DART GAME APPARATUS

• US 20200132419A1
• Filed: 07/30/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Dartslive, Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Games
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Games
• Inventors: Takamura, Hiroshi, Ohnishi, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 11,112,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 65/02 Spears or the like ; Javelins
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 3/0009 Dartboards
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 3/0061 Target faces
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 3/02 Indicators or score boards for arrow or dart games F41J5/00 takes precedence; timetables, lists or forms for shooter enlistment B42D15/0066
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/02 Photo-electric hit-detector systems comprising a light-emitting device for simulating the firing of a gun F41G3/2622; detecting by optical means G01V8/10

Abstract

[The present invention is] a dart game apparatus that provides a dart game in which one player successively throws n number of (n=3 or 4) darts D at a dart board 12, having: light sources LS that are disposed around the dart board 12 and emit lights L along the board face of the dart board 12; a plurality of photo-sensors S that are disposed around the dart board 12 at approximately the same height from the dart board 12 in the board thickness direction, and detect the brightness of the lights L emitted from the light sources LS; and a processor that calculates a hit position of a dart D in the dart board 12 based on the brightness of each light. A number of photo-sensors S is n×2.

Claims

1. A dart game apparatus that provides a dart game in which one player successively throws n number of (n=3 or 4) darts at a dart board, the apparatus comprising:

light sources that are disposed around the dart board and emit lights along the board face of the dart board;

a plurality of photo-sensors that are disposed around the dart board at approximately the same height from the dart board in the board thickness direction, and detect brightness of lights emitted from the light sources; and

a processor that calculates a hit position of the dart on the dart board based on the brightness of the lights detected by the plurality of photo-sensors, wherein

a number of photo-sensors is n×

2.

2. The dart game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a retro-reflector disposed around the dart board.

3. The dart game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the retro-reflector includes two reflectors which are disposed next to each with a space in the board thickness direction of the dart board.

4. The dart game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in the case where a dart hits the dart board, the processor stores the brightness of lights detected by the photo-sensors, and in the case where the next dart hits the dart board, the processor calculates the difference between the brightness of light detected by the photo-sensor and the stored brightness of light, and calculates the hit position of the next dart based on the difference.

5. The dart game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the photo-sensors detect the brightness of the lights along a plurality of optical axes which pass from the dart board at different heights in the board thickness direction, and

the processor calculates the inclination of the dart with respect to the dart board based on the brightness of the lights along the plurality of optical axes respectively, and calculates the hit position of the dart based on the calculated inclination.

6. The dart game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

in the case where a new dart hits the dart board successively from a previous dart, and a plurality of the brightnesses of lights based on the darts that exist in the brightness of the light along one optical axis detected by the photo-sensor, the processor specifies the brightness of the current light of the previous dart from the plurality of the brightness of the plurality of lights based on the brightness of the previous dart in the past, and calculates the inclination of the new dart based on the brightness of the lights other than the specified brightness of the current light.

7. The dart game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

for the hit position of the dart, the processor calculates a position of the dart on the rear end side compared with the position of the intersection between a virtual line based on the inclination and the dart board.

8. The dart game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor calculates a hit position of the dart based on the characteristics of the dart.