METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRAINING POLICEMEN

• US 3,802,099 A
• Filed: 09/25/1972
• Issued: 04/09/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David Keith Crosser, Leonard E. Mell, Loran A. Norton
• Original Assignee: David Keith Crosser, Leonard E. Mell, Loran A. Norton
• Inventors: Mell, Leonard E., Crosser, David Keith, Norton, Loran A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skogquist, Harland S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolff, J. H.
• Application Number:
  US05/292,105
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 35/25 273/101.1,102.1,102.2,105.1
• US Class Current: 434/20
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2694 for simulating a target F41G3/2627 takes precedence; moving targets per se F41J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 9/14 Cinematographic targets, e.g. moving-picture targets F41G3/26 takes precedence

Abstract

The present apparatus provides an accurate simulation of the environment in which a police trainee may later find himself during continuance of an emergency condition, such as a confrontation with a killer. The apparatus fills the void between traditional training and actual field conditions, and permits the trainee to interact with the simulated environment in a highly realistic manner. The apparatus includes a plurality of film projectors and tape decks, a screen on which the films are projected, sensing devices to determine whether or not the trainee has fired his gun or has hit a predetermined portion of the screen, logic and control devices interrelated to the film and adapted to cause different operations of the projectors and tape decks in accordance with the actions of the trainee, and simulating devices intended to make the trainee feel that he himself has been hit by a bullet in the event that his prior performance was unsatisfactory. The method relates to a predetermined manner of interrelating the various apparatus in order to achieve the maximum degree of training effectiveness.

Claims

1. A training method for simulating the environment incident to a law enforcement confrontation, which comprises:

a. projecting on a screen a motion picture film scene showing a hypothetical suspect who is about to commit, or is in the act of committing, antisocial behavior of such nature that a law enforcement officer should shoot said suspect, b. determining whether or not a law enforcement trainee has shot accurately at a predetermined area of said screen during a predetermined time period when a part of the body of said suspect was being projected on said predetermined area, and c. following one of a plurality of alternative procedures depending upon whether or not said shot was accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, one of said procedures being followed if said shot was accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, and comprising projecting on said screen a second film scene which shows said suspect in a wounded or killed condition, another of said procedures being followed if said shot was not accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, and comprising projecting on said screen another film scene showing said suspect shooting at said trainee, d. causing said trainee to employ a pistol which shoots a projectile at said screen, and effecting said determination of whether or not said shot was accurately aimed by means of an impact-sensing means associated with said predetermined area of said screen, e. providing code means on said film to determine said predetermined time period, and effecting said determination of whether or not said shot was accurately directed by ANDing a signal from said impact-sensing means with a signal generated in response to said code means.

2. A training method for simulating the environment incident to a law enforcement confrontation, which comprises:

a. projecting on a screen a motion picture film scene showing a hypothetical suspect who is about to commit, or is in the act of committing, anitsocial behavior of such nature that a law enforcement officer should shoot said suspect, b. determining whether or not a law enforcement trainee has shot accurately at a predetermined area of said screen during a predetermined time period when a part of the body of said suspect was being projected on said predetermined area, and c. following one of a plurality of alternative procedures depending upon whether or not said shot was accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, one of said procedures being following if said shot was accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, and comprising projecting on said screen a second film scene which shows said suspect in a wounded or killed condition, another of said procedures being followed if said shot was not accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, and comprising projecting on said screen another film scene showing said suspect shooting at said trainee, d. determining said predetermined time period by determining which frames of said motion picture film are being projected by the projector for said motion picture film.

3. A training method for simulating the environment incident to a law enforcement confrontation, which comprises:

a. projecting on a screen a motion picture film scene showing a hypothetical suspect who is about to commit, or is in the act of committing, antisocial behavior of suCh nature that a law enforcement officer should shoot such suspect, b. determing whether or not a law enforcement trainee has shot accurately at a predetermined area of said screen during a predetermined time period when a part of the body of said suspect was being projected on said predetermined area, and c. following one of a plurality of alternative procedures depending upon whether or not said shot was accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, one of said procedures being followed if said shot was accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, and comprising projecting on said screen a second film scene which shows said suspect in a wounded or killed condition, another of said procedures being followed if said shot was not accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined timer period, and comprising projecting on said screen another film scene showing said suspect shooting at said trainee, d. creating, after said following of said other of said procedures, psychological responses in said trainee and which simulate the wounding of said trainee, creating one of said psychological responses by causing said trainee to be standing on a platform, and then suddenly moving said platform at about the same time that the projected image of said suspect shoots at said trainee.

4. A training method for simulating the environment incident to a law enforcement confrontation, which comprises:

a. projecting on a screen a motion picture film scene showing a hypothetical suspect who is about to commit, or is in the act of committing, antisocial behavior of such nature that a law enforcement officer should shoot said suspect, b. determining whether or not a law enforcement trainee has shot accurately at a predetermined area of said screen during a predetermined time period when a part of the body of said suspect was being projected on said predetermined area, and c. following one of a plurality of alternative procedures depending upon whether or not said shot was accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, one of said procedures being followed if said shot was accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, and comprising projecting on said screen a second film scene which shows said suspect in a wounded or killed condition, another of said procedures being followed if said shot was not accurately directed at said predetermined area during said predetermined time period, and comprising projecting on said screen another film scene showing said suspect shooting at said trainee, d. creating, after said following of said other of said procedures, psychological responses in said trainee and which simulate teh wounding of said trainee, and creating one of said psychological responses by projecting images of psychologically impressive patterns on said screen.

5. A method of training a law enforcement trainee by simulating realistically a law enforcement emergency condition involving a confrontation between the trainee and a suspect, which method comprises:

a. providing a projection screen incorporating a target area which is associated with means to determine whether or not a projectile strikes said target area, b. causing the trainee to be located in a predetermined position relative to said screen, c. projecting on said screen a motion picture film which shows the environment of a location where a confrontation is taking place or is about to take place, d. projecting on said screen a motion picture film showing a decoy, e. determining whether or not the trainee fires a weapon while the image of said decoy is being projected on said screen, f. stopping the training procedure if said trainee does fire his weapon, and communicating to the trainee the information that he had made a mistake, g. projecting on said screen a motion picture film showing a suspect, h. determining whether or not the trainee fires a weapon and hits said target area of said screen during a predetermined time period when a portion of the image of the body of said suspect is coincident with said target area, i. following one of at least two alternative procedures depending upon whether or not said projectile hits said target area during said predetermined time period, the first of said alternative procedures being to project on said screen a first alternative film scene showing said suspect in a dead or dying condition, and being followed if said projectile does strike said target area during said predetermined time period, the second of said alternative procedures being to project on said screen a second alternative film scene showing said suspect firing at said trainee, and being followed if said projectile does not strike said target area during said predetermined time period, and j. creating physical and psychological responses in said trainee if said second of said alternative procedures was followed, said responses being related to the wounding of said trainee by said suspect.

6. Training apparatus comprising a plurality of film projectors for projecting image sequences from first and second films, at least said first film including a first scene comprising a first group of frames and a second scene comprising a second group of frames, means for producing a first scene identifying signal as frames of said first group are projected and for producing a second scene identifying signal as frames of said second group are projected, a screen, means for causing said first film to be projected thereon, means for firing a projectile at the screen, control means for controlling said projectors, a first sensor for generating a first action signal in response to the firing of said projectile, first logic means responsive to said first action signal and to said first scene identifying signal for operating said control means to stop projection of said first film upon the screen and start projection of the second film upon the screen, said control means including means for controlling termination of projection of said second scene, a second sensor associated with the screen for generating a second action signal indicative of the accuracy of the firing of said projectile at the screen, and second means responsive to said second scene identifying signal and to said second action signal for operating said control means to stop projection of said first film upon the screen.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said control means includes means for stopping projection of said first film if a predetermined accuracy of the projectile firing exists and starting projection of a third film upon the screen.

8. The training apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first logic means comprises a coincidence gate responsive to simultaneous occurrence of said first action signal and said first scene identifying signal and wherein said second logic means comprises a second coincidence gate responsive to simultaneous occurrence of said second scene identifying signal and said second action signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first scene presents the image of a decoy simulating a suspect, wherein said first sensor comprises a microphone responsive to the sound of said projectile firing and independent of the accuracy of the projectile firing, wherein said second scene comprises the image of a suspected assailant and wherein said second sensor comprises means on the screen for detecting impact of a projectile thereon.

10. The training apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means for producing a first scene identifying signal comprises a pattern of opaque and transparent areas on each of the frames of said first group of frames, whereby said first logic means will receive said first scene identifying signal substantially throughout the projection of said fiRst scene, said first sensor comprising a photosensitive detector mounted to said screen for illumination by said pattern of opaque and transparent areas.