the virtual reticle is made invisible (switched off);

[0070] FIG. 9 is an exemplary illustration of the screen display when the smartphone application is being used as a ballistics and/or range finding application, where the camera viewscreen is displaying range and/or ballistics information and another region is displaying the telescope's ocular lens view, the telescope reticle and a virtual aiming indicator within the coordinate space of the telescope reticle;

[0071] FIG. 10 is an exemplary illustration of the screen display when the smartphone application is being used in an operate mode to assess dimensions of a target in the telescope's ocular view using a virtual caliper tool;

[0072] FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of an assembly of a telescope, in this case a riflescope, which can be fitted to a rifle, one or more mounts mounting a smartphone on the scope with the smartphone's camera directed to an ocular lens of the telescope, and the smartphone being programmed with a ballistics and/or range finding application configured as described with respect to FIGS. 3 to 10; and

[0073] FIG. 12 is an exemplary illustration of the screen display when the smartphone application of a further embodiment is being used to assess dimensions based on selected objects in the image that are recognisable through AI-based recognition

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] The present disclosure has particular applicability to, though is not limited to, reticle-using riflescopes and spotter scopes (more generally referred to herein as scope). Over the image received from the scope, a digital, i.e., virtual, reticle can be visibly and manually configured for alignment with a reticle of the scope, in this way configuring a digital overlay in which the virtual reticle is then made invisible during use in order to provide additional functionality through the digital overlay, for example, through providing a virtual aiming indicator for the scope or a virtual range-finder.

[0075] References herein to visible and invisible in relation to a virtual reticle viewed on an electronic display device refer to the virtual reticle as seen by the human operator (e.g., the shooter), and thus relates to wavelengths in the usual visible range of around 0.4 to 0.7 m and whether the operator can see a virtual reticle in the image. This will be dependent on the transparency of the virtual reticle as well as its colour as compared to the scope reticle. In other words these terms are used in their normal sense: for example, that the reticle is visible to the operator or should be visible, may also depend on the background and light conditions, or in the opposite scenario is invisible to the operator in the sense that the reticle can no longer be distinguished or is so close to being invisible that it is not noticeable or distracting to the operator when the operator is using the digital camera based tool.

[0076] A stadiametric reticle is a crosshair for aiming or range-finding utilising multiple markings usually in the form of lines and/or dots spaced out at regular angular units, the most common angular unit of which is termed the angular mil. Other angular units such as the Minute of Angle (MoA), and Inches per Hundred Yards (IpHY) are also used and the mil itself, a loose abbreviation of the angular measurement Milliradian is defined differently according to various use-cases.

[0077] All the various angular unit measurements can be converted between each other. A common basic riflescope/range-finding spotting scope reticle is known as the Mil-Dot or Mildot reticle.

[0078] FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a view down an ocular lens 52 of a scope 50, showing an exemplary stadiametric recticle 10 provided by the scope 50. In the example of FIG. 1, the scope reticle 10 comprises an x-axis crosshair 12 and a y-axis crosshair 14, and there is a point in the centre 16 of the image 18 where the crosshairs 12,14 pass over one another to form a cross which can be used to gauge the true direction to a target (when set up correctly) and so provide a central aiming point 16.

[0079] A Mildot reticle, as shown, is usually characterised by a series of dots 20 on both the vertical and horizontal crosshairs 12,14, where each dot 20 apart from the two most central ones on each crosshair 12,14, is spaced exactly one mil from its nearest neighbouring dot(s) 20 along the crosshair 12,14. The two most central dots on each crosshair 12,14 of the Mildot reticle 10 are two mils apart, but exactly one mil from the central aiming point 16, at least in this example.

[0080] While FIG. 1 includes a few exemplary mil values (1, 2 and 8 mils) associated with the dotted lines, these are for explanatory purposes only to explain the scaling. The scaling may be based on other mil value ranges or even different units of measurement.

[0081] A marksman can utilise the Mildot reticle for accurately aiming at a target (indicated by a simple rectangle 22 in FIG. 1) based primarily on the distance away from a rifle barrel, and secondly on other factors such as wind direction and speed. These calculations are not trivial, so for the most proficient modern marksmen, use of a specialised calculator, such as a ballistics application, is required or preferred.

[0082] Many ballistics applications exist on the market, and since the advent of smartphones, many smartphone-based ballistics applications have been developed. A common feature of many smartphone ballistics applications is a quasi-reticle view, where a graphical replica, to-scale image of the users' riflescope reticle 10 is displayed on screen, with an aiming pointer 24, usually in the form of a small simple crosshair indicating where on the stadiametric reticle 10 the marksman should be aiming based on the current environmental and distance conditions.

[0083] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary illustration of the stadiametric reticle 10 of FIG. 1 with an additional targeting crosshair (aiming indicator) 24.

[0084] In preferred embodiments of this disclosure, an image of a virtual reticle 30 is displayed on a screen 72 of an electronic display device 70 together with an image 18 output from the ocular lens 52 from the scope 50 during a configure mode, to assist with aligning a digital overlay 80 (providing the virtual reticle 30) to the image 18 from the scope 50. Thus, a difference compared to the known smartphone ballistics applications is that rather than providing a quasi-reticle view, the operator is viewing the actual scope reticle, albeit as captured by the digital camera and seen in the camera viewscreen of the digital overlay 80 provided by the software application.

[0085] An overlay signal (i.e., the screen commands) for the digital overlay 80 may also provide an aiming indicator 32, to give an impression of displaying the aiming indicator 32 on the actual physical scope reticle 10, through the viewfinder of a digital camera 72 attached to the physical scope 50. The programmable digital camera 70 in question, used for this function is preferably a modern smartphone device (see FIG. 11). The manner in which it is attached to a riflescope or spotting scope is preferably through using smartphone mounts that have been developed for this purpose. Many such smartphone mounts are on the market already, and are used for mounting smartphones to riflescopes, spotting scopes, general telescopes and binoculars, often primarily for taking pictures and making video film, e.g., during firing of a rifle.

[0086] Using the method described herein, a physical scope reticle 10 can be perfectly aligned with a software reticle 30 within, for example, a ballistics and/or range-finding software application, instantly transforming an existing riflescope 50 into a smart digital riflescope.

[0087] A smart digital riflescope is one in which ballistics software is preferably integrated into the output from the scope to automatically adjust the scope reticle that would be seen, such that when it is positioned correctly relative to an output for the digital device, it is able to take into account the distance to target and environmental conditions.

[0088] A difference between a smart digital scope described herein and a conventional ballistics application attached to a non-digital scope 50 is that it is not the scope reticle 10 that is adjusted to reflect the aim point (as per a smart scope), but an aiming indicator 32, which makes use of the stadiametric scope reticle 10 to indicate to which area of the scope reticle 10 the marksman should be aiming.

[0089] The manner in which a virtual aiming indicator 32 can be digitally super-imposed over an image of the scope reticle 10 with then accurate alignment of the actual and virtual coordinate spaces, in a preferred embodiment, is described as follows: [0090] 1. A specialised smartphone ballistics and/or range finding application may be provided as shown in FIG. 3. See also FIG. 11. A smartphone 70 is mounted to an ocular lens 52, i.e., eyepiece of a scope 50, which may be a firearm riflescope but not exclusively so. The electronic display 74 provided by the digital overlay 80 can include a first region 82, such as the circular area shown in FIG. 3, which is intended to replicate a view down a scope 50. That first region 82 is configured to be a smartphone-camera viewfinder area (camera viewscreen), showing the output of the scope image as a live feed within that first region 82. Such a camera viewscreen or first region 82 can be incorporated on the main application page of the smartphone application. In the example, in FIG. 3 the first region 82 is a circular region on the right hand side of the screen 74 but other arrangements are possible. A second region 84 or remainder of the digital overlay 80 may be used to display additional information for the operator, such as ballistics information, range information, and/or any other information that may be useful to the operator. The electronic display 74 of the electronic display device 70 is preferably a touch screen 74 of a smartphone 70, so that the touch screen functionality of the smartphone 70 can be used with the ballistics and/or range-finding application. [0091] 2. The smartphone 70 running the ballistics and/or range-finding application is mounted to a scope 50 incorporating a reticle 10 in the seen image (the scope reticle), for example, a reticle as seen in FIG. 1. The scope reticle 10 can be used for the purposes of aligning, both dimensionally in x and y directions and in terms of relative position on the camera viewscreen (first region) 82, the output display from the smartphone digital camera 72 through using the digital camera based tool (e.g., a smartphone software application). It is not unusual for the riflescope ocular lens 52 to be out of alignment with the independent smartphone digital camera lens 72 on an initial installation, and for the misalignment therefore to manifest itself at the camera viewscreen (first region) 82. FIG. 4 shows an example where the scope reticle 10 is out of alignment with the camera viewscreen 82. [0092] 3. To align the scope reticle 10 with the virtual reticle 30 provided by the smartphone 70, and to therefore make the scope 50 actively usable with the software application, the application is placed in a configure mode. In this configure mode the virtual reticle 30 is provided in an overlay signal which generates the digital overlay 80, and the reticles are used to help the operator align the two images, namely the image 18 from the scope 50 with the scope reticle 10 and the image (the first region 82) from the software application on the electronic display device 70 which includes the virtual reticle 30. The operator may be provided with a choice of virtual reticles 30 to select from, or a selection may be made automatically for the operator based on information as to the make and model of the scope 50. The application is preferably configured to display an outline of an exact match virtual reticle 30 to the actual scope reticle 10. This may be achieved through an automated rule based on inferred scope 50 and/or reticle 10 information, operator input selecting such information, or more usually, a mixture of the two, where deduced technical information and operator inputs will steer a set-up wizard through a virtual reticle 30 selection process to achieve the match. For example, see FIG. 5 which shows a virtual reticle 30 and a scope reticle 10 which match each other in terms of their outline form, albeit not yet aligned in terms of their relative positions and dimensions (scaling). [0093] 4. In the configure mode, the virtual reticle 30 may have its crosshair centre 40 permanently aligned with the centre of the camera viewfinder, e.g., as shown in FIG. 6, while the scope reticle 10 can be resized to suit. The camera view of the ocular lens 52 of the scope 50, and therefore the incorporated reticle 10 of the scope 50, can be both resized as well as moved, utilising common touch-screen finger touch, swipe and pinch movements, etc., to align with the virtual reticle 30. The software application may also assist with this operation, through image recognition routines and relative movement of the different coordinate spaces of the overlay signal and the image 18 being output from the scope 50 and seen through the digital camera 72. For example, there may be some snap-to-fit functionality. [0094] 5. When the physical scope reticle 10 is near completely aligned with the virtual reticle 30, the two are barely distinguishable on screen as individual entities. FIG. 7 provides an illustration of this where the image of the scope reticle 10 and surrounding area of the scope targeting view 18 is centralised within the camera viewing display 82 of the smartphone application and aligned with the virtual reticle 30 both dimensionally and in terms of position, within the realms of the operator's skill to align the images. [0095] 6. When the physical reticle 10 is aligned with the virtual reticle 30 (either completely or as near to completely aligned as satisfies the operator), the smartphone application is put into an operate mode to hide the virtual reticle 30. At this point the first coordinate space of the image 18 output from the scope 50 is locked to the second coordinate space of the digital overlay 80. The actual physical scope reticle 10, by virtue of the correctly sized and aligned camera view of the reticle 10, remains perfectly aligned with the now hidden virtual reticle 30 and any associated output in the digital overlay 80 (which remains visible or is made visible). In this operate mode, the virtual reticle 30 may be hidden from view, in the sense of the virtual reticle 30 no longer being visible to the operator when using the smartphone 70 in its normal way. The virtual reticle 30 may have an opacity percentage assigned to it and the value of the opacity percentage may be reduced to below 5%, preferably below 1% and more preferably reduced to zero. The virtual reticle 30 may instead be removed from the digital overlay 80, i.e., the virtual image that the operator sees on the smartphone screen 74, such that the virtual reticle 30 is switched off or otherwise made invisible to the operator in the smartphone application. At that point, the digital overlay 80 being displayed on the electronic display device 70, for example, in the camera viewscreen 82, is then a combination of the actual scope image 18 and information from the smartphone application, but not the virtual reticle 30. The smartphone based application is now ready for operation as, for example, a ballistics and/or range-finding application, and the operator can then rely on the digital display 74 of the actual scope reticle 10 for the targeting and range finding operations assisted by an aiming indicator 32. FIG. 8 shows the set-up smartphone application with the virtual reticle 30 no longer visible in the screen image 82. [0096] 7. When used as a ballistics function, the configured and correctly aligned physical reticle 10 overlaid with an invisible, precisely-mapped virtual display in the same coordinate space as the virtual reticle 30, can incorporate a visible aiming-pointer 32 within the same coordinate space of the virtual reticle 30. The visible aiming-pointer 32 is therefore now mapped with the physical scope reticle 10 in the camera viewscreen 82, e.g., as an overlay, and can then be used to instruct, through its visual representation, inform the shooter exactly where to aim for maximum accuracy based on ballistics parameters. The shooter can input various projectile and environmental characteristics, of which the most significant might be the range to target, and wind speed and direction, upon which the position of the aiming indicator 32 is adjusted in terms of position accordingly (i.e., automatically). FIG. 9 shows an illustration of an exemplary smartphone screen display with the additional ballistics and targeting information 84 incorporated, for example, to one side of the viewscreen 82 on the electronic display device 74. That region 84 is shown in FIG. 9 displaying a Range to Target value, in that case of 800 yards, a Wind Speed value, in that case of 7 mph, and a Wind Direction value, in that case of 90 (From 3 o'clock). [0097] 8. When used within a range-finding function, the configured and correctly aligned, physical, scope reticle 10, as displayed in the viewscreen 82 of the display device 74 with the overlaid invisible, precisely-mapped, virtual reticle 30 in the locked coordinate space of the digital overlay 80 provided by the software application can incorporate additional digital tools for the operator that move with the first coordinate space of the scope image 18. For example, a visible virtual measurement calliper tool 90 may be provided within the same coordinate space of the virtual reticle 30, and therefore of the mapped physical reticle 10, in the camera viewscreen 82. Utilising the touch-screen 74 of a programmable digital camera interface, the operator can pinch the virtual measurement caliper tool 90 in order to measure the size, in angular units, of a distant object 92 captured within the telescope's field of view using a pair of caliper arms 94. Due to the physical telescope reticle 10 that is within the camera viewscreen 82 being mapped to the software-provided virtual reticle 30, i.e., the first coordinate space is mapped to the second coordinate space, it is possible for the measurement caliper 90 to determine exactly how many angular units of measurement the distant object 92 spans according to the physical reticle 10 dimensions. Knowing the angular span of the object 92 within the telescopic sight view 18, and the actual true size of the object 92 is enough for the calculation to estimate the distance to the object 92. FIG. 10 is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment with a virtual caliper tool 90 visible in the same coordinate space of the mapped physical reticle 10. In the region 84, a mini-display of Distance to Object value is displayed as 475 yards in that example. The region 84 also includes a display which identifies the type of known object, in that case a Golf Ball and provides a Size value for the golf ball which is stated as 1.680 inches. Other configurations and parameters are possible since these are a function of the digital overlay 80, i.e., the screen display. [0098] 9. FIG. 11 shows a side view of an exemplary apparatus comprising an electronic display device 70 provided with an electronic display 74 and a digital camera 72 mounted to the ocular lens 52 of a scope 50 by one or mounts 76. The scope 50 is directed towards a Target. The electronic display device runs a software application (a computer program product) which operates as described above to generate the digital overlay 80 and virtual reticle 30 which can be used to align the coordinate space of the scope 50, such that additional digital functionality can be added to the scope 50.

[0099] A further development through this system is made available by adding an automatic object recognition enhancement to the range-finding functionality, as shown with respect to FIG. 12.

[0100] The information shown in FIG. 12 is identical to FIG. 10 except for the omission of the virtual measurement caliper tool (90 in FIG. 10) and the tool's caliper arms (94 in FIG. 10).

[0101] Instead, there is a rectangular auto-recognition box 100 around the known distant object (92 in FIG. 10, 102 in FIG. 12). This box 100, similar to the facial-recognition boxes standard within modern digital cameras is supplied by third-part Artificial Intelligence (AI) software available from most major suppliers (Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc.).

[0102] The difference this addition brings to the embodiment described above is that instead of utilising the digital calibre tool to manually select and pinch-measure an object, AI can recognise an object (as one of any number of objects it has been trained to do so). The operator can simply point to an object on the touch-screen, indicating to the application that the selected object is to be used for ranging.

[0103] The AI tool can supply the object size in screen coordinates and then the same operation(s) as described above using the manual virtual caliper tool can be implemented. In the example of FIG. 12, the object 102 is a golf ball that is visible in the image. The operator has positioned the virtual selection tool 100, in this case a rectangle 100, over the object 102. The AI tool uses object recognition software to identify the object 102 as a golf ball. The identified object 102 is specified on the viewscreen in box 104 as golf ball. The software uses the recognised object term to search for known dimensions of the object 102 such as the standard diameter of a golf ball, for example, by performing an automated internet search or by searching through a library of data records. The dimension of the object 102 is then used in the same way as the caliper reading described above to provide range information. All other features are as described above.

[0104] Thus, FIG. 12 provides an embodiment where dimensions such as range can be assessed based on recognisable objects in the field of view using the mapping function of the different dimensional spaces.