Electro-optical sensor for color television games and training systems

• US 4,496,158 A
• Filed: 12/13/1982
• Issued: 01/29/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanders Associates, INC. (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Baer, Ralph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/449,069
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 273/312-316, 273/1 E, 273/DIG. 28, 273/310, 358/60, 340/701-704, 340/707, 434/20-22, 235/465, 235/469
• US Class Current: 463/5
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60

Abstract

Apparatus for discriminating at a distance between one or more colored symbols displayed on the screen of a television receiver from a plurality of other symbols of different colors includes a colored filter which corresponds to the color of the symbol which is to be discriminated.

Claims

1. Apparatus for sensing at a distance one or more colored symbols shown on a display from among at least one other symbol of a different color, comprising:

an electro-optical sensor disposed at a distance from a display and capable of receiving light rays from symbols representing objects shown on the display;

said electro-optical sensor including a photosensitive detector and only a single color filter associated therewith to limit the reception of light detected by the photosensitive detector to light from displayed symbols of predetermined colors while light from displayed symbols of other colors is not detected by the photosensitive detector, said color filter comprising an optical filter including a material which passes visible radiation of certain predetermined wavelengths and excludes visible radiation of certain other wavelengths, wherein the beam of light entering said single color filter has not been split by a beam splitter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said filter is an optical filter transparency.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said optical filter transparency has a color transmissivity response which peaks near the color of the symbol to be detected.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said display in a color television cathode ray tube and said optical filter transparency is blue.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said display is a color television cathode ray tube and the color of said optical filter transparency is in the red/orange area of the visible spectrum.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electrooptical sensor further includes a lens and field stop disposed between said color filter and said photosensitive detector.