Shooting simulating process and training device using a virtual reality display screen
First Claim
1. A ballistic simulating and training system, comprising:
- a virtual reality head mounted display equipped with a screen that fits over and in front of a person'"'"'s eyes;
a weapon selected from the group consisting of a shotgun and a rifle, wherein said weapon includes a trigger with a sear and a barrel providing a muzzle;
a light projector mounted on the barrel of the weapon for optically projecting light rearwardly toward said head mounted display for simulating the aiming point of the weapon'"'"'s barrel while the weapon is being aimed including at the time a projectile would exit the muzzle of said weapon;
a first sensor operably connected to the head mounted display for producing an output signal representing the orientation of the head mounted display relative to a fixed location;
a second sensor mounted on the head mounted display and responsive to the optical light projected from said light projector for producing an output signal representing orientation of the barrel of the weapon relative to said fixed location and the trajectory of the projectile from said weapon;
a screen projector for providing a visual display of an environmental image for the screen of the head mounted display;
a target projector for providing a visual display of a path of travel of a moving target on the environmental image for the screen of the head mounted display; and
a unit including a central processing unit operably coupled to said screen projector, said target projector, and said first and second sensors, said central processing unit controlling the environmental image displayed on the screen of the head mounted display such that the person wearing said head mounted display is immersed in and relative to the environmental image displayed on said screen as a function of the orientation of said head mounted display relative to said fixed location as monitored by said first sensor, and wherein said central processing unit automatically calculates the positions of the projectile and said moving target when the trajectory of said projectile intersects the path of travel of the moving target and to calculate whether said target has been hit or missed by said projectile, wherein said central processing unit automatically determines the position of the target at the time the projectile leaves the muzzle of the weapon, said central processing unit furthermore calculates the external delay time required for the projectile after leaving the muzzle to intersect a simulated plane of the target based on output signals from said first and second sensors, said calculations being based upon the velocity and time of travel of the said projectile to the point of intersection, and wherein said central processing unit further calculates the distance said target will travel on said path of travel during said external delay time to determine the position of the target at the conclusion of said external delay time and to automatically determine the relative positions of the said target and projectile at the expiration of said external delay time, and wherein said central processing unit includes an apparatus for causing the positions of said target and said projectile calculated by said central processing unit at the time the trajectory of the projectile intersects with the path of travel of the target to be displayed on the screen thereby providing a visual indication of a hit or miss of the projectile relative to said target.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A user friendly shooting simulating process and training system are provided to more accurately and reliably detect the impact time and location in which a projectile shot from a shotgun, rifle, pistol or other weapon, hits a moving target. Desirably, the shooting simulating process and training system can also readily display the amount by which the projectile misses the target. The target impact time is based upon the speed and directions of the target and weapon, as well as the internal and external delay time of the projectile. In the preferred form, the training system includes a microprocessor and special projectile sensing equipment, and the targets and projectiles are simulated and viewed on a virtual reality head mounted display.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. A ballistic simulating and training system, comprising:
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a virtual reality head mounted display equipped with a screen that fits over and in front of a person'"'"'s eyes; a weapon selected from the group consisting of a shotgun and a rifle, wherein said weapon includes a trigger with a sear and a barrel providing a muzzle; a light projector mounted on the barrel of the weapon for optically projecting light rearwardly toward said head mounted display for simulating the aiming point of the weapon'"'"'s barrel while the weapon is being aimed including at the time a projectile would exit the muzzle of said weapon; a first sensor operably connected to the head mounted display for producing an output signal representing the orientation of the head mounted display relative to a fixed location; a second sensor mounted on the head mounted display and responsive to the optical light projected from said light projector for producing an output signal representing orientation of the barrel of the weapon relative to said fixed location and the trajectory of the projectile from said weapon; a screen projector for providing a visual display of an environmental image for the screen of the head mounted display; a target projector for providing a visual display of a path of travel of a moving target on the environmental image for the screen of the head mounted display; and a unit including a central processing unit operably coupled to said screen projector, said target projector, and said first and second sensors, said central processing unit controlling the environmental image displayed on the screen of the head mounted display such that the person wearing said head mounted display is immersed in and relative to the environmental image displayed on said screen as a function of the orientation of said head mounted display relative to said fixed location as monitored by said first sensor, and wherein said central processing unit automatically calculates the positions of the projectile and said moving target when the trajectory of said projectile intersects the path of travel of the moving target and to calculate whether said target has been hit or missed by said projectile, wherein said central processing unit automatically determines the position of the target at the time the projectile leaves the muzzle of the weapon, said central processing unit furthermore calculates the external delay time required for the projectile after leaving the muzzle to intersect a simulated plane of the target based on output signals from said first and second sensors, said calculations being based upon the velocity and time of travel of the said projectile to the point of intersection, and wherein said central processing unit further calculates the distance said target will travel on said path of travel during said external delay time to determine the position of the target at the conclusion of said external delay time and to automatically determine the relative positions of the said target and projectile at the expiration of said external delay time, and wherein said central processing unit includes an apparatus for causing the positions of said target and said projectile calculated by said central processing unit at the time the trajectory of the projectile intersects with the path of travel of the target to be displayed on the screen thereby providing a visual indication of a hit or miss of the projectile relative to said target. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A ballistic simulating and training system, comprising:
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a virtual reality head mounted display equipped with a screen that fits over and in front of a person'"'"'s eyes; a weapon selected from the group comprising a shotgun and a rifle, wherein said weapon includes a trigger with a sear and a barrel providing a muzzle; a light projector mounted on the barrel of the weapon for optically projecting tight rearwardly toward said head mounted display for simulating the aiming point of the weapon'"'"'s barrel while the weapon is being aimed including at the time a projectile would exit the muzzle of said weapon; a first sensing apparatus operably associated with the head mounted display for producing an output signal representing the orientation of the head mounted display relative to a fixed location; a second sensing apparatus operably associated with the head mounted display and responsive to the optical light projected from said tight projector for producing an output signal representing orientation of the barrel of the weapon relative to said fixed location and the trajectory of the projectile from said weapon; a display apparatus for providing a visual image of an environment and a target movable along a predetermined path of travel on the screen of the head mounted display, said display apparatus further including a medium having machine readable data thereon indicative of various target positions as said target moves along said predetermined path of travel; and a unit including a central processing unit operably coupled to said display apparatus, to said first sensing apparatus, and to said second sensing apparatus, said central processing unit controlling the environmental image and target displayed on the screen of the head mounted display such that the person wearing said head mounted display is immersed in and is presented with views of the environmental image and target displayed on said screen as a function of the orientation of said head mounted display relative to said fixed location as monitored by said first sensing apparatus, wherein said central processing unit automatically determines the position of the target at the time the projectile leaves the muzzle of the weapon based on what is read from the readable data on the medium of said display apparatus, said central processing unit furthermore calculates the external delay time required for the projectile, after leaving the muzzle, to intersect a simulated plane of the target based on output signals from said first sensing apparatus and said second sensing apparatus, said calculations being based upon the velocity and time of travel of the said projectile to the point of intersection, and wherein said central processing unit further calculates the distance said target will travel on said path of travel during said external delay time based on what is read from the readable data on the medium of said display apparatus to determine the position of the target at the conclusion of said external delay time and thereby automatically determine the relative positions of the said target and projectile at the expiration of said external delay time, and wherein said central processing unit further includes an apparatus for causing the positions of said target and said projectile calculated by said central processing unit at the time the trajectory of the projectile intersects with the path of travel of the target to be displayed on the screen thereby providing a visual indication of a hit or miss of the projectile relative to said target. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A ballistic simulating and training system, comprising:
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a virtual reality head mounted display equipped with a screen that fits over and in front of a person'"'"'s eyes; a weapon selected from the group consisting of a shotgun and a rifle, wherein said weapon includes a trigger with a sear and a barrel providing a muzzle; a light projector mounted on the barrel of the weapon for optically projecting light rearwardly toward said head mounted display for simulating the aiming point of the weapon'"'"'s barrel while the weapon is being aimed including at the time a projectile would exit the muzzle of said weapon; a first sensor operably connected to the head mounted display for producing an output signal representing the orientation of the head mounted display relative to a fixed location; a second sensor mounted on the head mounted display and responsive to the optical light projected from said light projector for producing an output signal representing orientation of the barrel of the weapon relative to said fixed location and the trajectory of the projectile from said weapon; a target projector for providing a visual display of a path of travel of a moving target on the screen of the head mounted display; and a unit including a central processing unit operably coupled to said target projector and said first and second sensors, said central processing unit controlling the target displayed on the screen of the head mounted display such that the person wearing said head mounted display visualizes the movable target displayed on said screen as a function of the orientation of said head mounted display relative to said fixed location as monitored by said first sensor, and wherein said central processing unit automatically calculates the positions of the projectile and said moving target when the trajectory of said projectile intersects the path of travel of the moving target to calculate whether said target and has been hit or missed by said projectile, wherein said central processing unit automatically determines the position of the target at the time the projectile leaves the muzzle of the weapon, said central processing unit furthermore calculates the external delay time required for the projectile after leaving the muzzle to intersect a simulated plane of the target based on output signals from said first and second sensors, said calculations being based upon the velocity and time of travel of the said projectile to the point of intersection, and wherein said central processing unit further calculates the distance said target will travel on said path of travel during said external delay time to determine the position of the target at the conclusion of said external delay time and to automatically determine the relative positions of the said target and projectile at the expiration of said external delay time, and wherein said central processing unit includes an apparatus for causing the positions of said target and said projectile calculated by said central processing unit at the time the trajectory of the projectile intersects with the path of travel of the target to be displayed on the screen thereby providing a visual indication of a hit or miss of the projectile relative to said target. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A ballistic simulator and training process, comprising the steps of:
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selecting a simulated target movable along a predetermined path of travel at predetermined speeds by programming the predetermined path of travel and predetermined speeds of said simulated target into a central processing unit; displaying the movement of said target upon a screen of a virtual reality head mounted display as a function of the orientation of said head mounted display relative a fixed location such that different locations on said screen schematically represent different distances said target moves relative to a predetermined station; automatically determining the location of said target at selected times as said target moves along its predetermined path of travel; simulating aiming a freely movable weapon at said target, said weapon including a trigger with a sear and a barrel providing a muzzle, said weapon defining said predetermined station and wherein said aiming simulation step includes displaying the position of the barrel of said weapon on said screen; simulating firing a projectile at said target from said weapon defining said station, said firing simulation step includes projecting a beam of light rearwardly toward said head mounted display from a light projector mounted on the barrel of said weapon as of the time said projectile exits the muzzle of said weapon; detecting and displaying the aim of the weapon at all times while it is being aimed, including as of the time said projectile exits said muzzle by sensing the relationship of the alignment of said weapon with said virtual reality head mounted display and the relationship of said head mounted display relative to said fixed location;
thereafterautomatically determining the position of said projectile when the trajectory of said projectile intersects the plane of the path of movement of said target; and displaying the relative positions of said projectile and said target when the trajectory of said projectile intersects with the plane of the path of movement of said target thereby indicating whether said target has been hit or missed by said projectile. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification