Electronic gun and target apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A simulated fire and hit indicator apparatus, comprising:
- first and second bullet signal sources operative to generate first and second bullet signals respectively;
a first trigger signal source operative to generate a first trigger-active signal at a first frequency;
a second trigger signal source operative to generate a second trigger-active signal at a second frequency different from said first frequency;
a first trigger means for simultaneously activating said first bullet signal source and said first trigger signal source;
a second trigger means for simultaneously activating said second bullet signal source and said second trigger signal source;
first output means responsive to said first and second trigger-active signals for producing first output indicative of the condition of said first and second triggers; and
processing means responsive to said first and second bullet signals for processing said bullet signals and producing hit output indicative of the earlier received one of said first and second bullet signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A simulated fire and hit indicator apparatus and method includes two opponent stations having a gun device and a target device and a master control unit. Each gun device generates a dispersed trigger-active signal and a focused bullet signal; preferably in the form of a modulated pulse burst powering infrared emitters. Detectors, preferably in the form of phototransistors, are mounted in each target to sense the bullet signals and each operates to produce a hit signal when struck by an opponent'"'"'s bullet signal. The trigger-active signals are detected, again preferably by phototransistors, and produce fire signals corresponding to respective gun devices. Each station includes processing circuitry to produce uniform pulse bursts representative of the fire and hit signals of the station, and the signals may be mixed and may be used to enable a radio transmitter that broadcasts the fire and hit data to a receiver on the master control. The master control includes decoding circuits to separate the data into component signals corresponding to the fire and hit status of each station. The master control outputs all fire data, but includes logic circuits that prohibit output of a later received hit signal and implements output for an earlier received hit signal. Accordingly, the method comprises the production and processing of these various signals.
94 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A simulated fire and hit indicator apparatus, comprising:
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first and second bullet signal sources operative to generate first and second bullet signals respectively; a first trigger signal source operative to generate a first trigger-active signal at a first frequency; a second trigger signal source operative to generate a second trigger-active signal at a second frequency different from said first frequency; a first trigger means for simultaneously activating said first bullet signal source and said first trigger signal source; a second trigger means for simultaneously activating said second bullet signal source and said second trigger signal source; first output means responsive to said first and second trigger-active signals for producing first output indicative of the condition of said first and second triggers; and processing means responsive to said first and second bullet signals for processing said bullet signals and producing hit output indicative of the earlier received one of said first and second bullet signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A simulated fire and hit indicator apparatus comprising:
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a first firing device having a first trigger switch and including first means for generating a first trigger-active signal and a first bullet signal upon initiation of said first trigger switch; a second firing device having a second trigger switch and including second means for generating a second trigger-active signal and a second bullet signal upon initiation of said second trigger switch; a first target device including a first detector means for detecting said second bullet signal and for generating a first hit signal in response to the detection of said second bullet signal; a second target device including a second detector means for detecting said first bullet signal and for generating a second hit signal in response to the detection of said first bullet signal; and signal processing means responsive to said first and second trigger-active signals for generating first and second output indicating activation of said first and second trigger-active signals, respectively, and responsive to said first and second hit signals for generating third output corresponding to one of said first and second hit signals, said signal processing means including discrimination circuitry operative to pass the earlier received hit signal and to exclude the later received hit signal whereby said third output indicates which one of said first and second hit signals was first received by said hit signal processing means. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A simulated fire and hit indicator apparatus, comprising:
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a firing device having a trigger switch and operative to generate a bullet signal and a trigger-active signal upon activation of said trigger switch; a target device having bullet signal sensor circuitry; a trigger sensor device having trigger-active signal sensor circuitry; said trigger signal sensor circuitry having a trigger signal sensor and operative to generate a fire signal in response to receipt of said trigger signal; said bullet signal sensor circuitry having a bullet signal sensor and operative to generate a hit signal in response to receipt of said bullet signal; encoding circuitry receiving said fire signal and said hit signal and operative to generate an encoded signal having data indicative of the conditions of at least one of said trigger signal sensor and said bullet signal sensor; encoded signal response circuitry responsive to said encoded signal and operative to decode said encoded signal into a fire component signal and a hit component signal; and processing means for receiving said fire component signal and said hit component signal and for generating first trigger output indicative of the condition of said trigger signal sensor and hit output indicative of the condition of said hit signal sensor. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. The method of simulating a gun duel between two opponents each having a gun device with a trigger and a target device, comprising the steps of:
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generating a first trigger-active signal and a first bullet signal by activation of the trigger of a first gun device correspondng to a first opponent; generating a second trigger-active signal and a second bullet signal by activation of the trigger of a second gun device corresponding to a second opponent; generating a hit signal whenever a target device is activated by being struck by a bullet signal; producing output indicating the existence of each trigger-active signal when each is respectively generated; and producing output indicating the existence of a hit signal generated by the target device that is first activated while prohibiting the production of output indicating the existence of a hit signal generated by the target device that is subsequently activated. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification