TARGETING SYSTEM FOR A ROBOT GAMING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090280880A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robonica Proprietary Limited
• Original Assignee: Robonica Proprietary Limited
• Inventors: Kunneke, Christian, Poolman, Johannes Petrus Jacobus
• Application Number:
  US12/304,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/5
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/395 steered by program
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

Provided is a targeting system 10 for a robot gaming environment which includes a transmitter 12 on a target robot 16 and a directional receiver 14 on an attacking robot 18 which system 10 is able to ameliorate the accuracy of a firing means of the attacking robot 18. The receiver 14 includes a housing 24 which defines an elongate channel with an opening therein which allows the receiver 14 to only receive electromagnetic signals 20 from the transmitter 12 if the opening is pointed directly at the target robot 16.

Claims

1. A targeting system for a robot gaming environment, said targeting system comprising,

a transmitter mountable on a target robot, said transmitter configured to emit an electromagnetic signal, when activated, in a specific area about said robot;

and

a directional receiver mountable on an attacking robot, said receiver configured so that said receiver only detects the electromagnetic wave transmitted by said transmitter mounted on the target robot when said receiver is orientated towards the target robot, so that when the attacking robot is orientated at the target robot, the attacking robot is able to activate suitable firing means for engaging the target robot.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific area in which the electromagnetic signal is transmitted about the target robot includes the entire area surrounding the robot.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific area includes only a certain directional area alongside the robot.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiver includes a suitable filter which only allows electromagnetic waves incident from a specific direction.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the suitable filter includes a housing for housing the receiver, said housing further defines a channel with an opening which allows the electromagnetic signal to strike the receiver only when incident directly through such opening.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing includes at least one slit in the channel to minimize reflections of the incident signal in the channel.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic signal includes any wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic signal is modulated to include information able to uniquely identify the transmitter.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firing means is configured to notify the target robot that the transmitted wave has been detected by the receiver on the attacking robot.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the firing means includes a visual notification means in the form of a visible light emitter.

11. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the firing means includes an audio notification means.

12. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the firing means includes a transmitter for transmitting a notifying signal to the target robot.

13. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the firing means includes a ballistic firing mechanism for firing a missile at the target robot.

14. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the target robot includes a suitable receiver for registering engagement by the firing means.

15. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the receiver is configured to determine the distance between the target and attacking robots from analysing a characteristic of the received electromagnetic signal.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the characteristic of the signal includes strength of the signal.

17. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the firing means is configured to engage the target robot only if the target robot is in range of the firing means.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)