System for use in the supervision of a motor-boat race or a similar timed event

• US 3,890,463 A
• Filed: 03/19/1973
• Issued: 06/17/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenzo Yamanouchi, Yoshizo Ikegami
• Original Assignee: Kenzo Yamanouchi, Yoshizo Ikegami
• Inventors: Ikegami, Yoshizo, Yamanouchi, Kenzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Godfrey, R. John
• Application Number:
  US05/342,376
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 178/DIG.1,36,5.2R,DIG.33,5.4ES,5.4R,DIG.38,6.7R,6.8 340/323,23,43,146.3B,146.3K 273/86B,86R 358/53,50,41,52,43,81,82,75,78
• US Class Current: 348/157
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/00 Colour television systems details H04N9/00

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a motor-boat race supervision system wherein electrical output produced by camera tubes in response to motor-boats of different colours crossing a starting line or finishing line of a race is supplied to various combined, electrical elements in timed sequence and whereby the times relative to a starting signal that different motor-boats in a race cross the starting line or finishing line are made known instantaneously.

Claims

1. A race supervision system for races in which objects distinguished by different colours advance together essentially in alignment toward a reference line the system comprising a first colour television camera assembly means for movably scanning along the reference line and for producing video signal outputs in which the voltages vary in accordance with the proportions of primary colours present in the colours of objects scanned, a coded pulse generation means for producing coded pulse outputs which vary in accordance with variations in the output of said first colour television camera assembly means, a continuous timing pulse generation means for generating pulse trains in which each succeeding pulse is emitted as said first colour television camera assembly means scans each successive portion of the scanning line, and a recording means for recording coded signals when the timing pulses and the coded pulse outputs are supplied simultaneously thereto, said recording means having the contents thereof being arranged for reading out.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a sequence register connected to said recording means for having the contents of said recording means shifted sequentially thereinto, said sequence register having the contents thereof arranged for reading out.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising pulse generating means for providing at least a first output of pulses prior to the starting signal of a race, a second output of pulses at the starting signal of the race and for a predetermined period of time subsequent to the starting signal, and a third output of pulses after the predetermined period of time of the second output, at least one gate means responsive to the output of said pulse generating means for supplying setting inputs to a register means, comparison means for comparing the contents of said register means and said recording means and for supplying output signals to display means which vary in accordance with the states of said register means and said recording means.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second camera tube assembly means for scanning a line that is parallel to and separate from said scanning reference line of said first colour television camera assembly means, and an AND gate means for receiving outputs of both said first and second assembly means for producing an output only upon coincidence of inputs from said assembly means, which output serves for verifying the detection of an object in the race.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising time counting means for counting time intervals starting from a predetermined period of time prior to the starting signal of a race until a predetermined period of time after the starting signal of a race and for supplying input signals at different times to display means so that the times relative to a race starting signal that the objects of the race are viewed by said first colour television camera assembly means may be determined.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising time counting means for counting time from a predtermined period of time prior to the starting signal of a race until the completion of the race and for supplying inputs indicative of the time to display means, said display means simultaneously receiving together with the time signals, signals indicative of the different objects of the race such that the times the different objects cross the starting line of the race prior to or after the starting signal of the race in the times taken by the object to complete the race may be determined.

7. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising timing counting which are actuated and stopped by signals from said first colour television camera assembly so that the times taken by different objects in the race to cover predetermined distances may be determined.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising wave shaping circuits, each of which is set by input pulses from said first colour television camera assembly means each time an object in the race enters said first colour television camera assembly means target area and is reset between suceeding times when the object enters the target area, counters for counting the number of output pulses from said wave shaping circuits such that the number of laps of a race circuit completed at any time by the different objects in the race may be determined.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first colour television camera assembly means repeatedly scans a single reference line.

10. A system as recited in claim 7, further comprising display means connected with said timing counters for displaying the values of said timing counters.

11. A system as recited in claim 8, further comprising display means connected to said counters for displaying the value recorded by said counters.