Laser marksmanship target

• US 4,177,580 A
• Filed: 01/23/1978
• Issued: 12/11/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Marshall, Albert H., Siragusa, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hum, Vance Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/871,265
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 35/25, 273/101.1, 273/101.2, 273/102.1 R, 273/102.1 C, 273/102.1 F, 273/102.2 R, 273/102.2 B, 273/102.2 S
• US Class Current: 434/22
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2655 in which the light beam is sent from the weapon to the target
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/12 for indicating the distance by which a bullet misses the target F41J5/02 - F41J5/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A target system is disclosed which is responsive to and indicative of the ts and areas of near miss of laser light pulses that have been shot from a laser weapon aimed at the target system, be it a simulated gun or other device, by a marksman. In addition to the bullseye indicia on the face of the target system, the target system comprises a quadrant arrangement of laser light detectors that are located on the front of the target system in such manner as to permit them to sense the laser light pulses. The detectors are connected in unique combination with data processing channels, programmed timers, a preprogrammed read only memory logic circuit, and an array of lights disposed around and near the perimeter of the target face. The latter mentioned lights light up in accordance with the approximate location of the hits of the laser light pulses relative to the bullseye of the target face, thereby indicating either a hit or the direction of a near miss to the marksman.

Claims

1. A target system for indicating the general area of a radiant energy hit thereon, comprising in combination:

a target having a predetermined indicia mounted thereon;

a plurality of predetermined indicator means mounted on said target, with one thereof mounted at the center of said target, and with the remainder thereof mounted uniformly around the perimeter of said target;

a quartet of sensors, each of which is adapted for producing an electrical signal in response to receiving said radiant energy, and all of which are relatively disposed in a quadrant pattern, the pattern of which is disposed a predetermined distance from said predetermined indicator means mounted at the center of said target;

a quartet of data processing channels effectively connected to the outputs of said quartet of sensors for producing predetermined signals at the data outputs thereof in response to said electrical signals, respectively;

a predetermined programmed read only memory having a quartet of data inputs, an enable input, and a plurality of outputs, with the quartet of data inputs thereof respectively connected to the data outputs of said quartet of data processing channels, and with the plurality of outputs thereof effectively connected to the inputs of said plurality of predetermined indicator means;

a NOR gate, having a quartet of inputs effectively connected to the outputs of said quartet of data processing channels and an output;

an adjustable delay timer connected to the output of said NOR gate;

an adjustable readout timer having a data input, a data output, and an enable output, with the data input connected to the output of said adjustable timer, and the enable output connected to the enable input of said predetermined programmed read only memory for timely enabling said read only memory, so as to effect the reading out of the data stored in said read only memory, thereby effecting the activation of said plurality of predetermined indicator means in correspondence therewith; and

an adjustable reset timer having an input connected to the output of said adjustable readout timer, and an output effectively connected to the reset inputs of said quartet of data processing channels for timely resetting said data processing channels.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said radiant energy is a predetermined laser light.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of predetermined indicator means mounted on said target comprises an electric light.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said quartet of sensors comprises a photodiode.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said quartet of data processing channels comprises:

an amplifier;

a comparator having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said amplifier, and with the other input thereof connected to a positive direct current voltage; and

a latch having a data input, a reset input, and an output, with the data input thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid comparator.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said predetermined programmed read only memory comprises means for performing functions in accordance with following truth table:

for a 1, 1, 1, 1 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a first analog signal representing a target bullseye emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 0, 1, 0, 0 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a second analog signal representing a high right target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 1, 0, 0, 0 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a third analog signal representing a high left target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 1, 1, 0, 0 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a fourth analog signal representing a high target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 0, 0, 0, 1 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a fifth analog signal representing a low left target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 0, 0, 1, 0 word supplied to the date inputs thereof, a sixth analog signal representing a low right target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 1, 0, 0, 1 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a seventh analog signal representing a left target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 0, 1, 1, 0 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, an eighth analog signal representing a right target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto; and

for a 0, 0, 1, 1 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a ninth analog signal representing a low target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto.

7. The invention of claim 1, further characterized by a plurality of timers respectively connected between the plurality of outputs of said read only memory and the inputs of the aforesaid plurality of predetermined indicator means.

8. The invention of claim 1, further characterized by a predetermined radiant energy filter contiguously disposed in front of the radiant energy receiving inputs of the aforesaid quartet of sensors.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said filter comprises a sunlight filter.

10. A practice target system for indicating the general area of radiant energy impact thereon, comprising in combination:

a target having a predetermined indicia mounted thereon;

nine lights mounted on said target, with one thereof mounted at the center of the face thereof, and with the remaining eight thereof mounted substantially uniformly around the effective perimeter of said target;

first, second, third, and fourth photodiodes disposed in quadrant arrangement with respect to each other;

a first amplifier connected to the output of said first photodiode;

a first comparator having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said first amplifier;

a first latch having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said first comparator;

a second amplifier connected to the output of said second photodiode;

a second comparator having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said first amplifier;

a second latch having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said second comparator;

a third amplifier connected to the output of said third photodiode;

a third comparator having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said third amplifier;

a third latch having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said third comparator;

a fourth amplifier connected to the output of said fourth photodiode;

a fourth comparator having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said fourth amplifier;

a fourth latch having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said fourth comparator;

a NOR gate having first, second, third, and fourth inputs respectively connected to the outputs of the aforesaid first, second, third, and fourth latches;

an adjustable delay timer connected to the output of said NOR gate;

an adjustable readout timer having an input and a pair of outputs, with the input thereof connected to the output of said adjustable delay timer;

an adjustable reset timer having an input and an output, with the input thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid adjustable readout timer, and with the output thereof connected to the other inputs of the aforesaid first, second, third, and fourth latches;

a direct current voltage connected to the other inputs of the aforesaid first, second, third, and fourth comparators;

a read only memory having four data inputs, one enable input, and nine outputs, with the four data inputs thereof respectively connected to the outputs of the aforesaid first, second, third, and fourth latches, and with the enable input thereof connected to the other output of the aforesaid adjustable readout timer; and

nine delay timers respectively connected between the nine outputs of said read only memory and the nine inputs of the aforesaid nine lights.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said read only memory includes means for performing data processing functions in accordance with the following truth table:

for a 1, 1, 1, 1 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a first analog signal representing a target bullseye emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 0, 1, 0, 0 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a second analog signal representing a high right target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 1, 0, 0, 0 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a third analog signal representing a high left target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 1, 1, 0, 0 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a fourth analog signal representing a high target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 0, 0, 0, 1 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a fifth analog signal representing a low left target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 0, 0, 1, 0 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a sixth analog signal representing a low right target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 1, 0, 0, 1 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a seventh analog signal representing a left target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto;

for a 0, 1, 1, 0 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, an eighth analog signal representing a right target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto; and

for a 0, 0, 1, 1 word supplied to the data inputs thereof, a ninth analog signal representing a low target hit signal emanates therefrom in response to an enabling signal supplied thereto.

12. The system of claim 10, further characterized by an optical filter means contiguously disposed with and in front of the optical inputs of said first, second, third, and fourth photodiodes.

13. The system of claim 10, further characterized by:

a target monitor display means, having a readout face that is substantially identical to that of the aforesaid target, adapted for being spatially disposed from said target; and

telemetering means connected between outputs of said target and inputs of said target monitor display means for effecting duplicate readouts thereof.

14. A system for training a marksman to shoot a weapon accurately comprising in combination:

a target having predetermined indicia mounted thereon;

a plurality of indicator lights mounted on said target, with one thereof mounted at the center of the front face of said target, and the remainder thereof mounted uniformly around said one thereof at a predetermined distance therefrom;

sensor means mounted on said target in close proximity with the light mounted at the center of said target, said sensor means including a quartet of photodiodes, each photodiode of which produces an electrical output signal in proportion to the amount of a predetermined frequency laser light received at the optical input thereof;

a plurality of thresholder means effectively and respectively connected to the outputs of the photodiodes of said sensor means for producing output pulses only when the electrical output signals produced by said photodiodes exceed a predetermined voltage level;

a plurality of latch means, each of which has a data input, a reset input, and a data output, with data inputs of said plurality of latch means effectively and respectively connected to the outputs of said plurality of threshold means for producing data signals at the data outputs thereof only when the data inputs thereof are triggered by the output pulses produced by said thresholder means;

read only memory means, having a plurality of data inputs effectively and respectively connected to the data outputs of said plurality of latch means, a plurality of data outputs effectively and respectively connected to the inputs of said plurality of target mounted indicator lights, and an enable input for performing an analysis of the data signals produced by said plurality of latch means in accordance with a predetermined program, and for providing an analog signal at one of the plurality of outputs of said read only memory means in accordance with the analysis of said data signals performed by said predetermined program so as to enable one of said plurality of indicator lights;

gating means having a plurality of inputs effectively connected to the outputs of said plurality of latch means and an output for producing an output signal whenever one of the data signals produced by said plurality of latch means appears at one of the plurality of inputs of said gating means; and

timing means having an input connected to the output of said gating means, an enable output connected to the enable input of said read only memory means, and a reset output connected to the reset inputs of said plurality of latch means for timely resetting said plurality of latch means in response to the output signal produced by said gating means, and for timely enabling said read only memory means in response to the output signal produced by said gating means so as to effect the lighting of one said plurality of lights in correspondence with the analog signal provided by said read only memory means.

15. The system of claim 14, further characterized by an optical filter contiguously disposed with and in front of the optical inputs of said quartet of photodiodes of said sensor means for stopping substantially all radiant energy frequencies ambient thereto but passing said predetermined frequency laser light.

16. The system of claim 14, further characterized by a laser rifle spatially disposed from said target for shooting said predetermined frequency laser light thereat when triggered by said marksman.

17. The system of claim 16, further characterized by a focusing lens effectively connected to the projection output of said laser rifle for focusing the predetermined frequency laser light shot therefrom.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said gating means comprises a NOR gate.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said timing means comprises

an adjustable delay timer having an input connected to the output of said gating means and an output;

an adjustable read out timer having an input connected to the output of said adjustable delay timer and an output; and

an adjustable reset timer having an input connected to the output of said adjustable readout timer.