TARGET MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR PRECISE PROJECTILE LOCATION
First Claim
1. A target system for locating the position of a projectile with respect to predetermined points in a measuring direction said target system comprising:
- a plurality of light sources of parallel beams of light, each said light beam having a predetermined width in a measuring direction, the measuring direction being generally perpendicular to the projectile path;
a plurality of light receiving means positioned in the direction of said measuring axis and spaced apart from said plurality of light sources for defining a target area, each light receiving means in said plurality of light receiving means including a plurality of light receptors for receiving light from a corresponding one of said plurality of light sources, each said light receptor having a predetermined position along the measuring direction of said parallel light rays, each said light receptor producing a signal having a first state in response to impinging light from a corresponding light source and a second state in response to the interruption of light from a corresponding light source, each said light receptor receiving only a predetermined portion of the width of the light rays from a corresponding light source for producing a discrete output signal in response to the interruption of its predetermined portion of the light rays from a corresponding light source by a projectile; and
a plurality of circuit means for expressing the location and diameter of a projectile interrupting light rays to said plurality of light receiving means in a predetermined number system, said plurality of circuit means less in number than the total number of said plurality of light receptors, each said circuit means corresponding to a character in the predetermined number system for producing unambiguous output signals, each said circuit means responsive to signals from predetermined light receptors according to a predetermined coding pattern.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A target system for measuring the location and diameter of a projectile in a frame of reference, including vertical and horizontal banks of light sources for projecting collimated beams of light across the target area, and corresponding vertical and horizontal banks of light receptors for indicating the location and diameter of a projectile passing through the target frame. A plurality of light receptors receive impinging light from each light source, each light receptor receiving a predetermined portion of a corresponding collimated light beam. When a light beam is interrupted by a projectile, the light receptors indicate the location and diameter of a projectile in increments less than the width of the collimated beam. Output signals from the light receptors are converted to numerically coded signals by coupling the output signals from the light receptors to a plurality of amplifiers, less in number than the number of light receptors, according to a predetermined coding pattern.
87 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A target system for locating the position of a projectile with respect to predetermined points in a measuring direction said target system comprising:
- a plurality of light sources of parallel beams of light, each said light beam having a predetermined width in a measuring direction, the measuring direction being generally perpendicular to the projectile path;
a plurality of light receiving means positioned in the direction of said measuring axis and spaced apart from said plurality of light sources for defining a target area, each light receiving means in said plurality of light receiving means including a plurality of light receptors for receiving light from a corresponding one of said plurality of light sources, each said light receptor having a predetermined position along the measuring direction of said parallel light rays, each said light receptor producing a signal having a first state in response to impinging light from a corresponding light source and a second state in response to the interruption of light from a corresponding light source, each said light receptor receiving only a predetermined portion of the width of the light rays from a corresponding light source for producing a discrete output signal in response to the interruption of its predetermined portion of the light rays from a corresponding light source by a projectile; and
a plurality of circuit means for expressing the location and diameter of a projectile interrupting light rays to said plurality of light receiving means in a predetermined number system, said plurality of circuit means less in number than the total number of said plurality of light receptors, each said circuit means corresponding to a character in the predetermined number system for producing unambiguous output signals, each said circuit means responsive to signals from predetermined light receptors according to a predetermined coding pattern.
- a plurality of light sources of parallel beams of light, each said light beam having a predetermined width in a measuring direction, the measuring direction being generally perpendicular to the projectile path;
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2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said light source comprises an incandescent lamp in a collimating lens for producing a light beam having parallel rays.
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3. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein each said light source includes a focusing lens positioned to receive a light beam from said collimating lens, said focusing lens condensing the impinGing beam in the general direction of the projectile path and transmitting an intensified light beam of substantially said predetermined width in the measuring direction to the corresponding plurality of light receptors.
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4. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said light source comprises a laser.
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5. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said light receptor and each said plurality of light receptors comprises a photocell for producing an output signal.
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6. The device as claimed in claim 1 and further including a plurality of focusing lenses positioned in the vicinity of said plurality of light receiving means, each focusing lens positioned to focus substantially all the light from a corresponding one of said plurality of light sources in the general direction of the projectile path onto a corresponding light receiving means without altering said predetermined width of the light beam in said measuring direction.
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7. The device as claimed in claim 6 and further including a plurality of slit masks for passing light arriving from the general direction of said plurality of light sources, each said slit mask positioned between a corresponding light receiving means and a corresponding focusing lens to block stray light from impinging on said corresponding light receiving means.
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8. The device as claimed in claim 7 and further including a plurality of baffles for blocking spurious light, each baffle comprising a planar sheet, a portion of said plurality of baffles positioned between each slit mask and corresponding focusing lens and spaced along said measuring direction for substantially preventing each said light receptor from receiving spurious light from sources located at an angle from the direction of a corresponding light source.
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9. The device as claimed in claim 1 and further including a plurality of diaphragms each having an aperture, each said diaphragm positioned between a light source and a corresponding light receiving means for limiting in the general direction of the path of a projectile the width of a light beam to the width of said aperture without altering said predetermined width of said light beam in the measuring direction.
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10. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each light receptor in each said plurality of light receptors comprises at least two light guides and at least two photocells, each photocell responsive to impinging light directed to it by a corresponding light guide for producing an output signal.
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11. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said circuit means comprises an amplifier and wherein the total number of light receptors in the measuring direction is divided into numbered regions, each region having numbered zones for specifying the position of each light receptor in the measuring direction according to a number system, one amplifier from said plurality of amplifiers corresponding to each numbered region and one amplifier corresponding to each of said numbered zones, the signals from the light receptors in each said region being coupled to the input of a corresponding amplifier, the signal from the light receptor in the nth zone of each said region being coupled to the same corresponding amplifier, said plurality of amplifiers responsive to input signals from said light receptors for producing numerically coded output signals indicative of the region and zone numbers of light receptors blanked by a projectile interrupting light rays from said plurality of light sources.
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12. The device as claimed in claim 1 and further including a second device of the type claimed in claim 1 orthogonally mounted with respect to the device of claim 1 to define a planar target area, said second device producing a second set of output signals for indicating the location of a passing projectile along the measuring axis of said second device whereby the output signals from the second device and the signals of the device of claim 1 indicate the coordinates of a projectile passing through the planar target area.
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13. The device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the planar target area of said second device is displaced a known distance from the planar target area of the device of claim 1 to produce a time delay in the output signals from said second device for calculating the velocities of projectiles passing through both planar target areas.
Specification