Simulated gun shooting and target position sensing apparatus and method

• US 10,222,176 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Lohbihler
• Original Assignee: Andrew Lohbihler
• Inventors: Lohbihler, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Musselman, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US14/285,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20140349254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/02 Light- or radiation-emitting guns ; Light- or radiation-sensitive guns; Cartridges carrying light emitting sources, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2627 Cooperating with a motion picture projector
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2655 in which the light beam is sent from the weapon to the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2677 with PRF determination
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 5/02 using only mechanical means for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/14 Apparatus for signalling hits or scores to the shooter, e.g. manually operated, or for communication between target and shooter; Apparatus for recording hits or scores
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49

Abstract

The present invention comprises a transmitter unit having at least one infrared (IR) transmitter, a target screen, a plurality of photodiode sensors disposed in a spaced apart relationship about the target screen, and receiver circuitry connecting the photodiode sensors together. The transmitter unit continuously emits an IR signal, which is detected by the photodiode sensors. The receiver circuitry then triangulate the position of the transmitter unit by calculating the differential distances between each of the photodiode sensors and the transmitter unit. The receiver circuitry is able to dynamically update the position of the transmitter unit because the transmitter unit continuously emits an IR signal. The transmitter unit is able to simulate a “shot” in a number of different ways, including updating the packet update rate or altering the data packet preamble. No return signal is necessary for the transmitter unit to confirm the “shot.”

Claims

1. A simulated gun target and shooting system, comprising:

a target display screen;

a plurality of sensors disposed about said target display screen in a planar configuration;

a transmitter unit having at least one emitter adapted to emit a pulsed light signal and a CPU, wherein said pulsed light signal is modulated with pseudo-ranges measured between the transmitter unit and the plurality of sensors, wherein each pseudo-range represents a distance between one of the plurality of sensors and the transmitter unit;

a receiver system electrically connected to said sensors, wherein said receiver system is adapted to calculate the distance between said transmitter unit and said plurality of sensors by demodulating said pulsed light signal to obtain said pseudo-ranges;

a processor adapted to calculate the three-dimensional position of the transmitter unit based upon said calculated distances;

wherein said target display screen is adapted to display a shot icon, wherein the position of said shot icon on said target display screen is based upon the calculated three-dimensional position of the transmitter unit.

2. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 1, further comprising:

a trigger disposed on said transmitter unit;

wherein said transmitter unit CPU is adapted to modulate said pulsed light signal with an identifier signal upon actuation of said trigger.

3. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 1, wherein said at least one emitter emits IR light.

4. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 1, wherein said at least one emitter is disposed within a recess on said transmitter unit.

5. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter CPU modulates said pulsed light signal with a unique ID tag.

6. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver, wherein said wireless transceiver is adapted to transmit said transmitter unit three-dimensional position to other electronic devices.

7. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 6, further comprising:

a trigger disposed on said transmitter unit;

wherein said transmitter unit CPU is adapted to modulate said pulsed light signal with an identifier signal upon actuation of said trigger;

wherein said wireless transceiver is adapted to transmit said identifier signal to other electronic devices.

8. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 1, wherein said sensors are disposed about the target display screen in a symmetrical configuration.

9. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 1, wherein said sensors are disposed about the target display screen in a configuration corresponding to the vertices of a triangle.

10. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 1, wherein said sensors are disposed about the target display screen in a configuration corresponding to the vertices of a rectangle.

11. A method of tracking and displaying the position of a targeting device relative to a display monitor, comprising the steps of:

emitting a pulsed light signal from a transmitter unit comprising an emitter, wherein said pulsed light signal is modulated with pseudo-ranges measured between the transmitter unit and the plurality of sensors, wherein each pseudo-range represents a distance between one of the plurality of sensors and the transmitter unit;

detecting said pulsed light signal via a plurality of sensors disposed about said display monitor;

calculating the distance between said transmitter unit and each of said sensors by demodulating the pulsed light signal and extracting the pseudo-ranges therefrom;

calculating a position of said transmitter unit based upon the differences between each of the calculated distances;

calculating shot position based upon the calculated position of the transmitter unit;

displaying a shot icon on said display monitor at a position corresponding to said shot position.

12. The method of tracking and displaying the position of a targeting device relative to a display monitor of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

modulating said light signal with a unique identification tag.

13. The method of tracking and displaying the position of a targeting device relative to a display monitor of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

wirelessly transmitting said position, aiming vector, and unique identification tag data to another electronic device for simultaneously display thereon.

14. The method of tracking and displaying the position of a targeting device relative to a display monitor of claim 11.

15. The method of tracking and displaying the position of a targeting device relative to a display monitor of claim 11, wherein said transmitter unit comprises a plurality of emitters units, and further comprises:

calculating an orientation of said transmitter unit.

16. A simulated gun target and shooting system, comprising:

a target display screen;

a diffusive screen disposed before said target display screen;

a plurality of sensors disposed about said target display screen in a planar configuration;

at least one transmitter unit having at least one emitter adapted to continuously emit a pulsed light signal and a CPU, wherein said pulsed light signal is modulated with pseudo-ranges measured between said transmitter unit and the plurality of sensors, wherein each pseudo-range represents a distance between one of the plurality of sensors and said transmitter unit;

wherein said diffusive screen is adapted to diffuse said pulsed light signal so that they impinge upon said sensors;

a receiver system electrically connected to said sensors, wherein said receiver system is adapted demodulate the pulsed light signal in order to calculate the distance between said transmitter unit and sensors based upon the pseudo-ranges applied when the pulsed light signal is modulated;

a processor adapted to calculate the three-dimensional position of the transmitter unit based upon said calculated distances;

wherein said target display screen is adapted to display a shot icon, wherein the position of said shot icon on said target display screen is based upon the calculated three-dimensional position of the transmitter unit.

17. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 16, further comprising:

a trigger disposed on said transmitter unit;

wherein said transmitter unit CPU is adapted to modulate said pulsed light signal with an identifier signal upon actuation of said trigger.

18. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 16, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver, wherein said wireless transceiver is adapted to transmit said transmitter unit three-dimensional position to other electronic devices.

19. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 18, further comprising:

a trigger disposed on said transmitter unit;

wherein said transmitter unit CPU is adapted to modulate said pulsed light signal with an identifier signal upon actuation of said trigger;

wherein said wireless transceiver is adapted to transmit said identifier signal to other electronic devices.

20. The simulated gun target and shooting system of claim 16, wherein said transmitter unit CPU modulates said pulsed light signal with a unique ID tag.